Deuba and friends lash out at Koirala Accuse him of ‘terror’ campaign in party

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Sept 17 - Senior leaders of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) including Sher
Bahadur Deuba today lashed out at the Party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
for unleashing "terror" in the party.

"Party workers are now compelled to blindly follow (Koirala) as slaves, fearing they might lose the
party membership if they oppose," Deuba said at a party function. "This is nothing but terror in
the party."

Deuba also came down heavily on Koirala for not maintaining transparency within the party.
"Even after repeated pleas from myself and Bhattarai, the party hasn’t provided the list of the
active members to us," he said. "If the party doesn’t maintain transparency with us (senior
leaders) one can just conceive how democratic the party is."

As per the latest truce reached between Premier Koirala and senior NC leader Krishna Prasad
Bhattarai on Aug 27, the party was to provide the final list of the active members to the Bhattarai
panel including Deuba by Sept 10. Only the active members could contend for various posts in
the party in the upcoming 10th party convention slated for the last week of January 2001.

"By failing to provide the list (of active members) Koirala has also broken the truce," he said.

Deuba who is challenging Koirala’s party presidency in the Convention, alleged that Koirala was
maintaining "double standards" in the party. "Girija himself distributes party tickets to
undeserving people and when they create problem, he says they are mafia," Deuba said. "Is this
not double standards ?"

Speaking out his heart against Koirala, Deuba added that NC Central Secretariat, on Koirala’s
directive, was working against the CWC decision by unconstitutionally dissolving district and
regional committees of the party that too after the date for the party convention is fixed.

"The Central secretariat is distributing party memberships in an ad-hoc manner, regardless of the
party constitution. One who defies party regulations should be punished, shouldn’t he?," said
Deuba, seeking Koirala’s prosecution.

Another disgruntled party leader Prakash Man Singh said that NC was on verge of a disaster and
the only choice to avert it was to "change the leadership".

He also alleged Koirala camp of violating the latest truce reached between Koirala and Bhattarai
groups. "District committees have been dissolved after the truce, thereby violating the
agreement," Singh said. "All the three district committees of Kathmandu Valley has been
dissolved unconstitutionally. "

Singh, who headed NC Kathmandu District Committee, was even expelled from the party
membership after the dissolution of the committee. "Koirala should have the nerves to oust me
abiding by the party constitution," Singh said. "It is a pity to say that our leaders don’t follow the
party constitution."

Govt bans torch demos

KATHMANDU, Sept 17 (PR) - The Home Ministry today banned torch -lit demonstrations saying
it causes damage of life and property since such demonstrations are usually held in towns and
cities with high population density.

"Since torch-lit demonstrations might lead to fatal accidents and cause loss of life and property,
directives have already been sent to the district administration to ban such demonstrations," a
Home Ministry press release said.

The ministry’s directive comes just four days before nationwide bandh 21 called by nine left
parties on September 21. Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which is waging a bloody war for
the last four and half years, has also supported the bandh.

The September 21 nationwide strike and torch-lit demonstration in the evening of Sept-20 was
called to protest against the sixth amendment of the Citizenship Act, alleged killing of Musician
Praveen Gurung already by Prince Paras Shah including other issues, according to a press
release signed by the leaders of the parties.

Parties hold torch-lit demonstrations on the eve of stoppage or bandh which according to some is
a ploy to intimidate the transporters and shopkeepers to gain their support. But others take it as
citizens’ fundamental right.

The main opposition in the Parliament, Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist)
protested the Home Ministry’s move saying such steps clearly violate the fundamental rights of
the citizens guaranteed by the Constitution.

Issuing a press statement today, UML termed the Home Ministry’s move as regressive and
demanded that the directive should be withdrawn immediately. CPN-UML has also warned the
government to face the consequences arising out of its decision.

Meanwhile the nine left parties have condemned the government’s move to ban the torch-lit
demonstration and called the public for support.

Nepalis pay 11 pc of income to buy the ‘white gold’ !

By Damakant Jayshi

KATHMANDU, Sept 17 - In the last ten years, Nepal saw power tariff hike of 270 per cent making
the electricity charge per unit highest in the world in terms of power purchasing capacity of the
consumers.

"Nepalis have to pay, on an average, 11 per cent of their income to buy electricity, whereas in
most countries the rate varies between three and five percent," says a top official at Nepal
Electricity Authority (NEA), quoting World Bank figures.

What are the causes of such a steep rise in electricity tariff in a country where this ‘luxury’ is
available only to the 15 per cent of its population?

