British Ambassador Ronald P Nash showing his ID after he was stopped from entering the VIP lounge at TIA by the security present there to welcome the British Secretary of State for Defence Geoffrey Hoon.

What we really really want

Suman Pradhan

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 - After 35 days of being glued to the TV, news junkies can now relax. The US Supreme Court, the highest court in Amrika, as they say, has finally handed down a ruling.

And what a ruling it has been. It will take lawyers - not mere mortals, they - maybe a day or two to figure out what the learned justices really meant to in their divided 5-4 decision, according to a dispatch by the Associated Press. Small wonder then that Democratic candidate and US Vice President Al Gore has not yet conceded and does not plan to do so until his lawyers decipher the complex ruling.

While Gore can be sore for the next four years before he has another shot at the presidency, provided his party allows him that opportunity, the rest of the world can now begin taking stock of this histrionic US presidential elections.

Lesson # 1: Presidential elections make for good TV. Messy presidential elections makes for even better TV. The relationship between presidential elections and TV ratings is conversely proportional to the mess the polls create. Therefore, countries, which don’t yet practice the presidential system should create presidents just for the sake of TV soap operas to keep the masses happily glued to their sets. No more hartaals, imagine.

Lesson # 2: Hand counting/recounting is unreliable, machine counting is best. The Election Commission should contract a private party (provided PAC lets it) and import all the soon-to-be-discarded voting machines from Florida for use here in Gongabu, Gwarkhu, Musikot, Chandaal Chowk and all the other polling centres in the country. America alone doesn’t hold the rights to hanging chads, we do too. It’s time to assert that right.

Lesson # 3: Lessons 1 and 2 would be impossible without the Electoral College. Let’s have that, by all means. Each county, oops jillas, would get a finite number of electoral votes that goes to the winner of that jilla. The candidate who gets more than half of those votes would be declared the prime minister. After all, even now, we elect our prime minister indirectly. Better to have electors deciding that for us than Bangkok-hopping, Pajero-riding mananiyas.

Lesson # 4: Have lawyers at the ready. No lawyers, no mess, I’m sure you agree. This is essential if the voting fails to create the optimum mess that is required. No problem here, we’re awash in them, as much as in Amrika.

Lesson #5: Most important of all, select the right candidates. Republican candidate W couldn’t name Pakistan’s ruler in a TV quiz show. I bet we have plenty of candidates here who can’t name their own names (at least during the late night hours).

Commission-fixing hinders development activities

Kul Chandra Neupane

DAMAULI, Dec 13 - Many of the construction and development projects completed in this district do not meet with the required standards due to corruption. Funds allocated for a large number of other projects are "frozen" every year due to misunderstandings between the contractor and the govt office chief in terms of payment of commission.

The moment the government allocates funds for a project and includes the project in the government’s "red book", the office chiefs start seeking out contractors who can pay them the highest amount of commission.

In most cases, only contractors who can afford to pay the highest amount of commission and who are ready to please the office chiefs with their services and flattery can win the contract on quotation, contractors claim.

Major projects cannot be constructed through quotations, but the office chiefs get these works done through quotations and amanat(under the supervision of office) by having the works divided into smaller jobs. Under such contracts, the contractor is asked to hand over a minimum of 20 percent of the project cost as commission to the office chief.

Even in cases of projects which are won by the contractors on a competitive tender bid basis, the project does not proceed as long as the office chief does not get adequate commission prior to the signing of the contract. The commission to be paid in such cases ranges between 5 and 10 per cent, it has been mentioned in the data presented at a press conference organised here by the Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs’ Association, Tanahun, about three months ago."If a contractor tries to start the construction work without paying commission, there will be a direct order overnight to stop the work".

It was due to the lack of commission that the works of projects of the Tanahun District Irrigation Office where of contracts had been signed, have been allegedly postponed. None of the projects under the Tanahun District Irrigation Office has been implemented successfully over the last four years as the two sides could not agree on a commission amount, it has been alleged.

According to Shivanand Shah of the office, construction of the Bhanusera Irrigation Project is the only project which has got under way out of about 8 projects approved in the current fiscal year.

According to a source at the irrigation office, construction of the building of the District Irrigation Office could not begin due to the failure of commission-fixing.

Budgets of major irrigation projects like Atrauli Phoottar, Sange Patayani, Kalikatar and Sunaudi Ganpate have been freezing every year, for the last two or three years.

Of them, the Kalikatar irrigation project has been under construction over the last five years with a target of irrigating 100 hectares of land, but it is being delayed as a result of the lack of agreement in commission, it is alleged. The project was estimated to cost Rs 20,600,000 but Rs 16 million has already been spent with more than half of the project incomplete.

