Chataut, Rawal charged of corruption on CSWA deal

By Satish Jung Shahi

KATHMANDU, May 23 - Ex-Ministers Tarani Dutta Chataut and Bhim Bahadur Rawal have landed in hot soup as the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today charged the two ex-Ministers for Civil Aviation with corruption while leasing a Chinese jet for RNAC, the national flag carrier.

After much deliberations between PAC members from the ruling Nepali Congress and the opposition communist CPN-UML, the parliamentary body today came to the conclusion that the two long-term lease deals endorsed by both Chataut and Rawal for the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) at their different terms in office as the Civil Aviation Ministers were "involved in irregularities, intentional and against the interest of the Corporation."

The ruling is sort of a victory for the NC, which was stung by PAC’s spirited investigation of RNAC’s deal with Lauda Air. Chataut is already under investigation in the Lauda Air deal, which has attracted the attention of the anti-corruption body CIAA and is threatening the government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

NC’s move to demand a PAC investigation of the China South West Airlines (CSWA) jet lease deal was seen as a counter move to nail down Rawal, who belongs to the CPN-UML. It was during Rawal’s time that one of the CSWA lease deals was signed which was extended later by Chataut.

Chataut however was dragged into the case by communist members of the PAC for sanctioning foreign currency for RNAC in the ninth CSWA lease deal and had even gone overboard the CIAA directive to lease further aircraft only after holding a global tender. That particular lease was also against the government’s own standing when it sacked an earlier RNAC chief for the same reasons.

Likewise, CPN-UML stalwart Bhim Bahadur Rawal, is charged with a similar violation of his authority over a year long deal he made as the then Civil Aviation Minister in 1999. The state airline had then leased a CSWA Boeing 757 for the fourth time though it had held a global tender for a 767 jet. There were also numerous controversies regarding hefty commission involved in this particular deal.

In today’s PAC decision, the parliamentary all-party body has directed the Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation "to initiate legal action and impose maximum punishment allowed by the law" against all the people and officials involved in both the deals. "We have also decided to draw the interest of the concerned constitutional bodies to initiate further action," a copy of the decision states.

The CSWA case has been presently kept in abeyance at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

However, the PAC decision on the controversial case of CSWA aircraft has mentioned the words "giving continuity to the former deals" in Chataut’s case. The phrase was added after a lengthy debate between members from NC and the opposition communist CPN-UML. The former claimed that one of the two deals was more serious than the other.

Even today, the decision was expected to head nowhere in the morning until the PAC members sat for an informal two-hour meeting to agree upon the draft of the decision. It later took less than 20 minutes when the PAC members sat for a formal meeting at 11:00 p.m. and agreed upon the decision.

"We came to an agreement on the decision after continuous discussions," said PAC Chairman Subash Nembang, before starting today’s formal meeting. "There were extensive debates on the draft of the decision over its language and a few wording."

In today’s directive issued by PAC, it has also demanded "legal action" against the government officials who have failed to provide necessary documents when the CSWA jet was leased for the first three times. They have also demanded that the government hold investigations over the authenticity of a fax letter from CSWA printed in a local weekly which claimed that both RNAC and Ministry officials were involved in hefty commissions on the deal.

Furthermore, PAC has also directed the government to find out if any local agents were present in all of the lease agreements made so far and make the amount of commission involved transparent.

37 climbers scale Everest

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 23 – Mother nature finally blessed the climbers on Mt. Everest with a much-awaited break in the weather, enabling at least 37 climbers and their Nepali Sherpa guides to scale the world’s highest mountain in the past two days.

Among them, 34 including 15 Sherpas, reached the summit on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Civil Aviation and Tourism, American climbers Paul Giorgio, 36, an investor from Auburn, Massachusetts, and Richard Paul O’Bryan, 47, from Ohio, scaled the summit Wednesday with Grant Maclaren, 32, of Edmonton, Canada, and Tuno Findik, 29, from Ankara, Turkey, assisted by Nima Gombu Sherpa, Lhakpa Temba Sherpa, Nima Dorje Sherpa and Passang Nurbu Sherpa.

