Maoists strike at several districts
Four-month old ceasefire broken

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 23 – Maoists insurgents today broke the four-month old truce with a big bang launching attacks at many places across the country.

It was not immediately known if anyone was injured or killed in today’s attacks.

Two days after the Maoist strongman, Comrade Prachanda dropped a bombshell by saying that the four-month old cease-fire has lost its relevance, the Maoists on Friday struck at several districts across Nepal, exploding bombs in Surkhet, Rukum, Kalikot, Kaski, Makwanpur, Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung, Khotang and various other parts of the country.

In Surkhet, a district in mid-western Nepal, the suspected Maoists blew Air Ananya helicopter that was stationed at the local airport. Last year too the Maoists had set ablaze another chopper of the same company for carrying policemen to the insurgency-hit areas.

Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, army and policemen foiled attempts by the Maoists to blow up the depot of the Nepal Oil Corporation.

It is learnt that the acting Commander in Chief, Durga Nath Aryal has instructed army personnel throughout the country to stay on high alert and to take the situation in control if any untoward incident occurred.

Meanwhile, Gopendra Bahadur Pandey, Spokesperson at the Home Ministry said late Friday that the security units are taking the developments "very seriously".

Police claimed that they had gathered information regarding Maoists who had prepared ‘pressure cooker bomb’ to fight police.

The Maoists have also partially damaged the building of the district Administration Office at Hetauda. It is also learnt that before the attack Maoists also carried out a torch rally.

The police and the army were able to defuse a bomb that was placed at the main entrance gate of Nepal Lever Limited, Basamari VDC. Emergency meeting of the District Security Committee was held immediately following the attack.

On Wednesday, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) Comrade Prachanda announced that the justification for the talks and the four month-long cease-fire were both over. "We make it clear with this statement that our bid to establish peace has been rendered unsuccessful by reactionary and fascist forces." Ominously, he had also warned that, "due to this situation, the justification for the cease-fire also does not exist." Yet, he went to emphasise that the doors were open for the talks under a "new process" without clarifying what the process meant.

The government and the Maoists have already held three rounds of peace talks, without any major breakthrough. Before the start of the third round, the Maoists, dropped their chief demand of republic state but insisted on the formation of an interim government and holding election for constituent assembly. Many in the ruling and opposition parties saw this as a ploy to realise their goal for republic through back door.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who on Wednesday had expressed shock over the Maoists decision to back out of the talks, said yesterday that the Maoists would be responsible for any bloodbath that would happen.

Today, he went a step further. He warned the rebels that should they resort to violence, the government would give a fitting reply.

Melamchi water project attains financial closure

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov. 23 – The much awaited multi-million dollar Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP) has reached the take off stage after the Swedish government came on board by agreeing to provide US$ 25 million of which 50 percent is a grant component.

Melamchi Project has now attained financial closure with the government of Nepal contributing around US$ 116 million for the project.

"It gives me great satisfaction to say that we have secured the funds needed for the project," said Dinesh Chandra Pyakurel, Secretary of Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) and chairman of Melamchi Water Supply Development Board (MWSDB). "We want to assure all the concerned that we are committed on transparency during the entire project, for which we seek full support from the concerned people and the civil societies."

Donor agencies providing loan for Melamchi Project is led by Asian Development Bank (ADB) with US$ 120 million. Other donors providing soft loan are Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) US$ 52 million, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) US$ 13.7 million and Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) US$ 12.5 million. The government of Japan has agreed to support the Manohara scheme of the project with a grant of around US$ 15 million. Similarly, SIDA and Norwegian Development Agency (NORAD) have agreed to provide a grant of US$ 12.5 million and US$ 28 million respectively.

Nepal is one of the first countries among the long list of developing nations, which has managed to secure loan and grant from so many different donors within one year, claim the officials of the MWSDB.

A progress review meeting with donors was organized in Kathmandu in November when the representatives of the donor community appreciated the government’s continued commitment to Melamchi Project. ADB, which leads the donor team, expects its loan to be effective by the end of November.

The financial closure of the Melamchi Project has raised high hopes among the concerned people that the Project would finally take off.

Meanwhile, the project officials are in the process of negotiating a suitable price for the land acquired by the project and are looking forward to start paying the compensation for the land as soon as possible.

