Govt plan to beautify Tinkune taking shape

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - The government’s plan to clean and beautify the 50-ropanis of land at Tinkune, which was due since years, is finally taking shape. Flowerpots have been visible in and around the area in the process of transforming the place into a park.

The government plan to convert Tinkune and the surrounding area into a park before the 11th South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Summit that is scheduled for Jan 4-6, has finally materialised.

The Department of Roads as per the directives of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, on Sunday has cleared Tinkune to a large extent.

Even though the illegally built houses were demolished on Sunday with a view to cleaning the place, the ruins of the destroyed buildings can still be seen. The cleaned-up area is still being used as a parking space by mini trucks carrying bricks, sand and stones.

According to Hari Krishna Bhagat, chief of the Department of Roads, Division 2- Min Bhavan, their previous effort to clean up the area had not materialised. "We had demolished the buildings earlier as well but could not carry on the work due to encroachment. But this time we have made sure that we complete the planting work," he said.

He informed about the deal they had made with some nurseries to supply them with necessary materials. It has been decided that flowerpots will be placed on the roadsides in Tinkune before the SAARC Summit.

The owners of the buildings that were demolished on Sunday in Tinkune have not accepted the compensation offered to them by the government.

Gongabu Bus Park to be expanded

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba laid the foudation stone for the expansion of the country’s biggest Gongabu Bus Park today amidst a religious function.

On the occasion, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolis Keshav Sthapit said that the Prime Minister had given him "directions" to demolish the ugly structures at Ranipokhari that covers the ancient statue of the creator of the pond.

"The Prime Minister has expressed his wish and it is certain that he will soon give me formal permisson to work on it, too."

He expressed his willingness to demolish the part of the pond and make a park to commemorate the upcoming SAARC Summit.

"We are ready to give hudreds of projects to private developers and join hands with them to build Kathmandu ," he said.

He urged the people to start the culture of construction abandoning the culture of destruction.

"Kathamndu will lead the country in the process of construction and urban development," the mayor said.

The Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Zenji Kaminaga said the embassy was happy that the assistance of Japanese government 10 years ago was being utilised for the development of the capital city.

Gehendra Bahadur Karki, the chairman of Lotse Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd. (LM) said his company was committed to complete the extention project of the bus park within the given period.

"We have reached the first stage of fulfilment of our responsibility within five years," he said.

The consultant for LM, Dulal Mukharji said the total cost of the extenion of the bus park would be around Rs 550 million.

The lease holder started its first phase of construction 18 months after the handover agreement was signed between LM and KMC.

On May 15, 2000 KMC had handed over the 161 ropani (82,000 sq km) Gongabu park, at the north-west of Kathmandu to a newly formed private company LM for 45 years. According to the terms of the KMC-LM agreement, the bus park would be developed into a well-managed bus terminal with modern facilities in addition to the existing facility.

LM signed the agreement with KMC to develop the bus park area into a modern complex within five years at a cost of Rs 327 million. There will be a petrol pump, workshop, garage, supermarket, hotel, additional parking space, first-aid centre, restaurants, and a green park within the area.

LM leased the 161 ropani of land in Gongabu, ward No 29, on the condition that it would pay Rs 5.1 million annually for five years and increse the ammount every year by 5 percent.

Earlier, the bus park was constructed by the Japanese government at a cost of Rs 260 million in 1994 and handed over to Nepal. The ownership was eventually transferred to KMC which spent Rs 33.7 million, in addition, to expand it. Before the handover, the Japanese Embassy objected to KMC’s plan to transfer it to a private company. It wrote a letter to the Finance Secretary on April 10, 2000 asking it to intervene. In response, Ministry of Local Development (MLD) had urged KMC to stop the handover, quoting a Japan-Nepal agreement which requires the two sides to agree in case of reconstruction.

State of emergency affects night-bus service

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - Since the state of emergency was declared and security tightened up across the country, the number of night buses plying daily on the highways has plunged from 1,600 to just about 200.

