Everest Hero Babu Chhiri dead

By Binaj Gurubacharya

KATHMANDU, April 30 - Babu Chhiri Sherpa scaled Everest 10 times, spent an unprecedented 21 hours on the summit and became the fastest climber of the world’s highest mountain.

But on Sunday his luck ran out. Babu Chhiri, the 35-year-old veteran mountaineer twice honored with a berth in the Guinness Book of World Records, slipped into a crevasse and died on the mountain on Sunday, officials said Monday.

Though he was not planning to climb or set any records of the mountain this year, he and his expedition agency was assisting the Kathmandu Metropolitan Corporation expedition to Everest.

Despite his reputation for being a careful climber giving his priority to safety, he slipped and fell 200 meters into a crevasse at camp II situated at 6,200 meters, according to Ministry.

"Babu Chhiri had left the camp alone to take photographs around 4 p.m. but people only noticed he was missing during dinner time three hours later," Babu Sherpa, Babu Chhiri’s friend and business partner, told The Kathmandu Post.

Most people in the camp did not even notice he was gone. Some thought he was in another tent or he had even gone to different camps set up at different altitude.

When the alarm was finally set off, teammates and other climbers there searched the snowy slopes following footprints. His body was found only around midnight lying in the crevasse. "If there had been somebody who had spotted him or was accompanying him around at the time to help him out, he could have survived," said Babu Sherpa.

His body is expected to be flown to the capital on Tuesday. Recovery helicopter was forced to return Monday due to heavy snow fall on the mountain. Though his village is just on the foothills of Everest, his family members are settled in the capital and the body was decided to be brought back to Kathmandu.

This was not the first time that he has fallen into a crevasse.

Two years back on the way back from the summit, he had fallen into a crevasse after he slipped from the aluminum ladder that was used as a bridge and fell into the crevasse. However, the safety rope tied around his waist saved him and his friends pulled him out.

This time there were no friends around to hear him fall or safety ropes to keep him safe.

Besides being a legend in the mountaineering world, Babu Chhiri has been the pride of Nepal, getting his name recorded twice in the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records.

Last year, Babu Chhiri practically sprinted to the summit from base camp in just 16 hours and 56 minutes shattering the previous record, set by Kaji Sherpa in 1998, when he climbed the mountain in 20 hours and 24 minutes.

Most climbers take two to four days to cover the distance from the base camp to the summit.

A year before that he set another record. On May 6, 1999, Babu Chhiri became the first man to stay on the summit without bottled oxygen for 21 hours. He talked on the walkie-talkie, sang "Shreeman Gambhir" and boiled water throughout the night to prevent himself from falling asleep. Falling asleep would have been a certain end for him. Most summiters typically remain at the peak just long enough to have their photo taken.

Babu Chhiri is survived by his wife and has six daughters. Before making mountaineering his career, Babu Chhiri like most of the Sherpas in the region was a yak herder and potato farmer.

He got his first taste of mountaineering when he was 13 and worked as a low altitude porter for the experienced Sherpas who guided foreign climber up the slopes of Everest.

In 1989, he successfully led a Russian team up Mt. Kanchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak. A year later, he conquered Everest and has since reached the summit 10 times, in 1995 becoming the only man to reach the peak twice in 14 days.

With the money he was collecting through the record climbs, Babu Chhiri, who has never attended school, was collecting funds to build a school in his village of Taksindo in Solukhumbu District.

Govt to hike electricity tarriff

By Shree Ram Subedi

KATHMANDU, April 30 - Already saddled with one of the highest electricity tariffs in the region, Nepali consumers will soon be paying more for electricity, that too with increments on an annual basis.

According to highly placed officials in the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), the government has recently agreed to hike electricity prices by maximum of five per cent on the so-called Semi Automatic Tariff Adjustment (SATA) basis which is being introduced in Nepal for the first time. "The notification to this effect could come in the gazette anytime soon," said a top official.

The hike is tied to the Consumer Price Index brought out regularly by the Nepal Rastra Bank, and is capped at five per cent for each price increase. The price hike could be revised on an annual basis, according to the government decision.

