PRIME MINISTER GIRIJA PRASAD KOIRALA has said that he is not satisfied with the law and order situation in the country currently. Koirala said he felt he was responsible for the poor law and order as he is the PM of the country. Speaking at a program organized in the capital, Saturday, by an INGO called Universal Peace Federation, to honor him, Koirala said the situation would improve after the Maoists are inducted in the interim government. Koirala said he was feeling uncomfortable to receive an honor on good governance since the country was not witnessing good governance. Earlier, Koirala had told a group of NC leaders that it would take a few days before the interim government can be formed since the Maoists were yet to completely return seized properties.
THE ROYAL PALACE PRESS SECRETARIAT has issued a statement denying the accusations made by the Maoists against Crown Prince Paras. The press release issued by the palace, on Tuesday (March 13), says the allegations are totally fabricated, baseless and malicious. A Maoist MP Janardan Sharma had, on Monday, produced a CD and handed that over to the parliament claiming it contains detail information about the plots by the palace to spread malicious rumors against the Maoists and even kill pro-republican leaders. According to Maoist MP, the palace had formed a committee headed by Crown Prince Paras to deploy hit squads to kill party leaders. The Maoists also alleged that the palace has allocated Rs 600 million for the purpose.
AFTER THE MPs saw the CD submitted by the Maoists who claimed it contains information about detailed conspiracy by the royal palace against peace process, the episode has been settled. The MPs were surprised to find the CD containing only news paper cuttings about Maoists’ breach of the peace pact.
THE TENURE OF THE Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Nepal will be extended by two more years. The OHCHR-Nepal’s first two years of tenure was set to expire in June this year. However, the meeting of the cabinet, Thursday, decided to extend it by two more years.
THE HOME MINISTRY HAS INFORMED that between mid-January and mid-March, its teams have distributed 17,23,900 citizenship certificates across the country. According to the Ministry, of the total, around 16,17,000 citizenships were based on descent; around 72,600 based on birth; and over 34,000 were naturalized citizenship. Due to strikes and bandhs, the distribution of citizenship in some Terai districts has been affected. And the distribution will continue till mid-April.
THE ANNUAL SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATE (SLC) examinations will be conducted from April 4 this year. According to the Ministry of Education and Sports, over 3,78,000 students will appear for the SLC tests this year across the country. The Ministry has informed that there will be 1100 examination centers across the country – more by 102 centers compared with previous year.
THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR WILL GROW by only 0.7 percent this fiscal year. Due to unfavorable weather, the paddy production will decline by 12.5 percent. This coupled with unimpressive growth of non-agriculture sector will ensure that the overall GDP will grow merely by 3.8 percent this year. These facts were revealed at a program organized by the central bank to evaluate monetary situation. The evaluation has indicated that the inflation will remain at 6.6 percent – caused by fall in internal manufacturing and imports, transport disruption due to bandhs and strike, and price hike of petroleum products.
THE GOVERNMENT AND UNDP have signed an agreement to launch a wetland conservation project in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Sunsari and its buffer zone districts and the Ghodaghodi Lake complex of Kailali district. With the outlay of $40,00,000, the project aims to ensure conservation and sustainable use of wetlands. Ghulam Isaczai, the UNDP’s deputy resident representative, said the UNDP hopes to develop the project as a model for sustainable wetland management in Nepal , according to a press release. The new project will build the institutional capacity of the communities to conserve the wetlands, which are being threatened by several activities such as poaching, cattle-grazing, over-fishing, uncontrolled drainage, pollution and deforestation, the release said.
THE ROTARY CLUB OF KATHMANDU METRO recently held an Interact Leadership Tour. Twelve Interact members including young boys and girls between ages of 12 to 17 years organized a trip to Pokhara to learn about leadership, according to Kim Baaden, incoming president of the club. “They learnt teamwork, self-discipline and leadership capabilities during the five-day trip, which they themselves organized and carried out,” said Baaden. According to him the Rotary Club of Kathmandu Metro engages in a number of social activities like supporting in drinking water , libraries, no-smoking campaigns, education, leadership development and so on.