Although the Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs Association started the movement opposing the practice of fixing commission and rampant corruption about three months ago, they have not come forward to press their demand. Contractors are afraid that they will not get the job if they do not pay commission.

The office chiefs complain that they have to pay part of the commission received from contractors to the ruling party leaders at the district level and also to the department heads. "As all the transfer and promotion of employees depend on commission what else can we do but to receive it?" a technician said.

Contractors complain that they cannot ensure the quality of their work due to the commission charged at every stage of the work.

Kirat Rai conference kicks off

KATHMANDU,DEC 13 (PR) -The First National Conference of Kirat Rai community kicked off at Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus today. The conference aims to promote and preserve the typical Kirat Rai culture.

Speaking at the programme, lecturer and former head of the Department of Sociology at the Tribhuwan University, Dr Krishna Bhattachan said,"Until we defeat the ideology, policies and practices of uni-caste, language, religion and culture in a multi- caste, ethnic, lingual, religious and cultural society, it would be hard to imagine the development of nationalities and ultimately of the country itself". He also appealed to all Rai students that they should pressure the Public Service Commission to make its curriculum to incorporate the Kirat values.

On the occasion, Ajamber Kammang of CPN-ML Youth wing, emphasized that all Rai community should unite, have self-determination and community empowerment. He was of the opinion that only symbolic representation in the government is not enough to develop the community.

The General Secretary of Kirat Rai Ayokkha, Raj Bahadur Rai, said,"The typical culture of this community is in danger, so to save it the students themselves should take it up systematically to preserve it".

Rai also said, "The only solution for it’s upliftment is to educate the whole Rai community".

The famous and popular Kirat Rai Chandi dance often called Sakewa or Sakela was also beautifully performed on the occasion. The seminar is scheduled to end on December 16.

Left parties call for Chitwan bandh

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 - A group of six left parties is calling for a Chitwan Bandh on December 18 and 19, protesting against the December 9 incident, in which Gauri Sapkota, 24, was killed in Bharatpur municipality, Chitwan, after police opened fire at a meeting of the Maoist-wing of All Nepal Womens’ Association (ANWA).

According to Sachin Hari Sapkota of Nepal Communist Party (UML), Chitwan, "Since the District Administration refused to implement our demands, we are forced to stage our protest again". A four- point demand was made to the District Administration by a joint negotiating team of CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Chitwan Unit.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has formed a team to investigate the incident, which is led by the Under Secretary, Umakant Parajuli and the Section Officer, Man Bahadur Karki.

Likewise, the Nepal University Teachers Association (NUTA) also condemned the manner in which the police ignored civic rights and freedom of speech and has requested HMG to take necessary actions against the concerned persons.

According to the press releases issued here, NHRC, NUTA along with Alliance for Human Rights and Social Justice, Nepal, has appealed to all sections of the society to cooperate with the investigation and help to bring the culprit to face justice.

KMC blamed for breach of contract

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 - Kathmandu Medical College (KMC), letting Meghala Nair to study for one year, has asked her to discontinue the MBBS course after the Kathmandu University to which the college is affiliated with refused to register her in the medical course citing that she had not taken biology in the 12th grade.

Nair from Kerala, India, had admitted herself at KMC last year paying a hefty sum of Rs 1.6 million (Indian currency), in three instalments in a period of six months. The amount Nair paid was the entire course tuition fee, which could have been cleared in five instalments over a period of four years.

Nair in her letter to the administration had cited, " Your college has already admitted me, and I spent one year at your college which was very fertile and could be a milestone in my life."

"I am shocked due to your letter released therewith in which you have apologised for the mistake of having registered me," stated the letter. "We both are the contracting parties and I consider that the contract has been breached by fraud from your side," it added.

KMC Organising Committee Chairman Dr Puskar Nath Pant says that Nair was admitted by the former college management. According to Pant, the college was earlier managed by Charity International Nepal and Charity Trust of India; however, now it is managed entirely by the Nepalis only.

"Nair was admitted by the former management, and when the Kathmandu University refused her registration only then we came to know that she had not taken biology in the 12th Grade," said Pant.

"We are investigating how Nair was admitted into the course despite ommission of biology in her course," said Pant, adding, "The board will decide about ways to reimburse her."

Nair’s lawyer Ram Kumar Shrestha who is going to file the case against KMC said that the college has breached the contract by expelling Nair for which the college has to provide the legitimate compensation.

‘Humiliating’ boot polishing job in dazzling New Road

Perina Pathak

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 - Dazzling New Road changes day by day, but Bijay’s profession remains the same.