"Lack of foresight, greed and nepotism of the policy makers have led to this sorry state," says a
high-ranking official at NEA.

"The 60 MW Khimti-1 Hydel Project epitomises the ills plaguing the hydropower sector," he
says. "The take or pay principle with the private party means that NEA has to shut down some of
its own power plants. Whose interest has been served by this agreement?"

The Rs 1200 million Khimti Project, undertaken by Himal Power Limited, a private company,
started its commercial operation from July 11 this year. Infrastructures like transmission lines,
electric poles and even the construction of a 22-km road, from Nayapul to the power house site at
Kirne, Dolakha were wholly provided by the government alone.

Moreover, NEA has to buy power in dollars at 7 cents/unit (Rs 5/unit). So, if the rupee is devalued
against the dollar, no prizes for guessing who will ultimately end up paying the increased cost.

A similar agreement has been reached with another private power project, Bhotekoshi, which is
about to begin its operation.

"Interest of private investors will have to be protected or else there will be no future investments,"
says Bishnu Bam Malla, Director General at NEA, agreeing with two of his junior officials who
were advocating such "protection".

"The risk of market will have to be borne by consumers, and not investors who want risk-free
business. We will see that these agreements are not repeated in future," promises Uttar K.
Shrestha, Director of Finance and Accounts at NEA.

And consumers might have to pay more once "Kaligandaki-A begins generation", according to
Malla, Director General at Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), which has the sole responsibility to
provide power to the existing and would-be consumers.

An attempt to increase the rate by 30 per cent after signing a loan agreement with Asian
Development Bank in July this year was put on hold after public outcry. Malla himself says that
the NEA itself opposed the proposed hike, "keeping in mind the already existing high tariff rate".

Pilfering dues, revenue leakage and overhead costs of the NEA are other causes of spiralling
price of electricity. NEA finds itself helpless to correct these ills. Says Shrestha, "There is no
provision to punish pilfering and NEA employees who help in theft, accounting for a total revenue
loss of 25 per cent".

An NEA staff accuses hotels and restaurants and industries as being the largest perpetrators of
revenue leakage. "Electric meters are easily manipulated with connivance of NEA employees,"
says the staff member. "With Khimti, Bhotekoshi and Kaligandaki projects joining the national
grid, the leakage will only increase," he points out, adding "there is massive misuse of NEA’s
property like cars and many items like computers and mobile phones vanish into thin air."

Activists point out delay in completion of the ongoing projects and weak ad inefficient Nepali
officials as one of the reasons which contribute to make Nepal’s electricity cost one of the
highest.

"A close look at the ongoing Kaligandaki-A project will reveal why power tariff is so high in the
country," says Gopal Siwakoti, law teacher. "The project cost has increased around 28 million
US dollars in four years to the current projected figure of 452.8 million dollars," adds Siwakoti.

Meanwhile, Malla says high interest rate to government, which passes soft loans and foreign
grants as loans to NEA, royalty and self financing ratio of 23 percent leave the NEA with no
option but press for tariff hike. NEA’s net profit, incidentally, is about two billion rupees.

Nepal needs 400 MW of power for its current domestic and industrial needs at the annual growth
rate of 8.6 per cent. Though it has a potential of 83,000 MW at present only 332 MW of electricity
is generated.

Govt eyes Okharpauwa for dumping site

By a Post Reporter

KATHMANDU, Sept 17 - Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel today said that
government has decided Okharpauwa situated north-west from the capital as an ideal site for the
long term solution of the valley’s solid waste management.

Speaking at a programme on solid waste management problems of municipalities and hospitals
in Nepal Poudel said: "We can install recycling plant in Okher Pauwa which can also be used as
a dumping site when the plant is not functioning." He, "however said that Kathmandu
Metropolitan City (KMC) wants the site within the city."

"Government has allocated Rs one billion for the Metropolitan but still KMC says that government
don’t assist them," said Poudel.

"Government is responsible to provide the site for waste management but KMC wants
government to do everything for it," said Poudel, adding "government has to look after other
municipalities’ as well."

Dor Mani Poudyal, Chairman of Municipalities Association of Nepal said that the municipalities
with so many responsibilities have very limited resources. "There should be clear demarcation of
municipalities responsibilities," said Poudyal.

Speaking on the occasion, Jan A. Speeth of WHO said that Ministry of Health (MoH) should take
the responsibility to tackle the problem of hospital waste. "MoH should make such provisions
that health care waste producing institutions can only operate if their waste handling system
satisfies uniform standards in various categories," said Speeth.