Relief aid to fire victims

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NAWALPARASI, March 14 - The District Red Cross Wednesday distributed clothes, tent and utensils worth about Rs 60,000 to 37 families affected by fire at Harshapura village.

Thirty-seven houses belonging to the 37 families of Hashapura in Thulo Khairatawa VDC-3, located in the south-western part of the district, suddenly caught fire and were burnt to ashes on Sunday. Some of the cattle sheds also perished in the fire.

The local VDC office had immediately made available tents to provide temporary shelter to the 37 families who had lost their houses as a result of the fire.

Similarly, Member of Parliament elected from this constituency, Debendra Raj Kandel, said he had donated Rs 5,000 to the fire victims from his personal capacity.

Prithvi Highway blocked for three hours

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DAMAULI, March 14 - The Prithvi Highway was blocked for three hours after a bus carrying people of a wedding procession was pelted stones by a group of drunken people near Yanchphant on Tuesday, police here said. The bus was returning to its destination after completing the wedding from Yagyapuri of Bharatpur municipality-6.

Four people, including labourers working on the road, were also injured in the incident. Two labourers who sustained serious injuries in the incident were rushed to the Gandaki Zonal Hospital in Pokhara for treatment.

The bus owner, Bishnu Wagle, said windscreen worth Rs 10,000 was damaged and bridegroom said that two golden lockets were also lost after the unruly people hurled stones and beer bottles at them.

Squatters yet to get land in Rukum

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ROLPA, March 14 - As the committee constituted at the district level for resolving the problems of the landless squatters has not been able to function effectively, landless people in the district have not received land as yet.

The committee was constituted at the district level to identify the landless people and distribute land to them about a decade ago. However, the committee has not even identified the real landless people, let alone distributing the land to them.

Applications have been received from the landless people from 21 of the total 51 VDCs of the district, but the committee said the landless people were deprived of the land due to the ‘People’s War’ being launched by the Maoists since the last five years.

The committee chief has been changed for three times. The landless people have been charging that the committee, which is constituted on the basis of political considerations, has not been able to do anything.

Although Tulsi Ram was assured by the committee that he would receive land two years ago, none of them has received land as yet, he complained.

Joint convenor of the committee, Man Bahadur Khatri, said the committee had not been able to perform its duties due to the Maoists. He said they were perplexed when the Maoists used the land which the committee had selected for distribution.

The committee has claimed that it has identified 31 really landless people, but their names have not been published.

A committee member said the committee has been working in an unsystematic way. ‘A big plan has been made for a small function’ he alleged.

Former chairman of the committee and DDC vice-president Bal Bir Pun said the committee has done nothing than claiming the allowance. "The committee did not perform even when I was in the committee" he added.

Police post set on fire

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - Unidentified group of people set ablaze a police station in Lekharka VDC in Bhojpur district on Monday.

According to the local people, the group was searching for the police before setting fire on a police station. According to local people, a constable and a police in civil dress were present at the station when the incident happened.

No one has claimed the fire but police suspects Khumbhuwan Rastriya Morcha to be responsible. The Morcha has been conducting such activities in those areas from a long time.

DDC officials accused of fund misuse

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MAHENDRANAGAR, March 14 - The 12th council meeting of the Kanchanpur District Development Committee began here on Monday.

Opening the meet, DDC Chairman Rishi Raj Lumsali presented an estimated budget of Rs 307 million for various development activities to be carried out in the coming fiscal year 2001/2.

Addressing the opening function, Mayor of the Mahendranagar municipality, Surya Bahadur Kunwar boycotted the council meet, demanding a probe into financial irregularities in the DDC over the last three years. Mayor Kunwar handed over a written statement to DDC Chairman Lumsali to this effect.

In his statement, Kunwar accused the DDC officials of misusing the development funds on non-productive sector like travel, per-diem allowances, telephone bills, vehicle maintenance and house rent. He also demanded a complete figure of the logs collected from various rivers during the rainy season.

Mayor Kunwar and DDC Chairman Lumsali belong to the CPN-ML and majority of the DDC councillors are from the CPN-UML, the main Opposition in the House of Representatives.

Historical sites await preservation

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SINDHULIMADI, March 14 - More than 20 historical and religious sites in this district will lose their identity if they are not protected before they are completely ruined.

Historically important fort like Sindhuligadhi from where the Nepali army defended Nepal’s sovereignty against the British during the Anglo-Nepal War is in dilapidated condition.