Another team led by Guillermo Benegas, 32, from Berkeley, Calif., also reached the summit around the same time. Others in the team included James Sparks, 55, from Lyons, Colorado, and Alexander Allan, 45, from Scotland. They were with Pemba Rinzi Sherpa, Phunden Sherpa, Pemba Gylzen Sherpa and Pemba Rinzi Sherpa.

Not far behind to share their success was a Chilean women’s expedition which put five men and women along with four Sherpa guides on the summit. The climbers are Vivianne Cuq Maggi, 38, and Christian Cuq Maggi, 32, Cristina Alenjandra Overem, 30, Patricia Andrea Borquez, 31, and Phillipe Reuter, 34, all from Santiago, Chile. The guides included Kame Sherpa, Chhongba Sherpa, Wangchhu Sherpa and Phura Dorje Sherpa.

Seven members of an Indian army expedition team, escorted by three Sherpa guides, also scaled the world’s highest mountain on Wednesday. Amar Prakash, 38; Mohinder Singh, 37; Chanchal Singh, 34; and Neel Chand, 41, along with Pasang Tendi Sherpa, 25, reached the summit at 7:30 a.m. through the southeast ridge route.

About an hour and 35 minutes later, Saurab Singh Shekhawat, 30; Tilbikaram Budhathoki, 36; and Palden Giachho, 32; reached the summit with Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa, 22, and Nga Temba Sherpa, 50.

On Tuesday, a Spanish expedition of three climbers reached the summit by another route: Emilio Lugunilla Alonso, 41-year-old firefighter from Palencia, Padro Rodribuez Anche, 33, a schoolteacher from Avila, and Martin Ramos Garcia, a firefighter from Segovia.

They began the final climb from South Col after midnight.

These were the first climbers this season to scale Everest from the southern side of the mountain. Strong winds and heavy snow on the mountain have recently forced dozens of other climbers to postpone their bid for the summit.

The popular Spring Mountaineering season that began on March 1 ends on May 31, when climbers must return from the mountains before monsoon rains in the region bring heavy snow.

Ministry officials said the remaining half a dozen teams are also expected to push for the summit in the next couple of days.

CIAA verdict on Friday

KATHMANDU, May 23 (PR)- The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) would reach its much-awaited final conclusion on the controversial Lauda Air deal by Friday, according to a Commissioner.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, the Commissioner, speaking on condition of anonymity, even said that the Commission’s verdict on the much-publicised case could come as early as Thursday. "Rest assured, the Commission will give its final verdict on the Lauda Air deal before the opposition-called bandh," said the Commissioner. The Commissioner declined to give other details.

On May 2, CIAA had sent a "sealed questionnaire" to PM Koirala to which the latter also sent a sealed answer the very next day, challenging the jurisdiction of the constitutional body to question Cabinet decisions. The PM also answered the five questions asked by the CIAA on the infamous Lauda B-767 jet deal.

CIAA has already ordered the detention of former RNAC Executive Chairman Hari Bhakta Shrestha and the Board member Tirthalal Shrestha on April 26. The duo are in custody at Hanumandhoka Police Station ever since. The Commission has also asked former Minister Chataut to submit his passport and has barred him from leaving the capital without its permission.

Shivapuri still holds key to the Valley’s water needs

By Surendra Phuyal

SHIVAPURI (Kathmandu) May 23 - There used to be a time when this lush green mountain range north of the Capital city would produce fresh water surpassing - let alone meeting - the daily drinking water requirement of the Kathmandu Valley.

Abundant with natural springs, waterfalls and cascading rivulets, the Shivapuri mountain range still makes a substantial contribution in fulfilling the drinking water demand of the Valley’s sprouting townships: It supplies at least 21 per cent of the Valley’s total daily water need of 150 million litres (mld).

But the Shivapuri mountain - protected by the government as Shivapuri Wildlife and Watershed Reserve (SWWR) in the mid-1980s - has a greater potential to producing and subsequently supplying more drinking water than what has been produced or tapped for the Valley’s over 1.5 million people, say experts and officials.

