Internal migration affects Census 2001 in Jajarkot

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JAJARKOT, July 6 - The data collected here for the Census 2001 showed that over 20 percent of the existing population have migrated to other parts of the country.

The meeting chaired by chairman of District Census Coordination Committee and Chief District Officer Rishikesh Niraula made public that huge part of the existing population in Jajarkot district have migrated to other parts of the country for one reason or another in the last ten years- the Census is exercised at the interval of ten years.

For the purpose of collecting data for the Census 2001, Jajarkot district is divided into two constituencies. There are 30 Village Development Committees in the district.In constituency No.1 the population was found to be 76,408 while constituency No. 2 recorded the population to be 56,444.

According to the chief of the office, Anirudhha Prasad Upadhyay, the main cause of migration is Maoist insurgency. Jajarkot is known to be the hotbed of rebels. The Maoists have been waging war to overthrow the constitutional monarchy for over six years and almost 1700 people have already died since the outbreak of insurgency.

Earlier Census recorded 1,13,938 population in Jajarkot. " Exact population figure has been affected by huge internal migration," said vice-president of Village Development Committee, Krishna Bahadur B.C.

There were basically two phases in this census. The first phase focused on family listing while second phase deals with collecting data on population. CBS officials had claimed that this is the most scientific census recorded ever and have tried their level best to collect the authentic data.

There were over 20,000 enumerators deputed to work for the second phase of the Census. Most of the enumerators were school teachers of local primary schools. For the first phase, there were around 5000 supervisors. Most of the supervisors were graduate students of Tribhuvan University.

Law books to libraries

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KATHMANDU, July 6 - British law books sent from Statute Law Revision Society, London to law libraries throughout Nepal were handed over amid a programme organised at the British Embassy today.

The society’s five-year-Nepal Law Library Development Programme has a gross worth about US$ 1,000,000 which will provide lawyers in Nepal with much needed British law books and Legal Information Management Systems to provide an advanced structure for the development of Nepal’s legal system.

In the programme Supreme Court Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyaya and other distinguished persons were also present, states the British Embassy press release.

20 hurt in mishap

MORANG, July 6 (PR) - Of the thirty buspassengers, twenty are reported to be injured after a bus from Dharan to Kakarvitta collided with a truck at Jirkhimti near Kane Pokhari along the Mahendra Highway today.

According to the police, nine wounded passengers are said to be in critical state. The source states that both bus and truck drivers have been arrested.

Lightning kills 2, 3 die of malaria

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JANAKPUR, July 6 - Lightning killed two persons at Bateswor VDC-1 while playing outside their houses, police said on Friday.

Those hit by the thunderbolt have been identified as Dhaniklal Sah, 12, and Chandeswor Sah, 25. Police said that both of them died on the way to Janakpur hospital.

Meanwhile, a report from Jhapa said that three people died of malaria while three others have been detected to have suffered from kala-azar disease.

Those who were succumbed to malaria have been identified as Abi Narayan Acharya, Narayan BK and Bhagawati Acharya from Gauradaha VDC-5 and 8, according to the District Public Health Office.

Chief of the office, Bhogendra Raj Dotel, said that a medics has been sent to the malaria-affected area. Dotel said the situation was brought under control.

Maoists set NEA vehicle on fire

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CHITWAN, July 6 - A group of suspected Maoist rebels set a vehicle of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) on fire at Gaurigunj of the Bharatpur Municipality-8 on Friday morning.

According to NEA engineer Laxmi Narayan Mukhiya, the suspected rebels doused with petrol the vehicle with the registration number of Na 1 Gha 473 and set it ablaze when the NEA workers were fixing a fuse on a transformer.

NEA branch office in Bharatpur said that the vehicle worth Rs 700,000 has been reduced to ashes.

The District Police Office in Chitwan suspected that the rebels were responsible for removing the fuse on purpose. NEA workers said the rebels destroyed it, saying that it was the vehicle that carried the policemen.

