HRH Crown Prince leaves for Japan

KATHMANDU, April 24 (RSS) - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra arrived in Hong Kong today on the way to an official visit to Japan.

Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, HRH the Crown Prince was welcomed by Executive Chief of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Cheng Ngaiman, the director of protocol of the Hong Kong government, Royal Nepalese Consul General Jainendra Jeevan and employees of the Royal Nepalese consulate in Hong Kong, according to the Foreign Ministry.

HRH the Crown Prince is accompanied by Minister for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Chaudhary.

SC to submit opinion to HM today

By Pramod Poudel

KATHMANDU, April 24 - The Supreme Court is to give its much awaited opinion on the controversial Citizenship Bill to His Majesty the King Birendra on Wednesday.

Sources in the Apex Court today told The Kathmandu Post that the opinion would be sent on Wednesday stating that the proposed Bill to amend Citizenship Act - 2020 (Sixth Amendment) violates the constitutional provisions. The source also said that all seven Justices looking into the case have reached the decision unanimously.

Supreme Court Registrar Shree Prasad Pandit talking to The Kathmandu Post said, "The opinion will be sent to the Royal Palace on Wednesday as discussions among the Justices regarding the Citizenship issue is complete."

King Birendra on February 20 had sought legal opinion of the Court making use of constitutional article 88 (5) on whether clause 2 of the proposed Bill passed by the parliament earlier violated article 8 & 9 of the Constitution. King had sought advice from the court after consultation with leaders of various political parties, especially the opposition parties.

Bills passed by the parliament gains legal status only when the Monarch grants the seal of assent under the present Constitution.

Clause 2 of the proposed Bill states that a person through descent can get Nepali Citizenship even if his father is not a Nepali Citizen. The present constitution regarding "citizenship through descent" incorporates the Constitution of 2019 BS and the Citizenship Act-2020 BS. This Act categorically states, "A person whose father is a citizen of Nepal at his birth is eligible for citizenship by descent." Most amicus curie during the hearing on March 14 & 15 had argued that this provision in the Citizenship Act is as good as constitutional provision and amending this Act would be attempt to amend the Constitution.

"Nothing has been mentioned in the opinion to be sent to the palace regarding whether the proposed Bill could be termed as a Finance Bill or not," said the source. Some amicus curie during the hearing had even suggested that the court could send its opinion stating that the proposed Bill could in no way be passed as a Finance Bill.

The case was being looked after by a special bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya and Justices Laxman Prasad Aryal, Kedar Nath Upadhyaya, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, Govinda Bahadur Shrestha, Arvind Nath Acharya and Hari Prasad Sharma.

According to critics the controversial bill will open the flood-gates to foreign nationals to take Nepali citizenship. The Bill was passed by the Lower House when it was first introduced, only to be sent back by the Upper House. It was then when most of the opposition parties demanded an amendment but the Congress government with its majority pushed the Bill through terming it as a finance bill. A finance bill cannot be sent back to the parliament by the King.

The Bill was endorsed by the parliament on July 26 last year as the Finance Bill and was forwarded for the Royal assent in mid-January this year.

Power generation unlikely to go up before monsoon

By Surendra Phuyal & Hari Bahadur Thapa

LOWER MARSHYANGDI, Tanahun, April 24 - The dreaded power cuts, better know as "load shedding" is unlikely to end any time soon with water level in the country’s peaking power plants showing no signs of increasing before the arrival of monsoon in early June.

While the water discharge level in the snow-fed Marshyangdi has dropped to the lowest, the level of water in the Kulekhani reservoir too has climbed down drastically as in previous dry seasons. As a result, the 69 Megawatts (MW) Lower Marshyangdi hydroelectric plant has not been able to contribute its usual power supply to the national power grid.

The almost dry Kulekhani reservoir that at present has water to generate power for 20 days only if operated at full capacity.

"The inflow of water is slow this year," said Manohar Rajbhandari, Senior Electrical Engineer of the nearly 15-year-old plant here. Lower Marshyangdi is counted among the biggest hydropower plants constructed in the country till now and is considered as the most efficient one.

