UK Visas To Be Issued From New Delhi
The United Kingdom has said its embassies across the world would start 'checking fingerprints' of all aspirants seeking UK visas to travel to the country in what its Home Secretary Jacqui Smith termed as the "biggest changes to British immigration policy for a generation." The new visa regulation -- which comes amidst 'radical changes' made to country's immigration system including the way foreign nationals seek British citizenship so as to "make sure that the country only takes in the brightest and the best", would, however, not affect Nepali visa aspirants as the British embassy here has stopped issuing visas in Kathmandu to Nepalis effective from Monday. According to the new policy of the UK government, Nepalis seeking entry into the UK will from now on have to apply to the British High Commission in New Delhi as it has been authorized to decide whether or not to issue visas to them. British Ambassador to Nepal Dr Andrew Hall had conveyed the UK government's new decision to Foreign Secretary Gyan Chandra Acharya last Friday. The decision to issue visas from New Delhi comes as part of UK government's new policy under a global project through which it plans to issue visas from selected regional posts across the world by 2011. The timing of the decision is especially significant as it comes at a time when India is said to be increasingly active in Nepal's internal affairs, with observers saying that it [decision to issue visas for Nepalis from New Delhi] might possibly give more reasons to believe that the west sees Nepal from the "Indian perspective". Mitra Pariyar, political officer at the British embassy, recently told an English daily that Nepali visa aspirants might have to wait longer for visa confirmation than before when it was delivered form Kathmandu. Similarly, Nepalis seeking British visas will not have to face visa interviews nor will they have to visit New Delhi following the decision, as VFS Global, an officially authorized agency in Kathmandu, would oversee the application process, collect the documents and send them directly to New Delhi for further decision. Nepalis foreign ministry officials were not immediately available for comments on the issue. Compiled from reports
Govt Levies Rs 500 On Each Migrant Worker
The government has started levying Rs 500 from each migrant worker as a contribution to the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund that is to be used for the benefits of themselves and their families. Based on the provision in the Foreign Employment Act-2007, a minister level meeting last week decided to levy Rs 500 from each worker for the fund, said Keshar Bahadur Baniya, director general at the department of labor and employment promotion (DoLEP). The government has included the provision in response to the growing cases of death, job displacements, deportation and industrial accidents of Nepali workers abroad. The Nepali migrants have had to endure all kinds of problems in foreign lands for lack of money. Though the new Act has mandated Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) to collect the fee and execute the fund by developing a comprehensive package, DoLEP will levy money for a while until FEBP gets a full shape, Baniya said. The Act has included a provision for the creation of FEBP under the chairmanship of Labor Minister comprising representatives from various government agencies, private sector, independent experts and representatives of manpower recruiting agencies. The board is responsible for developing a comprehensive package for the utilization of the fund for the benefits of migrant workers and their families. According to Baniya, the workers are required to pay the sum through concerned manpower agency before getting the final approval, while in case of individuals-s/he has to deposit at DoLEP at the time of getting stamp on their work permit. All migrant workers, whether obtaining employment at his own or through a manpower-recruiting agency, has to contribute to the fund. He said that the fund would be used mainly to rescue workers caught in difficult situations, bring home dead bodies from different places and also to compensate for the families of deceased workers. "We have decided to give Rs 100,000 for the members of the each deceased migrant worker now onwards from the fund," Baniya informed. Apart from supporting the migrants and their families, the government plans to mobilize it for various purposes including pre-departure orientation, public awareness and post job counselling for better utilization of skills and money earned abroad. The latest move comes at a time when the government has been criticized for its lackadaisical attitude towards the protection of its citizens who have been working in various parts of the world. Currently, over two million Nepalis are estimated to be working or living abroad. Each day, more than 600 Nepali workers leave for jobs abroad through official channels. The Himalayan Times daily reports
COAS Visits Dalit Soldier's House To Have Lunch
Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Rookmangud Katawal, Saturday (Feb 23), said that the Nepal army (NA) could be mobilized during the upcoming Constituent Assembly (CA) polls on the government's direction. Stating the government controls the NA, the Army Chief added army can be mobilized under democratic norms during the April 10 polls. During his Chitawan visit, Katawal had lunch at a house of a 'Dalit' soldier in Bharatpur to prove his commitment in ending caste-based discrimination in army structure. He further informed that the army headquarters have issued directions to recruit people from the Dalit, Madhes, ethnic groups, women and other marginalized groups and to treat them fairly during their tenure. Compiled from reports
Bhattarai's Birthday Bash Takes A Political Color
The Royal family has extended greetings to former prime minister and founding leader of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Bhattarai on his 84th birthday by attending a "tea ceremony" he hosted at Hotel Himalaya in the capital Thursday (Feb 21). According to hotel sources, Crown Prince Paras accompanied by his wife Crown Princess Himani arrived at the hotel exactly at 12 noon, followed by King Gyanendra and Queen Komal at 12:20 pm to attend the birthday bash. The royal family stayed at the "strictly-by-invitation-only" ceremony thrown at the Skyline hall of the exclusive hotel for a little over half and hour during which time they are said to have wished a happy birthday to Bhattarai. Bhattarai celebrated his birthday by cutting a cake even as he was flanked by UNMIN chief Ian Martin and former prime minister and Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand, it is learnt. Government ministers, senior political leaders, bureaucrats, heads of security agencies and some diplomats also attended the birthday party. The last time the ailing leader who needs a caretaker to carry him around every time he moves, was in media limelight was when he resigned as the only living founding leader of Nepali Congress after the party removed constitutional monarchy from its party statute. Speaking briefly to journalists at the hotel premises, Bhattarai reiterated his position on monarchy, saying that monarchy should stay in Nepal for the next 300 years. Nepalnews.com reports
37 Parties File List Of Their Candidates
Thirty-seven political parties including major ruling parties Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist) submitted the closed lists of their candidates to be elected under the proportional system, at the Election Commission (EC), on Wednesday (Feb 20). Maoist leaders led by Prachanda reached the EC office at Kantipath with a huge crowd of supporters at the EC for submitting the list. The party is learnt to have filed the candidacy of senior leader Mohan Baidya for proportional seat. Speaking to reporters after submitting the list, Prachanda said his party has fielded 51 percent women candidates under proportional system. Likewise, Nepali Congress party that submitted the list of all 335 candidates has fielded Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala for proportional seat. CPN-UML filed candidacies of some senior leaders under proportional election system. They include Standing Committee members Sahana Pradhan, Amrit Bohara and Mukunda Neupane. Other ruling allies - Janamorcha Nepal, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, CPN (Marxist Leninist) and Shyam Sundar Gupta-led faction of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi) – also filed their closed lists. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) also registered the party's closed list for proportional system while Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP) didn't submit the list as the party had announced on Tuesday that the party would boycott the April 10 polls, citing the government's failure to resolve the Terai crisis. Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-Nepal), a pro-monarchist party led by former royalist stalwarts, also filed the nominations for proportional voting system. Meanwhile, three agitating Madhesi parties – Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party, Sadbhawana Party and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum – didn't submit the closed lists. Chure-Bhawar Rastriya Ekta Party decided to boycott the CA election. Nepal Bikash Party, Muskan Sena Nepal, Nepal Janabhawana Party and Samajbadi Prajatantrik Party were among the fringe parties that have filed the closed lists at the EC. The commission had fixed Feb 20 (Wednesday) as the deadline to file the closed list. The parties were asked to submit the closed lists by 5 pm. The Commission had earlier registered 74 political parties. Nepalnews.com reports