According to Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation’s Vice-Chairman Bal Krishna Devkota, the cut down in number of buses has resulted in the bus owners losing over Rs 1.5 million in business every day.

Secretary of the Federation Chandra Sharma said since the buses are not even able to recover the minimum expenses, majority of the buses have been forced to be taken off the service for now.

About 400 buses used to leave the capital city bound for various destinations across the nation, however after the imposition of the emergency, less than half of them pass through the check-post at Thankot every day.

"There are many complaints piling up that have come from bus owners from all over the nation. Once we compile them together, we will present it to the government seeking some relief," said Sharma.

"Travelling from Kathmandu to Jhapa, a bus has to pass through over a dozen districts and almost each of them have their different sets of rules on hours of operation or security", said Gopal Kumar, a bus owner.

Bus entrepreneurs blame the delays and the security hassle for the loss of business.

It is not just the owners but also others like the drivers, cleaners, travel agents, the hotels and even tea stall owners who are feeling the pinch.

Since the state of emergency was imposed last month, most travellers have changed their plans travelling only when absolutely necessary.

Many of these night bus services, which has been a blessing for business travellers, has converted their service to day time when the security hassles are less and travellers’ confidence much more.

Premier Deuba opens pharmaceutical meet

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17- Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today inaugurated the International Conference on Pharmaceutical Affairs held amid a function here today.

"We should be more focused on quality control of the drugs," said Deuba while addressing the inaugural ceremony. "We should be self-reliant by producing drugs within the country."

Deuba also said that the conference would be really helpful to foster regional relations between nations. "To strengthen the market within the country, there should be proper environment," Deuba said.

Likewise, addressing the function, Minister for Health Sharad Singh Bhandari said that the conference would be a forum to discuss the problems related to medicinal drugs in developing countries.

"Extensive discussion on global and regional perspective related to drugs should be conducted," Minister Bhandari added.

Syangja still reeling on the Maoist attack
Hundreds of Maoists desert their party throughout the country

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - With Royal Nepal Army and the Nepal Police intensifying their joint cordon and search operation in the Maoist strongholds, a large number of Maoist supporters have deserted their party with a promise to lead a normal life.

Our Syangja-based reporter said a government inspection team, led by joint secretary at the Home Ministry, Kumar Poudel, arrived at the district headquarters of Putali Bazaar to assess the damages of property in the Maoist attacks about three weeks ago. Other members of the team include Deputy Inspector General of Police Narayan Prasad Acharya and DIG Bhagawat Chaudhary of the National Investigation Department.

Almost all the government facilities were destroyed during the Maoists’ well co-ordinated attack in the district headquarters, killing 14 security personnel and looting about Rs. 40 million in cash from the state-owned banks on November 23. Local authorities said that the rebels had destroyed around Rs. 150 million of national property during the Syangja carnage.

After the Maoist attack, the state-owned banks and other private financial institutions have virtually come to a standstill. The local administration is also facing hard time to resume its regular jobs related with the public. Chief District Officer, Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, said that they would be able to provide services to the people only after a few weeks.

In Sankhuwasabha, tillers have started giving two-thirds share of crops to their landlords since the government mobilised the army to tame the Maoist insurgency. It was only last year the tillers had refused to give two-thirds share of the crops to their landlords due to the Maoists’ pressure.

Keshav Dahal, chairman of Madi Rambeli VDC, said that his 10 tillers refunded him a share of the crop of the previous year after the declaration of the state of emergency. Before the emergency, the Maoists had warned the tillers to hand over only one-third share of the crops to the masters, who said that they violated the traditional norms in the rural areas.

A dispatch from Gaighat, the district headquarters of Udayapur, states that 46 Maoists surrendered to the local authorities on Monday. Chief District Officer Giridhari Dhakal said that leaders of the Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students Union - Revolutionary, Peasants Association and Tharuwan Liberation Front were among those who gave themselves up to the government.

