Locals forced to migrate for fear of Maoists

-By a Post Reporter

MUSIKOT, Jan 6 - The pace of migration from Rukum district has increased tremendously over the last four years due to Maoist problem.

People who have migrated to different places from this district have said they had to go out of the district in search of a safe place to dwell. They say that they were victims of dual terrorism - terrosism let loose by the Maoists as well as the police.

“When we were unable to bear the violence, murder and terrorism, what can we do? We have to leave behind our native place for our stability and security,” said Bhim Raj K.C. who had recently sold his property in a bid to migrate.

Apart from large scale migration, young people are also leaving their homes to go abroad in search of job. Thus the district looks almost deserted. If the current pace of migration is not averted, local intellectuals have estimated that half of the population will have migrated in the next two years.

Most of the local people have expressed the view that the major cause of migration is insecurity in life. Although no exact data is available, it is estimated that the number of people who have already migrated is almost one-third of the total population of the district.

Most of the residents are unable to sell their land as they will have to dispose of their land at half the usual price. Many of them have left their homes without selling anything.

Development activities have come to a standstill as the local representatives have not been able to return to their village since the day they were elected.

A teacher of the local campus said that the terror created by Maoists is the main reason behind this massive scale of migration and the police have also added to this terror.

Weather affects life in Morang

-By a Post Reporter

MORANG,Jan 6 - People of Biratnagar are experiencing a severe cold since a week ago. The sky has been covered with thick fog and the westerly wind has started to blow.

The number of people visiting the local market has declined substantially, with very few bicycles, motorcycles and rickshaws plying to and fro. Also the number of pedestrians is very few. The rickshaw drivers complain that they are now unable to make both ends meet with earning declining to as low as 40 to 50 rupees a day as against 150 rupees a day in the past.

Most of the people in the market do not venture out and even those who come out are seen sitting around the fire. Shops open late in the morning and close early in the evening.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are recorded 18 and 9 degrees respectively. RNAC has cancelled flights to Bhojpur and Taplejung over the last two days due to excessive cold, according to its regional office.

Most of the hotels and lodges are without customers while a large number of people are seen flocking to buy warm clothes like jackets and sweaters. Sales of socks and shoes have also picked up.

Most of the schools are closed and even those which are not closed, the attendance is very thin. Even attendance in government and non-government offices is getting thinner.

Similarly, people in the rural areas are also equally affected by the biting cold and pass their time standing around the fire. Farmers complain that winter crops like mustard, potato and wheat are being adversely affected by the fog and westerly wind.

Training kicks off

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 6 - A month-long training on Administrative Procedures and Office Management for 19 officials from 13 different organisations started here today.

The training, organised by the Public Administration Association of Nepal (PAAN) and the Central Department of Public Administration (CDPA), has been organised in order to maximise the output level of the officials.

“In this 21st century, we are still working in the mode of the 18th century,” said Dr  Govind Prasad Dhakal, coordinator of the training. He said  the training would help to achieve larger works.

President of the Public Service Commission, Santa Bahadur Rai, emphasised on the need to have training  relevant to the rural needs of the country.

The programme will conclude on February 4.

Call to focus on climate specificity

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 6 - Architects have to be more concerned about designs that suit the climate and geographical location of the country, said Minister for Labour, Housing and Physical Planning Bal Bahadur KC today.

“The country has diverse climate and geographical locations. It is high time architects think how much their buildings can contribute to the region,” said Minister KC while addressing the Ninth Annual Function of the Society of Nepalese Architects (SONA) today.

KC also said it was wrong, at present, to involve politics in the field of expertise and the right person should be assigned for the right job as per his qualifications.

Speaking at the function, vice president of SONA, Kishore Thapa accused the government and corporate houses of not utilizing  local architects in  building various projects such as hotels, airport, and conference halls. He  said, “the government has been giving more priority to civil engineering firms rather than architectural firms regarding such projects.”

At the function,proprietor of Sel-In Pvt Ltd Gopal Sirohiya announced that his firm has instituted Awards for Excellence in Architecture, Best Bathroom Design and Interior and Best Kitchen Design starting this year.

Prior to the function, a new ten-member executive committee of SONA was formed.

Luxembourg support for Nepal Scouts

-By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 6 - The Federation Nationale des Eclaireurs et Eclaireuses du Luxembourg (FNEL-ONGD), a scout organization of Luxembourg, has agreed to financially support Nepal Scouts here to build an International Scout Camp and Human Resource Development Centre yesterday.