The latest development is certain to hit consumers hard. Price of a unit of electricity, which at present stands on average at Rs 6.50, could increase by as much as 30 paisa, say sources. The government had hiked the electricity price by 27 per cent per unit in an average on November 1999. Electricity tariff in Nepal has been hiked by 270 per cent in the past 10 years.

International donor agencies, which fund most of Nepal’s infrastructure projects, were adamant in increasing price if the government wanted additional funds for implementation of the 8th Power Project.

The Project aims to increase rural electrification, expansion of transmission lines, and improve the distribution system, among others. Only 16 per cent of the nation’s households have access to electricity at the moment. According to official data, the current electricity leakage in Nepal is over 23 per cent.

Senior government officials say, the aim of the purported price increase is primarily to shore up the finances of the state-owned monopoly Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) as per the conditions put forth by donor agencies.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), which had committed 50 million US dollars for the 8th power project in June last year, had pressurized the government to hike electricity tariff by 60 per cent within July 2000, in addition to reviewing it every six months.

The other conditions of the agreement were to maintain NEA’s self-financing ratio (SFR) at 23 per cent and the internal rate of return (IRR) at six per cent, among others. NEA’s SFR and IRR, presently, stand at 11 and 4.38 per cent respectively.

Sources at MoWR and NEA have hinted that the World Bank (WB) and German Development Bank (KFW) hold views similar to that of ADB. The government has already initiated dialogues with the WB for a loan of US 50 million dollars for rural electrification. DANIDA, the Danish development agency, has also recently committed a grant assistance of 8 million dollars for the same purpose.

Officials at the MoWR and NEA say that the government has no alternative but to accept the conditions put by donor agencies. "We have no alternative. There is a financial crunch and to accept loans with strings attached is the only way out," said a senior MoWR official.

The delay by government to take the price hike decision had even prompted the ADB to postpone the initial loan disbursement. The ADB loan was originally scheduled to kick in on April 15, but the Bank delayed that by three months to allow the government to take the decision on the tariff structure.

ANNFSU (R) to close down all private schools

By Nitya Nanda Timsina

KATHMANDU, April 30- All Nepal National Free Students Union, ANNFSU (Revolutionary), a pro-Maoist student association has once again threatened to close down all the privately run schools for a week beginning May 1.

ANNFSU (Revolutionary) submitted a 15-point demand sheet to the Ministry of Education on April 19 seeking some major changes in the schools that the owners of the private and the boarding schools say is unrealistic.

Over 150 private schools had been shut down in various districts last year and the organizations of private and boarding schools fear that more would close down. "The closure of private schools will endanger the future of 1 million students and render over 75, 000 teachers employed in private schools jobless, warned PABSON.

Rajesh Khadka, President of Private and Boarding School Organization (PABSON) said the move of the ANNFSU (Revolutionary) is inconsistent with the existing economic disparity and schools’ infrastructure. He said that they have not taken into account the economic range of the parents. "No schools can run with 50 per cent discount," he added.

"We are in negotiations with the two students’ organizations of the CPN- UML and CPN-ML and they are against the closure of the schools," he said adding that in no circumstances they would be able to give 50 per cent discount.

"We will go ahead with a week long strike if our demands remain unfulfilled," said a spokesperson of the ANNFSU (Revolutionary) which has been demanding that the sons and daughters of the ministers and top ranking government officials be compulsorily admitted into public schools. They also demand that the compulsory Sanskrit education be scrapped off from the school curriculum once and for all.

The PABSON today swiftly responded with a five-point demand to the Ministry of Education calling for an urgent meeting between the revolutionary students, parents, government officials and representatives of Private and Boarding Schools to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. It also strongly warned the government in the letter that it would not be responsible for the emerging crises in the private and boarding schools if the government would not make a timely intervention.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Umesh Shrestha, Principal of Little Angels’ School said that they have been discussing the matter with Jhala Nath Khanal of the CPN-UML and with various other political parties and the student associations to bring the situation under control and allow the schools to run smoothly.

