Upper Karnali project raises hopes for impoverished region

By Surendra Phuyal

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The spotlight is again turning on Karnali region, the remotest and impoverished part of Nepal. Knowledgeable officials here say representatives of a Singapore-based humanitarian trust willing to develop Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project are arriving here in two weeks’ time.

The 300-megawatt (MW) project has been under discussion since the 1960s, and the development of which is expected to open up whole new vistas for the development of Karnali region. Once completed, Upper Karnali will be the first such project developed in the region in mid-western Nepal.

While in Nepal, the representatives of the Elysee Frantire Trust - which is based in Singapore and actually owned by French - will deposit a sum of Rs 50 million as an authorized capital for a locally registered company, and start final survey works of the hydropower project, according to Ganesh Bahadur Shrestha, Chief of Construction and Development Department at Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

"They have recently informed us through a letter that they are arriving within two weeks. They are expected to deposit the authorized capital amount after which they can start the final survey works for the construction. But whether or not they will invest on the project can be ascertained only after they deposit the authorized capital amount," Shrestha said in an interview with The Kathmandu Post.

Also green-signaled by the Fast Track Committee headed by the Prime Minister eight months ago, the Trust has just recently registered one Elysee Frantire-NEA Upper Hydroelectric Public Limited to develop Upper Karnali.

A memorandum of understanding to this effect has also been signed between the Elysee Frantire and the Ministry of Water Resources, and NEA - which had received the project’s survey license from the government - has already transferred the ownership of the license to the Trust.

The company’s key criterion is that NEA buy the power, for which the state-owned power monopoly, would be awarded with the project’s 30 per cent share. The hydropower plant will be formally handed over to NEA 30 years after the project begins its commercial operation.

CIWEC, a Canadian consultant firm which carried out the project’s feasibility study three years ago estimated the construction cost at between US $ 454,300,000 and US $ 468,600,000.

The humanitarian Trust has expressed its keen desire to invest the amount. It plans to "channel all the amount earned in return from the project to various projects aimed at uplifting the living conditions of the poor people in Nepal".

Main structures of the project will be constructed in the districts of Surkhet, Dailekh and Achham, upstream of the proposed Karnali-Chisapani hydel project, on the boundary of Far-Western and Mid-Western development regions. The feasibility study had calculated the project’s investment return rate at 18.83 per cent, and seven years time to complete the construction works.

NEA officials say they are pleasantly surprised" to deal with such an "attractive proposal". Slammed in recent times for signing "costly" Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with such private sector hydropower projects as Indrawati, Khimti and Bhote Koshi, they say they do not know what to do if the Trust pushes "Take or Pay" criterion while signing the agreement.

Prakash Khadka, Director of the newly registered Public Limited appointed by the investors, claims that the Trust officials are indeed keen on developing the project. "They want to invest on the project, develop it, and spend all the return on the poor people of this country," he told The Kathmandu Post. "They have already visited Nepal more than a dozen times and they will keep coming here."

Prior to this, officials say it has been mentioned in the proposal, the humanitarian Trust has already developed several projects in such poor economies as Vietnam, Laos and India.

Bastola for acceleration of Refugee Verification

Post Report

BHADRAPUR, April 28 - Foreign Minister Chakra Prasad Bastola has said that, Nepal is trying its best to accelerate the pace of the current Bhutanese refugee verification process.

Talking briefly to reporters at his Birtamod residence today, FM Bastola said that the government’s attention had been drawn towards the slow pace of verification that began a month ago.

More verification teams could be one of the options, he said, adding that looking at the current progress it would take a very long time to complete the verification of all the refugees, languishing in eastern Nepal for over a decade.

Nepal and Bhutan governments had agreed to start refugee verification following the 10th rounds of joint ministerial level meeting (MLM) held in Kathmandu during the end of December 2000.

As per the agreement reached during the 10th rounds of MLM, the Nepal-Bhutan Joint Verification Team (JVT), comprising five members from each side, has so far verified only 1,380 of 233 families since it began the field work on March 26.

FM Bastola also cited the international community showing deep concerns over the slow verification process. He said that another round of dialogue should be held at ministerial level to find out other options in order to expedite the pace of verification.

He also made it clear that both the countries had no other motive behind the delayed process and added that the verification process would increase its momentum based on the working experience gained in the course of time.

When asked about the four categories of the Bhutanese refugees, Minister Bastola said that it was the issue of discussion long time back and the verification process was started according to the guidelines set by the 10th rounds of talks.

"The verification process will have a great significance as it will give a new direction to Nepal-Bhutan relations in the future," he said, adding that Nepal’s stand has always been that the refugees should be allowed to return home with dignity.

