Summer session from May 15

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - His Majesty King Birendra has summoned the regular 18th Session of Parliament on May 15, a statement by the Principal Press Secretariat said today.

Both Houses of Parliament will convene on that day to be followed by presentation of the government’s programmes and policies on May 19.

A few days of discussion on the document will be followed by voting on the motion of vote of thanks.

According to Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, the budget will be presented on May 25.

The last session of parliament had prorogued early this month amid chaos, slogans and protests from the main opposition CPN-UML.

CPN-UML lawmakers were demanding resignation of a state minister over his alleged involvement in abduction of a CPN-UML worker.

4 policemen, 3 rebels killed in separate violent incidents

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - Four policemen were killed in an ambush set up by the underground Maoists in a remote village in northern Dhading early today even as three Maoists were killed in a police-Maoist crossfire in Mid-west’s Rukum in another incident late yesterday, reports said.

Three other police were also injured when a group of Maoist rebels ambushed a team of police in Kaule Bhanjyang VDC, six hours walk from Dhadingbesi, the district headquarters, at about 9 a.m. Friday. The incident has been described as the first such Maoist attack against the police in the central hill district west of Kathmandu.

Those killed in the Dhading attack have been identified as Head Constable Megh Bahadur Khadka, 26 of Dolakha, Constable Ram Chandra Ruchhal, 23 of Makawanpur, Constable Min Bahadur Rana, 22 of Gorkha, and Constable Indra Bahadur Thapa, 27 of Dhading.

Likewise, those injured in the incident include SI Yadav Upreti, and Constables Kamal Kumal and Chandra Bahadur Gurung. They are currently receiving treatment in Birendra Police Hospital Kathmandu. Bodies of the dead policemen were airlifted to Kathmandu for postmortem and subsequently handed over to their families.

In Rukum, three Maoists were killed in a police-Maoist crossfire in Bhalkhola of Sthalapakha VDC, four hours walk from the district Headquarters, at about 4 p.m. Thursday.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Dhiru Basnyat, the police had fired in retaliation after a group of 40-50 Maoists hidden behind trees in the jungle threw a bomb at them.

Police seized two muskets, five socket bombs, seven khukuris, one k.g gun powder, 10 metres fusewire and a few detonators from the site after the incident.

The three dead Maoists have not yet been identified. According to police, one was wearing a Maoist commander’s uniform and the other two were in combat dungaree. Police said the bodies of two Maoist fell down into Sano Bheri, the river passing by.

Police said they have beefed up security arrangements in the area fearing Maoist attack.

Food supply to be ensured in remote parts of country

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The government has decided to restaff and restock the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) depots it shut down complying to loan conditions and a hastily prepared report, Minister for Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar said today.

"The government has decided to restaff the food depots and ship food grains to these godowns to prevent shortage of food in these regions," Minister Tamrakar told the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Minister Tamrakar was summoned by the committee to update on PAC’s directive to reconsider the decision to close down 41 of the 77 NFC depots at a point when the rural parts of the country have began to face food shortages.

Though the four food depots that were completely shut down will be restaffed and food grains shipped and restocked, they would not be called NFC depots but an alternative measure taken by the government to ensure food supplies in remote regions.

The change in mode comes as a measure by the government to avoid any confrontation with Asian Development Bank (ADB), whose reforms suggestions had led to the closure of these depots.

Ministry of Supplies officials including the secretary and NFC officials in the past have said reversing the decision to close down food depots would mean going against the agreement between the government and ADB.

And has said that they were compelled to honor the agreement between the government and ADB at a time when the process of receiving loan has begun.

Based on the report that was rushed through, the government decided to close these depots on Dec. 31 last year. Many of these depots are in remote mountainous areas which are hit by food shortages every spring and in some areas lead to spread of diseases claiming hundreds of lives every year.

Officials in the past have admitted that pressure from the Finance Ministry to complete the report by July 1999 had made them rush through the report without having time to consider the geographical and economical factors of the areas where the depots were being shut down.

And failure to submit the report within the specified time would have meant delay or possible loss of the loan assistance from ADB.

ADB had pledged to grant a loan assistant of US$ 50 million for agriculture the second agriculture program but had set conditions that the number of depots and employees of the corporation needs to be cut down under the reforms program.

NC,UML talks inconclusive

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The talks between the government and the opposition parties continued today but were unable to reach a truce.

"The talks have moved forward with the main opposition CPN-UML. We were able to put on hold the Rautahat issue for now but are now discussing the 10-point demand made by them," Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel told The Kathmandu Post.

Poudel is one of the representatives in the committee formed by the government in its bid to include the opposition on issues that are of national interest.

However, the feud between the governing Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML had pushed apart the main agenda of the committee and was forced to concentrate on other issues.