However, the ANNFSU (Revolutionary) said that their plan would be to pull down all the private and boarding schools and nationalize them.

Purna Poudel, general secretary of ANNFSU (Revolutionary) said the establishment is against the closing of schools but if the government remains silent over their demand, they would be forced to shut down the schools. "We are still welcoming the negotiations with open arms," he added.

Meanwhile, a report from Damauli said that after written warning from the Maoist students to close down Notredem Higher Secondary School located at Bandipur, Tanahu, several private schools in the district are also likely to follow.

A report from Gularia said that the students of the private schools have been informed to appear their exams even on public holidays after the threat of the Maoist students to close down the schools.

Maoists emerged as fourth force: Nepal

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 30 - Leader of the main opposition CPN(UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal, today said that the rebel CPN (Maoist) has emerged as the "fourth force" in the political arena of the country.

"Beside other three forces of the country namely Nepali Congress, UML and the monarch , Maoists have emerged as the fourth force of the country in the political sphere of the nation," said Nepal at the interaction programme organised by the Foundation for Parliamentary Studies and Development.

The grudging recognition of the Maoists by the main opposition leader comes in the wake of heightened rebel-inspired violence which has killed more than 1,600 people in the six years of their violent "People’s War."

Dwelling on the insurgency, opposition leader Nepal accused the ruling Nepali Congress Party for creating the conditions for the Maoists’ swift rise.

"The nation is plagued by the corruption, the gap between the haves and have-nots have tremendously increased , crime has crossed the limit and innocent people have been rendered injustice, after the restoration of democracy in 1990. Nepali Congress is responsible for all this," said Nepal.

He reiterated the demand for resignation of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on moral grounds, and accused the government for inept handling of Maoists problem. "The government has been looking at this problem from the military angle but not from the political angle," said Nepal, hinting that more bloodshed will follow if there is army mobilization to quell the insurgency.

The main opposition leader also called all parties to work out their differences and work unitedly to prevent democracy from further deterioration. Daman Nath Dhungana, former Speaker and senior advocate also spoke at the programme.

He said that democracy, which was brought by the concerted efforts of the Nepali Congress and UML, is in danger. "The parties responsible for the restoration of democracy are at loggerhead and this has aided the forces which are against the democratic system," said Dhungana. ??

ISDP for Maoist insurgency hit areas

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 30 - The underground Maoist rebels may be a murderous band of guerrillas, but they have at least spurred the government to undertake much needed development programs in some of the poorest parts of this impoverished Himalayan nation.

Finally, realizing that underdevelopment, backwardness, illiteracy and lack of opportunities could be some of the factors fueling the country’s five-plus-year-old insurgency, the government is pushing a comprehensive development program as part of its recently unveiled Integrated Security and Development Package (ISDP).

The government plans to intensify drinking water, health, infrastructure, electrification, irrigation, agriculture and social upliftment programs in the six insurgency-hit districts of the mid-western developmental region, according to documents obtained by The Kathmandu Post.

The development projects, identified by the government in Pyuthan include, nine drinking water projects, six road and bridge projects, five suspension bridge projects, four irrigation projects, animal husbandry and farmer training programs, and medicinal herbs’ nursery and women empowerment, poverty alleviation and self-employment programs.

Also, 400 metric tones of food and Rs 3.258 million have been allocated as part of Food for Work Program in the district. The road and bridge programs are, Dharmawati bridge and road program, Chhidikhola-Arneta-Bardiwang-Sotre-Bhingri road project, Jhumarikhola and Tiram-Batechaur-Markawang road project.

In Rolpa, the government plans to complete Liwang-Pandichaur-Jinwang-Baghchaur and Liwang-Chakchake road projects by spending Rs 2.7 million this year. While other programs include, completion of four suspension bridge projects, and a number of public participatory irrigation programs, poverty alleviation and women empowerment and self employment promotion programs. Food for Work, agricultural package programs, and drinking water programs are also being pushed in the district.