But for that, they say, the government needs to take some drastic measures, which mainly include:

· Tapping the untapped spring and rivulet waters
· Relocation of a growing human settlement spread over the main catchment area of the
· Bagmati River so as to make way for watershed-friendly green vegetation
· And launching of green cover development and watershed management works in the 23

Village Development Committees (VDCs) of Kathmandu, Nuwakot and Sindhupalchok districts that directly influence the dynamics of the Shivapuri mountain

Three major rivers originate from their headwaters in the Shivapuri mountain range - Bagmati (Sundarijal reservoir), Bishnumati (Maharajgunj reservoir) and Thulokhola-Baudeshor (Balaju reservoir), and they supply nearly one fourth of the Capital’s water requirement of 150 mld. Shivapuri’s water resources have also been tapped by dozens of villages that surround it.

On average, the mountain discharges 226.7 mld water through its springs and rivulets, out of which 29.5 mld (21.1 percent) has been tapped by the Nepal Water Supply Corporation (NWSC) while another 25-30 percent has been used by the locals for drinking and irrigation purposes, according to data made available by Phadindra Kharel, Chief of the SWWR Project, under Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation.

These rivers have a potential to supply more if the results of a recent research are any thing to go by. "A recent study has shown that the water discharge from Shivapuri has gone up by up to 40 per cent, compared to that of early 1980s when this mountain was not a protected area," Kharel says. "But we have not been able to properly tap these resources."

And "resettlement of Mulkharka and Okhreni villages that sit right above the Reserve’s biggest and oldest Sundarijal reservoir could go a long way in further enhancing the water discharge level and quality of the Shivapuri water," adds Dr Roshan Shrestha of Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO) in Kathmandu.

It was Dr Shrestha and his team from ENPHO that put the total average water discharge from Shivapuri at 226.7 mld in 1997. The report - Monitoring and Assessment of Water Quality in the Shivapuri Reserve - also blamed these villages for both chemically and microbiologically contaminating the water flowing down to the Sundarijal reservoir, which is the biggest of the three reservoirs.

Nima Sherpa, Chairman of Sundarijal VDC says he is "concerned" about the population growth of Mulkharka and Okhreni settlements—from less than 2,000 during the Reserve’s establishment period to over 3,000 now—right above the Sundarijal reservoir. He adds that the villagers indeed want their settlements to be moved out of the jungle.

"Nobody wants to live here and pollute the drinking water of Kathmandu," Sherpa, who runs a guest-house-cum-restaurant right above the reservoir, says from his counter as he handles one or two clients. "We have been appealing the government to move us out of here ever since this Reserve came into existence (1984). We have even calculated the cost of relocation at about Rs 100 million three years ago. But the government says it does not have the money..."

(The 3,000-plus people living above the Sundarijal reservoir are not the only ones polluting the drinking water, thanks to poor management on part of the Reserve Project, hundreds of picnickers flocking to the Sundarijal reservoir vicinity every weekend too are polluting the Capital’s drinking water. The fact has been pointed out even by the 1997 ENPHO report).

The Reserve Project’s Chief Kharel says the Mulkharka and Okhreni locals have also put pressure on the Shivapuri’s forest resources.

And he says there is a solution to all these problems surrounding what he calls the Valley’s "most important eco-region". "If the government is really serious about the future of Kathmandu Valley and its people, it should gazette this Reserve under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (2029 BS), which they have not done yet," he says.

He adds, "Then only the government can focus its attention on the issues like relocating the settlements, and plant appropriate trees and vegetation by launching buffer zone management works in the 23 villages...As per tapping the untapped resources, programs and policies should come up."

Govts asked to invest on children

KATHMANDU, May 23 (PR)- A Kathmandu Understanding was adopted today, urging the governments and other concerned agencies to invest on children, on conclusion of the two day South Asia High Level Meeting on Investing on Children.

