NEA signs PPA for Upper Karnali

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 (PR)- Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) today signed the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of the 300-megawatt Upper Karnali Hydroelectric Project with the Singapore-based Elysee Frontiere humanitarian trust, officials said.

Acting Executive Director of the state-owned power utility, Govinda KC, and Sylvain Leveque, Chairman of the Trust, signed the PPA at 6:30 p.m at the NEA office, NEA officials said.

The price of per unit electricity generated from Upper Karnali has been fixed at Rs 2.90 for dry season and Rs 1.45 (50 per cent of the surplus power) for the wet season. The remaining 50 per cent of the power generated during the wet season will be sold for Rs 1.45 per unit.

"This is a very attractive project and the investment is total donation," KC told The Kathmandu Post after signing the agreement.

Elysee Frontiere’s Leveque announced in a press conference last week that the US $ 500 project’s construction works would begin from July next year, and will be completed by 16 July, 2008.

"This project and this huge investment is an award for Nepal’s young democracy. We respect this process and hence this huge investment," Leveque said. He also claimed that his company has already developed hydel projects in Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Iraq, and Ethiopia.

Indian group skirts media laws to set up publishing venture
Experts decry foreign influence in local media

By Bishwamani Pokharel

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 – Despite socialist and liberal ideals, the late Jawahar Lal Nehru, democratic India’s first elected Prime Minister, was shrewd enough to identify the perils were foreign investors allowed to control India’s then fledgling media. One of his lasting legacies, therefore, is a law written in the 1950s that bar foreign ownership of print and publications in India, which is still in effect today.

In Nepal too, foreign ownership in the local media is not allowed. But in recent months, an Indian company by the name of Asia-Pacific Communication Associates (APCA) has entered the local media market through the backdoor in a tie-up venture with Himalaya Times, a local media group. This has raised concerns in several quarters.

"The media is a very sensitive sector," says Narhari Acharya, a Nepali Congress lawmaker who was responsible for drafting the present Information Policy that bars foreign investment in local media. "It cannot be seen as other industries," he adds reinforcing the point that foreigners should not be allowed in the local media for its potential to be misused.

Top CPN (ML) leader and former minister Radhakrishna Mainali says that the said foreign encroachment in the Nepali media should be opposed strongly. "Foreign investment in this sector can have a detrimental impact on the nation’s foreign, economic and other policies, including in domestic politics," he asserts.

Former foreign minister Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani of the RPP says that at a time when the Nepali media scene is seeing more investment from local entrepreneurs, inviting foreign investment is unnecessary. "Given Nepal’s geopolitical situation, foreign investment in the media is not necessary," he says.

Chairman of the Editors’ Society, Govinda Biyogi, is more blunt: "Foreign investment will turn our voice into foreign voice. Instead of our public opinion, it will be their (foreigner’s) opinion."

Set up 10 years ago in India, APCA is mainly active in educational printing and short documentaries. It is nominally headed by Dilip Padgaonkar, a senior executive of The Times of India newspaper, and includes other former Times staffers who quit the newspaper years ago in a row with the publisher. It is unclear what relationship, if any, does the new venture have with the Times of India group.

Seven months ago, a Nepali company, also named APCA, was registered by the Department of Industries. The Nepali APCA, which is a front company for the Indian APCA, is owned by Rabin Lama, an advertizing agency owner and his wife.

This Nepali APCA has tied up with Ujjwal Sharma, publisher and editor of the Nepali-language Himalaya Times, to set up a publishing group named International Media Network, Nepal. This publishing venture is to publish Himalayan Times, the English language daily. On October 9, Kathmandu’s Chief District Office, granted registration to the Himalayan Times.

According to a source at the Company Registrar’s office, International Media also aims to publish magazines and books, and work as representative of foreign companies and publish for them, as well as set up a printing press and run a Television Channel.

The issue in this whole affair is the circumvention of local media laws which bar foreign investment. It is to be noted that an application seeking joint-venture with the Indian APCA to publish an English language daily newspaper is still pending with the Ministry for Information and Communication for the last three months.

The Ministry says the application is still under review at the Ministry of Industries where it has been sent for suggestions. But nevertheless work on the new newspaper has progressed rapidly as the company has hired local and Indian editorial staff, headed by Ram Pradhan, a former editor of The Independent.

