Widespread financial irregularities mar KMC

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Office is marred with widespread financial irregularities and the limited economic resources widely misused, according to a self-assessment report prepared by KMC.

The in-house report that was available to The Kathmandu Post today details misuse of KMC resources and how the funds are being ransacked.

"Elected local representatives of KMC appear to be more involved in fulfilling their own personal benefits than serving the interest of the people, who elected them," says the report on misuse of economic resources prepared by a Ward Chairman.

The report has disclosed that the local representatives have taken out Rs 9,300,154 as advance but have failed to clear the accounts by specifying where and when they have used the funds as required by the financial regulations to clear up the annual auditing.

On top of that a total of Rs. 2,516,281 has been paid out to various members for medical treatment. However, there are no provisions in the regulations that allow KMC representatives to be paid medical allowances and the advance paid out should be cleared within 35 days from the day of payment.

KMC Ward No 28 Chairman Subhan Kumar Shrestha had handed over the report to the KMC Board Meeting before the Dashain festivals. "But the mayor said he was taking responsibility on processing the report and would follow up the report as all the members opted to remain silent," said Shrestha, whose report remained a secret held back by Board members for a whole month during the festival.

Shrestha took the responsibility of probing and preparing a report on misuse of economic resources on August 17. "I submitted the report on October 19 but it is still collecting dust in the KMC office," he said.

Among those who had received cash in advance and failed to clear the dues are the mayor, deputy mayor, ward chairmen, ward members as well as nominated ward members. Ramesh Dangol, the ward No. 2 chairman, tops the list taking advances totalling Rs 1,715,500 just last year. Mayor Sthapit has Rs. 970,894 to his name while there are 66 more names in the list.

Altogether 41 KMC representatives have received total of Rs. 2,516,281 as medical allowance though there are no legal provisions that allow such facilities. Among them, Ward No. 14 Chairman Badri Bahadur Thapa and former Ward No. 27 Chairman Dharma Ratna Tuladhar have received Rs 320,000 each. And Ward No. 9 Member Shyam Krishna KC has received Rs 250,000. Similarly, Ward Chairmen Ganesh Bahadur Khadgi, Bidhya Sunder Shakya, Hari Krishna Dangol and Narattam Baidhya and Ward Member Bidhya Neupane also grabbed over a hundred thousand rupees.

Moreover, the mayor, deputy mayor and chairmen of ward No 26 and 30 have been found using mobile phones on KMC expenses which is against the Local Self-Governance Regulations and it has incurred Rs. 182,204 in past 14 months.

The report also points out that chairmen of ward No. 2, 5, 17, 18, 27 and 30, including a ward No. 7 member as well as the deputy mayor still use KMC motorcycles, which is against the earlier decision that bar such use.

"These activities are the reason people are losing their trust on the local representatives," said Shrestha, who prepared the report. "A radical change must be brought in the present process of making the representatives follow economic discipline and make economic transactions more transparent," he stressed.

Commenting on the present tendency of the municipalities to abuse the Local Self-Governance Act, the under secretary of Ministry of Local Development Achyut Kumar Koirala said that many of the municipalities are interpreting the concept of self-dependency as autocracy.

"KMC has been charged by Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in many cases of irregularities. The tendency of many municipalities have been seen misusing the authority than bringing out creative plans and policies for local development," he said.

Prachanda to correct his party cadres

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias "Comrade Prachanda" today, for the first time, realised that his party has made mistakes during the six-year-old "People’s War."

For this, the party has decided to carry out a campaign, giving the cadres at the grassroots level the opportunity to correct themselves, the Maoist leader said today in an interview published in Janadisha daily, a mouthpiece of the party.

"There certainly has been many weaknesses and shortcomings in the course of the fast growing People’s War," Prachanda said in the interview. "We are now going to carry out a wide campaign – both ideologically and institutionally – to reform our cadres."

However, the Maoist Supremo did not give details about how the party is going to carry out the campaign and when.

Prachanda’s opinion has come at a time when many reports have come out about the increased cases of highhandedness of the Maoist workers despite the cease-fire from the party high command.

The party had declared cease-fire four months ago to create conducive environment for the peace talks with the government. But the Maoists workers have been reportedly involved in violent activities such as killing, abduction and extortion.

Both the government and the Maoist rebels have so far held three rounds of peace talks to resolve the six-year-old Maoist insurgency that has claimed almost 2,000 lives.