The meeting recognized that governments, the corporate sector, civil society, communities, young people, international organizations and media need to work in participation to ensure adequate, timely and productive investments in fulfilling the rights and achieving the well-being of all children in South Asia, and in strategies towards poverty alleviation.

The meeting was held Tuesday and Wednesday with participation of the political leaders, corporate leaders and the 17 selected children and young people form seven South Asian countries — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

It noted the progress South Asian countries are making in the field of protection of child rights but the participants "acknowledge that there is still much to be done to attain most of the goals and to meet the rights of all girls and boys to survival, health development and protection through access to quality basic social services."

The participants, affirmed the need of laying a stable foundation for every child by ensuring the rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

"Investing in children is a priority issue," it affirmed, "poverty reduction should begin with children."

All, before the meeting closed, it agreed that children are the future of our nations and therefore, investing in children should be a national priority.

These meetings were organized as a part of the Global Movement for Children and in preparation for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) to be held in New York 19-21 September

The Kathmandu Understanding is expected to become an agenda in the UNGASS.

Nepali aliens in Japan: Hardships galore but wealth too

By Tashi D. Thinley

AICHI KEN, Japan, May 23– A life of hard toil, danger and ignominy hasn’t deterred Nepali would-be immigrants from flocking to Japan to eke out a living. And what a living it has been for most of them.

Though jobs are nondescript and often consist of intensive manual labour, an average Nepali immigrant with a manual labour job can earn many times the salary of a high government official back home.

It’s small wonder then that more and more Nepalis are flocking to Japan to take advantage of this industrialized economy. Students, small businessmen, even athletes, have vanished inside the Land of Rising Sun, just to make a few extra bucks.

By some estimates, there are more than 3000 Nepalis now living in Japan, most of them having illegally overstayed their visa. And because they are illegal aliens, they face a life of danger, adventure and continuous challenge.

"All the people who have come here, they have come here to make money," says B.K Rai who has been working in Japan for the last nine years. "There is no space or time for fun here, so life is very hard and frustrating ".

The frustration starts the moment the immigrant arrives after a long flight.

Most do not find a room to live in for months. And even when they do, they have to spend more than six months to find a job. The problems are compounded by the utter lack of language skills.

According to Nepali immigrants, often when they do find a job, they have to share the salary with the local broker. But still, since the wages are comparatively good, many just grind on for years without ever visiting thier families back home for fear of being disbarred from re-entering Japan again.

Ganesh KC, who has spent 13 years in Japan says, "When I came here, my wife was pregnant. Up till now, I haven’t seen my 13 year old kid."

There are many like KC who want to return home but the pull of money holds them back. On an average, a Nepali can earn a whopping Rs 200,000 a month here. But the job opportunity for such skill-less Nepalis range to only manual labour to perhaps a shampoo man in a hair-cutting saloon.

Most immigrants prefer the very difficult work at a construction site as this is generally a higher paying job. But it also entails a lot of risks such as accidents and other health risks a job-related hazards. And because most of the Nepali labourers are illegal anyway, the construction company do not provide health insurance. Instead, they are made to sign contracts which call on the immigrant to bear all the risks himself. The contract also waives off the company’s responsibilities if anything happens to the immigrant labourer.

These are not the only hardships faced by Nepali immigrants. The recent press Nepali immigrants have got because of the Govinda Mainali case in Japan have led to other fears. Immigrants say, they live in constant fear of being raided by the police for overstaying their visa, as well as being targeted for crimes not committed by them.

While these Nepalis admit of the hardships involved, the allure of wealth is just too overpowering. "We work harder and stay here so that our families in Nepal lead a decent life and our children study in good schools," says one Nepali immigrant who wished to remain anonymous.

The number of Nepalis in Japan is probably a little over 3000 now, and there are more than 20 oganizations catering to their needs, the major ones being Nepali Sewa Samiti, Magar Sangh, Everest Club, Himalaya Club, Adiwasi Sangh, Tamu Sangh, Chantyal Sangh, NCJ Tokyo and Mukti Sewa Samiti.

