19 Maoist rebels killed

By a Post Reporter

NEPALGUNJ, Feb 22 - At least 18 Maoists and a policeman were killed in Rukum and one more in Mugu Tuesday as police intensified operations in the mid-western hill, three days after the rebels killed 15 policemen in neighbouring Rolpa.

According to police official, who preferred to remain unnamed, put the toll at 19 upon returning here from Rukum Tuesday evening.

He said the rebels were killed in massive "search operations" carried out by a 180-strong police force in and around Khumcheri and Simrut areas in Rukum’s Khara Village Development Committee (VDC).

Likewise, a policeman was killed early Tuesday in an encounter near Simrut Police Post in Rukum district.

The policeman has been identified as Ganesh Khatri of Pipalgaun VDC, Rukum. He was part of a 13-member police team which was carrying out search operation in Simrut area.

Officials said Khatri was killed by the rebels after he was left behind by his team members who were way ahead of him firing bullets at the rebels.

His body was airlifted to Nepalgunj for post-mortem later today.

In Rukum, the police team was going ahead with the operation even after 8:30 pm Tuesday evening.

The team was dispatched from Nepalgunj to carry out the retaliatory operation, two days after Maoist rebels killed 15 police, including an inspector, in neighbouring Rolpa’s Ghartigaun in a powerful bomb explosion.

The incident which also saw several other police seriously injured occurred in the wee hours Saturday, when the country was all set to witness Democracy Day celebrations.

Some sources said most of the rebels killed in Rukum today were attired in uniforms strikingly similar to that of police. Police have captured nine rifles from them.

Officials said that the operations began from early in the morning Tuesday, and were also carried out near Rolpa’s Iriwang, Pakhajani and Pachhawang areas. Police could not furnish further details about the operations.

Also today, a team of senior police officials comprising Additional Inspector General of Police Krishna Mohan Shrestha, and Nepalgunj’s Deputy Inspector General of Police Rajendra Bahadur Singh returned here after completing their visit to the Maoist affected areas of Rolpa, Rukum and Jumla districts.

The officials could not be reached for comment.

More than 1,100 people have been killed during the last four years of Maoist insurgency. Of them, around 800 are Maoists, more than 100 are police personnel while almost 200 are "common men" - a good number of Nepali Congress workers forming the last category.

The "People’s War" launched by underground Communist Party of Nepal - Maoists entered its fifth year on February 12.

CPN-UML organises protest rally against general price rise

By a Post Reporter

RALLY AGAINST PRICE HIKE : The main opposition party CPN(UML) brought out a protest rally in the capital on Tuesday. The rally was led by KP Sharma Oli(centre), On his right are Madhav Kumar Nepal and Ishwor Pokhrel and on his left is Bharat Mohan Adhikari.

KATHMANDU, Feb 22 - Leader of the main opposition CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal today called upon all the political parties to try to overcome ethical distortions in the legislature, judiciary and bureaucracy.

He said that there is corruption in politics, and "every government offices and courts." "World Bank, IMF ADB and every high level foreign visitors who come to the country have been constantly warning the government of the high degree of ethical distortions in the country," he said. "It is shameful that the government acts indifferently to these reactions."

He was addressing a protest assembly organised by the party at the Open Threatre here today against the government’s failure to control corruption and the deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

He said the height of ethical distortions in the NC and its government was posing a serious threat to the sovereignty of the country. "The government has not only failed to check corruption and the worsening law and order conditions but fostering them," he said. "Cashing in the situation, India is trying to confine Nepal under its security umbrella, threatening our sovereignty."

Nepal also criticised the government for failing to resolve the Maoist crisis. "Both the innocent people and the policemen are being killed by the violent extreme leftists (Maoists)," he said. "Leave aside the general people, the government is not worried about the mounting police deaths... severely demoralising them. Can this government maintain the law and order in the country?"

He said that NC’s "double standard" was a serious challenge to democracy. "Advocacy of democracy and "Congressisation" of government units is a typical NC modus operandi," he said adding NC is itself a threat to democracy.

He also urged all the "liberal leftist forces" to join the anti-inflation and distortion movement headed by his party. "I urge the nine leftist groups to join our movement to save democracy."

Nepal added that the party would raise issues like land reforms, local autonomy, inflation, corruption, enhancement of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and Election Commission and even education and medical policies and prostitution in the upcoming session of parliament.

