Capital is getting facelift, thanks to SAARC Summit

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Dec 6 - The residents of the capital are finally heaving a sigh of relief as this city is getting a complete facelift, thanks to the upcoming 11th SAARC Summit to be held here.

With the regional meet of the Heads of States and Governments just a month away, Kathmandu is soon getting rid of untidy markets, encroachments and unsolved solid waste problems.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City is presently busy in keeping the city clean, "at least till the foreign dignitaries stay here." The KMC is raging all the shops at the footpaths in the city’s major thoroughfares and has even cleaned up the posters, pasted in different places. The KMC has also decided to take out hoarding boards, erected randomly in the busy streets of Kathmandu.

Heads of States and Governments from all seven member countries - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the host country Nepal - are taking part in the summit in Nepal, after 16 years.

Chief of the KMC’s Security Department Bishnu Singh Basnet said the whole department is now working on war footing to change the appearance of the city in one month, which is almost impossible but is a need of the time. "It is a challenge we love to face," he said.

KMC on Thursday decided to recruit 50 extra security personnel to give momentum to the cleaning campaign. The KMC already has 108 City Policemen.

"All these City Policemen are now working day and night, in three different shifts, to keep the roads clean and safe from hawkers, posters and encroachers," he said.

The City Police have cleared the encroached vegetable market at Anamnagar, New Baneshwor and Minbhawan and the stray cows are also being driven away from the capital.

KMC’s Environment Department Chief Shanta Ram Pokharel said the whole department is busy cleaning the city.

He said the occasion of the SAARC Summit is a "golden chance" to implement KMC’s rules that has remained dormant till now.

"We are not doing all this only for SAARC’s sake," Pokharel said. "This time, we are bound by the deadline and the citizens are also prepared to co-operate with us."

Pokharel said KMC is declaring some selected streets like King’s Way, Soalteemode, Kalimati, Durbar Square and Lazimpat as litter-free streets, where the locals will not be allowed to throw domestic wastes on the streets.

Similarly, the main streets are being cleared of posters for the same purpose. KMC has already taken out posters at Baneshowr, Kings Way, Teku and Basantapur areas.

Hanumandhoka Durbar Square has recently been declared poster-free area with the help of local clubs and the KMC is planning to extend such area.

Similarly, KMC is also cleaning, removing or even covering the illegal hoarding boards in the city.

And the KMC officials are hopeful that it will continue even after the Summit. "We hope the people here would not repeat the same habit again, after the Summit," Pokharel said.

‘WCD guidelines a challenge for Nepal’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 6 – Experts at a seminar on Dams and Development, said here yesterday that the biggest challenge for a water-rich country like Nepal was that of sharing its resources with neighbouring countries. They said it has now become even more of a challenge since Nepal has got to follow the guidelines provided by the World Commission on Dams (WCD).

They were speaking at a one-day workshop Dams and Development, organised by Nepal Water Partnership/Water Resource Development Corporation (NWP/WRDC) and Global Water Partnership South Asia Technical Advisory Committee (GWP-SASTAC).

With some 50 hydro experts, attending the discussions of the day, focused on the implications of the WCD, especially for Nepal.

Sharing of water resources under the guidelines of the WCD is the biggest bottleneck for Nepal, said Dr J.L. Karmacharya, Coordinator of the First South Asia Water Forum, which is scheduled to be organised in Kathmandu in Febraury. "Dialogue is necessary for the option assessment of the project and the impact of the WCD regulations, without which our projects will suffer," he added.

As per the guidelines set by the International Commission on Large Dams, dams over 15 metres of height are graded as large dams. Ironically, Nepal has only one dam befitting this category. China has 22,000 large dams, while Nepal’s other neighbour India has 4000 of them

The outcome of the workshop, mostly in the form of guidelines consistent with the national requirement, will be forwarded to the Dam and Development Project (DDP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

RR Campus to start MA in mass communications

Post Report

KATHMNADU, Dec 6 – In the first ever Nepal’s acedmic history, Ratna Rajyalaxmi (RR) Campus at Bhrikuti Mandap is all set to start a Master’s programme in mass communications and journalism from this academic year.

"The TU Council has already given us permission to start the course with our own resources," said campus chief Ram Prasad Bhattarai at a press conference Wednesday organised to announce the opening of the course.

It might be recalled that two decades ago, Ratna Rajya Laxmi College was the first to offer a Bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism, and it continues to be the only institution offering such a programme in the country.

"The college has started distributing admission forms from Thursday morning, and will start the classes after winter vacation," Campus Chief Bhattarai informed the press.

