Kerosene paucity hits cottage industries

-By a Post Reporter

MORANG, Feb 1 - Most kerosene-dependent cottage industries are being shut down due to a shortage of kerosene, Mayor Ramesh Chandra Poudel told The Kathmandu Post.

According to Poudel, operators of the cottage industries have been flooding Sub-Metropolitan City Office complaining that they have been forced to shut down due to a shortage of kerosene and demand for kerosene coupons. The office has been unable to distribute the coupon as the Nepal Oil Corporation has failed to provide the precious gas to the Sub-Metropolitan City Office, he adds.

The monitoring team of the Sub-Metropolitan City Office has also verified a gradual dearth for kerosene in industry.

The shortage of kerosene has mostly affected the common people, including hotel entrepreneurs who have struggled to maintain service without fuel. Moreover, rural residents are unable to light their houses or cook their food.

Manager of Eastern Regional Office of Nepal Oil Corporation Ramesh Koirala says kerosene is distributed at last year’s level. At each ward, an individual receives 5 litres of kerosene on a quota basis, he says.

Despite this system, kerosene is routinely smuggled into India with more Indians than Nepalis in the queue to buy the fuel, he adds.

Workers demand PM’s resignation

-By a Post Reporter

BIRATNAGAR, Feb 1 - About 500 workers gathered Tuesday demanding Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai’s resignation immediately amid charges that the government has failed to promote the welfare of workers and resolve the growing list of problems plaguing the country.

In a rally organised by the Nepal Trade Union Congress, sister organisation of the Nepali Congress, workers and labourers demanded the resignation of aging Prime Minister.

The rally, led by central member of Nepal Trade Union Congress Narayan Karki, marched around Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitan City while chanting critical slogans of the Prime Minister’s performance.

The rally continued to District Administrative Office where a memorandum was handed over to the Prime Minister through Chief District Officer Tulsi Prasad Bhattarai demanding the Premier to resolve the problems of labourers and resign from his post.

In the memorandum, the labourers charged that the government has neglected labourers who support the Nepali Congress and dismissed them from various industries and factories.

Central Member Narayan Karki explained to The Kathmandu Post that the rally was organised in response to the government’s negligence of issues facing labourers.

The rally marked the first show of opposition towards a Prime Minister by supporters of Nepali Congress in Biratnagar.

‘Human rights violation almost doubled in 2 years’

-By a Post Reporter

DHANGADHI, Feb 1 - Incidents of human rights violation in the Far Western Region, generally considered quite peaceful, has increased rapidly in the recent years.

The Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) claimed in a press communique that the number of human rights violation has almost doubled since 1998. A symposium was organised by the human rights group on Sunday to review the release of its latest annual publication Human Rights Year Book 1999.

According to the report, victims in the nine districts of the Far Western Region totalled of 554 in 1998 rising drastically to 962 in 1999.

Further, a total of 433 people including 180 women and 256 men were non-state victims in 426 incidents while the number of state victims was 121 including 7 women and 114 men in 56 incidents in the year 1998.

While in 1999, a total of 779 people including 285 women and 494 men were non-state victims in 555 incidents while the number of state victims was 183 including 30 women and 153 men in 42 incidents.

Speaking at the review symposium, INSEC President Sushil Pyakurel pointed out that rulers must accept blame for the country’s existing ills among them degradation and degeneration.

At the programme, presided over by regional coordinator of INSEC Devi Banskota, speakers from different political parties were also present.

Five-day week system draws criticism

-By Yogendra Bista

KATHMANDU, Feb 1 - Ganesh Singh Rayamajhi, a resident of remote Doti, was in the capital to get his provisional academic transcript. He wanted to return home fast — to keep the cost of living in Kathmandu minimal and to attend to pressing business back home.

However, the Controller of Examinations Office of Tribhuvan University kept him in the capital for much longer than he had anticipated.

The reason for the unnecessary delay? Nepal Bank Ltd, Jamal branch, remains closed on Sundays.

An exasperated Rayamajhi said early Monday, "My expenditures shot up as I was forced to stay Kathmandu longer than I had expected. The bank is closed for two straight days."

Five months ago when the government announced the introduction of a five-day week in the valley, it provoked mixed reactions.

Lately, the move has gained more critics.

While the government’s hope of scaling down the use of fuel and electricity with a trimmed workweek seems to have paid little dividends, sectors such as education, banking and health are decidedly in the doldrums.

Bir Hospital, which closed down its OPD services on Sundays, was forced to reverse its decision on November 21 in view of the inconvenience caused to a large number of middle-class patients.

A branch Manager of Nepal Banijya Bank admitted that the five-day week has "adversely affected the entire business sector." A senior staff member of a multi-national bank’s Baneshwor branch said the workload overflows on Mondays due to the week-end backlog.

Tek Bahadur Shrestha, a computer professional in Tripureshwor, said, "When we have a huge cash-out Friday evening, isn’t it a great risk for us to wait till Monday?" Venting his exasperation, he further enquires, "What if we need to draw from our account in any emergency during holidays?"

Education seems to be the worst affected sector. Government schools of Bhaktapur, which collectively decided to close on Sundays, plan to revert to the former schedule by the next month. Taraman Joshi, headmaster at Mahendra Shanti School, said, "It (five-day week) has not been a practical decision."

Ishwor Thapa, a ninth grader from Narayan Jana School of Machchhegaon VDC of Kathmandu, criticises the idea. "This way our course cannot be completed," he says. Furthermore, a teacher from Padmakanya School, Lalita Nepal, points the concern of "grown-up girls returning home late in the evening due to increased study hours in lieu of Sundays."

Yashodhara Pant, a local from Kalanki, comments," The system is a misfit for a poor and developing country like ours."

Talking of compulsion, Buddhiraj Bajracharya, Mayor of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolis, said, "We too followed it after others in the valley executed the plan." He was candid enough to admit, "It is but difficult to start the work at nine itself."

Whether government continues with the present five-day week system or eventually abandons it remains to be seen.

Student loses life for cricket ball

-By a Post Reporter

BIRGUNJ, Feb 1 - A young student who was on vacation here was electrocuted while trying to fetch a cricket ball that went on top of a roof.

Mahesh Pokhrel, 18, only son of Bishnu and Gita Pokhrel, was playing cricket when the ball went on top of the roof of Manju Shrivastav’s house. He died when he tried to cross the 11,000 voltage high tension wire that was hanging above.

Mahesh had arrived from Bangalore, India, the place where he was studying, four days back. His clothes and some parts of his body were badly burnt.

Krishna Khanal, an eyewitness, said the employees at the Nepal Electricity Authority, did not arrive on scene to remove the body that was stuck to the wire even after calling them several times. Shyam Bahadur Nepali, Acting Chief of NEA, however, said they reached the site and removed the body immediately after hearing the news.

The high tension wires hang above hundreds of houses in Birgunj.