HMG policy to be declared

KATHMANDU, May 13 (RSS)- Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel has said HMG’s policies and programmes will be declared at the 18th Parliamentary Session through the Royal Address.

Talking to RSS and NTV today, Poudel noted that budget will be worked out on the basis of government policies and programmes with a focus on the poor.

The NC government is serious about ensuring balanced development, he said, adding, only theoretical discussions will be held on the forthcoming budget, which will be passed by the end of Asar. The budget will be released and tenders will be called by Asoj.

Stating that since the budget will be passed by the end of Asar, there will be no need of releasing advance money and the development budget can be used in a scientific manner.

, the Deputy PM remarked that talks held between the government and all other political parties have helped the former to understand the feelings and limitations of the oppositions.

If the talks are any indication, Nepal’s political parties are well-aware of the need to preserve the constitution, safeguard the nation and promote democracy, said Poudel, noting that environment of violence and murder has restricted the state and democracy.

Poudel said the present government has already made commitments to implementing the report of the public revenue leakage investigation committee, adding, His Majesty’s Government has prepared a 12-point programme to control corruption including red passport abuse.

Koirala orders ministers to declare assets by tomorrow

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, May 13 - Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has directed his cabinet colleagues to submit their property statement by Monday, when the cabinet convenes for its weekly meeting.

Apparently ignorant about the fact that most of his 25-member cabinet had defied his order to submit their property status within 15 days of appointment, Koirala today is said to have conceded to Nepali Congress MPs that he was "unaware of the situation."

He made the admission during the ruling party’s Parliamentary party meet convened early today at his Baluwatar residence, according to NC MPs.

Koirala, who along with his Deputy Ram Chandra Poudel has already made his property status public, expressed disappointment today, saying only half a dozen of his cabinet colleagues had followed his order even after weeks in office.

In 1991, it was the-then Koirala cabinet, who as the first elected government after the restoration of democracy made it mandatory for cabinet members to disclose their property status within two weeks in office. The order, however, has been regularly flouted by a number of ministers while others have understated their property status.

Koirala, the Nepali Congress PP leader, has also asked the ruling party MPs to consult the line Ministers before presenting their view in parliament.

RA disinvestment debate picks up again

By Prashant Aryal

KATHMANDU, May 13 - The debate surrounding privatising the country’s national flag carrier the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has opened again.

The debate arose after the Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation and the Executive Chairman of RNAC both said the 15-year aircraft purchase study for domestic and international flights when undertaken will consider the Aviation Policy at the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee meeting two days back.

"Shouldn’t the government implement the policies after it is formulated?," asks Hari Bhakta Shrestha, Executive Chairman of RNAC. "Some of the points are implemented while some are not. We said we will consider the policy while formulating the long term strategy since it has to be sustainable and not based on adhocism."

The Aviation Policy mentions the domestic and international sectors will be divided into two and the government’s hold over it will be gradually decreased.

"The government is not paying its dues, is not giving subsidies to the airlines and is preventing it from buying new aircraft," says NK Rai, Chairperson of RNAC Employees Union. "Why is it interfering in its affairs? We are in favour of autonomy not of privatisation."

According to a source at the airlines Finance Department, the government owes Rs 120 million to RNAC. "The government has not been paying its dues to RNAC," says the source. The government has invested only Rs 380 million at the corporation since its inception 42 years ago. It had committed Rs 600 million to RNAC while the airlines was contemplating purchasing Boeing 757 but it has not been released.

Besides, it is not giving subsidies to the airlines which gives subsidies to passengers in remote service sectors. It is also operating on air fares that are 20 percent less than what the private sector charge.

Around 16 private airlines have come up after the Aviation Policy was introduced eight years back. Although the policy makes it mandatory for the private airlines to operate in service sectors -- 60 percent commercial and 40 percent service sector -- none of the private airlines are operating in the latter sector. In fact the licence to operate private airlines are given on this condition.

RNAC, the only state-owned airlines with handful of aircraft is operating in the 18 service sectors which is causing it to give up profitable commercial sectors. RNAC has been continuously providing service to the rural people at very low fare.

The other airlines are limiting themselves to profit making commercial sectors like mountain flight, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa, Lukla and Jomsom.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) too has turned blind eye to the problem. It is not monitoring whether or not the conditions of the licence are being followed. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation too is not monitoring the private airlines.

MP Gorakh Bahadur Bogati from Humla says peoples’ representative from the rural areas of both Eastern and Western region will protest against the government’s decision to privatise the airlines.

"Private airlines are doing whatever they like," says Bogati. "They are exploiting the poor in the name of service. Even if RNAC cannot increase its service it will be enough if it continues like this. The government should not shirk away from its responsibility."

