Cancellation of Lauda Air deal recommended

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KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - A sub-committee of the Public Accounts Committee investigating the widebody B-767 jet lease deal between Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and Lauda Air SpA on Friday recommended cancellation of the deal "as it is against the interest of the Corporation".

The sub-committee, that exhausted four days of investigation, also recommended the prosecution of RNAC Board of Directors and management who had pushed the deal through.

Presenting the three-member body’s report, Shiv Bahadur Deuja, Convenor, said that the Board’s decision was "irresponsible and against the law". The report recommended that Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation initiate action against the officials at the Corporation who were involved in clinching the lease deal, which was riddled with irregularities. A PAC official told The Kathmandu Post that the recommended "action" could be both departmental and legal.

RNAC management’s decision to give up the tender process and instead go for direct negotiation with the company was worth taking action, said the report. Similarly, sending the bank guarantee of US dollars 1,005,000 to Lauda Air, despite the absence of guarantee clause in the agreement, was also against the norms, the report added.

The report also took exception to the fact that the deal was a sub-lease as Lauda Air SpA does not own the jet but has it on lease from the Hong Kong-based Pace Setter Leasing Limited Partnership. However, the agreement neither mentions this nor does it have the consent of the owner.

Earlier in the day, Hari Bhakta Shrestha, Executive Chairman of RNAC, appeared before the Deuja committee and admitted that it was sub-lease, which he had not reveal in the past.

PAC, which was expected to take decision on the lease deal today deferred it till November 29 raising doubt that PAC was deliberately delaying the decision.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Subash Nembang, Chairman of PAC, declined to comment if some members were delaying a swift decision on the issue. However, he said all the members were cooperating with him.

Nembang also said that RNAC-Lauda Air deal cannot come into effect from December 1, even if PAC fails to give its ruling on the deal on Wednesday "as our previous instruction on not to go ahead with the deal till further orders is still valid".

Meanwhile, in a press release, RNAC Employee Sangh, Nepal Airlines Pilots’ Association and RNAC Employees Union, gave details of its protest programmes which included submitting a memorandum to the Prime Minister asking for cancellation and directive to the Corporation to buy a new plane.

The statement also said that the unions had assembled all the executives for interaction on the deal and that most of them felt that the deal was not beneficial to RNAC.

Review of Khimti-I I PPA ruled out

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KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - Officials of the Himal Power Limited (HPL), the developer of the 60MW Khimti I hydro electricity project, today ruled out any possibility of review in the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), saying that such a move will only serve to drive away foreign investors.

"You already have fragile mountains where tunnel construction works are not easy, besides you have security risk and high inflation rate," HPL General Manager Harold O. Skar told reporters here today. "And now if you ask us to review the PPA, it would be very unfortunate for your country...it will only serve to further deteriorate the climate for foreign direct investments."

Another HPL official added that the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the government-owned entity responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, had not officially asked them for PPA revision.

HPL officials’ such comments came more than two months after the Parliament’s Finance Committee expressed deep concern on the high price of electricity generated from the Khimti I hydel project and directed the government to renegotiate the PPA - which was reached between HPL and NEA on March 30, 1994.

Under the (20-year Power Purchase) agreement, NEA agreed to buy power from Khimti I at the rate of 5.9 Cents (which has increased to 6.9 Cents (Rs 5) with the adjustments for inflation) per unit. The project, completed in its seventh year, has already commenced its commercial operation since July 11, 2000. His Majesty King Birendra is due to officially open the run-of-river hydropower plant at Kirne, Dolakha, on Monday, November 27.

The US dollar 140 million project is the first major private sector hydropower project undertaken on a BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) structure in Nepal with a large foreign investment from commercial and multilateral financing sources.

The Norwegian state-owned power developer, Statkraft, holding 73 per cent of the shares, is the major owner of HPL. According to the project license agreement, 50 per cent of the ownership of the power plant will be transferred free of charge to the government of Nepal after 20 years and the remaining 50 per cent of the ownership will be transferred when the license expires after 50 years.