Other religious sites such as Kamala Mai, Kusheswor Mahadev, Langur Khola-based Babadham, Pancha Kanya Pokhari, Suli Bhanjyang and Bhuwaneshwori Cave are also in need of protection to keep their age-old religious importance.

Vice Chairman of the Mahadevsthan VDC, Gyan Bahadur Tamang, said that a team of experts from the Department of Archaeology had inspected the Pancha Kanya Pokhari following the media coverage about its flinching state. But no initiative was taken afterwards to preserve the religious pond, Tamang lamented.

Asked why the District Development Committee shirked from its responsibility to protect the historical sites, DDC Chairman, Ramesh Karki, said they lacked adequate funds for the preservation of the sites.

Man remanded into custody

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DANG, March 14 - The District Court in Deukhuri ordered Monday to imprison Basant Bahadur Biswakarma from Tribhuvan municipality-10 in judicial custody on charges of assaulting a woman.

The court issued the order upon hearing a complaint filed against the accused through the District Attorney’s Office.

Police said that the accused assaulted the woman in her own home on 18 February. Police arrested Biswakarma three days after the incident took place for legal action.

Forest owners vexed at govt directives

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BIRGUNJ, March 14 - Private forest owners are increasingly being distracted by the double stsndards of the government which, on the one hand has its policy of encouraging public participation in the plantation of trees, but on the other hand, is also taxing them illegally.

In this context, the Hetaunda Appelate Court has recently issued a show cause notice to the District Forest Office at Parsa, asking it to substantiate the basis upon which private forest owners are taxed, said advocate Dipak Raj Bhandari, who filed the writ petition.

District Forest Officer, Mohan Dhungel, says that the forest administration had begun levying taxes from the forest owners after receiving a directive from the VAT department three years ago to that effect.

Expressing his resentment over the general administrative trend in Nepal to impose whimsical directives and circulars over legal provisions and statutes, Bhandari says, "There is no statutory provision for taxing privately-owned forested lands."

Other legal practitioners agree with advocate Bhandari. Parsa Bar Association secretary, Rajeshwor Nepali says, "When the Act prohibits the government to levy taxes on certain sectors, it is illegal to do so by issuing directives and circulars."

"The circulars and directives cannot be treated as Acts, neither do they supercede legal provisions; and this fact has already been established by the Supreme Court," he said, adding, "This means collecting taxes from privately- owned forests is entirely illegal."

"If the government policy is to charge from the individually-planted forests, there will hardly be any incentive for tree plantations, thereby leading to serious environmental crises, including desertification," says Chandra Kishore Jha, an environmental journalist.

Training for district census officers opens

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - To collect the authentic data on population of Nepal in 2001 census, the 22-day training of district census officers was inaugurated today at the capital.

Census 2001 will be the 10th one since its inception. The first census was held in 1911. It is conducted simultaneously in each and every district within limited time.

Inaugurating the training programme Shankar Sharma, member of National Planing commission said that it is a historical event, which is complex, voluminous and challenging task. " This training will undoubtedly help in acquiring the authentic data," said Sharma. He urged the trained officers to utilise whatever they acquire in the training.

"Development is only possible when real picture of the situation is obtained," hinting the importance of proper census, said the Secretary of Environment and Population, Govinda Raj Bhatta.

Bhatta said that the training would play a vital role in collecting authentic data and the 280 million of government money would not go waste.

Indu Panta, project manager representing United Nations Development Programmes, UNDP, thanked the Central Bureau of Statistics for letting them to participate in the Census 2001. UNDP is one of the donor agencies, which will be aiding them financially.

MoU signed

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - Dormani Paudel, the chairman of Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN) and Donald E Brownell of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for bilateral cooperation amid a function.

The MoU states that MuAN and FCM’s International Centre for Municipal Development (ICMD) will enter a mutually-supportive non-partisan relationship to support the goals and strengthen the development of their member cities and municipalities of Nepal and Canada.

Brownell is the senior manager for ICMD.

According to the organisers, this is the first time MuAN is joining its hands with other international municipal associations for cooperation.

The MoU is to focus on development of the integral organization and strengthen the internal membership capacity of MuAN, and to develop the capacity of plan, design and implement various projects for the membership, the MoU adds.

Training kicks off

KATHMANDU (PR) - A 9-day training programme for facilitators of the 18-month programme for domestic child labourers and small hotel/ restaurant workers, organised by Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Social Welfare Department, kicked off today.