Central member of the party KP Shrama Oli said internal disputes in NC is insignificant to the people who are panicking due to inflation and lawlessness in the country. "If the government doesn’t uphold its electoral commitment of sound economic development and law and order in the country, no power can stop the people from ousting it from power."

Hectic conferring in NC
HM accepts resignations of ministers

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 22 - Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala will begin discussion with party lawmakers from Wednesday in a bid to end the deadlock in the party.

Koirala will meet NC lawmakers from far western and mid western development regions on Wednesday, members from western and central region on the next day and NC parliamentarian from the eastern region on Friday, according to a press release issued by the party today.

The NC parliamentary party is scheduled to meet on Saturday to debate and vote on a proposal of no-confidence brought forth by 58 rebelling NC lawmakers against Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

The parliamentary party meet had been called on Monday but was postponed by few days after Bhattarai urged for some time before facing the proposal against him.

Though Bhattarai and Koirala was expected to meet today to discuss on the situation, the two leaders did not meet at all leaving the second generation leaders of the party to attempt a truce.

According to sources close to the prime minister, Bhattarai has asked the second generation leaders to outline an agreement to be signed between him and Koirala to defuse the situation.

The same sources said that the prime minister is ready to step down and in return wants the proposal brought against him withdrawn and an opportunity to address the parliament when it convenes on March 1.

The second generation NC leaders including Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel and Former DPM Shaileja Acharya met at the residence of Agriculture Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola at Anamnagar.

Details of the meeting was not disclosed but Deuba, Poudel and Acharya met with the prime minister during the day and Poudel had shuttled to Koirala’s residence in between.

The same group had managed to outline an agreement that was initially agreed by both Bhattarai and Koirala. However, a statement released to the press by Bhattarai’s office later that day accusing Koirala of deception had irked Koirala quashing chances of an agreement.

Koirala has now assigned Mahesh Acharya, Khum Bahadur Khadka and Govind Raj Joshi to negotiate on his behalf.

Meanwhile, His Majesty the King has, in accordance with the Constitution, accepted the resignation, tendered through Prime Minister Bhattarai, by various ministers, ministers of state and assistant ministers. According to the Principal Press Secretariat, the ministers who had tendered resignation are Minister for Works and Transport Khum Bahadur Khadka, Minister for Water Resources Govinda Raj Joshi, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mahantha Thakur, Minister for Health Rambaran Yadav, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Tarini Datta Chataut.

Likewise, the ministers of state who had tendered resignation are Minister of State for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Chaudhary, Minister of State for Labour Ram Bahadur Gurung and Minister of State for Local Development Mohammed Aftab Alam. The assistant ministers who had tendered resignation are Assistant Minister for Land Reform and Management Surendra Hamal, Assistant Minister for Commerce Narendra Bikram Nemwang and Assistant Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Narayan Singh Pun.

The prime minister has been designated to look after the affairs of the above ministries.

The group of rebelling NC lawmakers had expressed "no confidence" on the parliamentary party leader who is also automatically elected the prime minister, over his poor performance as the leader of the country.

NC has 137 members in the two Houses of Parliament, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.

'Bisweshwor With Poor' body formed

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 22 - Minister for Local Development and chairperson of Bisweshwor with the Poor programme, Chiranjivi Wagle today formed a 12 district level coordination and monitoring committee for the programme, according to a press release.

Gaurab Raj Regmi in Tanahun, Yam Prasad Bhandari in Jhapa, Lal Bahadur Ghale in Surkhet, Gyan Bahadur Oli in Rolpa, Bishnu Prasad Humagain in Kavre and Shyam Krishna Upadhayay in Sarlahi were appointed the committee chairpersons.

Also appointed were Bharat Mani Sitaula in Morang, Hari Prasad Bhatta in Dadeldhura, Ganesh Chand in Salyan, Maya Giri in Banke, Rajkumar Bharati in Dhanusha and Uddhav Dhakal in Rautahat.

The seven-member committee will have as ex-officio the district members of parliament, district committee member representing the programme’s implementation area and chiefs of Agriculture Development Branch, Cottage Industry, District Forest Office, Education Office, District Health Office, and heads of other district offices.

The committee has already been formed in 60 other districts, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Local Development today.

These two tiny tots and their father have a cave for a dwelling place

By Pratap Bista

HETAUDA, Feb 22 - In an isolated cave off the beaten track Bisuram Praja and Krishnaram Praja wait all day for their father to return.