Several rounds of meetings between the representatives of the people and officials from Compensation Distribution Committee (CDC) have taken place in Kathmandu and Chautara.

"The people, however, should not forget that all the compensation has to be paid by the government and not from the loan money," said Raj Kumar Malla, executive director of MWSDB. "So the expectation should be at practical affordable level."

Currently discussions are being held at various levels within the members of Compensation Distribution Committee (CDC), comprising Chief District Officer (CDO), representative of the Land Revenue Office and local representatives, MWSDB and the members of families affected by the project, to determine the price of the land.

According to Malla, Melamchi Project has made special provisions for the development of Melamchi valley. MWSDB has made special provisions in the international bid documents that a minimum of 30 percent employment of the unskilled labour category should be provided to the local people.

Not only the employment but also the project has plans to implement Social Uplift Programme in the Melamchi valley comprising of income generation activities supported by Local Governance Programme (LGP), said Malla. "Other areas that the project aims to implement under SUP are health, education, buffer zone management and rural electrification programme."

"Melamchi is a large and complex infrastructure project for Nepal by all standards," said Malla. "But I am sure with cooperation from the affected community, civil society and the political parties, we will be able to complete the project on time."

The challenge now rests entirely on the Nepalese professionals to successfully complete this long awaited project, Malla further said. The Project is expected to provide additional amount of 170 million liters of water per day to residents of the Kathmandu Valley.

60 new peaks to be opened this spring

By Satyendra Timilsina

KATHMANDU, Nov 23 – With the celebration of International Mountaineering Year, 2002 approaching near, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is preparing to open around 60 new peaks for mountaineering.

According to the Ministry officials, the opening of the peaks is targeted at the climbers during spring season that begins from March. "Though the Ministry has finalised the peaks to be opened for next spring, the final approval would be made jointly by the decision of Ministries of Home, Defence and Tourism," says Ganesh Raj Karki, under secretary at the Ministry.

The height of the peaks that are being opened range from 6,000 metres to 8,000 metres and are mostly situated in Kanchenjunga, Annapurna, Khumbu, Lamtang and Mustang Himalayan region. The five peaks that were not opened last year despite the recommendation of the Ministry are also included in the new list.

Tika Datta Niraula, joint secretary at the Home Ministry, says, "Recommendation of Tourism Ministry to open the peaks is generally accepted without any obstructions." And it is likely that the recommended peaks would be opened for climbers, he said.

The government had opened nine peaks including 8,413-meters high Lhotse Middle and Hunchi, Peak-38, Numri, Tengkangpoche, Nheserku, P-2, Thapa peak and Thorang peak for mountaineering last May.

At present, there are 160 Himalayan peaks opened for mountaineering. Out of which, 140 peaks are opened for expedition and 20 for trekking. There are 1,310 peaks above 6,000 metres in Nepal that includes world’s highest peak Mount Everest, with 8848 metres.

"The opening of new peaks would increase the tourists that come for trekking by more than 35 per cent," says Ang Tshering Sherpa, the first vice-president of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA). "We can scale the peaks with the heights less than 6,500 for trekking in international market."

This is good news for tourism entrepreneurs who have been going through difficult times, he said. Even the travel trade groups throughout the world were requesting to open the peaks for trekking, he added.

The opening of these peaks of varying heights is mainly based on the report entitled "Inventory of Nepal Himalayan Peaks" submitted by Central Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University. The study had proposed to open 65 peaks for climbing.

SAFTA to feature during SAARC Summit

By Damakant Jayshi

KATHMANDU, Nov 23 – The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is indeed figuring in the 11th SAARC Summit unlike what a daily newspaper reported on Friday but the dream of South Asian leaders to have a frontier-free trade will still take about a decade to take shape.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, high-level diplomatic sources in the SAARC denied the media report that said SAFTA would not figure in the 11th Summit that is scheduled to take place from January 4 to 6.

The sources admitted it was a "tough calling" to complete the process of transforming SAPTA into SAFTA. The SAARC countries signed SAPTA (South Asian Preferential Trading Arrangement) during the 7th SAARC Summit in Dhaka.

