Cabinet named

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21 - Newly appointed Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today named a 25-member cabinet a day after he was appointed to the office in less than a year.

A press communique issued by His Majesty’s Principal Press Secretariat today said the new council of ministers was constituted on the recommendation of Prime Minister Koirala.

Most of members are old faces with exception of five who are first-timers. Only one of them is a cabinet rank minister.

The list was sent to the Royal Palace this evening after Koirala spent the day discussing and finalizing the list with Khum Bahadur Khadka, Amod Prasad Upadhaya and Shekhar Koirala.

Most of the people are Koirala supporters with only a handful picked from the other side as promised by Koirala following his victory in the parliamentary party election to include people who voted against him.

Though the new Council of Ministers fairly represent all the regions of the country, nearly half of them are Brahmins. Only a couple are from the Newar community while representatives from most ethnical community hold only portfolios as state ministers.

Koirala has kept the Royal Palace Affairs, Defense, Supplies, Housing and Physical Planning, Women and Social Welfare, Youth, Sports and Culture, Labour and General Administration with him.

Sources close to Koirala say that he kept few ministries to himself as he plans to reduce the number of ministries to 19 from the present 27 after the first cabinet meeting as per the recommendations of the Administrative Reforms Committee. These ministries will be merged into the other existing ministries.

Ram Chandra Poudel continues as the Deputy Prime Minister while Khum Bahadur Khadka, a close aide of Koirala, has been trusted with the coveted Water Resources Ministry and the Works and Transport Ministry.

Govind Raj Joshi gets powerful Home Minister while Chakra Prasad Bastola has been named Foreign Minister.

Similarly, Mahant Thakur has Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Siddharaj Ojha has Land Reforms and Management, Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has Information and Communications, Ram Baran Yadav has Health, Mahesh Acharya has Finance, Ramkrishna Tamrakar has Industry and Commerce, Tarani Dutta Chataut has Tourism and Civil Aviation, Amod Prasad Upadhaya has Education and Surendra Prasad Chaudhary has Science and Technology.

The Ministers for State are Baldev Sharma Majagaiya, Agriculture; Shivaraj Joshi, Population and Environment; Mohammad Aftab Alam, Forest and Soil Conservation; Ram Bahadur Tamang, Water Resources; Kamala Pant, Women and Social Welfare; Narendra Bikram Nemwang, Industry and Commerce; Dilendra Prasad Badu, Education; Surendra Hamal, Labour; Gopal Rai, Land Reform and Management; Suresh Malla, Local Development and Tirtharam Dangol, Health.

Koirala on Saturday defeated Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in the parliamentary party election and was chosen to be the country’s new prime minister.

He succeeds Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, his long time colleague-now-turned-foe in the party, who was forced out of office he half for nine months after majority of the party lawmakers rebelled against him and filed a proposal expressing no confidence.

RNAC calls for tender to lease Boeing

KATHMANDU, March 21 (PR)- Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) today called for a 35-day tender bids to lease a Boeing 767 until it buys a new aircraft.

Meanwhile, RNAC has reached a new agreement with South China Airlines (SCA) to extend the lease period of a SCA Boeing 757 for three more months, according to a press release received here today. RNAC hired the SCA Boeing 757 for one year on March 28, last year.

The move came two days after the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation turned down the national flag carrier’s request to lease a Boeing-757 for three weeks without calling for tenders. The government had also disapproved request to extend the lease period for the China South West Airlines aircraft which is part of RNAC’s current fleet.

The national flag -carrier’s 9N ACA Boeing-757, one of RNAC’s own jets, is scheduled for a check in Brunei in the third week of April. RNAC had asked the government to allow direct dealings with a leasing company to bring in a similar aircraft to meet the flight demands for the period.

The press release further states that the flight hire rate for the short time span are generally expensive but the hire rate of the boeing 757, however, would be same as before - US $ 3100 per flight hour.

PAC tells govt to buy helicopter

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21 - The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives today asked the government to purchase a helicopter and end the practice of chartering the aircraft from private operators.

The move comes after Home Ministry officials admitted that the police spending has increased to Rs.17 million per year just for chartering helicopters from private operators for missions to the Maoist insurgency-hit areas either to ferry forces and supplies for them or transport injured personnel to the nearest hospitals.