He wants to lead a respectable life abandoning the work that his three generations is following,"boot polishing". Though he generates ample amount of money.

Bijay, 23, of Sinamangal has been working in the same Pipalbot periphery for the last 6 years. He may earn around Rs 100-500 per day saving Rs 4000 to 5000 per month, luck depending. And sometimes zero too.

In spite of sufficient earning, he wants to hide his profession from society fearing humiliation. "My friends are leading a respectable life but I am doing this shameful work," he said. He is now waiting for his future to shine.

Though nobody directly ridicules his work, he shies from the comments of his friends and customers. "You are too young, go and do some other work too. I receive comments like these", he said.

"As I am skilled at what I do, I want to open up my own shop or engage in some other job which is more respectable," he said.

However there are people, like Rajesh Lama, who generate a sufficient income and live a good life. He has been doing this work for 8 years to bring up his only child and is satisfied with his job.

"We mainly make profit during office hours, the winter and the marriage season, while in the rainy season we make barely a handful of money," he said. He sadly talks of his past life from where he came to work on the streets. His family sold all their property and became homeless.

There are about 27 such workers around the Pipalbot, among whom Hari Thapa is one, who has sufficient property outside the valley but is doing this work just to live in the Kathmandu Valley.

Workers are leaving this work just to start their own businesses or as Bijay who feels humiliation and wants to run his own business.

They are from the New Road area or from various districts, most of them following in their father’s footsteps.

They and their regular customers remain faithful to each other. That is why these "mobile workers" stay the whole day waiting for their regular customers to come between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

These workers are so ashamed of their jobs that they won’t reveal the nature of their work to anyone, even their families, for fear of loosing prestige in society.

Some of them are doing this secretly. As for them it is a humiliating job. "I would feel embarrassed if any of my friends found me working here," said Bijay.

"Lack of money and unemployment are the main reasons which force me to do this work. I am helpless," said Bijay.

Irrigation projects fail

MANTHALI (PR)- Many irrigation projects built under the first and second sector irrigation plan by the District Irrigation Office have crumbled and farmers have been deprived of adequate irrigation facility.

The 125-hectare Khalpu Khola Irrigation Project, 34-hectare of Larkhu project, 300-hectare Banuti Khola project and 20-hectare Nilkantheswor irrigation project have ceased to supply water over the last couple of years.

Most of the irrigation projects crumbled within a few months of construction, farmers said. The District Irrigation Office has expressed its inability to repair them due to financial constraints.

Farmers in the area have started planting millet instead of paddy on their land after irrigation canals were damaged beyond their ability to repair them.

NPU seeks help

KATHMANDU (PR) – The Nepal Press Union (NPU) on Wednesday appealed for financial help in establishing a journalism award in the name of the first democratically-elected Prime Minister B P Koirala.

Issuing a statement today, the NPU said the Rs 100,000 award will be presented to either a journalist or an organization for significant contribution in the field of journalism. The prize, christened the "B P Koirala Journalism Award", will be awarded annually.

The NPU has appealed to the eminent and working classes to contribute to the trust fund for the initial amount of one million rupees. Contributions to the fund can be made through the New Road branch of Nepal Bank Limited and also at the NPU central office in Anamnagar.

Man shot and looted

DAMAULI (PR) - A man was shot and looted by a gang of 7 or 8 unidentified assailants as he was en route to his father-in-law’s house at Nirbu in Byas municipality ward No 3 on Tuesday evening.

According to police, Dhan Bahadur Gharti, who is employed as a chowkidar (guard) by an Indian company, had come home for a holiday.

Gharti told the District Police Office that he had come to his father-in-law’s house from Ghasi Kuwa. Four people in army uniform surrounded him as he arrived in Beltari, about 5 kilometres north of Damauli, and demanded that he hand over all the money in his possession.

As they tried to snatch the money from him, both sides exchanged blows. As he was making his escape, bullets hit him in the stomach and arm.

The attackers looted Rs 2,000 from him and fled the scene. Gharti was taken to Pokhara for treatment on Wednesday morning.

Schools, colleges still closed

Post Report

LAMJUNG, Dec 13 - All 366 schools and colleges in the district have remained closed since Tuesday due to the week-long strike called by the Maoist-wing student organisation--All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary), according to students.

There are 31 private schools, 11 higher secondary schools, four campuses, 37 lower secondary schools and 273 primary schools in Lamjung.

Irada Pahadi, a class-seven student at Jan Bikas High School in Besisahar, the district headquarters, said that teachers on Tuesday told them to stay at home until December 14. More than a dozen districts across the country, including Lamjung, had initially defied the week-long call for the closure of schools.