In the interview, Prachanda said the party would welcome valuable criticism from all "friendly-forces and pro-people intellectuals" vis-à-vis correcting their cadres.

Comrade Prachanda has also warned the government of resorting to violence if the latter does not address his party’s demand of Constituent Assembly. The Maoists have stuck on this demand after withdrawing one of their prime demands of institutional development of a republican state.

"It is upto the people to decide whether they want the republic or not," said Prachanda. "This is why we are demanding the election for Constituent Assembly."

"We have put forth this demand as the best and the last alternative for peace," Prachanda further said. "If the government does not address our demand and the talks fail, we will be compelled to take up arms once again."

"The government has jeopardised the environment for the talks by deploying army in the Maoist stronghold districts and by passing the Armed Police Force Ordinance. It has badly shattered our initiative for peace," Prachanda said in the interview.

Deuba hopeful of Round Four outcome

KAVRE, Nov 19 (PR)- Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Monday expressed his belief that Maoist problem would be solved from the fourth round of talks for which the government is making preparations.

"I am hopeful that the Maoist problem would be solved from the coming round of talks," said Prime Minister Deuba. "Government is committed to solve the problem through dialogue and I also personally pledge to solve the problem," said Deuba stressing that he has given first priority to the talks to solve the problem and to maintain peace and security in the country. Prime Minister Deuba’s response came at a time when his own party president Girija Prasad Koirala had asked the government to immediately conclude talks with the Maoists as all three rounds of talks have concluded without any results. When asked to comment on Koirala’s statement, Deuba said, "I don’t want to comment anything about it now".

Deuba also pointed out that the government would proceed forward with the programme announced earlier after conclusion of the talks with the Maoists. Deuba, categorically, pointing out those fleeing from the Maoist hit areas and taking shelter in the district headquarters of Banepa, comforted them saying that the Maoist problem would be solved through the talks itself.

Speaking further, Deuba said that in the last 3-4 months, after he had held the office, there has been a considerable improvement in the peace and security situation of the country. Earlier he had pointed out that violence carried out in the name of Maoists could not succeed at a time when the whole world was coming together to fight against terrorism.

New land ceiling may affect ‘mini-census’

By Subas Risal

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – The latest land ceiling introduced by the government is likely to have a negative impact on the 5th National Sample Census on Agriculture (NSCA) as experts raise serious doubts over the precision of data.

The government introduced the new land ceiling policy more than a month ago through the Land Reforms Fifth Amendment Bill.

Officials at the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) themselves have raised doubts over the authenticity of data, which will be compiled in this ‘Mini-census’, which is scheduled to begin from February.

"The land ceiling set by the government is definitely going to have a critical impact on the NSCA," says Ambika Bashyal, a statistics officer at the CBS. "People who have large land holding would not tell the truth thinking that government might seize their excess land."

Bashyal also contends that people will also lie regarding the production due to the recent Land Reforms Bill passed by the Parliament. "When the production is not properly analysed, a record on total contribution of Gross Domestic Product to the economy will not be authentic," Bashyal said. "Since people tend to take CBS as a government agency, they will be reluctant to provide the enumerators authentic data."

Rural areas will be affected more due to the lack of awareness, according to the CBS.

The government has now set the new ceiling for the ownership of agriculture land and land for housing purposes at 130 ropanis and 13 ropanis in Terai, 25 and five ropanis in the Kathmandu Valley, 70 and five in the rest of the hilly region respectively.

"This new land ceiling set by the government might have an impact on the NSCA," says Narayan Prasad Regmi, spokesman at the Ministry of Agriculture. He, however, says that there should be proper analysis before reaching to any conclusion.

CBS officials have finalised the questionnaire and are currently busy working out the ways to make the training to the enumerators effective for the NSCA. They claim that questionnaire has been finalised after long consultations with the related experts and incorporates couple of questions recommended by the World Food Organisation (WFO).

"We finalised the questionnaire with consultations with related experts," says Dr. SMN Subhani, deputy director general of CBS. "We are doing what ever possible to make the Census effective by conducting training and we are hopeful that respondents will tell the truth regarding their land holding."

According to CBS, the government has sanctioned Rs 57 million for the Census though it had demanded Rs 68 million. Unlike the previous Census, there is no foreign assistance this time. The CBS says that FAO had invested over 50 per cent of the total budget in the last Census.

Many new features have been added in the questionnaire for this Census like colour and type of the soil and size of the land destroyed due to natural calamities. According to the CBS officials, over 2200 enumerators will be deputed to compile data in this Census.