CPN-UML two months back had announced a one-month-long protest program to take up issues ranging from price hikes to increased cases of corruption.

CPN-UML is demanding that minister of state Mohammad Aftab Alam be dismissed from the government for his brother’s alleged involvement in a kidnapping of a CPN-UML worker in Rautahat.

CPN-UML is accusing that the action came in response to a armed robbery at the minister’s house a day earlier.

The government has said it has already arrested few people it suspects are involved in the kidnapping and it could not fire a minister just because the opposition is accusing his involvement without a fair investigation into the case.

Armyman mistakes friend for a Maoist

By a Post Reporter

SURKHET, April 28 - An army personnel mistakenly shot his colleague dead in a bizarre incident last night, said Chief District Officer (CDO) Dhruva Prasad Sharma.

The incident occured at the Regional Broadcasting Centre Surkhet. It so happened that Maniram Panthi, an army personnel, went to check whether the guard was on duty or not.

In the darkness of the night, the guard on duty thought that somebody was trying to grab the rifle from him. He opened four rounds of bullet at Panthi fearing that the shadow was that of a Maoist rebel out to snatch his weapon.

About a year back, Maoists had snatched rifles from the security guards at the centre. A group of 13 army security guards had been deployed there following the incident.

Govt urged to implement telephone tariff hike

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The employees at Nepal Telecommunication Corporation today said that the government should implement the decision to raise telephone tariff as per the decision taken by management committee.

The corporation management committee had decided to double the tariff in Local Calls and give discount in International Calls. It had decided to charge rupees two per call and maintain minimum monthly cost at Rs 300. Not only had the NTC decided to increase the prices on the local calls but increased charges on domestic long distance calls too by nearly 50 percent.

At present customers have to pay Rs. 150 per month as minimum payment for the first 100 calls and Re. 1 each additional call of three minutes during peak hours and the same for six minutes during the night.

Speaking at the council of Nepal Telecommunication Corporation employees, Chet Prasad Bhattarai, the general manager said that there was abundant ground for the price hike.

"We are not doing this on pressure from donor community. There was a need to review the tariff and we have done just that. There are good many reasons that would justify the hike," said Bhattarai. The tariff on phones has remained the same for the past eight years.

NTC officials have been maintaining that the increase in tariff is necessary to rebalance the charges on the various services they offer and that they cross-subsidy by using the profit on long distance calls to finance the basic local telephone services.

At present, NTC has over 233,000 telephone connections while another 240,000 applicants are waiting for a connection.

In January, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives had rejected the proposal to increase tariff and asked the government to cancel the decision saying, "the decision does not hold much ground."

India’s role crucial in resolving the Bhutanese refugee issue: Thomas Mann

By Akhilesh Upadhyay & Kavita Sherchan

KATHMANDU, April 28 - India’s involvement is of paramount importance to resolve the Bhutanese refugee stalemate, said Thomas Mann, vice-president of European parliamentary delegation that paid a visit to refugee camps in Jhapa.

"We will raise the issue with India during the EU-India Summit slated for June," said Mann, the vice-president of the EU Parliament Delegation that looks after Relations with South Asian Countries and SAARC. The team completed its visit last week but Mann left Kathmandu yesterday.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post on Thursday, Mann said the visiting EU delegation is going to broach the topic in European parliament to urge India to engage itself in the refugee talks so as to convince parliamentarians to raise the issue during the EU-India Summit.

He stressed the issue is not going to make any headway unless India participates. "In my opinion, we have to convince the Indians to bring about the solution. Otherwise, nothing will happen," said Mann.

Despite Nepal’s repeated calls, India has steadfastly kept out of refugee talks ever since the crisis emerged in late 1990. The refugees comprising Nepali-speaking Lhotshampas were evicted as a part of the state’s ethnic cleansing process since December 1990. India maintains the refugee problem is very much a bilateral issue between Nepal and Bhutan.

But Mann maintains India cannot shirk away from its responsibility in this manner as she has contributed to the problem. "Bhutan and Nepal don’t have common borders and they (India) are responsible too," said Mann. The more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have all travelled through India to enter Nepal as refugees. "They (India) cannot say only some bus drivers picked them up and dropped them in Nepal".

Mann stresses that India’s involvement is "extremely important" as the dominant country in South Asia - more so since all the three countries - Nepal, Bhutan and India - are involved in SAARC. "In my opinion it is not really fair to talk about bilateral conflicts and then not to be integrated in the process. If you believe in the idea of SAARC, then you should also be there," said Mann. "If you are there together in SAARC, cooperation means also to have common solutions."

He also stressed on the need to discuss the issue at SAARC level. "Even if you can’t discuss it at the Summit, this problem can be discussed at the Standing Committee (comprising Foreign Secretaries of SAARC member-nations)," he said.