Meanwhile, the group has already set up a printing press in Saybu, Bhaisepati, under the joint-ownership of Lama and Indian national S P Singh. The press has been established with an investment of Rs 40,000,000 and it has been agreed upon that it will print new English Daily Himalayan Times and Nepali Himalaya Times.

Those associated with the new venture, such as promoter Lama and editor Pradhan, admit that the company is being set up as a joint venture. When asked why they had circumvented local laws, Lama replied that his group was still trying to get approval for the joint venture. Pradhan says, "this is a joint venture like the Nabil bank." He added that APCA is not just an Indian company but a multinational company.

14 die in Hetauda, Birgunj road mishaps

Post Report

HETAUDA, Oct 22 - At least 14 people were killed and several others were injured in three separate road accidents in Hetauda and Birgunj today.

A dozen people travelling in a three wheeler tempo died on the spot while four others sustained serious injuries after a passenger bus en route to Kathmandu from Lahan collided head-on with the tempo at Basamadi VDC-1 on the East-West highway, the police said.

Among the dead are four women and a four-year-old baby. The police have identified the bodies of ten people so far. The site of the fatal accident is located about 15 km west of here. Superintendent of Police Prem Bahadur Gurung the majority of the passengers had come for Dashain shopping.

Those seriously injured were rushed to the capital for treatment, police said.

Most of the passengers killed in the accident are from Basamadi VDC of Makwanpur. They include Thakur Ghalan, Gopi Thapa, Man Bahadur Jimba, Shobha Shrestha, tempo driver Mangale Lama of Nibuwatar village, Maili Thokar, Aairam Singh Gole, Ful Maya Ghalan, Man Bahadur Jimba and four-year-old Krishna Thapa. The rest are yet to be identified.

Following the incident, locals vandalised the bus (Na 2 Kha 4663) and blocked the highway in the afternoon. SP Gurung said that they were negotiating with the locals to clear the traffic.

Likewise, 18-year old Suresh Lama of Chhatiwan VDC of Makwanpur died on the spot when a loaded truck en route to Hetauda from Palung met with an accident at Chuniya on the Tribhuvan highway today. Another person who sustained injuries is undergoing treatment at Hetauda hospital, the police said.

Meanwhile, a 50-year old former teacher of Biruwagadhi VDC-5 died after he fell from a running bus plying on Birgunj-Simara road. He was going to the Simara airport to welcome the newly appointed assistant minister Ajaya Kumar Chaurasiya. He was rushed to the local Narayani hospital but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Deuba says peace talks after Dashain

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 – Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the delayed third round of peace talks would be held right after the Dashain festivals.

"We wanted the Maoists to come for the talks right now but they have sent message saying they would come for the talks only after the Dashain festivals," Prime Minister Deuba told reporters Monday. "I am hopeful that the talks will be held by then."

Since the second round of peace talks held at a jungle resort in Bardia ended in a deadlock last month, the third round of peace talks that was originally scheduled to be held just days after the meet never materialized.

Instead, both the government and the Maoists have been exchanging allegations and counter allegations blaming each other for the delayed talks and attempts to disrupt the conducive environment that would have lead to the talks.

The Maoists want all their supporters and cadres, numbering as many as 300, who are in custody charged to be immediately released and cases against them withdrawn. The government on the other hand has also published a list of names of the civilians and policemen who are being held as captives by the Maoists.

The government in the recent weeks has released dozens of Maoists including Matrika Prasad Yadav, as demanded by them, and also made public names of many who are in police custody. Yet, the Maoists insist that they have some 72 people who are still missing.

He said that since he has more free time now after distributing the ministries he has held for the past three months, he would be able to concentrate more on other affairs of the state like the Maoist problem and the peace talks.

Since he was elected in July and formed a 13-member Cabinet, the Prime Minister had held over half dozen ministries to himself gaining sharp criticism from both the opposition and within his party.

Even after the Cabinet expansion last week that boosted the strength of the council of ministers to 41, Deuba still hold the portfolio of the Foreign Minister. Many critics had maintained that at a time when there are so much activities going on in the South Asia region, there should be an independent minister keeping track of the events and reacting to them.

"The Foreign Ministry is every effective and having the Ministry under me is not a burden for me at all," Deuba insisted.

Commenting on the criticism that followed formation of a massive Cabinet, Deuba said it was for the stability that prompted him to take the decision.

"Small Cabinet is good. But stability is more important than the number and I hope there will be stability (in the party) now," Deuba said. "There will be no more additions in the Cabinet."