A KMC release states that total 600 child labourers will be enrolled in informal education programme after the training ends. The programme is being run by KMC and the department, under the financial assistance from International Labour Organisation in KMC Wards No 2, 5 and 20 as pilot projets from the three wards.The department’s volunteers have completed making of an inventory of the child labourers in those wards.

Gherao programme held

KATHMANDU (PR) - All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU), the student wing of Commnist Party of Nepal (Marxist, Leninist) today held a gherao programme around Singha Darbar.

An ANNFSU release states that the gherao programme was successful, which was the last programe of the second phase of the protest initiated demanding 50 percent concession in transportation, health, recreation centres and research institutions.

After the gherao, the mass of students rallied around Singha Darbar, Sundhara, New Road, Indrachowk, Ason, Bhotahity and Ratnapark.

The release adds that ANNFSU is to announce its next phase of protest. It says, "The leaders, who stepped in power after the restoration of democracy, which came at the cost of lives of students did not hesitate to enjoy the infamous facility of Pajero vehicles. But, the students’ provision, which was available even in the Panchayati period, has been snatched off."

NC from progressive force to status quo

BY Ameet Dhakal

KATHMANDU – When the Nepali Democratic Congress which later merged with Nepali National Congress to form today’s ruling Nepali Congress) was established in 1948, its name had to be corrected. Its leaders translated the Nepali word Prajatantra into English as "Republic". It was only later on they discover that the right word was "Democracy". Hence the name was changed to Nepali Democratic Congress. This anecdote, in itself is reflective of the level of education and the exposure of the then Nepali society to the outside world.

Despite appallingly low education level and awareness and repressive Rana Oligarchy, the Nepali Congress (NC) was quickly reckoned and accepted by the Nepali people as the progressive force and the force against the status quo. Then many NC cadres, under the leadership of their charismatic leader late B P Koirala fought against the social practices that blighted the society: many Brahmins opted to plough land and perched caste equality and Nepali Congress challenged the Landlordship.

Five decades down the line, today many of the Nepali Congress cadres are graduats from foreign universities and have adequate international exposure. Some of them have even translated and criticized Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto. And, others debate on the relevance of Tony Blair’s Third Way in the Nepali context.

Yet, the irony is that many people today see Nepali Congress as a party to status quo.

Many of the people those who want to change the society or want to see it changed detest Congress. The forces who advocate transparency and accountability, who press for recognition of the problem of the ethnic groups and who want to go for land reform to launch an effective assault against poverty see congress as a snag on the way.

This slide from the "force of change" to the "party to status quo" is what summarizes the failure of NC.

It was briefly after the reintroduction of the multiparty democracy in the early 90s that the Nepali Congress had shown some elements of change through adopting economic reform program. NC was right to peruse economic reform program with focus on deregulation and privatization but it was wrong to neglect the most warranted reform in agriculture sector.

The economic reform in the organized sector increased the GDP growth rate in the early years of 90s but the rural sector remained stagnated, which squarely hit the urban sector growth. The stagnated rural sector, which dwells over 90 per cent of the population couldn’t supply strong demand to the urban sector growth eventually faltering the urban growth. Moreover, whatever growth was achieved in the urban sector was not broad-based and it aggravated the rural-urban gap. The average income of the urban dwellers has increased by an average 5.5 per cent in the last one decade of democracy but for the rural poor the rise in income was only about 2.5 per cent – barely enough to off set the growth in the rural population. One good way to revamp the rural sector could have been progressive land reform – the way, which many of today’s developed countries opted long back. But the vested interest within the Nepali Congress always successfully blocked it. And even the relatively honest leaders in the NC thought such change would come gradually and not overnight. Alas! They did not know, if not the change, rebellion comes overnight. It is the heat of that rebellion, these leaders are helplessly bearing now.

More miserable failure has been in the area of adapting modern-day governance and accommodating the rising demands of society. The NC has failed to understand how wonderfully good it is to emphasize transparency in all actions of the government and how it will force accountability. Not only there is an absence of accountability and transparency in the government actions but also there is an absence of the other effective institutions to enforce it. Commission for Investigation and Abuse of Authority- the constitutional anti-corruption body and the whole judiciary is in shamble, when it comes to checking corruption and dispensing justice.