In Kalikot, Manma Link Road, Manma-Pantadi Road and Lali-Laiphu Road projects are being carried out, along with three suspension bridges, an irrigation network and one rural electrification program. The government also plans to run the deserted district hospital, and push agriculture package, Food for Work, irrigation and drinking water, poverty alleviation and social upliftment and self-employment programs.

Likewise, further works will be carried out on the Khalanga-Trivedi road, Chheda-Khalanga-Dagil-Chade (proposed) road and Chhinchhu-Jajarkot road projects in Jajarkot. Eight suspension bridge projects, electrification and transmission line expansion program and Food for Work, agriculture and medicinal herb programs, drinking water and irrigation programs and social upliftment programs have also been prioritized.

Luham-Bhotechaur road, Tharmare-Chaurjahari, Khalanga-Sangrali and Tulsipur-Salyan road projects will be pushed in Salyan. Other projects that have been prioritized include, running of the district hospital, agriculture package, participatory agriculture and irrigation and drinking water programs, and social upliftment and employment generating programs. Two suspension bridge projects - Karagithi and Sarada river - will also be completed as part of the program this year.

In Rukum, the government plans to develop the Salyan-Musikot, Musikot-Burtiwang, Devsthal-Karendada-Chaurjahari and Charmare-Budagaun-Chaurjahari road projects as part of the package. The government also plans to run the district hospital, and carry out a number of irrigation and drinking water programs, while self-employment, agriculture development; poverty alleviation programs are also in the priority list.

As much as Rs 254.2 million would be needed to carry out these projects in districts of Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Kalikot, Jajarkot and Pyuthan. It will take a minimum of two years time to complete these projects, during which the officials are to get their planners formulate long-term development plans so as to bring these backwater districts into the mainstream of national development.

Already, plans are afoot to develop "model programs" the western hill district of Gorkha, the home district of the underground Maoist leader Prachanda. The government has proposed a budget of Rs 49.5 million. The ISDP is being launched in a total of 22 districts - the Maoist flashpoints - from this year.

The programs will be launched by the concerned government bodies in close cooperation with the non-governmental organization, and the Royal Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force will be charged with maintaining law and order and security arrangements.

23 minor boys rescued from being trafficked

Post Report

JANAKPUR, April 30 - Local people today handed over four Muslim people to the district police office along with 23 minor boys between 8-15 years of age, who were being trafficked to the port city of Bombay. The children were boarded on a Jayanagar-bound train from Janakpur, the only railway service in the country.

Those handed over to the police have been identified as Mohammad Majbun, Mohammad Liyakat Ali, Soyab Sekh and Jamerul Sekh from Dharmera VDC-1 of Mahottari district.

Police Inspector Yubaraj Thapa said that most of the children were from Mahottari district and some of the parents had also given their consents to take their children away from their home.

A 10-year old Kirit Khati from Janakpur municipality-2 said, he was forcibly boarded on the train tempting him of sweet and delicious meal.

The accused claimed that they were taking the boys to India for employment.

Contrary to their claims, Bindu Gurung, in-charge of Woman Rehabilitation Centre, an NGO, however, said that the children were boarded on the train with a view to selling them out in the India city.

"It’s quite suspicious to escort the minors to Bombay," Senior Superintendent of Police, Surendrabar Singh Thapa, said, adding that it is also the violation of child rights to take them to the foreign country in the name of better employment.

All the children and four accused have been transferred to district office in Mahottari for necessary legal actions.

This is the first time that such a large number of minors have been rescued from being trafficked to India from this sacred city.

‘Unique case of discrimination’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 30 - Co-representative of the Justice for Govinda Innocence Advocacy Group today said that re-detention of Govinda Mainali in Japan in a murder case is a unique example of discrimination of a Nepali migrant worker in Japan.

Co-representative of the advocacy group Junko Hasumi speaking at a press conference in the capital today said, "This discrimination of a Nepali migrant worker is unlike Hrithik’s alleged remarks which caused untoward incidents. It is in the Mainali case that the Nepali people should have come out and vent their anger," said Hasumi.

Mainali who was a Nepali migrant worker in Japan was arrested in March 1997 for murdering Yasuko Wanatabe of Tokyo Electric Power Company. Mainali had left for Japan on a three month tourist visa in 1994.

