RPP, UML jointly seek PM’s resignation

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KATHMANDU, Jan 26 – Leaders of the main opposition CPN-UML and the third largest party Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RRP) met today and decided to jointly seek Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s resignation, party officials said.

In the meeting held at RPP’s Rabindra Nath Sharma’s house, the two parties decided that they would present the prime minister with a memorandum seeking his resignation prior to the Winter Session of Parliament slated to be begin next month, said CPN-UML politburo member Jhal Nath Khanal.

Besides the controversial Lauda Air deal, these two opposition parties are also blaming the Prime Minister for failing to maintain law and order in the country.

"Since the decision on the Lauda Air deal was made by the cabinet the Prime Minister should take responsibility and resign … the case can’t be closed by making a minister scapegoat," Khanal said.

Khanal said they would seek support from other smaller political parties including the group of nine left parties, an umbrella body of nine small communist groups.

The Standing Committee of the CPN-UML had decided to initiate talks with other political parties and decide at a "special" Central Committee meeting on Feb 6 whether to demand Koirala’s resignation or not.

A four-member committee headed by Bharat Mohan Adhikari had been formed to initiate talks with other political parties.

Members include Jhal Nath Khanal, Iswor Pokhrel and Subash Nemwang.

The Lauda deal has already cost the job of Minister of Culture, Civil Aviation and Tourism Tarini Dutta Chataut who tendered his resignation on Wednesday.

The state-run Royal Nepal Airlines had leased the jet from Austrian Lauda Air despite orders from parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to freeze the deal.

Allegations of financial irregularities had led to firing of the ailing airlines’ chief few weeks back.

Bhutanese officials make first ever visit to refugee camps

By Damakant Jayshi

BHADRAPUR, Jhapa, Jan 26– It was a historic moment for the Bhutanese refugees languishing in the refugees camps in Eastern Nepal and the Bhutanese officials when they met each other Friday for first time in a decade.

It was a sea of humanity at the camps and the police who had been assigned to the camps had tough time in keeping the curious and expectant refugees at bay. Wherever, Dr Sonam Tenzin and other Bhutanese officials, alongwith their Nepali counterparts, passed through, they were greeted with folded hands. It was basically the Bhutanese side that interacted with the refugees. Dr Tenzin and his sub-ordinates asked the refugees the same questions - their name and address in Bhutan - at all the four camps that they visited today.

They also visited a few huts of the refugees, a health centre and a school. Tenzin asked the students in Dzonkha (Bhutanese language) and seemed pleased to receive the reply in the same language.

The first-ever visit by Bhutanese officials of any level, accompanied by their Nepali counterparts, is seen as step towards the resolution of the decade-old refugee stalemate.

The twelve-member Joint Verification Team (JVT) led by Dr. Tenzin from Bhutanese Home Ministry, and Usha Nepal, Joint Secretary at the Home Ministry first visited the Shanishchare camp at Pathri in Morang district today.

Later on in the afternoon, the team visited three camps at Beldangi, Damak in Jhapa District. The Shanishchare camp houses close to 20,000 Bhutanese refugees while the Beldangi camps are home to over 50,000 refugees. However, Usha Nepal, leader of the Nepali side in the JVT, only visited the Pathri camp due to a "sore throat".

In the Beldangi camps, where the team spent the maximum time of about one and a half-hour, Dr Tenzin also inspected some of the documents of the refugees while in their huts. It is these documents, so preciously possessed by the refugees that might help them to be repatriated to their homeland.

The refugees expressed mixed reaction to the visit. While some took it as a positive development, others remained pessimistic. They maintained that it was too early to judge the visit as the actual verification process is yet to start.

Tikaram Basnet, Deputy Camp Secretary at the Pathri Camp said that the visit would not lead to any concrete results and termed it "a mere consolation doled out under international pressure."

However, Madhav Pokhrel, section officer at the Home Ministry, who is officiating as the camp in-charge did not agree. "That Bhutan has made the visit to see if there are any of their citizens languishing in the camps," adding, "One must not forget that all along Bhutan had refused to acknowledge that their citizens are in the camps."