According to the agreement, FNEL-ONGD will bear the cost of the building during the first phase of the project that will be jointly carried out with the Nepal Scouts. The total cost of the project, targeted to complete within five years, is estimated to be around 30 million.

The site of the project is spread across 27 hectares of land at Kakani of Nuwakot district donated by the Ministry for Tourism.

Nepalese Honourary Consular General for Luxembourg Sriram Lamichhane and Member of the Work Coordination Committee Puspalata Bhattarai signed the agreement on the Nepalese side.  Luxembourg Joint General Commissioner Paul Gegitz and Member of FNEL-ONGD Administrative Council Claudine Hengerch had signed from the donor’s side.

“This is a big step towards strengthening the scout movement,” said Minister for Education Yog Prasad Upadhyaya, who was present at the signing ceremony. “The infrastructure will focus on girl scouts and other activities related to international scouting such as jamborees.”

Since its official establishment on June 18 in 1952, the Nepal Scouts has had only one training centre at Sundarijal. Authorities claim that the building there has been damaged and  has very little space to hold huge activities and also dangerous from intruding wild animals from the nearby protected jungle.

The scout movement was started by Lord Baden Powell from England in 1907 during the times of war. There are over 50,000 boy and girl scouts in the country and around 12,000 scout instructors.

Locals queue for hours for kerosene

-By a Post Reporter

BIRGUNJ, Jan 6 - Residents of Birgunj who were restlessly waiting for kerosene for the last four days have finally received kerosene on the fifth day, but the quantity is too small.

The people who were panicked after they did not receive kerosene since Sunday were able to buy kerosene on Thursday. There are long queues of thousands of people at every ward. As the queues are not orderly, people standing in long queue feel annoyed.

Consumers feel unhappy when they get simply 2 litres of kerosene after standing in queue for hours. They complain that at least 5 litres of kerosene should be sold to each family at a time.                                                                   Ward Chairman Bijay Lama, however, said that they were giving only two litres of kerosene because the population was big and the quantity of kerosene they have received is insufficient.

The kerosene is being distributed through seven petrol pumps and all the 19 ward offices. Due to the disquiet and excessive crowd, police have been mobilised.

It is expected that the shortage of kerosene will last about a week. Local administration was angry with Nepal Oil Corporation and Ministry of Supplies while the local consumers were angry with the local administration for not taking prompt initiative to solve the crisis.

There are a total of 125 thousand Nepali citizens and 75 thousand Indian citizens in Birgunj these days. Of them , 60 percent people cook their meal with kerosene and they were greatly vexed as they had no kerosene for five days to cook food.                                             

The problem had been created after the Ministry of Supplies had decided to cut down the quota of kerosene to districts bordering India by 25 percent arguing that kerosene would be smuggled out to India and the Petroleum Dealers’ Association did not bring kerosene from oil corporation.

Similarly, the decision of the Ministry of Supplies about a week ago to cut down quota of kerosene by 25 percent in Morang district has also created shortage of kerosene in Biratnagar, according to a dispatch from our reporter in Morang. A large number of people in this district have been affected because a total of 70 percent of the residents of Biratnagar and rural areas of Morang district cook their meal with kerosene.

Most of the petrol pumps are selling kerosene at the rate of 5 litres per family and around one thousand customers are standing in queue in each petrol pump.

Some of the businessmen are selling kerosene not openly but secretly at the rate of 25 rupees per litre. Meanwhile, businessmen in Jogbani, the Indian town bordering Biratnagar, are reaping benefit from the kerosene shortage in Morang district. Nepalese customers are buying kerosene at the rate of 20 to 22 rupees from Jogbani.

Split:A lesson

GULARIYA, Jan 6 (PR) - General Secretary of CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal, today said  the division of the party has,in fact, been a learning experience for the party.  

Addressing a gathering of party workers from the Bheri zone, Nepal said  any party worker found keeping a bonded labour in his home should release them immediately. “On failing to do so, they will be expelled from the party,” Nepal said.

He said any party worker found exploiting the Dalits (the downtrodden community) shall also be expelled from the party.

Referring to  rampant corruption and price hike in daily necessary  commodities, Nepal said the ruling Nepali Congress has made democracy unsuccessful.

“The Nepali Congress has failed to improve the deteriorating law and order situation in the country,” he said adding “That’s why the people trust UML.”

Amrit Kumar Bohara, the central committee member of CPN-UML said the government has failed to bring about change in any of the directions.

The two-day meet is being participated by 120 party workers, according to UML district committee, Bardia.