Mainali was acquitted by the Tokyo District Court (TDC) in April 2000 but after the prosecutors’ request, the Tokyo High Court kept him in detention and later in December reversed the TDC’s decision sentencing Mainali to life imprisonment.

"After TDC’s acquittal Mainali should have been released immediately," said Hasumi who is also the Director of the Japan-Nepal Society. "If only Mainali was a Westerner he would have been released immediately after his acquittal," she added.

The case is now pending at the Supreme Court of Japan. Hasumi said that the Supreme Court hardly reverses the decision of other higher courts. "But this case is based on merely circumstantial evidences as there is no evidence linking him to the murder," said Hasumi.

"In this case the Supreme Court could also ask the High Court for the case to be reinvestigated," said Hasumi.

Hasumi said that the support should come from all sides Nepali people to demand from the Supreme Court a fair trial and acquit Mainali. "This concern should be brought to the attention of the Japanese government for immediate and just resolution," she added.

Currently Nepal has no extradition treaty with the Japanese government. Nepalese authorities have been maintaining silence even after the Japanese counterpart’s assertion that Mainali issue is their internal affairs.

A press release handed out during the program stated that the Japanese authorities violated the guidelines for its Criminal Procedure Code while convicting Mainali.

Hasumi said that Mainali was denied the full exercise of his right to have counsel when the Court denied his right to present counter evidence to prove his innocence.

"The Immigration Bureau deliberately delayed Mainali’s deportation after his initial acquittal and that the trial and outcome of Mainali’s case reflects the discrimination against Asian migrant workers in simple labour work in Japan," she added.

Speaking on the occasion, member of the Nepal Human Rights Commission Kapil Shrestha said that the Mainali has been denied fair justice. "Mainali should be released immediately," demanded Shrestha. Such incidents of re-detention will bring the feeling of insecurity among the Nepali staying abroad.

Today’s release also stated that the police decided that Mainali, whose visa had expired, was the murderer and set about building a case that could result in his conviction.

"The misuse of immigration law to arrest him for overstaying his visa while carrying out investigations for an unrelated crime was only possible because he was a foreigner," stated the release.

"It was also claimed that Mainali’s Nepali friends were tortured during their questioning by the police. It is unlikely that such violent methods would have been applied had the subjects been, Westerners instead of Nepali," said the release.

10m fine for land scam

Post Report

BANKE, April 30 – The Banke District Appellate Court has ordered a fine of Rs 10 million to various authorities involved in a land purchasing scam today.

The court in its verdict has issued an order to fine Rs 3.6 million each to the then chairman of Kohalpur Municipality Development Committee, Chet Bahadur Thapa and engineer Neelam Dangol for their involvement in the sale of 27 building sites at an extremely low price. The sites had been sold off on their orders, which according to rules should have been sold through open auction.

Likewise the court has imposed a fine of Rs 200 thousands per individuals who purchased the land.

The buyers are Laxmi Devi Panday, Madhau Raj Giri, Tek Hari Sharma, Champa Devi Agrawal, Gopal Prasad Sharma, Laxmi Joshi, Mahendra Kaji Maharjan, Nandan Singh Dhami and Gajananda Agrawal.

The joint bench comprising Justice Rajendra Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhandari acquitted eight individuals who have returned back the land even after purchasing it on the direct orders of Thapa and Dangol.

The irregularity that took place when Thapa the present president of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Banke district, was the chairman of the municipality committee some years ago.

Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) initiated the inquiry under Dharma Prasad Gautam, Acting Under Secretary of CIAA as the investigation officer 4 years ago. The committee had suspected an irregularity of Rs 200 thousands per building sites.

Locals of Kohalpur Bazaar had gheraoed the committee and chanted slogans for many days to take action against the defaulters.

CIAA has filed three different cases, two years back, in connection with the alleged corruption cases. But with the termination of time, the court could not decide on these cases.

The government lawyer Narendra Bahadur Thapa pleaded on behalf of the government and lawyers Govinda Bandi and Suresh Poudel on behalf of the defendant.