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Dr Tenzin said that the JVT was a technical team whose task was to identify the refugees. He added that the JVT had no mandate beyond the verification of the refugees. When asked about his impression of the visit to the camps today, he said, "My impression is as good as yours."

Joint Secretary Nepal said the visit was a preliminary one before the actual verification starts. She declined to specify when that would begin. "There are many things left before the actual work begins. We have to set up offices first."

She did not say when and where the office would be situated. However, she said that the offices could be joint ones as "we have to sign many of the documents together."

She also denied a foreign electronic media report that there was a deadlock in the process. "I request the media not to term the current visit the be all and end all," she said. The Bhutanese side has come to have the feel of the things, she added.

Indeed, the Bhutanese officials have seen today the condition of the refugees who have turned hopeful of returning to their homeland. Only future can say what is in their fate. The JVT is likely to visit the remaining camps on Saturday.

Nepalis facing problems in Hong Kong

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KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - Nepalis seeking jobs in Hong Kong are facing multiple problems due to the Hong Kong government’s tight new regulations, victims say.

"To solve the problem, the Nepalese government should take steps to improve diplomatic relations between the two countries," said, Khusi Man Gurung, Chairman of the Nepalese Alien Association today, talking to reporters.

He added, "I met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and suggested that he send an invitation from Nepal to the chief executive of Hong Kong, Tung Che Wa to attempt to resolve the problem by improving bilateral relations."

Binay Shah, member of the Nepalese Alien Association, said, "Nepalese people are facing problems in obtaining visas since they and Nigerians were banned from entering Hong Kong two years ago."

He also said that the concerned authorities should try their best to solve the existing problem as soon as possible.

Net learning launched in Nepal

By Binaj Gurubacharya

KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - Distance education may be a brand new concept for the Nepalis but it is an accepted mode of training and education in the western world, be it through classrooms linked through satellites or just on the Internet.

Now people right here in Nepal will be able to get an American degree just by enroling locally into the program offered through www.cyberlearningnepal.com, a new web site launched by Mercantile Communications, the pioneers of computers and Internet technology in Nepal.

In the United States and the western world, it is becoming ever more popular for people to enrol onto courses that are offered on the Internet.

For those who do not have time to actually enrol into a regular college or technical school classes, this mode of learning offers them a flexibility of taking classes and exams in their own spare time.

The concept is similar to traditional distance learning classes where students either did independent study through correspondent courses or in classrooms at completely different locations hooked through television cameras.

The only difference now is that people have the luxury of sitting right in their living room and dialling up through the Internet into their courses, finding reading materials, doing research and finally taking exams on their computer screens.

In fact, many of the accredited colleges in the US have taken up this option of learning, keeping in mind the non-traditional student who want to join college courses again in their late age parallel to the work and career.

"At present we have 300 courses in the computer field that we hope to expand to 600 very soon," said Mercantile CEO Sanjiv Rajbhandari.

The program offered in Nepal is not a college degree though offered in collaboration with Maryland, USA-based Cyberlearning Universe that soon will be turning into a state university.

The courses are basically professional training classes. After completing the course, a test is given and a certificate is issued after the candidate passes those courses. They are recognised around the world but they do not count towards college credits if a student is planning to go to the USA for further study in computer courses.

In the next few months, the company will also be offering Harvard Management courses in affiliation with the prestigious Harvard University and according to Rajbhandari, the program is fully recognised by the American government.

And in the next few months or years, there will be Nepali courses offered too on the Internet provided that this program catches up with the people of Nepal who are just beginning to catch up with the Internet craze.

Those who sign up for the program have to pay only Rs. 12,000 which is a relatively small price compared to the cost of similar programs that require payment in dollars.

Candidates have the flexibility of finishing a course in just one day or taking a year, and then sitting the exam for this self-based learning program.

"This may be a small beginning but it has the potential to turn into a large product," Rajbhandari said.

Ugly structures threatening world heritage sites

By Pragya Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - The World Heritage team may have withdrawn its threat of de-listing certain Heritage sites from the privileged list of World Heritage Sites, but the continued construction in and around the restricted monument areas is likely to raise the heckles of UNESCO officials.