Victory for Koirala supporters in NC elections

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KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - The panel led by Prakash Man Singh was defeated in the region level election of the ruling Nepali Congress Kathmandu today.

Singh and the camp has been accusing the Koirala camp of massive irregularities while issuing and renewing active membership. The district committee headed by Singh had been dissolved by the Koirala camp and a different committee was setup.

People believed to be Koirala supporters have won the all the seven regional chiefs in Kathmandu in the election held today. Lawmaker PL Singh did not participate in the election today stating that the central leadership of the party had not followed the agreements reached in the Central Working Committee (CWC).

In Biratnagar, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been elected representative unanimously from constituency 1 of Biratnagar with nobody filing candidacy against him. Likewise, Shailaja Acharya was also elected unopposed from constituency 7 and others to be elected today were - Education Minister Amod Prasad Upadhyay, Nona Koirala and NC district chairman Ashok Koirala. Three persons - Ashok Koirala, Basanta Bhattarai and Amrit Aryal - have already declared their candidacy for the party’s district chairmanship. Aryal is believed to be Deuba supporter.

The General Convention members will be electing party officials including party president during the general convention to be held in Pokhara in January and the results of election held today will be crucial in deciding the fate of those contesting for the positions. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Shailaja Acharya have already declared their candidacy for the presidentship of the party.

Bhattarai camp has been accusing the Koirala camp of using their domination on the party office to add new members against the agreement between the two factions in August and barring supporters of the rebel camp from getting their membership renewed.

SC order on confined girl

KATHMANDU, Nov 24 (PR) - In response to writ filed by Laxmi Timilsina at the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday demanding her daughter be released from illegal confinement, SC today issued an order that the child be presented before the court on 29th November.

A single bench of Justice Kedar Prasad Giri also asked the respondents for written response. The filed writ had named Ambika Sigdel, Principal of Nil Shishu Niketan (Dhalku) and her associate Hajuri Shrestha as respondents.

The filed writ had stated that Laxmi Timilsina had worked in the same school as a maid servant from April this year and had quit the job after three months, but had not withdrawn her child from the school.

According to the filed writ, the child (Samjhana) was missing after her mother took the child to school on the morning of 1st September. After report on the missing child was lodged with the police, the child was found to be with Hajuri Shrestha.

District Police office decision to present the child within a week’s time could not be complied with as the Appellate Court had issued an injunction order.

The little pundits’ love for English

By Archana Parajuli

KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - It is natural for the tourism entrepreneurs of the Khumbu region, or even for all those seeking higher education aboard, to consider that the English language is of vital importance to them. But how would you react or what would you say, when Hinduism’s theology scholars who are supposed to become priests in future demand that English be taught to them?

Perhaps sensing the importance of learning the English language, the international language, the students of Ved Vidhayashram, Gaushala, a school famous for its Vedic or Hindu religious teachings, have come up with exactly this demand: "We want to learn English and to see the international language included in our curriculum."

However, while the students at the Vidhayashram request that English be taught to them, the management committee are still toying with the idea. They do privately concede that learning English is important for today’s children, but say they cannot include English in their curriculum, which is tailored specifically for educating future priests or Pundits of the world’s oldest religion.

Says Gopi Sapkota, a tenth grader at the Vidhayashram: "Every time we step out of the Vidhayashram, we hear English words. Even the signboards bear English letters and it leaves us all baffled, we feel like we are in an alien land."

According to him, his elder sister, who does not speak English, was rejected from getting a job on this basis. "I do not want to be rejected for the same reason again. I really want to learn English - it is an international language."

Adds Balkrishna Tripathi, a sixth grader from the same school: "We are the odd man out even among those who study in a general school. I think ours is the only school in the country where English is not taught."

According to them, it is only the students of Vidhayashram who are deprived from studying English and science. Every other government school and even Sanskrit schools have included English in their curriculum, they say.

Shiva Raj Acharya, who was the first curriculum designer for the Vidhayashram and at present a reader at the Valmiki College says that English and science were not included in Vidhyashram’s curriculum because the study of Ved (ancient Hindu text) itself puts a lot of strain on the students.