The college will admit 50 students this year, and only journalism graduates shall be admitted to the course due to infrastructural constraints, said the chief. The Tribhuvan University has already prepared the syllabus for the course.

However, the logistics for the course are not yet in place. The campus still has to set up labs for computer, photography and radio. According to Bhattarai, these facilities will be available by the time the classes start. "We will spend around 1.35 million rupees for the infrastructure. But if that is not sufficient, we will approach the government or donor agencies," he said.

Beware! Counterfeit notes in circulation

By Nirmala Acharya

KATHMANDU, Dec 6(RSS)- These days fake Nepalese bank notes are in circulation in the local market. One has to be alert of such fake currency so as to be not cheated and to be free from arrest by the police.

Even though such fake bank notes which look very similar to the genuine ones are not in circulation on a large scale in the market, they are still in circulation to an insignificant extent.

As the fake bank notes are produced with the help of colour photocopy machines, they have the same shape, colours, security thread and numbers of a genuine bank note which can deceive any person.

These bank notes have been in circulation in the local market since many years. As the fake bank notes get mixed up with the genuine ones after reaching the commercial bank, the officials of the commercial banks have to send the bank notes to the Nepal Rastra Bank in order to find out whether they are fake or genuine ones.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) uses ultra-violet light and micro lettering equipment to determine whether the bank notes are genuine or fake but how can an ordinary person make this distinction?

When this question was raised with the authorities concerned, Executive Director of the NRB Department of Bank Notes Upendra Keshari Poudel said that an ordinary person could make a distinction between a genuine and fake bank note by looking at the quality of the paper, the sound created by the paper, the colour of water mark in the white portion and the security thread of the bank note.

Poudel says that an ordinary person can easily find out the difference between a genuine and fake bank notes as the genuine bank notes are made out of security paper which is completely different from ordinary paper, the white portion bears the portrait of the crown or His Majesty the King in water mark colour and NRB is written on the security thread whereas these characters are not found in the fake bank notes circulating in the market.

"The security paper bearing water mark colour and security thread are produced at different factories and made available to the country printing the bank notes on the recommendation of the Central Bank; it is not possible to copy them", he said, adding "Nepalese bank notes are printed by British, German and French companies."

At present most of Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,00 denomination fake bank notes have been found circulating in the markets of Biratnagar, Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Hetauda and a few in the capital, it is learnt.

"Even though action is being taken against persons involved in circulating fake bank notes, no one has been found involved circulating fake bank notes in a large scale in Nepal", Poudel said, adding "only a few fake bank notes are being found from time to time."

It may be recalled that a Swiss citizen had made an attempt to print fake bank notes in 2055 BS and the machine used by him had been brought to Nepal Rastra Bank for investigation.

A large number of fake bank notes are seized and brought to the NRB Department of Bank notes and burnt in accordance with existing regulations.

‘Home Science not just for women alone’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 6 – "The subject of Home Science is not meant only for women, men too ought to join in", said the Head of the Department of Home Science and Women’s Development (TU), Laxmi Keshari Manandhar.

She was speaking at an orientation programme for a Master’s level specialisation course on "Child Development and Gender Socialisation" organised by Central Department of Home Science and Women Development, at Padma Kanya Campus, today.

Manandhar said that men should be taking part in Home Science course since they also play an important role in the personality development of their children. " Men should also be aware of and work towards protecting child rights," said the Department Head.

The programme was also attended by Lalita Shrestha of Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre of the Ministry of Education. Shrestha, in her remarks, revealed that under the 10th five-year plan, there is a proposal to establish 40,000 ECD centres across the country.

In her address, Dr. Harder Thapaliya, co-ordinator of Home Science Department, said the objective of the specialisation course is to produce 5000 ECD graduates who will be able to provide their services at the ECD centres.

More Maoists flushed out, security forces on high alert

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 6 - As the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) continued with its search operation in various parts of the country for the 11th consecutive day, a large number of Maoists, some of them district level cadres and militia men, are reported to have been arrested by security forces. Information has also been received about several cadres surrendering to the authorities in several districts.

Meanwhile, Indian paramilitary forces have been put on high alert along the Nepal-India border, especially in the western part of Nepal, to prevent Maoist infiltration into the Indian territories, said Indian officials.

A report from Kavre says that soldiers of the RNA on Tuesday arrested dozens of Maoists from their strongholds. Among the arrested are district-level political leaders and guerrillas, a source close to the RNA said.