Democracy is also about performing institutions, which work as the checks and balances against the abuse of authority. Without them democracy becomes a hopeless system. Perhaps, Nepali Congress leaders had it in mind, at least in their subconscious, that "democracy" was not the system they wanted to build when they wrongly translated the word Prajatantra five decades back. Or may be they consciously removed the word "democratic," when they merged with Nepali Rastriya Congress to form the Nepali Congress.

Ear care centre established

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - Impact Nepal today established the National Centre for Primary Ear Care (NCPEC) in TU Teaching Hospital and handed over medical instruments and equipments worth 21.2 million to the NCPEC.

The chief guest, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel said, "Health Care has come as a big challenge which is ever proliferating"

According to Prof Dr Rakesh Shrivastav, the main equipment donated is an Otoacoustic Emission Machine, which is the first and only equipment in Nepal to detect hearing loss in new borns and infants.

Other equipments donated are ABR machine to test hearing and two sets of state-of-the-art ear surgery microscopes, one Hearing Aid Dispenser and Analyzer.

People die of hunger, epidemics in Karnali

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KATHMANDU, March 14- Ten years into democracy in Nepal and even after the emergence of tremendous growth in the global health, nutrition and information, Karnali Zone is largely witnessing something old as people here die of hunger and epidemics. It was revealed Wednesday at a meeting organized by Karnali in the capital.

Over three hundred people died of epidemics and hunger in the year 1998, seven hundred in 1999, three hundred in 2000 and fifty in Kalikot alone in 2001. It was revealed today by the Distrcit officials amid a programme organized here.

"This could be a demise of democracy as people die of hunger in the 21st century," said Padma Ratna Tuladhar, senior human rights activist. Tirtha Ram Dangol, Minister of State for health said that development of Karnali lies in the hand of karnali people alone. "The inhabitants of the district must commit themselves," he said.

Khem Bahadur Shrestha, general manager of Nepal Food Corporation said that of the total 33 crores, twenty crores and fifty seven lakhs was provided to Karnali alone in order to help the region last year. But the district president said that death toll may rise further and prompt attention should be given therefor.

"Karnali, once a center for civilization is now hungry," said Prem Kaidi, senior journalist. "Kathmandu is responsible," he said adding it was bureaucracy that was answerable for the deplorable situation of Karnali.

Cave dwellers migrate to Tanahun

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HETAUDA, March 14 - Shankare Praja,75, who was so far living in a cave even in this 21st century, has migrated to Tansukharka in Tanahun district travelling on a vehicle for the first time in his life.

He was born in a cave located in the remote Kankada VDC on the western side of Makwanpur district. The cave lies in the forest of Dhirang. He has already spent 75 years living in the same cave.

The six-member family of Shankare Praja, including his wife, youngest son and daughter-in-law, and a grand son and a grand daughter came out of the cave with all their belongings comprising old aluminium utensils, a ‘dhyangro’, and some worn out sacks, putting them together in a bamboo basket. Their dog was following them at their heels.

Some of his relatives had left Kankada VDC a few years ago and were living in Tansukharka. They succeeded in persuading him to leave the cave after their prolonged efforts and to migrate to the area where they had been living.

Earlier, employees engaged in the projects intended to uplift the living conditions of the Praja (Chepang) community and people’s representatives had tried their best to persuade him to desert the cave and come to live at the plain land where they promised to build a hut for him, but he was reluctant to leave the cave where he was born and had lived all his life.

After 10 hours’ walk from the cave,Shankare arrived at Manahari Bazaar in Hetauda-Narayanghat road for the first time in his life. At first he and his wife hesitated to board the truck but when his relatives told them that the destination was far and it was impossible to reach there without travelling by truck they unwillingly yielded to their persuasion. He was given a warm send-off by the VDC Vice-Chairman Govind Praja when he boarded the truck.

The cave, vacated by Shankare, is now occupied by his eldest son, Shreeman, and his family. They were also born and brought up in the same cave and had later moved out of the cave.

He told the local residents that he had come to live in the cave after he could not repair the roof of his hut. Two families, including that of Shreeman, are living in caves in Kankada VDC.

Laxmi tells her tale of rags to riches

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KATHMANDU, March 14 - The lady who drived tempo for the first time in Nepal as a business is now industrialist.She had started her tempo driving business with a loan of Rs. 5000. Her goodness! She is now owner of 30 million business of wood crafts named after herself called "Laxmi woodcraft and Industries". Beyond the scene of skyrocketting sucess, there lies her past with bitter experiences.