Deuba’s attempt in bringing stability in the party meant accommodating as many people as possible in the government. Besides rewarding the lawmakers with a ministerial berth for their support to boost him to the office of the Prime Minister, others who are not so close to Deuba too had to be inducted to be able to keep the majority in the parliamentary party.

"I am not used to flying a twin-otter plane ... but rather used to flying a jumbo," Deuba said sarcastically pointing towards the mockery over his tendency to form a large cabinet often termed as the "jumbo" Cabinet.

The last time Deuba was Prime Minister of a shaky coalition government, he had formed a 48-member Cabinet. 

Past ministers still reluctant to leave govt quarters

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 – Even after two months of their change in status, more than half a dozen former ministers are still reluctant to give up the facilities they had been enjoying during their reign.

Eight ministers of the Girija government, which Deuba replaced two months ago, are still using the facilities and staying at the ministers’ quarters at Harihar Bhawan. The expenses of the 41 ministers, recently inducted by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, coupled with unnecessary expenses of the ‘formers’ is remarkably increasing the government expenditures.

Though the government has time and again asked the past ministers to leave the government quarters, they are forcefully occupying the quarters. And the government is still bearing all the unnecessary expenses like telephone, drinking water and maintenance.

There are only 19 government quarters and recent induction of 41 Ministers have created a huge problem for the government to provide the facilities enjoyed by a minister. But, for those who are not lucky enough to secure the quarters are provided Rs. 20,000 per month by the government to rent a house. Besides this amount, Rs. 1500 is provided in the name of maintenance.

According to a highly placed source at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, which is responsible for the management of the ministers’ quarters, electricity and drinking water bill amounts to Rs. 50,000 per month in each quarter. Moreover, the activists use STD facilities blatantly with telephone bill amounting to over Rs. 100,000 per month from each quarter.

The source at the Ministry, on the condition of anonymity, said that there is nothing much the ministry can do except to send the letters requesting them to leave the quarters.

Siddha Raj Ojha, Hari Prasad Sapkota, Shiva Kumar Basnet, Mohammad Aftab Alam, Surendra Chaudhari, Mahendra Kumar Raya, Narendra Bikram Nemwang, Surendra Hamal and Kamala Pant are the members of the Girija cabinet who have been reluctant to leave the government quarters. But two of them Nemwang and Hamal are re-inducted as ministers who are now eligible to use their quarters once again.

After the restoration of democracy in 1990, over two hundred lawmakers have already been inducted as ministers and majority of them has always been reluctant to leave the quarters despite being removed from the cabinet.

Maoists not real terrorists: US

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 - Larry M Dinger, Charge d’Affairs, US Embassy today said that at the present scenario the Maoists could not be termed as "real terrorists" but the way the US look at it may be different if the situation changes in future.

Speaking during a talk programme organised by Nepal Council of World Affairs in the capital today Dinger answering to a question put forward by a participant said that the US has not termed the Maoists as terrorists, since they are obeying the ongoing cease-fire and since there was room to discuss on if they were real terrorists. But he added that the situation might change in future if their actions posed threat to the democratic system of Nepal.

Dinger, during today’s talk programme, mostly defended ongoing American action against terrorism in Afghanistan and reiterated that the US action was neither ethnic nor religion based but was solely concentrated on eliminating terrorism. "This action will take a lot of time and lot of perseverance and will be conducted in many parts of the world."

Stating that the military action was only one aspect of entire campaign against terrorism, Dinger mentioned that closely monitoring immigration and intelligence sharing were other ways to stop it.

Mentioning that the American campaign in Afghanistan and rest of the world would continue till Al Kaida is brought to justice, Dinger said that the US would have a negligible role in deciding on the post- Taliban government in Afghanistan. "It is for the Afghan people to find a peaceful system for themselves and the United Nation will have more role than anybody else on establishing future government in Afghanistan," he said.

Dinger also added that Nepali support of coalition against terrorism has been very helpful and has been noticed by the US government.

People unconcerned about meat quality

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 – For all the non-vegetarian Hindus, the festival of  Dashain is always the best time of the year as meat is synonymous to the celebration.

The festival is never complete without an exclusive preparation of different meat dishes. But, people tend to forget or have less time to think about the quality of the meat they consume.

Sacrificing male animals to Hindu Goddess Durga is one of the most important aspects of the festival as thousands of buffaloes, goats, cocks and geese are sacrificed in various temples as a part of the festival puja.