These associations and communities have become pillars of strength for the small Nepali community, providing emotional, social and even financial support at times. These associations generally organize get-togethers, tournaments, prayers, marriage parties, collection of money for the association and inter mingling with other communities.

One such function was organized recently by the Adiwasi Sewa Samiti to commemorate the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. Over 100 Nepalis arrived to attend the function.

Mahendra Bhandari, an active association member says, "The associations play an important role in our lives because every one is insecure here."

Govt appeals to withdraw bandh

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 23 – Home Ministry today appealed to the six left parties to withdraw their three-day bandh beginning May 27, saying that the strike would bring hardships to the people.

The left parties, led by the CPN-UML, have called the bandh seeking Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s resignation on the grounds of alleged corruption.

Issuing a press release today, the Ministry said that the strike would cause a big loss to the nation, adding that the bandh would not only cripple normal life, but it would also have adverse effect on the national economy. The Ministry expressed the apprehension that the law and order situation could become more sensitive if they are any untoward incidents.

In another press release, the Valley Co-ordination Committee of the six left parties that made the call for the strike, today released their protest schedule leading to the first day of the strike. They have decided to organize race procession, postering and street corner meetings on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Comrade Prachanda, the Chairman of the underground CPN (Maoist) today expressed his party’s support to the three-day bandh through a press release. The Maoist party has also supported the strike call given by the Ethnic and Regional Front Co-ordination Committee scheduled for May 31, terming it as a "Black Day".

The ethnic communities have been marking it as a "Black Day" in protest against the Supreme Court verdict two years ago, annulling the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Dhanusha DDC decision to use national languages, other than Nepali, in the daily administrative work.

One trampled to death

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BIRTAMOD, May 23- One person was trampled to death by one of the several wild elephants in the north-eastern village of Shantinagar, Tuesday, when the local people were trying to drive them off from the farms and residence areas.

Yuvaraj Dahal, who was killed when an elephant stepped on his chest, had earlier been entangled in a vine while running away from the horde of elephants.

About a dozen of wild elephants had yesterday entered Shantinagar, mainly a hilly region, via Bahundangi, from across the border at Panighatta, West Bengal.

The incident occurred as the people began to run away in panic when the elephants made a surprise counter-attack after being pushed to the hillocks.

Packs of wild elephants from the Indian state of Assam enter into the border villages at Bahundangi, Shantinagar, Dhaijan, Mechinagar and Budhabare every year, causing considerable damage to life and property along the Indo-Nepal border.

Meanwhile, two sisters from Namsaling in Ilam died while undergoing treatment of snake bite at the Royal Military Camp at Charali, Tuesday evening.

The deceased were 12-year old Khema Rijal and her 8-year old sister, Tara.

According to an uncle of the sisters, Krishna Rijal, a red-striped snake was found on the bed of the little girls when they woke up in the morning, yesterday. Even though there was no apparent sign of a bite by the snake, which was killed immediately by the family members, the girls began to feel dizzy and complained of headache at about 8 AM . They were immediately taken to the local hospital for treatment where the doctors referred the girls to the Charali Camp.

Both of them died at about 4 PM, later on the day.

Student leader assaulted

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KATHMANDU, May 23- Around 40 students affiliated to ANNFSU(R) assaulted Nil Sung Shrestha, a member of Nepal Student Union on Tuesday evening, sources close to students group said.

The Nepal Student Union said it is deeply concerned about the attack on its members and has called on the resignation of Campus Chief of Saraswoti Campus.

Sources closed to ANNFSU(R) cited the reason for thrashing Shrestha for being a ‘goonda’ and committing unwholesome act against the female students at the campus premises.

Police sources said the Nepal Student Union have posted pamphlet calling for the closure of the campus indefinitely.

Prominent personalities felicitated

KATHMANDU, May 23 (PR) - Eleven prominent personalities from various walks of public life as well as representatives of two well-known international institutions were felicitated with "Sagarmatha Samman 2058" for their exemplary contributions to the society at a program in the Capital, today.