EU has been expressing its concern over the refugee problem for the past four years. In March 1996, a lot was expected when EU passed a resolution urging Bhutan to take back the refugees. But not much has happened since.

"We tried to do our best but in the beginning you had this bilateral talks and nothing else...," said Mann. Asked whether EU had done anything by way of follow-up to the 1996 resolution, he said: "Very often we tried. We also asked the Indians but they said `no no it’s a bilateral issue’."

A regular visitor to Nepal, Mann was here with the European delegation in October 1997 as a deputy leader. The then delegation had refused to listen to the refugee issue during their meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs stating that most of the refugees in the camps were not Bhutanese.

The delegation had first visited the Dragon Kingdom before coming to Nepal and had been brainwashed by the shrewd and savvy Druk diplomats into believing that the "greedy Nepalis" were trying to create problem in their peaceful Shangri-la.

Infact, Ferdinand Rachinel, the French Parliamentarian of the group was quite vocal in his support for the Druk government at the meeting with Nepali lawmakers.

"There was only one in the last delegation who said all the people who came to Nepal are not refugees. They are Nepalese, so they should be here as members of Nepal. They should stay here and never go back. It was not the official position. It was a private view and nothing else," claimed Mann.

As a part of ethnic cleansing, the Druk government has imposed Driglam Namza, a decree which permits only one language, one culture and a single dress code even in the southern Bhutan inhabited by Lhotshampas. Nepali language was banned from schools and all are forced to wear the national costume, worn traditionally by Drukpas.

When asked what he thought of human rights situation in Bhutan, Mann said: "If you don’t respect other ideas and other cultures it cannot be the right one."

He also said that EU has let the Bhutanese regime know that the human rights situation in their country is not upto the mark. "The Ambassador for Bhutan is in Switzerland. And we had the serious talk," he said.

Mayor defends privatisation of bus depots

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Keshav Sthapit today defended his decision to lease the Gongabu Bus Park to a private party.

KMC signed a deal with a private operator on April 11 to lease out the bus park for an annual fee of Rs. 5.8 million for the next 30 years.

"Last year the revenue from this bus park was Rs. 4.8 million compared to the estimated expenses of Rs. 7 million," Sthapit said. "We could not manage the park any more and city council unanimously decided to invite private sector."

The bus park at Gongabu was built with Japanese assistance in 1993. Exchange of notes in this regard were signed and exchanged between the two governments two years before that.

The mayor said since KMC was unable to manage the facility properly, the situation was turning chaotic and the area was beginning to attract social evils.

Besides having inadequate facilities like bathrooms, proper drainage and public address systems, the bus park has been gaining a reputation for attracting sex trade and other illegal activities. The bus park is run by syndicates which acts more in mafia style of operation as security and policing is inadequate.

"Maybe the private operators will be able to provide better security arrangements and facilities like movie theatres and recreational facilities like snooker, pool and a shopping complex," Sthapit said.

The question which remained now was whether it was okay for KMC to lease out a facility built by a donor country for use by the government.

The Japanese ambassador in a letter to the Finance Secretary questioned the deal and said certain procedures need to be completed beforehand by both the government for "justifying the need for leasing the Gongabu bus terminal to a private operation and management as well as for settling the legal bilateral obligation."

The procedure include presentation of documents describing the existing problems which motivated KMC to lease the facility, justification for the necessity to hand it on lease and mechanism of operation and management and utilization of the revenue generated from it for improving the physical facilities and service delivery system.

The letter signed by ambassador Mitsuaki Kojima has also sought clarification from KMC through diplomatic channels on ownership of the facilities constructed under the Japanese grant, rights and responsibility for final decision making in the process of operation and management, system for monitoring and supervision by KMC as well as system for submission of report by the private operator and clear cut job description of KMC and a private operator.

"From the letter we have received we see no protest from the Japanese government on handing over the operation to a private party. It is just seeking clarification on some issues," said Secretary at the Local Development Ministry Udaya Raj Swati.

Secretary Swati at the same time said the ministry had no prior information on KMC’s decision to lease the facility and it has sought documents from KMC on this regard.

The issue has brought the ministry and KMC into direct confrontation. KMC is accusing the ministry of interfering in the affairs of a autonomous body acting on political pressure.

"The ministry is trying to interfere into the affairs of an autonomous body that should be free of government control under the Local Bodies Self Governance Act ... they can’t interfere by asking us to put the deal on hold after we have already signed it," Sthapit said.

Secretary Swati reacted by saying the ministry was never informed about the decisions or the agreements as required and it could not take the notice published in newspapers as officials.

"We did the same with the other projects like the proposed slaughter house contract which would now enable consumers access to hygienic meat and nobody said anything at all," Sthapit said. "If we can’t do it ourself then we will look for partners to assist us."

