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VOL. 27, NO. 5, September 14, 2007 (Bhadra 28 2064 B.S.)
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HEALTH SITUATION OF CROWN PRINCE PARAS has improved satisfactorily. Doctors say he is now in a stable condition. He had been hospitalized at Norvic Hospital in Thapathali after suffering from a mild heart attack. Doctors performed angioplasty and stent procedure to clear one of his blocked arteries. He was rushed to the hospital after doctors checked him at his residence in Nirmal Niwas at 10:20 am, Thursday (September 6). Doctors had been called after CP Paras complained of severe chest pains. King Gyanendra and Queen Komal had also reached the hospital. Crown Princess Himani, Queen Mother Ratna and other royal relatives also visited the hospital.
A DELEGATION OF NEPALI ARMY (NA) generals, and divisional heads led by Chief of Army Staff General Rookmangud Katawal met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Sunday (September 9) and briefed him about the NA’s preparedness for the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) polls. They briefed the PM about the conclusions of the recent meeting of NA’s division commanders. Anticipating the ‘worst-case scenarios’ in the days ahead, the division commanders and other departmental heads discussed the Army’s preparedness in the two-day meeting. The cases discussed include: “If the CA election does not take place on November 22 and is once again pushed further for some time in next spring; or if the CA election takes place on schedule, but the poll results do not appear as per the liking of a particular group.” “In both the cases, a degree of violence is expected. The meeting concluded that while postponement of election may invite a civil war, the election result, on the other hand, may also instigate violence,” a General present in the meeting told The Himalayan Times daily. He said the meeting has decided to get prepared for both the situations. Apart from formulating strategies to tackle such situations, which would be implemented if the government asked the Army to take action, the ‘coordination meeting’ also discussed the current “total chaotic situation” in the Tarai. The division commanders discussed the activities of the United Nations Mission in Nepal, which is mandated to monitor management of arms and armies and assist the government in holding the CA polls. They discussed the government’s reported intention to replace Army security by YCL’s security in certain “vital installations like television towers”. “Internally, we are soldier-focused, and externally we must be people-focused to win their trust that the army is transparent, accountable and democratized,” the General quoted army chief Katawal as saying at the conclusion of the two-day meeting last Friday.
THE BULLISH NEPAL STOCK EXCHANGE (Nepse), on Sunday (September 9), climbed to a new high as its index crossed the 800-point mark for the first time in its 14-year long history. The Nepse index touched 811.98 points, clocking a double-digit growth of 15.64 points from an opening of 796.34 points. The robust growth is mainly led by soaring share prices of commercial banks. As a result, the banking sub-index gained 22.60 points. Most of the commercial banks earned in the range of Rs 16 to Rs 159 per share on Sunday alone. Everest Bank Ltd is the highest earning company, as it gained Rs 159 per share and closed at Rs 2,575 from the opening of Rs 2,416. Nepal Investment Bank followed suit with adding a value of Rs 145 per share. The bank’s trading closed at Rs 2610, which had opened at Rs 2,465 at the beginning of trading. Total market capitalization of listed shares at Nepse also grew by over Rs 4.30 billion and closed at Rs 223.62 billion from the previous closing of Rs 219.32 billion. Of the 35 companies that had their shares traded at the Nepse floor Sunday, shares of 28 companies gained, while only seven of them lost ground.
FIVE PERSONS WERE KILLED AFTER the microbus they were traveling in was swept away by swollen Dhansar River along the East-West highway in Bara district on Saturday (September 8) night. The dead have been identified as Narottam Rajbhandari, his wife Sami Rajbhandari, Jivan Joshi, Jayanti Joshi and Indreni Prasai, police said. The microbus was heading towards Kathmandu from Dhankuta, carrying wedding attendants. Another five persons were rescued by the locals. After the bridge over the seasonal Dhansar River had been swept away a few days ago, vehicles have been driving through the riverbed during daytime when the current is usually low. The accident, however, occurred at around 11 pm Saturday night.
SEVEN PERSONS WERE KILLED and 25 missing after a boat capsized in swollen Rapti river in Kachanapur of Banke district. Seven persons have swum to safety. The boat is said to have capsized as it was overcrowded. The people were headed from Nawalpur to Govarpur when the mishap occurred.
THE REPORT OF AUDITOR’S GENERAL presented to the Prime Minister on Wednesday (September 5) has shown that in the last fiscal year 2006/07, the Beruju or unsettled amount has decreased. The report states that the total unsettled amount stood at Rs 26.42 billion in the fiscal year compared with Rs 29.9 billion previous fiscal year.