More and more concrete structures are coming up in the vicinity of monument areas like Bouddhanath, Pashupatinath and Kathmandu Durbar Square in Kathmandu Valley as concerned authorities have failed to enforce world heritage standards that bar such practices.

Hundreds of new houses have popped up around three restricted monument areas namely Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square.

The world heritage standard states that houses need to be of less than 35 feet in height should have traditional tiles and sloped roof and carved windows. It further stipulates that the doors should be made out of woods, it should expose brick construction on the outer side, and the foundation needs to be whitewashed from outside.

According to a recent survey of United Nation Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), there are 46 houses which need: to be rebuilt with traditional facade around Baudha Area and more than 254 houses around Pashupati Area that do not comply with UNESCO specifications.

"There are 238 houses around the Pashupati monument area that needs to be demolished but steps can not be taken until the Government accommodates the provision of giving compensation and rehabilitation to the public," said Narottam Vaidya, ward Chairman of Pashupati Area.

The UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley include the stupas of Bouddhanath and Swambhunath, the temples of Pashupatinath and ChanguNarayan, of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Squares. Kathmandu Valley and Lumbini are Nepal’s two cultural sites that feature in the World Heritage List.

One of the reasons why the locals living in these monument zones flout UNESCO criteria while constructing their houses is the cost factor. Sticking to UNESCO specifications costs more and such structures are less safe.

"It is very costly to rebuild the traditional houses meeting such specifications, which cost around 2 to 3.5 million rupees as compared to build the concrete house one can accommodate at around 1 to 1.5 million rupees," says Bishwa Joshi, a local resident of Kathmandu Durbar Square. "Concerned authority should subsidize such reconstruction by providing their own engineers to design the map," said Joshi.

However, it is not only the cost why people shun the guidelines set by the UN body.

Ratna Bir Shakya of Bauddha, one of the locals living in an old house around Ancient Monument Sites of cultural Heritage says; " I am ready to build the house and give it a historical outlook but the Department of Archaeology has not approved the map and has lingered the process for the past two years."

Joshi argues that even if the people around the Kathmandu monument area are ready to renovate the houses it is lack of proper co-ordination between the Department of Archaeology and Kathmandu Municipality that discourages them. "Locals face many hassles while approving the maps," he said.

Chandra Prasad Tripathi, Under Secretary of the Department of Archaeology says it is a long-term process for the correction of the houses like controlling the construction of concrete building and maintaining original artistic outlook. To preserve the beauty of the monumental sites public should sacrifice their desire of living in a luxurious life to preserve the aesthetic value and to create the historical environment, added he.

Mahesh Chitrakar, Head of Urban Development, says, "Locals facing difficulty to build the house by fulfilling every criteria is not the main problem because it is the Government who helps them." But the civil code forbids demolishing a house after it is roofed and such act is very inhumane. Interrelation between the local people and the concerned authority is only amicable solution, he says.

Bidhur Mainali, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Municipality calls for a strong mechanism and co-ordination among various agencies including Ministry of Tourism, Municipality, Archaeology, Urban Development and other Non Governmental Organisations to preserve the nation’s property.

‘Govt attempt to control FM stations unconstitutional’

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KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - A writ petition has been filed at the Supreme Court today demanding that the court annul the government’s decision to control private run FM stations from broadcasting news item.

Advocates Madhav Kumar Basnet and Sudip Poudel filed the writ petition stating that the government trying to control the FM stations violates the constitutional provisions and the National Broadcasting Regulations - 2052 (BS).

The writ stated that the ministerial level decision of the Ministry of Information and Telecommunication on January 22 to bar the private sector FM stations to broadcast news collected on their own is unconstitutional. The writ stated that the ministerial decision included that only those news item collected from authentic government sources and those by state controlled news agencies could only be broadcasted.

"According to a circular issued by the Information Ministry on January 15, there will be a board which includes a representative from the ministry. And no programme can be broadcasted not agreed upon by the ministry representative. The FM stations should also inform the ministry in week advance about their detailed programme," stated the writ quoting the circular.

The writ, stating the government attempt to control the privately run FM radio stations as unconstitutional and also in violation of the National Broadcasting Regulations - 2052(BS) has demanded that the court annul government’s decision through injunction and that the court issue interim stay order as well, until the final disposal of the case.