Journalism training held

MORANG, July 6 (PR) - The youths from Dalit and oppressed class are receiving journalism training in eastern region.

The orientation training on journalism kicked off in Biratnagar on Thursday amidst a function organised under the aegis of Regional Media Resource Centre, Biratnagar.

Nineteen people from Dhanusha, Saptari, Siraha, Sarlahi, Dhankuta, Morang and Panchthar districts are taking part in the training. There are two women participants.

The week-long training was inaugurated by senior journalist Kosh Raj Regmi. The training will focus on news reporting and writing.

This is the first time that journalism training has been organised by the Media Centre solely for ‘Dalit’ community participants.

Children’s welfare committee meet held

NEPALGUNJ, July 6 (RSS)- The meeting of the District Children’s Welfare Committee Banke which was held yesterday decided to present an annual programme for the welfare of the children of the Banke district at the next meeting.

The meeting also decided to inaugurate the Committee Office on July 16.

At the meeting on ‘District Child Welfare Committee and Its Role,’ participants opined that it will be easier for follow up if works of NGOs are reported to the committee which will help remove repetition.

At the meeting chaired by CDO and District Child Welfare Committee Banke chairman Bal Krishna Prasain, DDC Banke chairman Om Prakash Jung Rana was also present.

Participating in the programme were representatives of the Plan International, the Action AID, Nepal Red Cross Society Banke, Nepal Water for Health ( NEWA), the Education for Social Awareness, the Oppressed Development Programme, the Skill Nepal, the People’s Awareness and Human Rights Concern Forum Nepal, the NGO Coordination Committee Banke, Nepalgunj municipality and the District Education Office.

The next meeting of the committee will be held on July 15.

Zero census locality !

LAMJUNG, July 6 (RSS)- Ward No. 7 of Dhuseni Village Development Committee(VDC) in Lamjung district has emerged as the zero census locality in the National Census -2001, according to the District Census Office.

The ward has been uninhabited as all the 10 families in the ward migrated elsewhere thereby causing zero population.

District census officer Surya Kumar Pandit said, "When the enumerators and the supervisors brought the report, we did not believe it, we again sent an inspection team which confirmed the earlier report. At this the team requested ward chairman Kul Bahadur Dura who had migrated to nearby VDC to certify that the ward is sans any inhabitants."

Book on medicinal plant released

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KATHMANDU, July 6 - Historian and senior politician Dilli Raman Regmi released a book on medicinal plant written jointly by former vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University and his wife amid a function here today.

Speaking about his book Genetic Heritage of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Nepal Himalayas, former vice-chancellor Kamal Krishna Joshi said that the use and conservation of aromatic plants is essential as it could be one important resource in the economic development of the country.

"This book has been published as a part of economic botany," said Joshi. Speaking on the occassion, Dr Sammar Bahadur Malla said that this book will be beneficial not only to students but to researchers as well. Even the pharmaceutical companies can benefit from the book as they can acquire information regarding various plants of medicinal value available in the country.

OFF THE BEAT

Dog brigade !!

If the works of underground Maoists are to be observed one cannot help but offer them compliments. They have synthesized all the terrorist tactics from all around the world. Now in recent days they have been terrorizing the country by placing bombs (or bundle of stones/mud) along with anti-establishment banners in every part of the capital. Hey you people in power beware! This time it was only a small bundle of stones but who knows the Maoist may in near future have a suicidal brigade of stray dogs with live bombs around their necks. And why not they have access everywhere in the capital even at places where general people don’t. (URM)

Muzzle puzzle

So the Maoists have started spreading their tentacles in the Capital, too ? One reason could be that the authorities have forced our boys-in-blue to switch to something else: keeping vigil on the Kathmandu press and not vice versa. And that is why the difficult-to-identify rebels are blasting bombs and carrying out torch-lit rallies in downtown Kathmandu. The cops reportedly were busy manning the several printing press the other day, that’s why the rebel activity - bomb blast - in Indra Chok. If that is the token of appreciation for the government for muzzling the press, we don’t want such tokens. What about you? (SUREND)