"There is a danger of syndicate operating in the air sector like in road transport after the privatisation," a Department Head of RNAC says. "It might create monopoly."

RNAC which once possessed 4 jets, 12 Twin-Otters, three Avros and one Pilatus Porter has only two jets and six Twin-Otters and one out of order Avro in its fleet. It has not been able to operate both the international and domestic flights regularly due to the lack of aircraft.

The popular mountain flights which covered three fourth of the corporation’s domestic loss too is at standstill since the corporations only Avro is out of order since the past two months.

"The corporation cannot sustain in this manner," says Hari Bhakta Shrestha. "The government’s view is not clear at present. It is contradictory."

"Privatising RNAC is deliberately weakening a strong institution," says YK Bhattarai, General Secretary of Nepal Airlines Pilot Association. "But we have no objection if the management is handed over to private sector of an alliance is formed with international company."

‘Madhesiya community being purged’

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, May 13- The Terai citizens of Nepal have been systematically purged under a grand design by every government, every political party and every ruling elite since the Rana regime.

This was the general voice expressed during a one-day national symposium on "Madhesiyas Community After Ten Years of Democracy" organised by Nepal Intellectual Forum here today.

Participants also lambasted Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who was scheduled to inaugurate the symposium, but failed to show up.

They said that PM Koirala deemed it not significant enough to attend a vital symposium that dealt upon the issue of Terai people who constitute about fifty percent of the country’s population.

The symposium brought out various burning issues pertaining to the Terai community such as the rehabilitation of the hill community in the Terai in the name of so-called national integration and their negative consequences upon the original Terai people; the damage caused by the much-criticized Dr Harka Gurung Report on the Terai community and; the discrimination by the ruling elites in general against the Terai community in various spheres of life.

However, the most burning issues prevalent today, as identified by the symposium, are the issue of citizenship and that of the Madhesiyas people’s representation in civil service.

Presenting a paper on ‘Nepal’s Madhesiyas Community: Political and Administrative Share and Question of Federal Governance’, Coordinator of Nepal Intellectual Forum, Upendra Yadav said the government-constituted Dhanapati Upadhyay Commission - 2051 itself has categorically stated in its report that there are 34 lakh eligible Madhesiyas who are yet to receive citizenship certificates.

" At present, this number has swelled to 40 lakhs," he said and adding, "This implies that the government is holding the fundamental rights of citizenship of 40 lakhs eligible Madhesiyass which also implies that 40 lakhs Madhesiyass are barred from government service; from registering industries, buying lands; taking loans from banks etc," adding further, "At the same-time it is an irony that people of certain origin who came yesterday from Darjeeling, Assam, Kalimpong, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Kurseong, Rajasthan, Tibet, Bhutan and Burma are easily granted citizenship".

Participants also raised fear that if Terai citizenship issue is not resolved, it will invite grave consequences at a time when issues of work permit between Nepal and India is being talked about. This may render millions of Madhesiyass stateless.

President of Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Gajendra Narayan Singh said, ‘The representation of Madhesiyass in civil service is very distressing. If the same trend continues, after ten years there will be no Madhesiyass in responsible government position".

Most participants advocated for federal form of governance to ensure fair ethnic representation in the decision-making process.

Dr Hari Bansha Jha presented a paper on ‘Madhesiyas Society’s Socio-Economic Conditions’.

The coordinator of Nepal Intellectual Forum is Prof Abullaish.

Zoo lioness, Chandrika, lies on death bed

By Upendra Pratap Singh

CENTRAL ZOO, May 13 - All is not well with Chandrika, a 24-year-old lioness here. Suffering from rheumatism and other old-age ailments for the last two years, the old lioness is awaiting death.

With all her teeth fallen out and claws swollen, she spends most of her time lying down on the floor of her dingy cage next to that of hyena’s and bear’s. "She might die any time," says Dr Madhav Ghimire, the zoo vet. "She has outlived the average lifespan (20 years) for a lion."

But Chandrika’s death is not going to vacate the throne of this 60-plus year old zoo, Nepal’s only one, which is home to over 1,000 wild animals, including rare birds. Zoo officials say talks are on with several zoos around the world to get a pair of lions. "We have sent proposals to several zoos around the world asking them if they are willing to exchange animals," says RK Shrestha, Director of the zoo which is managed by King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC) since 1996. "A proposal to Japan has shown good signs. If the Japanese government agrees, a pair of pure-bred African lion cubs will be exchanged with a clouded-leopard."

Zoo officials are pretty hopeful that they will finally exchange a clouded-leopard from here with the young lion pair. "Maybe, we will be able to see the new pair by early 2001," Shrestha adds.