Under this agreement, the gradual reduction and eventual elimination of tariffs within SAARC is envisaged. SAPTA is considered to be a step on the road to creating a SAFTA.

SAARC diplomatic sources in Kathmandu revealed that the target of making SAFTA operational by the end of 2001 was kept upon the "suggestion" of the Maldives, "an unrealistic aspiration." Realising the impossible, the member-states, during the last Summit in Colombo (1998), "corrected" the target was to achieve a SAFTA draft within the same time.

However, even this is not possible. The sources said that a lot of homework still needed to be done on the issue. Although the draft is ready, it may not be acceptable to all the seven member states.

The SAARC countries are still to agree on the definition of "free trade area" and what it should include. While SAPTA is clearly an agreement on trading of goods, the scope of SAFTA, "of which SAPTA is the first stage," has still not been agreed upon. "What should the proposed free trade include? Does it mean free movement of goods alone or also that of service, mobility capital and the people?" questioned an official familiar with the whole process.

Some hard and realistic decisions need to be taken by the leaders during the Summit. And indeed, reiterated the officials, discussions on this dream project will take place in Kathmandu.

However, it is still a long way to go before a European Union-style frontier-free area becomes realistic. And for that to happen, all tariff and non-tariff barriers have to be dismantled which could give a shock to the vulnerable economies of the South Asian countries, the officials opine.

The draft that is being prepared has proposed dismantling of all trade and movement barriers in respect of goods, services and people and within a short span of time, eight years to be precise from the date of signing of the agreement. A tall order, given the sharp differences of the member nations in the bilateral trade.

One such example is the latest dispute between Nepal and India on the Trade Treaty that has to be ratified by December after India asked for the amendment of certain clauses.

Padma Jyoti, Senior Vice President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), however, says that the trade disputes between Nepal and India are recent developments and in no way they affect the SAARC developments. He admitted though that if the member nations do not trust each other, then there might be problems in realising the stated goal of free trade area.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Padma Jyoti who will take over as the next President of SICCI during the forthcoming Summit, expressed the hope that the SAFTA draft would be approved by all the states within one year and at most within two years. "The SICCI has already given its input," said Padma Jyoti, one of the country’s leading industrialist and businessman.

He also revealed that the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the regional grouping will be allowed to open their economy at a slower pace so that aftershocks of such decisions are not severe.

As such, the SAARC diplomatic sources say that each and every clause of free trade area, critical elements in themselves, need thorough deliberations. For one, legal mechanism has to take place before SAFTA becomes operational.

Jailed children happy with their new found freedom

By Pragya Ghimire/Ganesh Rai

SANOTHIMI (Bhaktapur), Nov 23 – Dhan Bahadur BK and Deepak Chhetri were very good friends, both of them living in Butwal.

About a year ago, Deepak had a conflict with some men due to monetary matters and was badly wounded by a sharp weapon.

Deepak was just lying on the street when Dhan Bahadur met him and took him to the hospital. But, surprisingly, instead of getting thanks from the concerned people, police arrested him and kept him in custody.

"My father died and mother ran away with another man," 14-year-old Dhan Bahadur recalls his woes. "I used to earn some money by cleaning cars but it was not enough even to have a cup of tea."

This led him to the street and later into the jail.

Nir Bahadur Thapa, also a 14-year-old of Butwal, has a similar tale to tell. "I have been living in the jail for the past 11 months but my parents are still unaware about this," says Thapa, who was arrested on the charge of a murder case.

Nir originally hailed from Dhangadi but he ran away from his home to "earn money." Instead of fulfilling his wishes to live a happy life, he got associated with a bunch of guys who misled him into a wrong path. "Because of this friendship, I had to live a prisoner’s life in Butwal jail," says Thapa.

Dhan Bahadur and Thapa are few of the examples who had to live in a jail for the crimes they never intended to commit. But their situation has now improved as they have been taken out of the police custody and kept in Bal Sudhar Griha, a child rehabilitation centre.

Thapa and Dhan Bahadur, along with five other friends, Ramesh Gyawali, Mahesh Chamar, Jabbar Singh Thapa, and Sanjay Mishra, were released by the government on the occasion of International Child Rights Day.

Under-privilege Children’s Educational Programme (UCEP) Nepal brought these children from Butwal jail on Wednesday and are now kept in Bal Sudhar Griha.