The water discharge level in the Marshyangdi river was only 44.8 cubic meter per second Saturday, as against 63.2 on the same day last year. The month of Chaitra of the Nepali calendar (March 15-April 14) recorded a mean discharge of 44.9 cubic meter per second as against 68.9 during the same period last year.

"A result of this, the plant is producing hardly 36 megawatts of electricity, which is little more than 50 per cent of its maximum output of 75 megawatts," he added. According to him, Lower Marshyangdi currently contributes 25-to-30 per cent of the system’s total peak hour power demand. These days the plant remains shut down for four - five hours, during which technicians collect the river water in a pond situated at the plant’s tunnel head.

Officials at the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) said last week that a shortfall of around 600,000 units of electricity forced them to slap the day time power cuts much to the chagrin of industrialists and households. They blamed badly decreased power generation in almost all the power plants - which together generate 300-plus megawatts during wet season - as the reason behind the move.

The situation is no less alarming in Kulekhani hydroelectric plant, Nepal’s only reservoir-type project. As was the case during previous dry seasons, the level of water stored in this mammoth reservoir has dropped so low that the reservoir - which is also called Indra Sarowar - looks as if it has dried up. But officials at the plant claim that the reservoir has "water enough to produce electricity for another 20 - 25 days if water is discharged at the present rate". The two-decade-old reservoir is the source of water for 60 megawatts (MW) Kulekhani I and 32 MW Kulekhani II hydroelectric plants located in the foothills of Mahabharat hills south-west of Kathmandu Valley and north-east of Hetauda.

Currently, the plants are run for a maximum of four hours each day mainly during peak time - early in the morning and in the evening.

Water level in the reservoir was hovering around 1487.40 meter (above sea level) on afternoon of April 23, around three meters down from 14.89.93 meter on the same day last year. The reservoir was not empty even before the start of Monsoon (on June 9) last year with the water level standing at 1487.94 meters. The maximum storage level of the Indra Sarobar pond is 1530.5 meter, while the minimum level should not be brought below 14.82.5 meters.

"But things will definitely improve if the weather is to favor us," Managing Director of NEA said in Kathmandu. "Either there has to be rainfall heavy enough to flood the rivers and replenish the Kulekhani reservoir or the temperature should rise giving way to snow melting high up in the Himalayas - the source of dozens of snow-fed rivers flowing down the country."

Barauni IOC strike ends

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 24 - Striking employees of the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) at the Barauni refining station have called off their strike today.

The supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), which had waned in the past few days due to the strike, is likely to normalise soon. Barauni supplies over 90 per cent of Nepal’s LPG requirements.

However, Barauni station continues facing technical problems, chiefly due to the fire that broke out over two weeks back. The technical problem is likely to be sorted out before this weekend and normal supply of the LPG is expected to begin next Monday, related entrepreneurs said.

Meanwhile, Marketing Manager of Himalayan Petro-Chemicals Ashok Singh informed The Kathmandu Post that 200 tons of the LPG, dispatched from Barauni today, will reach Kathmandu Sunday.

Officials at the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), monopolist importer of LPG, could not be reached for comments.

Melamchi postponed to 2007

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 24 - The government has changed its earlier version to complete Melamchi drinking water supply project by 2006. While acknowledging that the project works are being carried out on a war footing, officials and donors today said that the project could be completed only by early 2007.

Even that could be further delayed if security situation in and around Melamchi Valley in Sindhupalchok district, a Maoist insurgency affected district, deteriorates further, said Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel, newly appointed Secretary at the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning and former Executive Director of Melamchi Water Supply Development Board.

Meanwhile, Asian Development Bank (ADB) which is funding the project’s crucial tunnel component, warned that works on the tunnel would not start before the government hands over the management works of the Valley’s drinking water regulatory authority to private operators.