"The school was established with a view to producing pundits capable of performing Hindu rites and rituals and not with a view to producing English scholars," he adds, suggesting that the students can attend private English language classes if they really feel English is that important.

On the other hand, the Principal of Vidhayashram, Keshav Prasad Adhikari, says they have a positive attitude towards the introduction of English to the curriculum. He, however, adds, "English is not everything. But we too think that getting acquainted with different language is very positive. The managing committee is discussing whether it can be introduced as an optional subject".

And there are others too, who do not consider the demand raised by the students to be logical.

"If a student gets admitted to Vidhayashram, he should follow its rules and regulations," says Yadu Nath Khanal, a well-known diplomat, who studied Sanskrit in his initial years and later switched to regular schooling. "One should not try and work against the objectives of an institution".

The Ved Vidhayashram was established under the patronage of the late King Mahendra in the year 2031 BS (1974) with an objective of preserving and protecting the vedic Hindu culture. Currently, there are about 65 students studying in grades six to ten.

After completing their Purba Madhyama, which is equivalent to the S.L.C. (School Leaving Certificate) examinations, the students are expected to either join the Valmiki College, under Mahendra Sanskrit University, or to decide which college they want to attend.

Everest Golden Jubilee logo unveiled

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KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - When Hillary and Tenzing made history by climbing Mt. Everest on May 29th, 1953, who would have guessed that the Solukhumbu alpine region, where the world’s highest mountain lies, would soon be banking on tourism as its major economy?

And with the growing number of adventure tourism enthusiasts entering the country everyday, many have now started to say that Nepal should certainly take a lead role for the benefit of mountaineering in the region.

"That is exactly the reason we are holding this," the officials of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) said while unveiling the logo of the year-long mega event, today. The NMA is launching an international mega event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Conquest of Mt. Everest on June 1st, 2002.

The year 2002 has already been declared as "Destination Nepal Year" and "International Year of the Mountains".

"Come June 2002, and we plan to gather thousands of world famous mountaineers in Nepal... even Sir Edmund Hillary has agreed to join hands with us to organise this event," said Tashi Jangbu Sherpa, president of NMA.

Various sporting tournaments, such as tri-nation cricket between England, New Zealand and India; white water rafting; golf; rock climbing; cross-country relay and mountain bike race will also be the highlights of the event. Other tournaments likely to feature in the mega-event include bowling, hang gliding, elephant polo, along with classic car rally, and exhibitions of film/documentary and mountaineering philatelic among others, organizers said.

The Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Conquest of Mt. Everest will continue till May 29th, 2003.

Damodar Rana of International Consultancy and Advisory Services, who will co-ordinate the celebrations with NMA, said around 80 to 90 countries which attended the last general assembly of International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation in Paris have promised full and unreserved support for the celebrations.

"Our sole aim is to expose the ubiquitous and unique geographical destination Nepal can offer," said Rana to reporters. "Apart from that, we will also promote Nepal as a highly potential holiday, conference, incentive and adventure travellers’ destination."

Speaking on the occasion, Under Secretary at Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MOCTCA), Prachanda Man Shrestha stressed the need to link major development activities of the nation with tourism. "Plus it is very necessary to push our tourism to the forefront in the international market," Shrestha said.

Ever since the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu in December last year, Nepal has been experiencing a decline in the growth of tourism.

Now, despite attracting tourists on Everest, one might ask: What actually is Nepal doing to protect the tourism related environmental degradation in the high mountainous Himalayan regions?

Kumar Prasad Poudel, acting secretary at MOCTCA, says, "Well! We lack means and resources to preserve our mountains from the tourism waste...But, we still support such programs."

"Maybe, we should also include Everest clean-up campaign during the celebrations," he added as an after thought.

Vijay Kumar grabs Surya Nepal Masters lead

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KATHMANDU, Nov 24 - Vijay Kumar, winner of the Order of Merit on the Wills Sport Golf Tour for last three seasons, looked all set for his second title of the season when he shot a four-under 68 on the penultimate day of the Rs. 12 lakh Surya Nepal Masters to open a two-stroke lead over the second-placed Mukesh Kumar.