Laxmi Sharma born in 2007 BS at Kathmandu, Maharajgunj and a mother of three daughters has her unforgetable and now unbelievable past life. When she was five years old she was sent to the palace of Bunu Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana (Sheetal Niwas) to live there as a Kumari Pancha Kanya after she passed an examination of Good Luck girl taken by astrologers from India.

There she got the oppurtunity to go to school just for three days and got a bit knowledge of religious books and learnt few steps of traditional Kathak Dance.After the death of Her Highness, she along with many men and women had to leave the palace.

When she returned from the palace, she had to live again with poverty and hardships. The household chore would include going to the forest to cut wood and grasses, looking after the cattles and working the whole eighteen hours a day.

She got married at the age of 13 with a middle aged man working as a officer in Kathmandu. But her hope to live an easy life vanished after knowing that she was the second wife of the man. He used to mishandle and abuse her very often in the vent of alcoholism. When his voilence became untolerable she left him for good and began to work as a house maid of a foreigner. She was obliged there just to upbring her three kids.

Then she started her business by keeping five tempos with a loan of 5000 to make money soon. But she couldn’t proceed it because of the drivers disloyalty.

"Seeing a first lady driver some people appreciated and encouraged whereas others making nonsense gossips used to misbehave and also tried to debase. But being polished by strong duties and responsibilities I used to give them good slap if they cross limit", says Laxmi.

She went to Banaras,India in course of four months training for woodcrafts and stone carving, there she got the chance to learn and also got the idea of its market as well.

"After being trained and learning I built up my confidence to start the business with the loan of 10000 and now it is a established and successful industry worth of 30 million",says Laxmi.

She was awarded by many national and international prestigious awards like " The Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World 2000" awarded by the STAR group of USA, "First Nepali Woman Tempo Driver " awarded by Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.

" Women should never consider themselves as a weak sex, should learn to build up the selfconfidence by working hard and all women should unite to win the race to be sucessful", adds Laxmi.

Police recover two bodies

BIRATNAGAR, March 14 (PR) - At a time when police are investigating the murder of an unidentified person at local Durga Lodge some two weeks ago, police have recovered two bodies from Dragon Guest House at Roadshesh Chowk on Tuesday.

Two bodies were recovered from the room Nos-104 and 108 of Dragon Guest House. The rooms were booked by four people from Katihar, a district in the Indian state of Bihar the other day.

The proprietor of the Guest House, Raju Ranjeetkar, informed the police after nobody came out of the booked rooms until Tuesday noon.

Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office in Morang, Rudra Bahadur Niraula, said that two bodies were found laying in beds of the separate rooms being throttled.

Two people, who stayed in the guest House along with the deceased, are at large, police said.Police have started investigations in connection with the murders.

Kaski DDC for int’l airport

POKHARA, March 14 (PR) - The ninth district council meeting of Kaski has decided to request the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Ministry of Tourism to start constructing a new international airport in Pokhara from the coming fiscal year.

The decision was made in view of the fact that about 150,000 tourists visit this city every year and that the existing airport was becoming congested to cope up with the increasing number of flights.

The airport now in operation is in the middle of the Bazaar and it is fast becoming incapable of fulfilling the needs of the increasing number of private airlines, which operate their flights to Pokhara.

About 3,200 ropanis of land was acquired at Kundhar of Pokhara more than two and a half decades ago with a plan to construct an international airport. Some of the Ministers have been hinting recently that construction of an international airport of regional level will be started in Pokhara in the near future.

Local industrialists and tourism entrepreneurs have been demanding that direct flights from India be allowed to operate if it is not possible to let international flights land directly.

Kaski DDC has decided to request the government to allocate funds for construction work from the coming fiscal year.

It has also decided to prepare and implement separate plans related with the development of the watershed area of the district’s different rivers and streams.

Lightning injures three

PHIDIM, Ilam, March 14 (PR) - At least three people were injured and three homes were slightly damaged due to lightning at Amarpur VDC-4 on Tuesday, a local said.

According to Prem Raj Sigu, a teacher at local Amarpur High School, Dik Bahadur Shrestha, a teacher at the same school, Dhanman Nepali, his wife and brother-in-law sustained injuries after the lightning struck on a television antennae.

Seriously injured Dik Bahadur was rushed to Ilam hospital for treatment. The MARTS system-based telephone service in the VDC has also remained out of order due to the thunderbolt, which also caused damages to solar panels installed at the homes.