Maoists to release hostages 

The Maoists have announced to free a number of the hostages coinciding with the 9th anniversary of the Peoples War on February 13. 

According to a report published in Nepal Samacharpatra Wednesday, the Maoists made this known by organizing a press conference at an unidentified location in the far-western region. 

“We will release innocent hostages who were captured by us in different times on charges of spying,” the report quoted Rishi Gautam alias Rahul, secretary of the recently declared Bheri-Karnali Regional Autonomous Government, as saying.

The report further mentioned that the Maoists will set free only those who they think are innocent. 

In the meantime, the Maoists, reports said, have informed that no security personnel staying on leave will be assaulted during the time of celebration of the anniversary. It will be effective only for 10 days in 10 districts that fall under the Maoists’ self-styled regional government. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 04 04

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Initiation to hold single Central Council meeting

The government faction of the Rashtriya Prajatantra party (RPP) has 
shown some flexibility to participate in the Central Council meeting 
called by the party, Nepal Samacharpatra reported on Wednesday. 
Earlier, the government side had declared to hold the meeting separately.

In response to party leader Rabindra Nath Sharma’s request, Minister 
Servendranath Sukla and Hari Bahadur Basnet met with party President Pashupati Shumsher Rana who requested to hold a single Central Council meeting, the report said.

However, it has also been reported that some members of Surya Bahadur Thapa faction are not happy with the idea, which has led to conflict within the Thapa faction.

Spokesperson of the party Roshan Karki said that if the government 
side agrees to hold a single Central Council meeting, the threat of 
division of the party can be avoided. 

Sharma also held a meeting at his residence on Tuesday to carry out 
negotiations between the government side and party leaders and reach to the agreement to hold a single Central Council meeting. nepalnews.com rs Feb04 04

Parties to intensify the movement

The five agitating parties in the Peoples Movement Organizing
Committee meeting held at Nepali Congress Central office at Teku on
Tuesday, declared to intensify their ongoing movement, Nepal
Samacharpatra reported.

They flayed the government for police intervention and beating up the
participants of the peaceful rally. Addressing the human right
activists, the five political parties said that the government has
violated the constitution and the basic human rights.

“Party leaders and workers being beaten inside the hospital and even
after arresting them are some of the examples of the governments’
inhuman and unconstitutional acts,” they said.

The parties also asked the human right activists and public to join
hands and defy such acts of the government. The parties also leveled
that the recent activities of the government was more inhuman and
oppressive than that during the ‘Panchyat’ system.

Similarly, Central Committee members of Women’s Organizations,
affiliated to the respective political parties, in a meeting,
expressed commitment to get actively involved in the movement against the regression.

According to the report, the parties have made the strategy to
intensify the movement focusing at the main entry points of the
capital, which includes ten districts. nepalnews.com rs Feb 04 04

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CJ suggests to purge irregularities in judiciary 

The Chief Justice (CJ) Govinda Bahadur Shrestha Tuesday said the mutual efforts of the bench and bar can eliminate existing irregularities in the judiciary.

“The Judiciary Council and Nepal Bar Association can jointly combat irregularities in the judiciary,” he said.

The CJ, emphasizing the need to provide timely and fair justice to the public, said the apex court has not always succeeded in meeting its objectives.

Speaking in the program former Chief Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyaya stressed the need to develop a body where the juries and lawyers can work together to curb existing irregularities in the sector. 

Shambhu Thapa, President of the Bar Association suggested that the Supreme Court (SC) can save the constitution. “The Supreme Court must not stay idle when the human rights and constitutional rights have been seized in the country,” he said .

They were speaking at the welcome and farewell program, organized by the Bar Association, in the honour of new and former chief justices’ in the capital Tuesday. nepalnews.com pd feb 04 04

Police forms probe committee 

The Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, has formed a three member probe committee to investigate the baton-charge inside the premises of Dristi weekly office and Bir hospital on Sunday and Monday respectively, a published report said Wednesday.

The committee was formed after Bir Hospital management strongly condemned the actions of the police inside the hospital during the ‘Bandh’ (strike) called by the five agitating parties’, Space-time daily reported.

The committee is headed by SSP Surendra Bahadur Pal with SP Binod Singh and DSP Motising Dhami as the other two members.

According to the report, the probe committee must handover its report about the incidents within four days. nepalnews.com pd 04 04

NRB to allot Rs.100m to tea farmers

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has decided to provide Rs.100 million to Agricultural Development Bank for delivering relief packages to the tea farmers in the country, a published report said Wednesday.

"The money provided by the NRB will be utilised for welfare of tea farmers during the current fiscal year," the Kathmandu Post quoted Bishwanath Shrestha, a member of Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, as saying.

"The decision of NRB will help assuage the tea farmers, who have been badly hit with the decline in tealeaves price," Shrestha said.

Meanwhile, the Jhapa branch office of the Nepal Tea Producers Association has submitted a memorandum to the government putting forth 11-point demands, the daily said.

Their demands, among others, include the establishment of tea processing plants in Prithvi Nagar and Haldibari of Jhapa and granting loans to the tea farmers, the daily added. nepalnews.com mr Feb 04 04

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ICC honours Jai Kumar Nath Shah

Jai Kumar Nath Shah, president of Cricket Association Nepal (CAN) has been declared the winner of International Cricket Council (ICC)'s Lifetime Service Award 2003, published reports said Wednesday.

The global award, which is a category of cricket's ruling body's development award, was announced on Tuesday by the ICC, the reports said.

A panel consisting ICC president Ehsan Mani and three more dignitaries, the reports added, selected the winners of the global awards. nepalnews.com mr Feb 04 04

Clean chits to four ex-ministers

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has freed four former ministers from the charges of corruption on Tuesday, a CIAA statement said. 

The four ex-ministers freed from the charges were Gopalman Shrestha, Bhakta Bahadur Rokaya, Yagyaraj Neupane and Birendra Kumar Kanaudia, the statement said.

Meanwhile, responding to a corruption case filed by the CIAA, a Kathmandu Special Court Tuesday demanded Rs.4.5 million as bail from corruption-indicted senior superintendent of police Kalyan Kumar Timilsina, the Himalayan Times said. nepalnews.com mr Feb 04 04

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Four Maoists killed 

At least four Maoists were killed in skirmishes with security forces in different parts of the country Tuesday. 

Two Maoists were killed at Sunigawa VDC-9 in Dhanusha district this morning when security forces on patrol opened fire, report saids. The dead have been identified as Ramtullah Mansoori and Rabi Yadav. Maratullah was an area commander of the Maoist party. 

In a similar incident, two women Maoist guerrillas were gunned down in Ward No. 2 of Gumda VDC in Gorkha. The Home Ministry made this known during its daily press briefing. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 03 04 

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Ex-MP found dead

Former member of parliament and secretary of CPN-UML Siraha district committee Hem Narayan Yadav was found dead in suspicious conditions today. 

His body was found at a canal near Polihama area. He was shot multiple times on his head, reports said. The reason behind his murder is not known yet. 

Yadav was elected to the parliament in 2056’s general election from constituency 4. 

The CPN-UML in a statement issued today condemned the murder, demanding an independent investigation into it. nepalnews.com mbk Feb 03 04