Crown Prince graces reception

KATHMANDU, April 28 (RSS) - His Royal Highness the Crown Prince graced a reception hosted in his honour by the Japanese Alpine Club in Tokyo this evening.

Welcoming HRH the Crown Prince, the president of the Japanese Alpine Club stated that the present visit of HRH the Crown Prince will contribute to further strengthening the ties of friendship between the people of Japan and Nepal, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Former Japanese prime minister Ryotaro Hashimoto expressed his happiness that HRH the Crown Prince was able to accept the invitation to visit Japan and was confident that Japan will continue to be a partner in Nepal’s development endeavours.

Surendra Prasad Chaudhary, Minister for Science and Technology, and Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Japan Kedar Bhakta Mathema accompained HRH the Crown Prince.

The accompanying minister thanked the club members who have been instrumental in bringing the people of Nepal and Japan closer.

Agriculture growth depressing: NPC

By Prem Khanal

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The recently concluded mid-term review of the Ninth Five Year Plan shows a depressing performance in the agriculture sector dampening prospects for effective intervention against poverty and unemployment.

The review shows that the agriculture sector grew by average 2.9 per cent during the first three years of the Ninth Plan ending next year against the target of 5 per cent.

Though there are a number of factors at play, low sanction of budget is the major cause behind this below-the-expectation growth of agriculture sector, say National Planning Commission officials.

Of the total planned expenditure of Rs. 21.52 billion during the plan period, only Rs 7.16 billion was sanctioned during the first three years of the plan.

"With such a nominal disbursement of budget, what can we expect?" Hari Shankar Tripathi, member of NPC, who oversees the agriculture sector questioned.

He squarely blamed budget constraints for such gloomy performances. "Actual budget allocation in the past were quite nominal as compared to the total estimation, which was the major cause for the poor implementation of the agricultural plans. Hence the depressing results."

According to the review report, the annual growth rate of cereal food, which commands lion’s share of over 41 per cent in the total agriculture production and decides the fate of majority of peasants, hovered around 2.9 per cent against targeted growth rate of 5.18 per cent.

The production of paddy, which bears over 23 per cent weightage in the total agricultural production, has touched 4,030 thousand tons from base year’s 3,700 thousand tons against the target of 5,000 thousand tons. It is most unlikely that paddy production in rest two years of the plan period would be increased by 1,000 thousand to meet the target.

Commenting on such a depressing progress of the agricultural sector as a whole, Dr Dilli Raj Khanal, main opposition lawmaker and former member of the NPC, blamed poor implementation of much-publicized Agricultural Prospective Plan (APP) as the major reason. He said "APP has not been actually implemented, it has been used just as a ‘begging bowl’ to accumulate maximum possible loans and assistance."

Similarly, the picture is equally pessimistic in the cash crops front. Of the targeted annual production growth of 6.50 per cent, the real achievement has remained just 4.25 per cent. The production of potato, which is the largest contributor of the group, has remained 1,183 thousand tons against the target of 1,300 thousand tons.

Despite the annual growth target of 3.54 per cent, the actual growth of horticulture production, third largest contributor of the agriculture production, remained 2.90 per cent. Similarly, the milk production, during the first three years, has surged by just 85 thousand tons, which is just 27 per cent of the plan target. Similarly, the increment in meat and egg production, achieved so far, is equally dismal, which just over 24 per cent and 35 per cent respectively of the target set by the plan. However, the production of the fish, though it holds a nominal weightage of 0.46 per cent, made an impressive progress and crossed the target.

Referring to the voices of poor implementation of the plan projects, Tripathi argued that since 80 per cent of the released budget has been exhausted it proves that there is no big problem in implementation front.

However, Dr Khanal blamed weak implementation as the cause for such poor performances. "Almost all the programs designed under APP have failed to achieve desire goal due to weak implementation," Dr Khanal said. He also argued that government’s decision to withdraw subsidies on irrigation and fertilizer has also adversely affected the agricultural productivity.

However, the long term structural problem in the agriculture sector is our failure to embark upon a bold land reform initiative, he added.

Bir Hospital nurses’ strike continues

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 28 - The strike carried out by hundreds of nurses continued here at Bir Hospital today as well after the concerned authorities failed to fulfill their demands.

The strike has affected even the emergency ward to a great extent and no new patients have been admitted at the hospital.

Even as the Ministry of Health (MOH) has assigned four-member team to look into the matter, no decisions could be reached today. Despite the day-long meeting, no agreement could be reached between the two parties.

The four-member team assigned by the ministry includes the Ministry’s Special Secretaries Dr Somnath Aryal and Bijay KC; Joint Secretary Rewati Raj Kafle and Under Secretary Tanka Mani Sharma.