The felicitation program was organised by Sagarmatha Institute of Literature and Arts, Chitwan. Among the felicitated persons were senior neuro-surgeon, Dr Upendra Devkota, senior gynecologist, Dr Bhola Rijal, Chief Editor of Nepal Samacharpatra, Pushkarlal Shrestha, founder Principal of VS Niketan, Baburam Pokhrel and First Vice-President of Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs Association, Yakshadhwaj Karki.

The UN agency for the welfare of children, UNICEF, and the Japanese aid agency, JICA, were also felicitated during the occasion.

Felicitations were also accorded to Chief of the Balaju Technical Training Center, Lekhratna Shakya, teacher at the Sidhdhartha Vanasthali School, Hom Bahadur Khadka, Chairman of Manmohan College, Ishwar Prasad Neupane, actress Puja Chand and filmaker, Yuvaraj Lama.

Felicitating the various personalities and the representatives of the UNICEF and JICA, General Secretary of the CPN(UML), Madhav Kumar Nepal, expressed hope that such programs would not only encourage dedication and hard work but also shoulder more responsibility on the felicitated persons and institutions.

More controversy in Census 2001

By Subas Risal

KATHMANDU, May 23 - The on-going national census exercise is being mired in further controversy as officials bicker over finances and quality of data.

Supervisors who are going into the field to collect data say, the training provided to them is inadequate so are the pay and allowances. They further say that the data collected in such an exercise may not reflect the true picture of the nation.

More than 70 per cent of the first phase of Census 2001 has been completed by today. The remaining 30 per cent, when the actual head count of households is to begin, are scheduled to kick off on June 10.

A disgruntled supervisor appointed for Lalitpur district expressed dissatisfaction over the low remuneration and inadequate facilities. "It is really difficult to walk a whole day in such meagre remuneration without any extra allowance." She further added that the training which went for seven days was not at all productive. "The trainers themselves were not well trained and capable enough, at times we ourselves had to teach them."

The supervisor, requesting anonymity, also said that the week-long training program got completed in just four days." We expected much more from the training session but it was futile."

Today was the 10th day of the first phase of the tenth Census, which is expected to provide new and reliable data on social and economic indicators as well as population. The exercise is repeated every 10 years.

For this census, the government has allocated Rs 280 million. However, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) officials have been saying that at least Rs 300 million is needed to be allocated to make this Census exercise a success.

Another supervisor who also requested anonymity says there are many like him who are not satisfied with the treatment provided by the government. "It is our responsibility to visit every household and ask questions and we are experiencing lot of difficulties owing to the dearth of adequate facilities," he said.

"In some of the households, family members are illiterate. They can’t even differentiate between male and female. This kind of thing aggravates our problem," he said adding that, "if this continues then it will be impossible to acquire authentic data on population." Concerned officials must think about it immediately."

However, Deputy Director of the CBS, Krishna Prasad Shrestha said that training for this Census is the best ever training given By CBS to all the supervisors." We have given our level best to make this Census a successful one. The training to the supervisors was the best ever provided in the history of Census."

He also said that the allowances given for the supervisors in this Census during the training period are more than any previous Census." The allowances given for the training in the past two Census were less than this Census," said Shrestha.

"Since We have invested lot of money on training, I am really stunned to hear the complaints," added Shrestha and is very optimistic about acquiring authentic data in this Census.

There are about 25,000 Census officials including supervisors and enumerators. The on going first phase focuses on the family listings and there are around 5,000 supervisors appointed. Among 5000 supervisors, 2,000 are post graduate students from different faculties of the Tribhuvan University.

This is the first time in Census history that such a number of students are taken as supervisors." The result we are getting after appointing the post graduate students is marvellous," said Shrestha.

Second phase, which is scheduled to begin from June 10, focuses on head-count. For the second phase of the Census, 20,000 enumerators have already been appointed. Most of the enumerators are teachers of the local primary schools. According to the CBS officials, local teachers have been appointed because they are well acquainted with the local environment.

Many new features have been included like drinking water facilities, section for the disabled which was deleted in the last Census and the section for the women’s properties introduced for the first time.