"Until the private operator is in place, works on tunnel will not start," Leader of ADB Mission Arthur Macintosh told a packed press conference here Tuesday.

A 26.5-km-long needs to be constructed to divert the water of Melamchi river to water-scarce Kathmandu Valley. Officials say 170 million liters of water will be diverted daily (MLD) in the project’s first phase once the US$ 441million undertaking is completed in a few years time.

ADB which has already signed an agreement to provide a financial assistance of US$ 120 million, and other donors have been demanding that the management works of the state-owned water regulatory monopoly, Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC), be handed over to a private operator.

However, the governments’ efforts to do the same have remained in limbo due to delay on the part of the World Bank, which has supported NWSC improve the Valley’s water supply system for years, to provide the loan assistance. The WB is said to be providing US$ 80 million to the project.

The government had even invited pre-qualifications from interested parties, and three foreign companies had shown interest to oversee the Valley’s water supply works. The pre-qualifications were later cancelled due to reasons unknown.

Secretary Pyakurel today said the government would soon invite pre-qualifications to hand over the Valley’s water supply management works to private operators.

According to him, the government has already reached loan agreements with the ADB, Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC), while Norwegian NORAD, OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), SIDA (Swedish International Development Association), and NDF have already agreed to provide the financial assistance committed by them. The WB too has endorsed the Project Concept Document.

ADB’s country representative to Nepal, JBIC representative and Norwegian Ambassador to Nepal reiterated their commitment to support the multi-million dollar drinking water supply project at the press conference. Representative of the WB, however, was not present.

Currently access road - from Melamchi bridge to Timbu in Helambu region - construction works are being carried out together with other preparations, Pyakurel said. "Works are not progressing that satisfactorily because we have not been able to use explosives in the construction works of the 12 bridges that are necessary for the access road," Pyakurel later told The Kathmandu Post. "Our workers have been forced to break rocks (for the bridge pillars) by hammers, and it is taking a lot of time."

Experts say, explosives are a must for the construction of the tunnel. Police have banned explosives in the area following an incident last year, which saw Maoist rebels, who are active in the district’s remote areas, stealing away some explosives from Indrawati Hydroelectric project, which is being developed by a Chinese company.

Kathmandu City: A perfect case of ‘visual pollution’

By Seema Adhikari

KATHMANDU, April 24 - The city of architectural relics and monuments, Kathmandu, is fast losing its charm with its walls displaying ugly political propaganda, cinema posters, billboards, signboards and advertisements.

Walk around the city and you will see its walls luring you to buy this or that. And this is done through ugly and often illegal advertisements and hoarding making Kathmandu a perfect case of "visual pollution" in addition to already over-hyped other pollutants.

The old-timers reminisce the past hallmark of this city without such eyesores, and resent the ugliness that characterizes the city now.

Though the wall painting and postering began as an art to beautify a city, things are different today. Leonardo da Vinci’s "Last Supper" represents an era of wall painting. The once, historic art arena has now been taken over by the repulsive commercials.

No corners or crossroads are left vacant and the every available wall space is flooded with liquor and cigarette advertisements. And, it is increasing every day.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) official Visnu Singh Basnet says that the rules and regulations dealing with wall posters and billboards are yet to be formalised. The lack of appropriate governing laws, arresting this doesn’t come under the domain of the Ministry of Environment and Population or any other government body, he added.

However, under the Self-Governance Act 2055 those who fail to comply with the ‘Garbage and Disposal’ regulation are fined up to Rs. 15,000, Basnet says. But the office records show that no one has been ever charged more than Rs 2,000 for this public offence. He further added that those who are found violating the rules of painting or putting up posters are apprehended and detained for a day as punishment.

It is the KMC which has tried, though inadequately, to resisting this "make-Kathmandu-ugly" project.

They do not allow wall paintings or displaying posters in the "heart of the city" like Sundhara, RNAC area, Ratna Park, Jamal and Sahid Gate.