Among four demands of the nurses are: government retain the allowance facility that they had been receiving before the last year’s salary increment by the government and that Rs 125 be made available as food allowance for serving 12 hours of night duty. At present the nurses are receiving Rs 20 as such allowance while doctors are receiving Rs 250.

Dr Aryal who is also the coordinator of the team says that the team requires at least two weeks time to study and recommend on the ongoing problem only then the nurses should move ahead.

However, nurses claim that they had already made aware the concerned authorities about their demand some seven months ago to which no attention was paid.

"We had warned them that we are going to resort to strike if our demands are not fulfilled," says nurse Durga Shrestha who is leading the campaign.

The nurses had initially started strike for two hours a day and then five hours for two days after which they resorted to 24 hour strike from yesterday. But the Ministry officials claim that the nurses are not ready for dialogue even when the two parties stayed in the same room for the whole day.

The Ministry officials maintain that they require some time to for study while the nurses claim that they need consolation by which they would be assured that their demands would be fulfilled.

Regarding the four deaths at the hospital on Friday, the nurses maintain that those patients who died are not just due to their strike. "We are still providing service at the emergency though the service is very minimal," admit nurses.

Karna Bahadur Khatri who brought his father from Ramechhap and has admitted in the emergency ward with a worried look says that hardly two nurses attend the ward. Normally more then twenty nurses attended the ward at a time.

Minister blasts health personnel

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 28 - It was a bolt from the blue. The audience was stunned to silence. You could have heard a pin fall. The unexpected silence was caused by the hard talk the Minister for Health Ram Krishna Tamrakar delivered to doctors and health staff today.

The Minister’s ire was directed at the audience comprised of government doctors and health officers who had gathered here in the capital to participate in the 10th National Seminar on TB Control.

"The doctors and health officials have developed a tendency of devouring bread without earning it these days. It appears that commitment is one thing that has become very elusive in government jobs," thundered the Minister.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai called upon the doctors "to lessen their greed" and stressed upon proper qualifications before anyone ventured into the medical profession.

Bhattarai was speaking at a felicitation program organized today by Siddhartha Hospital Ltd. on the occasion of the second Siddhartha Lifetime Achievement Award 2001. Altogether five doctors, two of them posthumously, were honored today. Dr D N Gongal, Dr R P Pokharel, Dr D Malla, late Dr J S Malla and late Dr Y R Joshi were the recipients of the award.

Minister Tamrakar claimed that the government has allowed ample monetary benefits to doctors, despite economical crunch, but that has not produced the desired results. "The increment and raises to the health staff has neither given progress to the nation nor has it become an incentive to the workers."

He alleged that the staff-nurses in government hospital work simultaneously in nearly four private nursing homes and give less time and attention to their government service. "A nurse does not seem to have time to give injection to her patients and asks them to visit this or that nursing home openly," he said.

He further said that the government doctors in hospitals often demand expensive equipment and have them damaged for vested interest. "The damaged government assets benefit the doctors in two ways: They can either demand for new machines or earn money from private health institutions by referring their patients there."

He claimed that the doctors’ intelligence and their studies coupled with equipment the government has provided them were quite enough to give satisfactory health care to the public in government hospitals. Tamrakar said, "We have the resources but we don’t know their value."

The Minister further said that the quacks are comitting a big crime but no action is being taken against them to curb such practices. He also accused the staff at the health sector of working only when ordered. "And, the work remains smooth only as long as their pockets are filled," he added.

The health minister did not spare the private schools either for their "dubious Hepatitis-B vaccination programme" and asked his officials to stop such activities. "We need to have a mechanism to give permission to such uncontrolled activities which might one day invite calamity into the country," he said.

Passivity, superficiality and nepotism and favouritism also plagued the internal evaluation of the staff, he said. "The seniors make the government peons to work at their residences which they obey in hopes of getting promotion."

He further urged the doctors to be sincere, and self-analytical to give the government health staff a clean image. "No matter what others do, if you are sincere in your service and good at your job, everyone in the country will fall to your feet." he said.

Policemen return to outpost

Post Report

PYUTHAN, April 28 - About 100 policemen, who had deserted the Devisthan-based police post last week on the rumours of ensuing Maoist attack, have finally returned to the outpost after "a long patrol move" to Khalanga, the district headquarters on Friday.

The policemen had moved to the district headquarters defying instructions from their higher level authorities.

Sources close to the district police office in Khalanga said the policemen returned to the post after the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Tulsipur supplied them with reinforcement and additional arms.