‘God of Small Dingalings’ and other things

By Samrat Upadhyay

Since the publication, in July, of my story collection Arresting God in Kathmandu and the subsequent book tour that took me to several US cities, I have often paused to think about where it all started. I mean, how did this damn thing happen? There has been a stunned quality to my experience, almost like Robert De Niro’s query to the mirror, and to the world at large: "You talkin’ to me?" Except, of course, my experience doesn’t have that tinge of terror that skittered above De Niro’s eyebrows in "Taxi Driver." No, my feelings are more along the lines of, "Who? Me?" like the nerdy boy who can’t believe when the most beautiful girl in the school traipses across the dance floor, smiling, to ask his hand for a waltz.

That booklovers of this world (well, only America, but what with the war and everything these days don’t we get the feeling that America is the world?), have paused by my book in bookstores, found the cover irresistible, picked it up, patted the bald head of the gentleman looking out of the window in the cover photograph, drooled over the exotic name of the author, and finally doled out a whopping twelve dollars of their hard-earned money so that I can get some royalties—the entire scenario leaves me breathless. I mean, when was the last time I myself meted out twelve dollars for a book? As a graduate student, I always managed to procure assigned textbooks from the library, and now, as an English professor, I get books for free by merely asking. Examination copies, or "freebies" as we fondly call them in academic parlance, arrive in my department mailbox every alternate days. I get exotic titles such as "The Eye of the Poet," "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" (David Egger’s highly lauded postmodernist novel, but the title a veiled reference to my own book, I’m sure), and even, in a bizarre unconscious craving for professional switcheroo, "A Short Guide to Writing About Biology" and "A Short Guide to Writing About Chemistry." Sometimes I get books I haven’t asked for, with a note from the publisher: "Dear Professor Upadhyay. Enclosed please find examination copies of the books you requested." This trick relies on the age-old stereotype of the absent-minded professor, and at times I have fallen into this trap. Only last week I sent a note to Nutty Professor Publications, thanking them for their sixth edition of "The Idiot’s Guide to Living in a Cave in Afghanistan And Discussing Vedanta with Osama."

Despite my shock, when reviewers started pontificating about Arresting God in Kathmandu in US newspapers, I got hold of myself and instantly divided the reviewers into three categories: The Highly Intelligent Reviewers (those who praised my book); The Rookie Reviewers (those who liked most stories, and either disliked or weren’t sure about a few); and the Dumbasses of This World (those who panned my book). Of the last, I especially had very strong opinions. First, that the Dumbasses of This World didn’t understand high art. If they had, they’d have noticed how skillfully I wove in an image of the marble phallus in all of my stories—a subtle, poignant symbol that depicted the repressed sexuality of postcolonial Third World peoples, folks who had the beauty and serenity of marble but couldn’t ejaculate their frustrations at their corrupt leaders. Second, the Dumbasses of This World were frustrated writers themselves, and they simply couldn’t bear to see one more writer—especially from a Third World country where everyone was supposedly to be terribly spiritually happy but not so smart—in print. For years, the Dumbasses had been trying to publish their own dog-eared manuscripts with titles such as "A Staggering Work of A Fartbreaking Genius" or "Arresting Dad in Swayambhu—With a Prostitute" or even "God of Small Dingalings," the last one a sonorous reference to their own impotence.

As I discovered on my book tour, the audience of my book, too, fall into distinct categories. The doe-eyed ones sit like good students in the front seats, as if awaiting instructions on The Art of Writing.

There is invariably an old Indian lady in the audience, smiling, eyes slightly damp in memory of her own son, who no doubt looks just like me. There’s the guffawing reader, who laughs at every other word, at even the articles of speech, so that I say "The" and there’s laughter. There’s the suspicious reader, possibly a young Nepali lad whose student visa has expired and who is surviving on Ramen noodles, who sits somewhere in the middle rows, hand on chin, not really listening (he has no intention of buying my book) but trying to decide whether my accent is more American or Nepali or—if he’s managed to talk to the old Indian lady beforehand—Indian.

And in the midst of my reading, the Thai green curry I had for dinner rumbles in my stomach, and I let out a small phooey. The doe-eyed students translate the sound and the smell into an important lesson on how to evoke the senses; the Indian lady misses her son even more; the laughing reader is hurting from laughter; and our Nepali Ramen noodles expert finally nails down my accent—Nepali. (By special arrangement)

Govt, UNDP set to launch Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme

By Ang Chhiring Sherpa

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 - Come 2002, the government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will jointly launch the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP) in three mountainous regions important with tourism point of view - Solukhumbu, Langtang and Kanchanjunga. The programme will commence from January.