Kind leaders

It is obvious that the general Nepalis are wealthy enough. They have got everything from food to health care. So they don’t need government’s help and the government also does not provide any support to them. The government has given them freedom to stay overnight in the streets. But the leaders, government officials and politicians are very poor. They don’t have enough money, at least, to cure themselves. They are very kind to their people and leave the hospitals within country for the people and go outside for even minor treatment, for which the government bears the cost. (TeaLuck)

Deceit or deficit budget ?

Here comes the budget eve. Economic pundits are busy talking about deficit finance and its increasing volume. Yes, the deficit finance as said by Keynes has to do with the increment of investment with lesser volume of budget and thereby increasing aggregate demand to purport unemployment problem.Sadly, the same deficit finance in our country has to do with paying salary, commission generation like helicopter fare and likes. Still, the guys at the Planning Commission have no problems to present sweet and ear-catching budget with hefty amount in development side for which they deftly put the budget received from donor as development fund but used here for teachers’ salary. So, dear if you really venture to be a economic reformer why not you call it deceit budget as is done practically ? ( RUDRA)

Doctors’ dilemma

Many doctors are in queue to obtain temporary registration to practise medicine as Nepal Medicine Council (NMC) is not issuing it even after the Supreme Court order favouring the doctors. NMC officials argue that they are waiting for the verdict and can in no way issue such licence. It is the doctors who will suffer as they will have to stay idle until then. Can’t NMC issue temporary registration when the court has merely asked it to stop taking exams only ? (PP)

Communist ideology

The Capital for the past few days has been immensely shaken by banner bombs .The opposition parties including the main opposition have been stuck to Koirala’s resignation. They firmly believe that everything will come to order after Koirala’s resignation. If Koirala’s resignation letter holds that much power to quell all these impending squabbles squeezing the nation why Koirala not tender his resignation and see the troubles, facing the nation getting swept away in a second ? Or is it the communist ideology to demand resignation of PMs if they are in the opposition and denying it if they are in the government ? (Ojha)

Uncle’s confusion

My uncle who has come to Kathmandu from village was really shocked as he dropped at Balaju bus park. He was confused whether he was dreaming as the sight there greeted his eyes. Then he pinched himself to make sure. What put my uncle in confusion was that there were banners hanging in every electric poles and graffiti on every walls as if an election was on the offing , which he had not heard before. More confused he was when he saw fireworks displays at crossroads in broad daylight as if it was Tihar. Is there any election just round the corner ? (DILIP)

Dustbins doubts

The Maoists may not have to climb up the poles to hang explosives in the city. There are beautiful dustbins for them.

The metropolitan office has distributed quality dustbins in the business areas to teach the city-dwellers to keep the city clean. But poor metropolitan officers have not realised that the city is no more an abode of the city dwellers alone. There are Maoists too, who have infiltrated into the core city, thanks to the capital’s security system. Before the locals make a habit of throwing dust in the bins, the terrorists will throw bombs in the bins for sure. See, how many days the bins will survive. (Raj Man)

Dogging dog

A squad of over two dozen policemen were seen chasing a dog in the Swyambhu area yesterday, drawing a large crowd wherever they went.

It took almost two hours for the police to catch an astray dog with a pouch hung on its neck. After the dog fatigued, they caught it up and untied the knot of a rope around its neck. As soon as they unfolded the pouch, what they recovered from the poor dog was a piece of stone wrapped in cloth. They chased it in suspicion of carrying a bomb. What a tragedy! (RSS)

‘No security problem for tourists’

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KATHMANDU, July 6 - Various officials today urged to bring peace and stability in the country to protect tourism sector and remove the doubts from the minds of the people that tourism industry has been affected badly.