SSP Parameshwor Singh Sijapati, who rushed to Khalanga following their defection, had sought clarification from those vacating the outpost without any valid reason.

An employee at the district headquarters quoted the scared policemen as saying that they would obey the SSP’s instruction just for the time being but would return to the district police office within a week.

The sources added that the security men had abandoned the outpost not because they were much concerned about their personal safety, but because of the repression of higher level officers to lower level policemen and their partiality in making promotions and transfers.

"The security men had not fled the Devisthan outpost. They had actually gone to a long patrol move," Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Krishna Bahadur Baidawar, told The Kathmandu Post.

An eyewitness at Khalanga said that the policemen appeared rather disappointed to resume their jobs at the strategically insecure post, located close to the Maoist stronghold.

With the arrival of the police reinforcement, local people have felt insecure once again. A local businessman said they would feel more secure whenever there were no more police.

"Maoist rebels and the police could clash with each other if they (policemen) stay here. And the possibility is that we may come between the cross-fire," he alleged.

Locals also said that the rebels were seen showing off their arms in a mass meeting organised at a local school in the Tiram VDC on Thursday.

Krishnabhir; a reminder of the coming monsoon

By Ganesh Raj Acharya

KATHMANDU, April 28- This week’s seventeen hour road blockade at Krishnabhir is a reminder to last year’s three-month long bitter experience at one hand and precaution and mitigation measures to be taken for forthcoming monsoon of the year at the other.

"To wait and be on the lookout for solution at the eleventh hour is the Nepali nature of working," expresses a mid-western region based development worker.

Ever since the landslide in Krishnabhir last year, there has been no sign of preparation on slope stabilisation for the upcoming monsoon.

A crowd of people, many on all fours, trying to cross country the mass of sliding to traverse the steep slope is a common sight during the rainy seasons. "Only two months are left for monsoon and I can’t see more than rotational movement of a bulldozer," says a exasperated night bus driver.

Technically it is very difficult to predict sliding mass on an given area, but in case of Krishnabhir it is predictable. When it rains, mass sliding instantly occurs. As road is obstructed on both sides, it takes about two hours to cross through freshly cut steep route.

Prices of basic commodity including water skyrockets. A slice of cucumber costs ten rupees and a small piece of lemon sells for seven rupees and many a times it is difficult to get potable water with money, tells Giri Raj, a Dang based shopkeeper.

A large crowd of stranded passenger, onlookers, villagers and hawkers make the place dirty. The already muddy water becomes more polluted. So, even a warm cup of tea could become impossible.

"Nature of soil and slope is very unstable and to start bioengineering approach is also late now," a technician expressed his view.

"The landslide is a boon for us, we feel ourselves lucky," says a shopkeeper by a roadside. He denied that basic commodities are charged at an exorbitant rate and said, "It is true we get more profit but not in the way people accuse us."

Hundreds of pilgrims to Lord Pashupatinath have to suffer extra economic burden due to the sudden blockade of road. Tribhuvan Rajpath, has no alternative route but for the Naubise - Hetauda Road, and is the only lifeline to the Capital.

"There are a number of bulldozers and workers to manage the landslide quickly and seriously. But, decision making delays by the concerned officials, sometimes lack of fuel for dozers, insecurity on removing debris and the slow functioning of Department of Road are responsible for the lengthy blockades," says Uddhav K.C., chairperson of Independent Transport Worker’s Association of Nepal (ITWAN).

Flow of large number of people on steep slopes worsens the track condition and makes it even more riskier, says a foreigner, trying to get steady and support himself with a walking stick.

Needless to say, Krishnabhir needs immediate care and the department has to wake up in time to maintain a smooth flow of traffic specially during the difficult monsoon days ahead.

‘Information laws needed’

KATHMANDU, April 28 (RSS) - The second national meeting of the Press Chautari Nepal has passed different resolutions.

The meeting demanded that laws relating to the right to information should be framed without delay, a high level media commission formed to resolve the problems facing the press, the working journalists act implemented effectively, the previous arrangements for making newsprint available restored and the loan assistance provided by the media development trust increased.

Similarly, the meeting urged the government to reduce the charges for telephones, fax, internet, etc for communications media and journalists by 50 percent, waive customs duty on computers, newsprint, cameras and other press material and pay due attention to the distribution of newspapers published from up country and papers in the regional languages.

The meeting also demanded that a certain quota of hospital beds should be reserved for journalists, 50 percent discount provided for long-route travels, the VAT imposed on earnings for feature articles and write-ups removed and the provision in the amended constitution of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists prohibiting central or district level officials of the federation from taking membership of any political party removed as this is against the constitution and the spirit of multi-party democracy.