Though the source declined to give details of the arrested Maoists, witnesses said the number could be around 50. They were arrested from the Ugrachandi Nala and Tukucha areas, which are believed to be the Maoist bastions, located close to Banepa Municipality.

Meanwhile, reports from Surkhet have stated that Maoist terrorists destroyed the house of Nepali Congress lawmaker, Hridayaram Thani, located at Surkhet Municipality-1, on Wednesday night. An eye-witness, Netra Prasad Neupane, said the rebels forced four guests to leave the house, and then blew it up.

In Nepalgunj, the local administration today called an all-party meeting which focused on the safety of ordinary citizens during these emergency days. The meeting was attended by representatives of all political parties, government officials, and security personnel.

The government officials sought co-operation from the political parties in the fight against terrorism. The meeting also unanimously decided to grant amnesty to all those Maoists who are willing to surrender.

Our Syangja-based reporter says the police today defused a socket bomb planted by the terrorists near the district jail.

Our correspondents from various districts report that the night-hour curfew is still in place in the district headquarters of Dang, Syangja, Tanahun, Surkhet, Lamjung, Biratnagar, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Chitwan, Baglung, Dhading, Ramechhap and Dolakha.

Youth held on rape charge

Post Report

SINDHULI, Dec 6 - The Sindhuli district Court on Wednesday has ordered that Pawan Kumar Sunuwar Thage, resident of Kamalamai Municipality-4, should be kept into judicial custody on charges of raping a 14-year-old girl. The girl had filed a complaint in the court, stating that the accused assaulted her in a nearby jungle about a month ago.

The accused said though he tried to assault her, he could not do so because of her resistance. However, the medical report stated that the girl was found to have been raped. The villagers arrested and handed the accused over to the police for actions.

Seven students surrender

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 6 - Seven student leaders of the Maoist student organisation - All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) - at Prakash Higher Secondary school in Kabhre district have resigned from their respective posts, stated a press release issued yesterday.

According to the release, the students have denied to have assisted the terrorist and added that they were forcibly inducted into the post without their prior consent. The students said they wanted to lead an independent life and were no longer associated with the organisation.

Likewise, Rama Poudel, the treasurer of Parsa district committee of All Nepal Women’s Association (Revolutionary), a sister organisation of the Maoists, has resigned from her designation, according to a press release issued from Parsa yesterday.

"I supported the party as I was not aware of their political strategies. I will no longer be a part of the party," she said in the release. She has vowed to spend an ordinary life in the days ahead.

In the statemment, Poudel accused the Maoists of breaking the four months long cease-fire resorting to violent activities. She held the Maoists responsible for the deadlock of the peace talks with the governemnt.

NC leader Adhikari passes away

Post Report

CHITWAN, Dec 6 - Former Nepali Congress lawmaker and central president of the NC- affiliated Nepal Peasants’ Association, Surya Bhakta Adhikari, passed away in a hospital in Kathmandu on Wednesday, family sources said. He was 81-year-old. Adhikari was suffering from multiple ailments such as tuberculosis and cancer over the last six months.

He was one of the dedicated, hardworking first generation Congress leaders and a champion for democratic movement throughout his life.

He was born at Archale Cahur in Tanahun and joined the NC in 2006 Bikram era.

He remained active until his last breath and took part in major political movements launched by the party for the cause of the democracy.

Adhikari’s last rites were performed on the confluence of the Kaligandaki and Trishuli Rivers at Devghat amidst the presence of thousands of people on Thursday. His funeral procession was started from his Gaidakot-based residence and was moved around various parts of the Bharatpur Municipality before carrying out the last rites.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived today at his residence and paid the last tribute to the leader. PM Deuba has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of Adhikari, who was a source of inspiration to all the NC cadres, especially to those of Nawalparasi and Chitwan districts.

Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka, party General Secretary Shusil Koirala, former Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel, Minister of State for Home Devendra Raj Kandel, lawmaker Tirtharam Dangol and other senior leaders paid tribute to Adhikari at his residence.

Deputy Prime Minister Poudel wrapped the party flag round the body before cremation. He is survived by six sons and five daughters.

Issuing a press statement in Kathmandu today, Tek Bahadur Chokhal, Chief whip of the ruling Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party, expressed profound sorrow over the untimely demise of leader Adhikari.

Likewise, Speaker Taranath Ranabhat has in a separate press statement paid heartfelt tribute to Adhikari.

Meanwhile, various NC sister organisations, individuals and Nepal Students Union , issuing separate press statements today, expressed deep sorrow over the demise of veteran NC leader Adhikari.