Speaking at the discussion programme organized in the capital , Om Bikram Rana, DIG Valley Police said that the Police was providing security to maintain peace at any cost. He also urged all to remove the doubts inflated among the masses through media that there is no security problem in the country for the tourist.

He also requested all tourism entrepreneurs, businessmen and individuals to immediately inform their respective police offices by dialing the numbers such as: 100, 110, 120 and 130 about the violence or crimes.

"we have dispatched 4,000 press releases around the World and invited International rank Journalists shortly to Nepal to report on the actual state of tourism in Nepal and thereby help correct the deterrorating image of tourism sector."

said Tek Bhadur Dangi, Director of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Various officials from Tourism Board, hoteliers, CDOs and DSP from the three districts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur among others urged the media including the ones that have recently been in the satellite to present true state of affairs in Nepal.

SWC-ata accord signed

KATHMANDU, July 6 (PR) - Social Welfare Council (SWC) and a London-based Appropriate Technology Asia (ATA) have entered into an agreement for five years to organize various developmental works in Nepal, a press release issued by the Social welfare Council said today.

The agreement jointly signed by Dr Tika Prasad Pokhrel, Member Secretary of the Social Welfare Council and Jai Bahadur Limbu, Representative of Appropriate Technology Asia states that the organization will provide US $ 100, 000 annually.

Women present seven-point demand

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KATHMANDU, July 6 - A total of 555 women belonging to All Nepal Women’s Association led by Sahana Pradhan, President of Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), who completed their Purnagiri March on May 19-25 presented a seven-point demand today.

"Purnagiri dam is the outcome of the controversial Mahakali Treaty. Therefore, it has to be dismantled ," Pradhan said. The suggestion made by the Association demands the revocation of the proposed Purnagiri Dam as the period to be made the Detailed Project Report of the Pancheswor high dam has been lapsed. Earlier, the UML’s youth wing dumped all the survey equipment into the Mahakali river protesting against the dam .

Call to check forest encroachment

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BANKE, July 6 - A study team that recently made an on-the-site-inspection of the eastern part of this district has pointed out that security organs and administration should be mobilised together to control the growing encroachment in the forest areas.

The study report that submitted its findings stated that a coordination has to be made among the administration, police and forest department to control deforestation to the east of the Rapti River.

"As the forest employees hardly monitor the areas, there is high possibility of encroachment in the forest and deforestation," said forest officer, Badri Karki, at the District Forest Office (DFO), in his report.

The report stated that locals have already built about 80 huts inside the forest area of Chun Bhatti, Khayar Bhatti, Gurdin Gaudi, Murkatti and Ambasa, all areas located to the east of the river.

In his report, Karki has stated that several Indian nationals have also built their sheds in Nepal’s forest areas along with the people migrated from mid-western hilly districts such as Salyan, Rolpa, Pyuthan and Dang in Bhachkai area.

"Forest encroachers are offensive to the unarmed forest guards," said DFO chief Prakashna Pyakurel, quoting the report. Pyakurel also said that local political leaders also encouraged the forest encroachers.

The study team was sent to the forest areas after the media coverage about the rampant felling of sal trees in this part last month.

The forest officials, however, said that situation was not so serious as stated in the media.

Meanwhile, the DFO is going to take legal actions against its 13 forest employees over the massive cutting of the trees in the Mahadevpuri VDC, settled on the foothills of the Chure hills.

The office has consulted with the Public Service Commission in Surkhet for taking actions against those involved in the felling of the trees.

"They will be taken actions on charges of their involvement in the cutting of the trees," said Pyakurel. Main accused - Hamid Khan and Mohammed Niyas Khan - have been kept under judicial custody while their accomplice Asharam Tharu is released on bail.

The Special Police Department has been investigating the case and has taken initial statements of the accused.

The DFO on Friday arrested six others on charges of smuggling timber to Indian market.