Chandrika is the only living lion(ess) in this antique zoo, which started as a private zoo of late Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shamsher way back in 1932. Chandrika along with her mate came here as a gift from the Sri Lankan government in 1979. Her mate died of "gout"--a genetic disease common among animals which mate in captivity--in 1993.

The pair even managed to produce seven cubs on different occasions. While four cubs died of "gout", the other three were given away during several animal exchange programmes over recent years.

Two species of lion--Asiatic and African--survive today. In Asia, where lion populations have drastically decreased over the years, the rare big cats are included in the list of endangered animals. The kings of the jungle, however, are not considered to be endangered in the African continent where they are found in abundance--around 2,000-- roaming the open plains.

According to Dr Ghimire, there are less than 200 pure-bred lions in Asia, most of which are surviving in the Gir forests in the western Indian state of Maharastra. The captive-bred lion population in Asia stands at about 500, he said.

"She’s been suffering a lot," says Rana Bahadur Thapa, a zoo-keeper who has known Chandrika since her childhood. "Before, she used to eat five kilos of buff-meat in a day. But now she hardly eats one-and-half kilos."

Humidity pushes mercury up

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, May 13 - The sudden rise in temperature despite sporadic rainfall is due to the high relative humidity -- a pre-monsoon phenomenon, say experts.

"The easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal has high vapour content that leads to an increased humidity," said K.B. Manandhar, Senior Meteorologist at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

Due to high relative humidity, sweat does not dry off quickly, which gives a feeling of increased heat. Monsoon is due a month later but for the time being the current weather pattern will continue, said Manandhar.

Normally, during the winter months Nepal gets rain from westerly flows from the Mediterranean while in the summer, it is from the Bay of Bengal in the east.

According to Manandhar, the lower layer of air is the warm air from the east while the westerly is at the higher level. The mixture leads to thunderstorms, lightnings and hailstorms but it doesn’t result in heavy rainfalls.

"Even though pre-monsoon activities have started, the westerly has been giving way to rains," said Manandhar. Because of the western winds, the pre-monsoon activities started two weeks in advance and rains have fallen more in the western regions, he added.

The easterly started on April 10, according to Manandhar. Satellite NOAH at the Department shows thick clouds rising from the Bay of Bengal towards Myanmar.

When Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and north western India start to heat up, a low pressure is created in those areas making the vapour leaden air rise from the Bay of Bengal, said Manandhar. This air leads to monsoon rains.

In Eastern Nepal, monsoon will start on 10 while Kathmandu will get the rains on June 12. Within a weeks time, the entire kingdom will experience rainfall.

Farmers handover memorandum

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, May 13 - Farmers of Babiniya, Dhanusha handed a memorandum to Prime Minster Girija Prasad Koirala asking for the implementation of minimum wage fixed for them here today.

Koirala, who is also Minister of Labour and Transport Management was given the memorandum by INSEC, a human rights organization,on behalf of the peasants working in National Rice Research Council, Babiniya and other farms.

The revised minimum wage was fixed on January 13 last year at Rs 60 daily and Rs 7.50 hourly. But the farmers have been getting still Rs 40 for eight hours’ work even now.

The memorandum asks the PM to implement the wage from the day it was fixed.

Executive Director at National Agricultural Research Council (NARC) Dr Dhruva Joshi told The Kathmandu Post that he was unaware of wage implementation. He added, "NARC has been giving the revised wages to farmers in Khumaltar; so others must be doing the same."

Joshi cited NARC’s depleted budget in not being able to give out the increased wage to farmers working in research councils and farms under NARC and said he has already issued a circular to all the units to implement the minimum wage even as working hours have been asked to be reduced.

‘Govt fails to state clearcut privatization policy’

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, May 13 - A senior member of ruling Nepali Congress cabinet today said his government hasn’t been able to state decisively its privatization policy.

"We have been unable make any decisions until now regarding the matter of privatisation," said Minister for Works, Transport and Water Resources Khum Bahadur Khadka.

He was addressing a programme Privatisation in Nepal and the Role of NICEU for Workers Rights organised by the NICEU-PSI here today.

Minister Khadka said it is necessary for the government to "sit down and talk" with the labourers and find a way out so that the labour force doesn’t fill left out in the process of privatization.

Khadka said the government has monopolised in selecting General Managers for state owned enterprises.

"Until now we have ignored experts and appointed our own people as General Managers," he said.

Executive Director of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Bhola Chalise said privatisation should be implemented where necessary.

"Privatisation itself is not a policy, however," he said. "Associations that badly need development should be privatised.

Most people have understood privatisation as a process of transferring money from one place to another."

The two-day interaction programme will end tomorrow.