At the par-72 Gokarna Forest Golf Resort today, Vijay tallied 10-under 206 for three days, while Mukesh, Player of the Year last season, jumped up to second place with the day’s best card of six-under 66, thus matching the course record set by Vijay yesterday. Nepal’s Deepak Acharya was a picture of consistency and shot a level-par 72 to stay put at third place with a 54-hole aggregate of four-under 212.

Overnight leader Uttam Singh Mundy had a terrible day at the course as he shot a seven-over 79 to slip down to tied sixth place along with Delhi’s Pappan at one-under 215. Shiv Prakash was fourth at three-under 213, while another Nepali pro, Deepak Thapa Magar was fourth at two-under 214.

Vijay, struggling with his putter for the third successive day but exceptional off the tee, started with a par and made a three-putt bogey on the second. On the par-5 third, he reached the green in two and made a birdie, then drove 20 feet past the pin on the 365-yard par-4 fourth and made another birdie which was negated by a three-putt bogey on the sixth. On the seventh, he reached the par-5 green in two and two-putted for a birdie and then unleashed a bit of magic on the par-3 eighth where he sank a 30-footer for birdie. On the ninth, he missed a four-footer birdie putt to make the turn at two-under which gave him a four-stroke lead over the overnight leader Uttam Singh Mundy.

One the back nine, Vijay had another three-putt for par on the par-5 12th before making birdies on the 13th, 15th and 18th, where the almost spun back the ball into the hole for an eagle from 80 yards, and a bogey on the 14th to finish at four-under 68. "I have nothing to say, I am hitting the ball like a dream, but my putting is atrocious. I needed 33 putts to complete my round today. Simply put, that’s bad golf. Thankfully, my hitting has been saving me and I hope it remains that way tomorrow If I have to win the second title of the season," said Vijay whose last victory was at the season-opening Hindu Open in Chennai in August.

Mukesh finished with a flourish by doing what Vijay could not. He holed his 90-yard second shot with a sandwedge on the par-4 18th hole, which proved to be a perfect icing on his earlier six birdies and two bogies. Both the bogies came because of three-putts, but he also made some long putts during the round. "It’s going to be an interesting battle with Vijay tomorrow. I saw his hitting today and it was awesome. I just hope that my putting evens out things between us," said Mukesh.

Acharya, who represented Nepal this year at the Asia Nations Cup at Chegu Islands, made a bridie on the third hole, but drove into the right jungle for a double bogey on the very next hole. A birdie on the seventh was followed by bogies on the eighth and ninth as the talented Nepali pro made the turn at two-over. On the back nine, Acharya recovered well to finish at level-par 72.

Deepak Thapa Magar, winner of Surya Nepal Western and Eastern Open, shot a one-under 71. He played the first 11 holes to par before making an three birdies and two bogies on next five holes.

Gangjee leads amateurs: India’s No 1 amateur, Ranil Gangjee, shot his second successive three-under 69 to lead the amateur’s section with a three-day tally of six-over 222. Gangjee led the second-placed Bijesh Shahi by a massive margin of 11 strokes.

Scores (after 54 holes): 206 - Vijay Kumar (72,66,68); 208- Mukesh Kumar (69,73,66); 212- Deepak Acharya (70,70,72); 213 - Shiv Prakash (72,70,71); 214- Deepak Thapa Magar (74,69,71); 215 - Pappan (71,72,72), Uttam Singh Mundy (69,67,79); 218-Ajay Gupta (74,74,70), Sanjay Kumar (70,78,70), Rohtas Singh (76,72,70), Amish Jaitha (74,74,70), 219- Zai Kipgen (71, 78, 70); 220 - Rahul Ganapathy (71, 75, 74); 222 - Vinod Kumar (78, 74, 70), Rafiq Ali (78, 73, 71), Monish Bindra (75, 73, 74); Amateurs: 222- Rahil Gangjee (84, 69, 69), 233 - Bijesh Shahi (80, 77, 76); 237 - CB Bhandari (80,81,76); 248 - Mani Rai (79, 77, 92)