Higher Secondary Schools and colleges in the urbanised Bhoteodar area remained closed as unidentified suspected Maoists locked the doors at the privately-run Ex-Military Boarding School.

Apsara Shrestha, a 12-class student at Bhakti Adarsha Higher Secondary School, said that students returned home after an announcement which stated that the "institution will close due to the lack of a teaching-friendly environment".

NEA intensifies drive to prevent power leakage

Post Report

KALAIYA, Dec 13 -The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has intensified its drive to prevent leakage of electricity over the past week, but it has met with stiff resistance from different places, particularly from local women, D.E. Sendhu Yadav of Bara district branch told The Kathmandu Post.

The branch office has started disconnecting hookings from the electricity lines in different parts of Bara district since last week.

Engineer Santosh Kumar Jayaswal said that local women came to attack them with sticks when they arrived at Kachorba, Uttar Phitkaiya, Raumahi, and Pipradhi villages. In one village, a woman nearly died when she tried to separate the hooking.

D.E. Yadav informed The Kathmandu Post that stealing electricity will be checked with greater determination with the help of the police.

Many people have lost their lives in attempts to hook up to the power supply. When some customers were asked why they were stealing power, they said, "Electricity charges are very high. If we don’t steal it, we have to go without. We don’t steal for fun."

Light hampers saplings from yielding grain

Post Report

HETAUDA, Dec 13 - Ramchandra Lataula and Jogendra Shrestha were shocked when their millet yielded no harvest. It is quite natural to be shocked at having no grain on well-grown saplings. The millet was planted on time and fertilized sufficiently.

They also noticed that the security light of Nepal Liver Limited shone on their crop throughout the night. Not a grain could be found on the area of lit-up land each night. The same was the case with paddy crops during the monsoon.

"We suspect that it was the light that hampered millet saplings from producing grain," Lataula said. Both of them filed a complaint against the company at their VDC, seeking compensation for the loss of the grain.

Field visit carried out by a team of experts from the District Agriculture Office proved that it was the effect of the light which was responsible for the crop damage.

Dr Kishor Sherchan from the Department of Botany says that 12 or 13 hours of light is sufficient for cereal plants to yield fruit. If they receive light more than it is required, the plants may grow healthier but they will fail to bear any seed.

Likewise, agriculture scientist from the National Agriculture Research Council, Bholaman Singh Basnet, said that cereal crop plants collect food during the daytime and engage in reproductive activities at night.

"A plant ceases its reproductive activities if exposed to light for 24 hours," Basnet says. Agriculture scientists call the daytime a "photo" period.

Crops planted on about five katthas of land around Nepal Liver Limited, about six km west of Hetauda, have suffered such infertility. Such a situation was noticed for the first time after the company installed 200 watts capacity security lamps around its compound last year. The lamps are lit throughout the night.

A high-level official of the company said that they were consulting with their technicians to prevent the light from reaching the farmer’s land.

"If light is proved to be the cause of the crop’s infertility, the problem will have to be resolved mutually," he said.

Experts warn use of pesticides

Post Report

KATHMANDU,Dec 13 - Pesticides used in crop productions can have harmful effects on animals as well as humans, and around 20 thousand people die every year due to pesticide poisoning through food crops, say experts.

These facts were expressed by experts at an interaction programme,"What can be done in pesticide problems: Minimization or Alternatives", organised by the Society for Environmental journalist-Nepal(SEJ-Nepal),held in the capital, today.

Although laws restrict the haphazard use of insecticides, it is seldom implemented.

The illegal distribution of pesticides by businessmen and farmers’ ignorance on its effects, has resulted in the contamination of food commodities, water resources and air quality, experts say.

The chief guest, former governor and member of the National Planning Commission Hari Shanker Tripathi said, "Traditional pesticides like ash, tobacco powder, can be used as effective alternatives."

Ashowshor Jha, Director General of the Department of Agriculture says the lack of awareness among farmers is a problem, and they need to be educated about toxins.

Presenting a report Poshendra Satyal Pravat, member of SEJ-Nepal, says, "The problem is further aggravated by haphazard disposal of date expired chemical pesticides". He says, " In Amlekhgunj about 74 metric tons of expired stocks which remained spread over the ground and over 50.9 tons in a warehouse, awaiting disposal".

Central member of SEJ-Nepal, Rejena Maskey says the Department of Agriculture doesn’t have a single chemist working with them. "Minimization of pesticide use is very urgent", she said.

At the programme, Director General of Health, B.D.Chataut, Joint secretory of Agriculture Ministry Suresh Kumar Burma and Central Committee Member of SEJ-Nepal Sanu Babu Silwal also expressed their views.