The KMC charges Rs. 30 per square feet for hoarding boards, Rs. 50 per square feet for neon sign, Rs. 30 for shutter painting, minimum of Rs. 500 for 4’x4' electric board. For banners, KMC charges Rs. 50 per week. There are 50 per cent additional charges on display of alcohol and tobacco products.

A different and unique eyesore that often grapples this city is "slogan and demand list". Nepal has seen three general elections within the past one decade. In each of these elections, roadside walls and public places have been platforms to the political graffiti and sloganeering.

Election Commission (EC) has a strict rule regarding wall posters, paintings and election graffiti. The EC officials say there should be uniformity on the size of paper and flag while the slogans painted should be in accordance with the EC specifications.

The city lover cannot say that no attempts have been made to stop such pollution. Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) recently painted the overhead bridges with "A banner to end all banner". Their objective was to request others to stop wall graffiti. However some of the HAN banners were superimposed by fresh paintings. Some of the organisations and even local governments like the Banepa Municipality have initiated the proper wall writing system. They have designated specific places to post all kinds of advertisements and banners.

Unlike Banepa, Kathmandu is a bustling city, and the house owners remain oblivious to all rules imposed on wall writings, said Basnet. "Regardless of the ugliness, they allow to paint the wall of their houses just to earn some extra money", he added.

The Lauda game plan

By Damakant Jayshi

KATHMANDU, April 24 – Former Executive Chairman of RNAC Hari Bhakta Shrestha filed a petition at CIAA late last week urging the CIAA to impartially investigate the controversial Lauda Air deal signed during his tenure. Two days later RNAC board member Tirtha Lal Shrestha filed a similar petition with the watchdog agency.

PAC chairman Subash Nemwang seized these two petitions as "additional revelations" while making a speech in Dharan on Sunday. It was Nemwang who investigated, and arguably, made the Lauda Air deal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s biggest headache.

All these happenings may appear unconnected, but connected they are. And it underscores the opposition’s game plan to bring some more firepower into the Lauda controversy which has been dying a slow death in recent days.

Both the former RNAC boss and the current Board member, who were instrumental in signing the infamous deal, are nervous and panicky. Tirthalal Shrestha admitted to The Kathmandu Post that he feared, both he and the former chief would be made scapegoats. Hence their latest move. Strangely both maintain that no irregularity was involved in the deal.

Then why this fear of being made scapegoats? "The politics in this country is unpredictable and anything can happen," was the Board member’s answer. Despite intense questioning, he did not reveal the real ground of his fear.

Another question that the duo could not convincingly reply is: Why the petition to the constitutional body at this point of time, when both had already been summoned by the agency in the past and the reports that it was about to make its verdict public? "It is to present all the facts before the CIAA," justified the former chairman. Did he fear that the CIAA was about to nail him and "let the political masters go scot-free"? Shrestha would only say: "How can I comment on such an august body like the CIAA?"

Despite obstructing parliament and taking to the streets, the communists are still away from their goal: Koirala’s ouster. Worse, they have also failed to incite popular mass anger as they initially hoped. It is at this time that the supposed new revelations have coming in.

Thus, the last ditch efforts are one desperate attempt to keep the Lauda Air controversy alive but will it boost the sagging morale of the agitating Left parties whose campaign to oust the Prime Minister had arguably fizzled out?

The Shrestha duo’s latest move, whatever its outcome, will surely warm the hearts of the opposition parties demanding Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s resignation and providing a fresh stick to the dissident party leaders in the ruling Nepali Congress to beat him with.

The opposition and the minority camp within the NC believe that if the PM manages to escape unscathed in the Lauda Air alleged irregularities, then he will go on the offensive both against the opposition and his detractors within his own party. It is a proposition that neither the opposition nor the NC disgruntled lot find palatable. A formidable Koirala could be a different kettle of fish altogether.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) may or may not summon the Prime Minister. But the latest salvo from the unexpected quarters is likely to unsettle both the CIAA and Koirala.

With the letters registered, the least thing for the constitutional anti-corruption watchdog body to do is, as one of the Commissioners put it, would be to summon the Shrestha duo and ask them what their latest position or statement is.