This major decision of the government has opened the doors for the children living in jails to come out and lead normal lives.

The jailed children and those innocent children living with their culprit parents no longer have to live inside the jail with the recent decision to release 64 children from different jails throughout the country.

UCEP Sudhar Griha had earlier given shelter to 17 children over the last four months. Among them are four girls, all of them below 13 years. All of them are presently studying in schools like SOS, Janak Siddhikali Secondary School, Birat Boarding and Adarsha Secondary School.

All six children released from Butwal jail say, "We are brought here to study, so we want to study hard, make our future secure and happy."

But the UCEP is facing a financial problem to maintain the Griha. Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare had allocated Rs. 1.2 million to meet the expenses in the last fiscal year. And the Ministry increased the assistance to Rs. 1.8 million this year. "But, it is still not enough to meet our requirements," says Suraj Dahal, director of UCEP Nepal.

"As the number of children has increased the present budget can hardly meet the demand," Dahal said. "Moreover, if the child gets sick then the condition becomes worse."

A two-storey building, built with the Ministry’s help, has a capacity of accommodating 120 children, 2 guards, 1 health assistant, 2 maids and 1 peon.

"We are planning to provide various technical and income generation training to these children and one girls’ hostel is also under construction," says Dahal.

According to Jeevan Rana, manager of the Griha, the government is planning to bring two children from the Central Jail of Kathmandu, one child from Nakhhu Jail of Lalitpur and one child each from the jails of Makwanpur, Sindhupalchowk, Jhapa, Myagdi and Banke districts.

With the recent government decision, more and more children living in an unhealthy environment of jail would now be able to lead normal lives.

Future of Pancheswor project uncertain

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 23 – The future of the Pancheswor multi-purpose project has become uncertain with the extension of the time for the preparation of its Detailed Project Report (DPR) for further six months.

The 17th meeting of Nepal-India Joint Technical Committee held to discuss the DPR on Pancheswor Project concluded here Friday with recommendations to their respective governments to extend the date for further six months for finalising DPR of the project. Earlier the DPR was set to be completed by the end of December 2001.

"The Nepalese delegation has asked the Indian team to invest in the project in proportionate to the use of water," said one Nepalese delegate who participated in the talks. If this so happens, Nepal will have to invest around 35 per cent of the total investment with India investing the remaining amount. "Although the sharing of the power would be on equal basis," he stressed.

In the 17th round of the talks, Nepal has also asked India about their comprehensive irrigation plan from the project. According to one delegate, Nepal wants confirmation regarding the share of water from the project while India is keen on completing DPR.

Many experts here point out that the agreement on DPR largely defines the fate of the Mahakali Treaty which was signed between Nepal and India in 1996. The treaty is called Integrated Development of Mahakali River which includes Sarada Barrage, Tanakpur Barrage and Pancheswor Project. A two-thirds majority in parliament must again ratify DPR.

Even after nearly six years of the signing of the treaty, the main contentious issues regarding DPR preparation have been regarding the sharing of waters of Mahakali River and protecting the existing irrigation benefits at Sarda Sahayak Project in India.

Nepal, Thailand sign MoU on air service

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Nov 23 – Nepal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thailand on Thursday in regard to bilateral air services at latter’s province, Hua Hin.

The joint press release issued here today said that the Thai delegation was headed by the Supote Kumpeera, director general of Department of Civil Aviation of Thailand and the Nepalese delegation was led by Nagendra Prasad Ghimire, Joint secretary at the Ministry of culture, Tourism and civil Aviation of Nepal.

The release also stated that new MoU reached between two sides following a several round of consultations has made further amendment in the existing Air Service Agreement (ASA)

According to the release, new MoU incorporates designated airlines of both the countries may operate air services to and from more than two points in each others’ territories instead of any two points in the past, apart from 2600 seats per week allocated to the designated of each country may henceforth operate up to 1100 additional seats per week and the designated airlines of both countries may enter into code sharing arrangement for joint operation.

The motive of new MoU is to enhance the tourism promotion between the two countries and is expected to provide additional air seats for the increase of air traffic and pave way for cooperation between the airlines of the two countries, said the release.