The two little kids Bisuram, 8 and Krishnaram, 5, have been living in the cave situated in the middle of a jungle atop the Dhirang Danda all their life. Just six hours walk away from civilisation the two kids still have not seen the outside world.

When the entire world is already headlong into the 21st century with advancement in high technology, these two kids born into a Praja community (nomads of Chepang caste who live in caves) are not even aware that they have to wear clothes or that there are varieties of food to eat. They have never worn clothes in their life and never eaten food other than tubers. Come hail or snow the two roam around naked.

"This is what we eat," said Bisuram pointing at the tubers he had. "Father went out to look for more, early in the morning."

They boil tubers in corn flour and eat. Their two sisters died two years back from eating wild tubers that turned out be poisonous.

The cave boasts of a steel cooking pot, a plastic gallon, a small bowl, two plates and four old jute sacks to sleep on. Except for the wild tubers they have not a single grain of food to eat.

Their father Shital, 35, was born in the same cave. When he was 10 his mother left him and eloped with another man and his father died when he was very young. Shital wears a worn cotton shirt and a torn undergarment. He walks to Manahara Bazaar barefoot and works as a loader. He buys salt, spices and corn flour with whatever he earns.

While Shital is away the two wait in the cave all by themselves. If anyone drops by the two run inside the cave and hide. They only talk with the strangers when their father is around.

The two were left by their mother who eloped with another man some seven months back. Everyday when their father goes out in search of food the two children stay inside the dark cave waiting for him to return.

The children have infection on their head and their bodies are covered with dirt. They have never bathed nor taken any vaccination. Chepangs believe that giving a polio vaccination will make their children fall sick.

There are around 16,000 Chepangs in Makwanpur. They live in the jungles in Mahabharat range and are spread over Dhading, Chitwan and Makwanpur. The government has been conducting Praja Development Programme since 20 years back in Kalikatar, Manahari, Kankada, Khairang, Bharta, Rikhet, Raksirang and Dandakhark VDCs.

Although the programme is said to have resettled the Chepangs in proper houses, the condition of those children living in the houses too is no better than those living in the caves.

There are altogether two families living in the caves in the jungle of Kankada VDC. About half a dozen change between wood house and caves. Since the government has not come forward with other programmes to uplift their financial condition there has not been any improvement in the living condition of Chepangs who were resettled in houses by the government, say locals.

Bus terminal privatised

By Ram Prasad Dahal

KATHMANDU, Feb 22 - Kathmandu Metropolis Corporation (KMC) has decided to hand over the management of Gongabu bus terminal to a private sector party.

Executive official at the KMC Hari Prasad Rimal said the board decided on Monday to lease the management to Lhotse Multipurpose Company for 50 years. The board decided to grant the contract to Lhotse as it was adjudged the best of the four companies that tendered the proposal.

Four companies had applied after KMC called for proposals from private sectors in October. The four were Sushashan Power, Shekhar Trading, Lhotse Mulptipurpose Company and Kathmandu Housing and Leasing Private Limited.

The latter’s proposal was rejected stating it was technically incompetent. A five-member technical committee was also formed to evaluate the three companies. The committee ranked Lhotse the best and suggested that KMC sign the agreement after taking into consideration recommendations from the technical assistant from the Asian Development Bank.

If the terminal is leased for half a decade the company will develop additional infrastructure at the cost of more than Rs 327 million in the first five years in three phases.

It will also pay Rs 510 thousand annually to KMC till the first five years after which the rent will increase at the rate of five percent annually. Surya Prasad Silwal coordinator of the evaluation committee said KMC decided to lease the terminal as it earned Rs 400 thousand annually from the buspark but spent more than that for management.

According to Rimal the meeting has formed a five-member committee under the Mayor of KMC Keshav Sthapit to prepare for the agreement.

Rimal said the committee will sign the agreement with the clause that KMC can break the contract if the company does not perform as per the contract.

Nine officials, eight pro-UML including Deputy Mayor Bidur Mainali and pro-NC ward chairman Narottam Vaidya have raised objection to the decision. They have voiced their dissent on the minute.

Mainali said CPN-UML did not agree with the decision since it was taken in random manner without giving the details proposed by the company to the board members.

Vaidya expressed surprise over the KMC’s decision to rush the matter. He said he raised objection since KMC did not agree to his proposal to take the decision after a week of thorough study of the proposal.

KMC had coughed Rs 370 million to nationalise the 170 ropanies of land for the terminal. The terminal was constructed at the cost of Rs 260 million with funds from the Japanese government.