Cop stabbed to death

Post Report

BHOJPUR, Dec 13 - Assistant Police Sub-Inspector at Manebhanjyang Police Post, Ganesh KC, was stabbed to death on Tuesday night.

According to the District Police Office, KC, 45, was murdered by a resident of Basikhora VDC-1, Ratna Bahadur Rai, near the police post, which is located about 16 miles south of the district headquarters, whilst trying to settle a dispute.

Resident of Neta Betghari VDC, KC, was eligible for pension, but was still in police service. Barely two hours before his murder he had telephoned his wife, informing her that he would return home within a few days, one of his colleagues said.

He was sent to settle a dispute which broke out at a shop in local Manebhanjyang between local residents and Rai, who had become rowdy under the influence of alcohol. ASI KC was knifed above his right thigh and died instantly due to huge blood loss.

The guilty party has been arrested and the body of the victim taken to the district headquarters, according to the District Police Office. Another resident, Ban Bahadur Tamang, also sustained injury to his left thigh in the incident, but his condition is reported to be stable.

14 yrs old pulls rickshaw for pen and copy

Post Report

HETAUDA, Dec 13 - Prashant Lama, a 14-year-old student, is pulling a rickshaw to earn money for buying copy, pen and shoes as the schools here have shut for a week.

Lama is a class five student at Kalika primary school located in Makwanpurgadhi VDC ward No 3 of Makwanpur district.

Prashant, the fifth son of Bir Bahadur Lama, does not understand why teachers have closed the school for seven days. He says, "Our teacher has told us to come to school on Dec 15 because our school will remain shut until then."

The hands that hold the pen are now busy in steering the rickshaw handle. He hired a rickshaw from one of the owners at a cost of Rs 40 per day and started pulling the rickshaw in Hetauda Bazaar, still in his school uniform, last Friday, the first day of the holiday.

While most of the students are spending their holiday flying kites and picnicing, poor students with a keen desire to study like Prashant, are busy wage-earning during this week-long shutdown, which the All Nepal Free Students Union (Revolutionary), a student union affiliated to CPN (Maoists) called.

Prashant has seven brothers and two sisters, all of them illiterate. When he asks his father for money to buy copy, pens, and shoes, his father rebukes him and tells him that he must earn his own money to buy these things.

He has been pulling the rickshaw from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. shivering with cold, but he has no idea as to how much money he should charge the passengers. He accepts whatever amount is handed over to him by the passengers.

He has been earning Rs 60 to Rs 80 per day after paying Rs 40 as the rent for rickshaw. He plans to work until Thursday evening and return to school on Friday after buying a Chinese pen, a dozen copies and a pair of shoes with his hard-earned income.

Prashant also helps his family by working during the holidays in his village.

About 80,000 students are studying in 407 primary, lower secondary, secondary and higher secondary schools and campuses in Makwanpaur district, including both private sector and government schools. All the institutions have remained closed since Friday.

Archives catalogue released

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 - Chairman of Rajparishad Standing Committee Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi released a manuscript catalogue of Aha Archives on Wednesday. The programme marked the 14th anniversary of the privately formed archives.

"Prem Bahadur Kansakar, the collector of the manuscripts, was a man with enlightened vision. And he had the same spirit to fight against the Rana rulers," Rayamajhi remembered. He added that such archives posses the evidences which are essential to prove Nepal’s history.

Dr Kamal Prakash Malla, the treasurer of Aha Archives, said that Kanshakar started collecting the manuscripts in 1960 on personal level and he was assisted by many others in his mission. "The number of the manuscripts are increasing but due to the decreasing interest rates in the banks, it is difficult to run the archives."

The archives now have two million rupees in an fixed deposit to run the offices. Aha Archives now houses 7,000 manuscripts on various subjects and 1,200 ancient legal documents. Out of them 70 percent are in Sanskrit and 20 percent in Nepalbhasa.

NEA to retire officials

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 13 – The Board of Directors at the state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on Wednesday decided to retire several high-ranking officials as per the board’s decision last Thursday to fix the tenure of Level 12 officials at five years.

In accordance with the decision, said a statement issued by NEA today, Ram Surat Pandey, Rabindra Bahadur Shrestha, Janak Lal Karmacharya, Gauriman Kadariya, Nima Tshiring Bhutia and Manik Ratna Tuladhar have retired from service.

Although Bishnu Bam Malla, Managing Director at NEA too has completed his tenure of service, he will remain at the helm of affairs until completion of his previously-stipulated service period. The top post is a political appointment.

The statement adds that the decision was taken to enhance the welfare promotion of NEA staff and to bring the service period of top-level officials on a par with that of similar government officials.