The government and UNDP had agreed to implement the programme in six important zones which have potential for tourism growth to alleviate poverty - and for the sustainable promotion of tourism. The other three regions include Dolpa, Chitwan and Rupandehi.

"We are going to implement this programme with the concept of promoting rural tourism for the poverty alleviation by involving the rural poor, oppressed community and women," said Rabi Jung Pandey, National Programme Co-ordinator of UNDP.

According to Pandey, prior to the programme implementation, skill-oriented training will be given to the rural people and awareness will be raised among them. "Community groups will be formed in each Village Development Committee (VDC) and works will be divided among them," said Pandey, adding, "And through the group leaders, plans and policies will be formulated in the district level."

Under the Participatory District Development Programme, Netherlands-funded non-governmental organisation, SNV-Nepal, had implemented such programme in Dolpa and Chitwan districts last year. The programmes were aimed at promoting and enhancing the local traditions and orienting the locals towards skill-generating schemes.

The programme has helped develop skills of the people belonging to two tribes, Praja and Chepang, in Chitwan, the district with popular tourism sites. UNDP has already launched such programme in Rupandehi two months ago.

UNDP and the SNV-Nepal have agreed to provide US $ 499,730 and US $ 493,893 respectively for the programme implementation in Dolpa, Chitwan and Rupandehi for next two years, said Pandey.

According to officials, the British Government-funded Department for International Development (DFID) is going to fund for the TRPAP implementation in Solukhumbu, Langtang and Kanchanpur and UNDP is co-ordinating it. However, the officials denied giving details of the total fund allocated for the programme.

The government had introduced the concept of poverty alleviation through the eighth Five-year Plan. And giving continuity to this, the government had given major focus on the poverty alleviation in the Ninth Plan and had conducted

The international donors have agreed to provide fund for first five years and then the government’s Nepal Tourism Board through the Department of Rural Tourism Development will take hold of the programme.

Pandey said the villages selected for the programme implementation in Solukhumbu are Goli, Bhakanje, Garma, Waku, Basa, Kaku, Gorakhani, Tamakhani, Salleri, Beni, Taksandu, juwing and Chourikhark.

To establish a separate Buffer Zone in the Sagarmatha National Park, the donors have chosen Namche and Khumjung villages. Similarly, the villages selected in Langtang are Thulo Sebru, Bridim, Chilime, Gatlang, Goljung, Panch Pokhari and Helambu; and in Kanchanjunga are Yarmarkhu, Hangdewa, Khewang, Lingkhim, Mamakhe and Phakkhol.

UML boss calls for govt’s ouster

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – The leader of the main opposition party Madhav Kumar Nepal today demanded resignation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for "miserably failing to fulfil" its commitments. Nepal also pushed forward his party’s idea of replacing the NC government with an all-party interim government, which would oversee the polls.

Speaking to journalists during a tea party hosted by UML’s Valley Co-ordination Committee on the occasion of Nepal New Year 1122, the communist supremo said that his party saw no reason why Deuba should continue to hold on to his position when it is clear that "he is unable to fulfil commitments made prior to forming his government."

"This government has failed to deliver all that it had promised to do. It is unlikely that it will solve any problem in the future, therefore, it has no reason to stay in power," Nepal said.

Irked by the government’s inability to protect its cadres and sympathisers who, in recent months, have continuously been targeted by Maoist rebels, Nepal even said that UML could go to the extent of exerting public pressure to oust this government and replace it with all party interim government. "If the government fails to deliver (which I think is certain) and still holds on to its chair, then UML will exert public pressure and push for its demands."

Justifying his demand for the all party interim government, Nepal said that amendments in the present constitution was necessary in order to bring radical reforms in political, economic, social and education sectors and NC alone was not capable and trustworthy enough to do the job. Nepal also added that drastic improvements were needed in the electoral process, which according to him should be one of the first priorities of the all-party interim government.

While lashing out at the Maoists for victimising his party members, Nepal found some time to laud them for their decision to scrap their demand of a republican state. But he also, at the same time, put a question mark on their second demand –that of forming a constituent assembly. "First they have to justify what is the need for forming a constituent assembly… I don’t see why they need it when they have abandoned their demand for a republican state," he said.