Other proposals for improving the bus park include extending the bus parking capacity, a bigger taxi stand, sealing and securing the premises and equipping it with x-machines for security like in airports.

The Japanese ambassador’s letter has further said that the fund raised from the facilities constructed under the grant should be utilized basically for the further improvement of the existing facilities even if it is leased or handed over to a private operator for operation and management.

Therefore it is expected that such fund be separately deposited in a bank and it be utilized for further improvement of bus terminal or other purpose based on mutual agreement between the two concerned authorities of HMG and Japanese Embassy.

Woman tortured for practising ‘witchcraft’

By a Post Reporter

RAJBIRAJ, April 28 - In yet another incident of torturing innocent women as witches, villagers from Pripa Paschim forced fifty year old Khadni Chaudhari to drink stool after accusing her of being a witch here.

When the village Vice-Chairperson’s wife had a stomach ache, villagers accused Chaudhari of practising witchcraft. According to members of her family, the villagers, claiming that the intake of stool would clear her of witchcraft, forced her to drink it. Moreover, they also made her sign a bond of Rs. 51,000 and forcibly took away a sack of rice as a fine for her "crimes".

According to one jhankri (shaman), whenever a woman is accused of witchcraft, she is made to eat raw rice. "If she faints or exhibits any signs of fainting, then, she has to drink stool," says he.

Komal Tolang, police constable said that locals even exhibited violent behaviour to them when they went for investigation.

Some of the accused have been arrested and necessary investigations are going on, said the police.

Travel agents lament embassy rules

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, April 28 - Tour operators here have been lamenting - the recent policy of Chinese embassy of one and a half hour of visa issue time has caused huge losses for them.

According to travel agents and tour operators here, the embassy, which earlier used to issue visa easily have tightened it, creating a disadvantage for Nepali-run tour agency in comparison to foreign tour agencies.

Visas for Tibet tours are arranged by tour operators here.

"Before they used to issue visas to all those who would come before 11:00. Now, they leave in just an hour and a half after they arrive at work," said Gopal Shrestha, a distraught travel agent. The recent policy of the embassy’s timing for visa applications is just one and half hours a day, three days a week. So, agency employees have started taking night stands outside the Chinese embassy, afraid that their papers might not get in.

To make things worse, operators claim that China Southwest Airlines, the official flight carrier to Tibet, does not even reimburse clients when their visas are not issued. The tickets too are expensive, costing $273. The same distance, Kathmandu-Delhi costs $142.

Besides reimbursing unused tickets, agents claim that they are being forced to buy US dollars from the black market. "Since tourists now use credit cards, we do not get the green dollars in our hand and the Chinese embassy only accepts US dollars," said one tour operator.

Each year, tourist leaving for Lhasa from Kathmandu reach 20,000. According to Tek Bahadur Gangi, an official from Nepal Tourism Board, in 1998, 12 thousand 400 tourists flew from Kathmandu to Lhasa while 7 thousand went by road. At the same rate, tourists come from Tibet to Kathmandu. In the same year, 15 thousand 3 hundred 33 people came to Nepal from Kodari highway alone. Ten thousand 35 people flew into Nepal from Tibet in 1998. In 1999, the numbers had increased considerably, say tour operators.

"But with the problems of visas, the trust the foreign tour operators have on us is in a jeopardy," said General Secretary of Trekking Agents Association, Deepak Dhamala.

According to Bhola Thapa, President of Nepal Association of Travel Agents, a meeting of representatives from the industry was held with Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola here on Friday.

Officials from the Ministry say that the problem will be taken with gravity. "We have requested the Embassy to extend the time," said Deepak Dhital, Deputy protocol Officer of the Foreign Ministry.

Rights groups demand action

KATHMANDU, April 28 (PR)- A meeting of human rights organizations have decided to launch a protest programme demanding actions against those discriminating or ostracizing the Chamar communities of Siraha in eastern Terai.

In a press release issued here today by Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), a human rights organization, the organization said that united meeting of human and dalit rights which was held today decided to protest the inhuman acts meted out against the members of backward and poor ethnic community.

The activists will leave for Siraha on Thursday, May 4. Consequently, the activists will participate in a tea party with the Chamars, who are regarded as "untouchable" by most members of their conservative neighbourhood, especially those belonging to Hinduism’s upper social hierarchy such as Brahmans and Chhetris.

"The team will stage a sit-in at the local administration office, and a protest rally in Siraha bazaar the same afternoon," the release said, adding that "the meeting condemned the untouchability practice still prevalent in most parts of the country."

The meeting was attended by such prominent human rights activists as Sushil Pyakurel, Kapil Shrestha, Krishna Pahadi, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, and representatives of Action Aid Nepal, Dalit Sewa Sangh, Mukti Samaj and other organizations.