Professor of theology at Balmiki Campus Ram Chandra Gautam said that strict rituals should govern the sacrificing of animals, which people seldom follow. "The animal to be sacrificed should be healthy, strong and without any bruises and they should be slaughtered with least pain," says Gautam.

However, as amateurs carry out the most sacrifices in the temples and homes, the meat can be less hygienic.

And most of the local butchers here are found be practicing unhealthy method of slaughtering. They generally use small knives to kill animals and use little water to clean the meat.

Shyam Krishna Khadgi, a local meat sealer at Khichapokhari, said that the present market price of the meat do not allow them to use more hygienic practices in killing and treating the meat as it cost them more than what it cost at present.

"Those who advocate about quality meat should also be ready to afford the price," says Khadgi. "Why do people make a hue and cry when we are selling the meat at nominal profit."

But experts stress that quality should come first than the price. They argue that improper killing of animals make the meat substandard.

Dr Durga Dutta Joshi, chairman of National Zoonoses and Food Hygiene Research Centre (NZFHRC), has an interesting logic. "If the animals are killed while they are in stress or tense, then the meat becomes less hygienic," Dr. Joshi said.

"Even the animals can feel and their body reacts when they are in immense tension at the time of slaughtering," he said.

He said the animals sustaining physical and mental stress before slaughtering and killed in slow process make the meat less attractive, green, greasy, foamy, stiff, tasteless and difficult to cook.

Dutta said that the animals should be transported, kept and slaughtered without letting them feel stressed to produce the best of their meat.

A Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) booklet states that glycogen or sugar content of the muscle is high in healthy and well-rested animal.

If the animal is stressed before and during slaughter, the glycogen is used up, and the lactic acid level that develops in the meat after slaughter is reduced, it is said in the booklet. "The acid in the muscle has the effect of retarding the growth of bacteria that have contaminated the carcass during slaughtering and dressing, which obviously will have adverse effect on the quality of meat."

"It is also important for animals to be well-rested for 24 hours before slaughter," says the booklet.

However, the quality of meat in the market here is far from satisfactory as the majority of the shopkeepers sell unhygienic and substandard meat. No one has ever thought about developing a proper system of checking animals before slaughtering. And to make the matter worse, there is no provision of monitoring the quality of meat before it reaches to the market.

According to a data provided by Dr. Dilip Subba, a food scientist, Kathmandu is the largest market for meat, where people consume 368 buffaloes, 218 goats and 17,558 chickens every day.

There had already been an effort from Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to construct a proper slaughterhouse for the last one year. It had even selected a location for the construction at the city’s ward No. 12.

But, locals there, who till now been involved in unscientific butchering of buffaloes, protested the KMC’s move. This has left the project in a limbo, further delaying the process of guaranteeing safe meat in the capital market.

Indian leader justifies police deployment along the border

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Oct 22 – Former Indian Home Minister Buta Singh said here today that the deployment of about 10,000 Indian police throughout the Nepal-India border was merely to check the activities inside its own territories.

He said that India does not face terrorism threat from Nepal. "I don’t see any terrorism threat from Nepal," said the former Indian Home Minister and leader of the main opposition India Congress. He, however, said that any unwanted activities between the two countries could be checked if present border check posts are effectively managed.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Reporters’ Club, Singh was quick to rule out that the deployment of police in the border was meant to check the Maoists activities across the border. Saying that any terrorism should be fought in a peaceful manner and not resorting to violent means, Singh pointed out, "the Maoists problem here in Nepal should be solved through peaceful means."

Earlier, the Indian Embassy here had said that the decision to deploy police along the Nepal-India border, known as Special Security Force (SSF), emanates from the recommendation of a high level committee formed in the aftermath of Kargil War in 1999. The deployment was done to look into all aspects relating to effective management of the country’s international borders, the Embassy had said

Singh further said that he would advise the Indian Prime Minister on number of issues concerning Nepal-India relationships, in which reviewing of the trade treaty for mutual benefit would be high on the agenda. "We must maintain and improve basic ingredients of our treaty to achieve our common goals," he said. "The treaty should be reviewed in such a manner that it is mutually agreed upon."

The 1996 trade treaty between the two countries is valid until December 5, 2001. Both the countries have held few rounds of dialogue but are yet to come to any conclusion.

Singh even pointed out that the government from both the countries should work in order to ensure that the trade through illegal channel declines and more trade occur through the formal channel. It is estimated that informal trade between Nepal and India is more than four times than the formal trade.