PAC said that the amount spent to charter these helicopters in the past four years would have been enough to buy at least three new helicopters.

Secretary at the Home Ministry Padam Prasad Pokhrel told the committee that the government had set its mind to buy the police a new helicopter. "However I am not the authority to decide if and when to buy the helicopter," Pokhrel said.

The police too have expressed their desire to get their own helicopter like the Royal Nepal Army. Inspector General of Police Achyut Kharel said if they had these helicopter it would not only serve their purpose of maintaining peace and security but would be able to run rescue and relief operations during natural calamities.

Documents received by PAC showed that the ministries has paid different amounts to pay for these charter flights. Payments range from US$ 800 to 2,100 for per flight hour and there are no agreements between the government and these companies, no tender has been called as required and no negotiations appeared to have been entered into.

PAC began investigating the issue suspecting kickbacks and financial irregularities while chartering these helicopter services from private operators.

Pokhrel said since these services are called during emergencies there would be not time to call any tender as per the financial regulation. PAC members however pointed out that the ministry should pre-negotiate terms and rate and then call for the service when needed.

Nepal elected to UNCHR chair

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21 - Nepal has been elected to chair the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights following the unanimous proposal by the Asian group which was seconded by other regional groups.

This is the first time Nepal has assumed the chairmanship of the Commission. The chairmanship will last from March 2000 to 2100. Nepal had also assumed the vice chairmanship of the Commission in its 55th Session.

According to a press release, Dr Shambhu Ram Simkhada, Nepalese Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organization in Geneva, was elected chairman for the 56th Session of the Commission yesterday. The Session will continue till April 28.

The Commission is the main human rights organ of the United Nations, and has an extensive mandate to examine the whole spectrum of human rights in its annual session.

"In view of the growing importance attached to human rights in the present international scenario," says the press release, "the unanimous election to Nepal to this important position is a very significant recognition of the positive role played by the Mission of Nepal in general and as a member and Vice Chairman of the Human Rights Commission in particular."

The commission, which reviews the state of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the world, will be focusing its attention among others on issues like promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, special dialogue on poverty and enjoyment of human rights.

"I am deeply touched and greatly honoured by this confidence," Dr Simkhada said while addressing the Session Saturday. "I wish to thank all members of the Commission for your support. I count on the goodwill and support of all participants, member states, observer states and other organizations in making our deliberations most relevant in the realization of dignity and rights of people everywhere."

He added,"The 56th session of the Commission is taking place at the cross-roads of the twentieth and twenty first centuries. As we look back, we find the twentieth century history book on dignity and rights filled with pages of failures and missed opportunities."

"Latest UNDP Human Development Report shows 1.2 billion people or one in every five member of the human family living in a state of poverty and deprivation - a state of living that defies comprehension for many...Lack of resources to institute a minimum of social safety net renders the situation of the vulnerable groups in society unimaginable."

CPJ flays journo's brief imprisonment

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21 - Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has condemned the imprisonment of Jagdish Bhattarai, The Kathmandu Post’s Palpa correspondent, asserting that no journalist should be imprisoned for what he writes.

The New York-based organization issued a statement yesterday following Bhattarai’s release after serving a week-long prison term in Tansen, Palpa. Bhattarai, who is also the editor of Nava Janachetana weekly, was found guilty of contempt of court for an editorial (titled, "Saviours of Justice Corrupt") that appeared in Nava Janachetana.

"No journalist should spend even a day in prison for what he or she writes," said Kavita Menon, CPJ’s Asia Programme Coordinator. "The court’s ability to imprison a journalist on contempt grounds is a legacy of British colonial rule, and has no place in a democratic system in which government organs must accept public scrutiny and criticism."

Earlier, Reporter Sans Frontier (RSF), a Paris-based organization that advocates press freedom, asked the government to immediately release Bhattarai from prison.

More budget sought for dalit emancipation

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21 - Activists fighting for rights of the oppressed community (dalits) today demanded that the government allocate "bulk of its annual budget" for the emancipation of the country’s around 40,000 dalits.

Such demand was made at an interaction programme Racial Discrimination in Nepal, Human Rights and Problems of Dalits, which coincided with Inter-racial Discriminations Eradication Day here Tuesday.