Asked what steps the UML would take to counter the constant Maoist attacks against its cadres, Nepal said that UML would intensify its counter-Maoist campaign throughout the country. "The Maoists have to be made practical and it is only UML which can do that," Nepal added. The tea party hosted by the party’s Valley Co-ordination Committee and New Year 1122 Celebration Committee headed by Laxmi Das Manandhar, a member of the Upper House of Parliament was attended by thousands of people.

The party organised to exchange Vintuna(greetings) on the occasion of 1122 Nepal Sambat (Era). The UML has been pressing for Nepal Sambat to be recognised by the government as national calendar.

China-Nepal tourism deal only first step on long road

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KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – With Nepal and China poised to sign a key tourism promotion agreement next week, hopes are already being raised about a windfall of Chinese tourists visiting this Himalayan Kingdom.

But government officials caution, Nepal will have to wait for considerable time, and expend much marketing and other efforts, before Chinese tourists begin to make an impact on the local tourism industry.

The two nations’ senior government officials are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism on November 26. Bal Bahadur KC, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) and his Chinese counterpart He Guangwei, Chairman of National Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China, is signing the document which will make Nepal one of a handful of nations to feature on China’s Outbound Tourism Destination list. Chinese authorities normally allow their citizens to visit only those nations on the list for tourism purposes.

The fresh agreement builds up on a similar document signed last year in April by the two nations. The new agreement is expected to focus on the specifics of tourism promotion. But don’t expect any immediate gains in tourism arrivals from China.

Suvarna Lal Shrestha, spokesperson at the MoCTCA, who conformed the arrival of Chinese Minister for signing the final agreement, said that, "We cannot expect an immediate increase in tourists inflow from China as it takes some time for procedural simplifications.. In course of time, the inflow of Chinese tourists would increase significantly."

Senior government officials say that several important issues needed to be worked out before Nepal can expect a jump in Chinese tourist arrivals. But during the coming discussions in Kathmandu next week, none of the issues related to facilitate the arrival of Chinese tourist are scheduled to be discussed. Increasing air services and currency convertibility between the two countries have been the major issues recently.

Meanwhile, Chinese officials here said that a 20-member delegation led by Minister Guangwei is arriving in Kathmandu on November 25.

Xue Yaping, Director at the China National tourist Office (CNTO), Kathmandu informed The Kathmandu Post today that the formal opening of the CNTO Kathmandu office is also scheduled to be announced during the visit. The office is being established as per the agreement reached between the two countries last April to open non-commercial and non-profit making tourism promotion offices in each other’s country.

According to an estimate of World Bank, China will emerge as a number-one inbound tourist destination and a fourth largest tourist outbound destination by 2020 with an estimated nine million Chinese tourists going abroad annually.

Tourism entrepreneurs in Nepal are pushing for the agreement with China in hopes of capturing a fraction of that huge number of outbound Chinese tourists. At the moment, Nepal’s tourism is dependent mostly on Indian, European and US tourists who together funnel in just over US 160 million dollars into the nation’s economy.

Deubaji, work confidently: Koirala

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BIRATNAGAR, Nov 19 – President of the ruling Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala today backed the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, asking the latter to work confidently.

"I would not create any problems to the government," the former Prime Minister told a huge gathering of Nepali Congress workers of the eastern region.

Koirala’s latest statement regarding the Deuba-led government has been taken as meaningful at a time when he and his allies have been criticising the government for an immediate solution to the government-Maoist talks.

"Deubaji, go ahead with full confidence. But you should have courage to tell the Maoists that the dialogue should be concluded in a certain time frame," Koirala said while inaugurating the eastern regional meeting of his party workers. "I want to give him (Deuba) full authority but he does not want to accept it," he added.

His remark contradicted his previous statements regarding the Deuba-led government and its stance on the peace talks. Reiterating that the party had given full mandate to the government to hold an unconditional dialogue with the rebels, Koirala said that the lingering of the dialogue has further created confusion in the country.

"I wanted to strengthen the government, but it took it in a negative sense. The government is not working as I said," Koirala said. "Now, it is time for me to have my horoscope consulted."

Kiorala had been critical of the government’s recent decision to scrap the Public Security Regulations and release 68 Maoists from detention.

He also said that the party had already instructed the government to immediately conclude the series of government-Maoist talks. "The government should even indirectly understand the party’s instructions. There are so many things that have to be realised by the government indirectly," he said.

The regional meet, participated by zonal and district level party cadres, central working committee members and lawmakers from the region, was held to come up with a concrete decision on party unity.