In Diktel, the district headquarters of Khotang, eight Maoists were arrested from various villages since the emergency was declared. The local administration has been imposing night time curfew in Diktel for the last 19 consecutive days. CDO Krishna Prasad Lamsal said the curfew was imposed as demanded by the locals.

The police in Dang said two of the 37 prisoners, who had remained absconded after the Maoists broke the Ghorahi-based jail three weeks ago, have been re-arrested and sent to the Tulsipur jail. Two others, who had also fled the jail, personally came in touch with the district court and surrendered to the authorities.

Meanwhile, a report from the far-flung district of Baitadi in Far West Nepal stated that 131 Maoists deserted their party and gave themselves up to the local authorities for the last two
days. CDO Surya Prasad Koirala said a large number of Maoist supporters have appealed for general amnesty.

Similarly, officials in Sindhupalchowk district said 61 Maoists, including the members of the "People’s Government" formed by the rebels in various VDCs, gave in to the local administration on Monday.

In Makawanpur, 45 Maoist supporters deserted the party and promised that they would lead an independent life in the days ahead.

Bhutanese body urges to complete verification

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BHADRAPUR, Dec 17 - A Bhutanese refugee organisation has appealed that the verification and classification work should be continued and to complete it as soon as possible.

The press release issued by "Bhutanese Refugee National Back Committee" congratulates their King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk on the occasion of 94th National Day for his decade-long regime and requests him to settle down the long time refugee conflict of his countrymen.

The release signed by the Chairman of the Committee S.B.Subba, said, among total 7 camps only one camp situated at Khudunabari have been completed its verification so the verification of remaining camps should be conducted in time and the classification should be based on Bhutanese or foreigners.

"All one hundred thousand refugees are depressed that we couldn’t observe National Day in our country. There is few chances to celebrate it even in next year because the verification process is inactive and takes long time to forward as after completing every process only it jumps ahead. So this means lingering and moreover the bilateral agreement between two nations is yet to establish".

Maoists kill 3 in Dailekh, Kailali and Dolakha

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KATHMANDU, Dec 17 - Armed Maoists killed three people in Dailekh, Kailali and Dolakha districts in the last two days, according to our reporters from the respective districts.

A group of armed Maoists on Saturday beat up a man to death when he was looking after his five-day nursing wife in a cow-shed at Tumatalla village of Lakandra VDC-4 in hill district of Dailekh, family source said. The site of the incident is located about 30 kilometres away from the district headquarters of the district.

The man, who was killed by the rebels, has been identified as Janak Thapa, 21. Thapa’s wife was staying in the cow-shed after she gave birth to a baby because no woman is allowed to stay at home as per the local custom until the newly born baby’s nwaran (giving a family name on the 11th day of the birth) is performed.

Thapa’s nursing wife said that the rebels dragged her husband out of the cow-shed and severely beat him up despite her pleas for mercy. Locals found Thapa to have been fallen unconscious with his left leg broken at Pipal Chautara. The villagers said he died on the way to a local health centre.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Kailali says that the rebels beat up Dil Bahadur Bam, 50, to death at Kumbhe village of Dododhara VDC-2 on Sunday night, family source said. Bam was dragged out of his home and was led to the house of the VDC Chairman, Hasta Bahadur Bam, where the rebels severely beat him with iron rods and batons. The chairman, who was also attacked by the rebels when he protested them, said his neighbour succumbed to the injuries in front of him.

Our reporter from Dolakha states that a woman, Gayatri Pokharel, 20, from Suri VDC-7, died on Sunday night after one of the guns carried by the rebels went off accidentally and hit her abdomen. Locals said a dozen rebels had stayed in Pokharel’s house despite her strong objection.

Pokharel succumbed to the bullet injuries on the way to a local health centre at the same night, her relatives told The Kathmandu Post in Charikot, the district headquarters. Locals said that the deceased was alone in her house with her six months old daughter when the "terrorists" forced her to cook for them.