The programme was organised by Dalits Human Rights and Racial Discrimination Concern Centre (DHRRDDC).

Chakramani Bishwakarma, General Secretary of Dalit Sewa Sangh, said there should be reservations both in the annual budgets and the elections.

"Fifty percent of the total annual budget should be allocated for the upliftment of the dalit communities," he said.

According to the 1991 population census, there are 60 castes in the country out of which 12 belong to the dalit communities.

Deputy-president of DHRRDDC Basant Kumar Bishwakarma, said that there had not been efforts for the effective enforcement of the laws formulated after the restoration of democracy. "Human rights cannot be ensured unless we end racial discriminations," he said.

Jeetu Gautum, General Secretary of Nepal Oppressed Community Liberation Society, accused the political parties of not "practically implementing the pledges for the upliftment of dalit community that they make in their election manifestos."

Bishwakant Mainali, a lawyer, stressed on the need to raise awareness for the elimination of racial discrimination.

He also suggested that "the dalits first unite themselves before going ahead with campaigns and movements."

Juvenile courts 'inadequate'

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 21- Chief Secretary Tirtha Man Shakya today said the formation of juvenile courts were not a practical solution to tackle problems related to children "considering the country’s geographical and social conditions".

"We have already seen the sorry conditions of district courts," said Shakya and "it would not be possible in the present context to bring in children from remote districts to the Centre (Kathmandu) for justice. And we can’t go to all 75 districts."

Nepal’s first CRC (Convention on the Rights of the Child) Report prepared in 1995 stressed the need for Juvenile Courts to address the needs of children which are essentially very different from that of the adults. A government official went on record to say that the Juvenile Bench would be established in all district courts by February 19. "Efforts are on to set up the benches," Shakya said, without specifying the timeframe.

Shakya made the observation today at a workshop that has been designated to develop Nepal’s second CRC report. The program was organised by the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare (MoWSW), UNICEF and Save the Children, Norway.

Nepal endorsed the CRC in 1990. As per the requirement of the convention, Nepal is expected to file a CRC report every five years.

Instead of the Juvenile Court, Chief Secretary Shakya suggested, a more traditional approach to justice could be exercised through local bodies, including elected women members at grass-root level.

TU teachers baffled by suicide reports

By Sanjeev Ghimire

KATHMANDU, March 21 - Following news reports in the media that two of its students committed suicide under duress, Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Tribhuwan University (TU) today said it will hold a meeting on Sunday to "discuss the suicide case."

"Our Department is holding a meeting to establish the authenticity of the report," said Acting Head of the Department Dr P L Devkota. "After all, it is now a prestige issue for the Department."

Last week newspapers said Indira Gurung of Syangja and Rajendra Khadka of Palpa, students of Sociology MA Second year, committed suicide in Ranchi, India where they were undergoing treatment for "mental depression." Neither is enroled at Sociology Department at TU, according to officials.

Newspapers quoted one Dr Madhusudan Poudel, President of Nepal Guardians Association, as saying that the students committed suicide due to the "intentional under marking of their results by the Head of the Department Prof. Rishi Keshar Regmi". "Regmi, while rechecking the answer-papers had deducted 30 marks..," newspapers had quoted Poudel as saying. Suprabhat Bhandari, President of Nepal Guardians Association, said he is not aware of "any Dr Madhusudan Poudel."

According to TU Regulations, Head of the Department is the ex-officio head of the Scrutiny Board, the body which reviews and sanctions the examination results of the concerned faculty.

Regmi could not be contacted as he is on leave for the last two weeks. "He has gone to Lucknow for medical treatment," said Acting Department Chief Dr Devkota.

Meanwhile, Sulochana Thapa, an office assistant at the Department said that the names of the students were not enlisted on the Department’s mark-sheet register. "We even checked the mark-sheet register for the past three years but to no avail," said Thapa. "On this ground, they can be ruled out as the students of the Department."

Likewise, whereabouts of the mysterious "Dr Poudel", who has been quoted in newspapers, could not be traced even after repeated attempts. One newspaper said Dr Poudel had accompanied the two students to Ranchi.

A reporter from this newspaper also a received a call from one Dr Poudel but he refused to meet him in person to discuss details, saying he "feared bodily harms" from the Department Chief.