For the beleaguered PM who appeared to have weathered the political storm, it indicates that the celebration is still far away. Only the future will tell what is in store for him and the nation. As for now, the fight to finish has set in motion.

Indian Embassy denies abducting Chhetri

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KATHMANDU, April 24 – Indian Embassy has categorically denied that Prem Bahadur Chhetri was abducted from the Embassy premises and taken to Lucknow, India, where he is currently under detention.

Manoj Bharati, First Secretary at the Embassy told The Kathmandu Post, " The report that Chhetri was picked up from the Embassy is false and ridiculous."

Chhetri, a Nepali national and a former Indian armyman, in a letter sent to his relatives and received by The Kathmandu Post on Monday said that he was picked up from the Indian Embassy premises in Kathmandu and was taken to India in an unconscious state. Chhetri has also said that he has been falsely charged of being a Pakistani intelligence agency ISI agent and is currently under investigation.

When asked how he landed up in Lucknow jail, Bharati said, " We are looking into the circumstances as to how and where he was picked up and how he landed up there."

Bharati refused to make further comments.

Cabinet members consult RPP on ISDP

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KATHMANDU, April 24- The government held talks with the leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party today on the proposed Integrated Security and Development Plan (ISDP), a package of socio-economic development coupled with suitable security mechanisms to curb the Maoist insurgency in the mid-western region of the country.

The talks were held between a group of senior cabinet members who are members of the political sub-committee of the ISDP, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Ramchandra Poudel and representatives of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party under the leadership of party president, Surya Bahadur Thapa.

The senior government officials sought the party’s co-operation for an effective implementation of the ambitious government project during the talks. The RPP Chairman, Surya Bahadur Thapa, stressed on the need to tackle the ballooning national crisis in its entirety by seeking all-party consensus, states a press statement released by party spokesman, Kamal Thapa. The RPP Chairman made a categorical emphasis on any superficial and one-sided attempt to address the grave national crisis ‘as doomed to fail’, the spokesman said.

During the talks, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party submitted its concept paper on ‘broad national consensus’ adopted by its central committee recently for consideration by the government.

Other cabinet members to attend the talks were Minister for Local Development, Govindaraj Joshi, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mahanta Thakur, Minister for Defence, Mahesh Acharya and special invitee, Minister for Finance, Dr Ramsharan Mahat. Similarly, other members of the RPP team were Vice-President, Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani and Spokesman, Kamal Thapa.

Acting judge killed

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DIKTEL, April 24- An acting judge at the District Court, registrar Buddhikhar Ghimire, was stabbed to death by two local villagers at Andheri Khola of Kande, 30 minutes walk south from the headquarters, at around 9:45, Tuesday.

A police team under the leadership of Inspector Sandip Shrestha nabbed the culprits from their hideout at the house of one of the murderers, the 26-year old Santosh Shrestha, in the Khalle VDC, a walking distance of about an hour from the headquarters, Diktel. The other assassin has been identified as Taranath Parajuli, 28, resident of Nerpa VDC-2.

According to DSP Kumar Basnet, the 40-year old registrar succumbed to his injuries on the spot after being hit on the head with a khukuri by the two men at around 9:15 while going to the Court.

A group of woodcutters returning home from Diktel sighted, to their horror, the scene of one of the two men holding the old man in his arms and the other hitting him on the head with his khukuri. The woodcutters informed the villagers immediately but the culprits had already fled the scene.

The dead body was taken to the hospital in Diktel by the Court employees at around 1 P.M. But since the lone doctor in the hospital being on leave, the district administration is trying to fetch another for carrying out the post mortem.

Ghimire was acting as judge after the District Judge, Prakash Ram Mishra, went on leave a fortnight ago. The deceased had served in various departments of His Majesty’s Government for the last 22 years.

The assassins apparently killed the acting Judge for his role in fining them Rs 2,000 for torturing Ghimire’s cousin on a theft charge about half a month ago.