The Parliamentary Communi-cation and Development Committee (CDC) too, on Wednesday, had directed the government to refrain from making any attempt to control any private sector FM stations. The writ has named the Information Ministry, Information Minister Jay Prakash Prasad Gupta and the Cabinet Secretariat as respondents.

Transporters rally against govt decision

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KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - Transport entrepreneurs, on Friday, organized a street rally demanding with the government to roll back its decision to ban 20-year old vehicles and two-stroke three-wheelers from the Valley.

The rally, which was participated by the representatives from 27 transport-related organizations and general public, marched through the Valley with slogans and banners. "The rally is a part of a set of protests, which were fixed after the government remained insensitive towards our 35-day ultimatum," said Bishnu Siwakoti, General Secretary of Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs (FNTE).

The entrepreneurs had formed a 101-member protest committee and a 17-member steering committee a month ago. Other protests include - vehicles’ rally on February 2, one-hour chakka jam on February 7, two-hour chakka jam on February 11, one-day chakka jam on February 16, Western Nepal shut down on February 26 and Eastern Nepal shut down on March 5.

The government, on 10 November 2000, decided to ban the vehicles older than 20 years from the Valley from Mid-November and three-wheelers with two stroke engines from mid-July this year. It also warned the operators of petrol-run three wheelers, popularly called Vikram tempos, that were banned from the Valley last year, against operating the vehicles in the municipal areas from mid-November this year.

"The environment is spoilt because the government has been distributing impure and mixed oil (more than 65 per cent impure), which was revealed by the report of government-formed commission last year," said Siwakoti. "If a vehicle becomes old, its engines can be replaced with new ones. If the decision is implemented, it is waste of the national property."

"There are many factories which are polluting the Valley more than the vehicles. But, why does the government always targets us?" asked Siwakoti.

8th NSU conference begins

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CHITWAN, Jan 26 - The eighth national conference of student-wing of the ruling Nepali Congres - Nepal Students Union (NSU) - commenced in Bharatpur Multiple Campus on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister, Ram Chandra Poudel, and former deputy prime minister, Shailaja Acharya, both known as moderate politicians in the party circle, jointly inaugurated the conference.

Addressing the inaugural session, DPM and Home Minister Poudel, who is also an NC central working committee member, said that a symbolic movement was vital to protect the hard-earned democracy from the attacks of extreme left and right forces. He also said that the perversions arisen in democracy could be corrected from within the given system.

DPM Poudel lauded the roles played by the NSU in bringing democracy in the past.

He said that the government was soon going to introduce an Armed Police Force and Regional Administrations to maintain law and order.

He further added that the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the anti-corruption constitutional body, was being activated to control corruption.

Former DPM and NC leader Acharya said that revolutionary movement will never end unless the Nepali people gain prosperity.

The inaugural session was also addressed by former NSU presidents and newly-elected NC CWC member, Arjun Nar Singh KC.

About 1,000 representatives from across the country are taking part in the NSU’s three-day national conference, which will elect the new leadership for the coming two years.

Kaligandaki ‘A’ tunnel completed

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MIRMI, Syangja, Jan 26 - The digging of the 6km-long, 7.4m wide tunnel of the 144 MW Kaligandaki ‘A’ Hydro Electric Project was completed Friday, according to the project.

Water from the snow-fed Kaligandaki River will be diverted to the power-house at Beltari from the dam-site at Mirmi through the tunnel. The tunnel was dug from both the sides and it took four years to connect the dam and the power-house sites.

The civil works of the country’s largest-ever hydel project is almost complete and the electro-mechanical works are underway.

According to project chief, Dr Niranjan Kapali, 75 per cent of the works has been finished by Friday. Kapali said that the project would be completed by end July 2001.

Present at the tunnel-link function were Minister of State for Water Resources, Ram Bahadur Gurung, Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Takamichi Okabe, representative of the Asian Development Bank, Kathie Julian, representative of the New Delhi-based Italian Embassy Dr Nikoleti and American Consulting Agency, Klement P Hering and members of Parliament representing the district.

Addressing the function, State Minister Gurung expressed his happiness at the completion of the most arduous phase of the project.