Five held for alleged explosive theft

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CHAUTAR, Sindhupalchok, Sept 7 - At least five labourers working at the 7MW Indrawati Hydro-power Project were injured after the Chinese contractors beat up them on charges of stealing explosives from the project on Wednesday.

National Hydro-power Company (NHPC) is developing the Hydel project at a private level. The NHPC and the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state power monopoly, have already signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

Police at Melamchi said that the labourers digging the project tunnel have been handed over to the Tipeni based police post along with 11 pieces of gelatines. There has been a tension at the local level over the beating of the Nepali labourers by the Chinese contractor.

Locals hurled stones at the Chinese residence at Jyamire VDC protesting against their highhandedness. Police have been deployed at the area to foil any untoward events.

Locals on Friday staged a sit-in campaign at the project area and chanted slogans against the Chinese contractor,and demanding an immediate release of the arrested labourers.

The labourers, however, denied any wrong doings. Chinese contractor claimed that a large amount of explosives were stolen from the project site.

The victims accused the Chinese of beating the five labourers with iron rods before they were handed over to the police. Those arrested by the police on the charges of theft are Kumar Gurung, Shyam Kaji Gurung, Sarki Tamang, Sat Bahadur Pudasaini and Ash Bahadur Ghale.

The National Hydro-power Company officials’ attempt to reconcile the labourers and Chinese on Friday, had failed.

Asked to comment on the stand-off, Chief District Officer Madhav Prasad Ojha said that the dispute should be sorted out by themselves.

The hydel project having the largest share of Nepali investors is on the final stage of construction. The power generated from the project will be connected to the national power grid of the NEA. All construction works of the project has come to a halt due to the rift between the two sides.

Man commits suicide

BHADRAPUR, Jhapa Sept 7 (PR) - Seventy-seven-year-old Dhanbir Danuwar committed suicide by hanging himself on the limb of a tree at Maguramadi jungle, police here said Friday.

As he had no surviving relatives, Danuwar from Gaighat in Udayapur used to beg around Dhulabari area for his survival over a long time. The dead body was recovered on Monday.

Locals said that Danuwar had attempted to commit suicide even before. Though cause of his suicide was not immediately known, police suspect that he was fed up leading a lonely life.

Encephalitis claims ten in Rajapur

GULARIYA, Sept 7 (PR) - At least 10 people have succumbed to Japanese encephalitis in Rajapur delta area during this year’s monsoon, the district public health office here said Friday.

Krishna Sharma of the district public health office said that they had died on the way to hospital. The Rajapur area has one health post among 85,000 population without doctors for the last five years.

Assistant Health Worker at the Rajapur health post Jang Bahadur Bhandari said that most of the people died of the mosquito borne disease for they were brought to the health post at the last stage.

People of the Tharu community largely depend on local witch doctors for a cure of any disease that showed up in their community. They take their patients to health centres only after the witch doctors fail to treat them. By that time it becomes too late, AHW Bhandari said.

Bhandari could not reveal the exact number of people who had died of encephalitis. He said that most of the people did not report the deaths to the health centre.Meanwhile, 22 patients out of 35 admitted at the district hospital returned to home after recovery, while one serious case had been referred to other hospital.

Many people die of encephalitis soon after the onset of monsoon. The killer disease cease to exist when the monsoon is over. Japanese encephalitis was first detected in 1968 in Rupandehi district.

Major quake likely to hit Valley in near future

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KATHMANDU, Sept 7 – With a view to mitigating future disaster likely to be caused by earthquakes in mid-Nepal, where lies the Kathmandu Valley, Disaster Management Section (DMC) of Social Welfare Department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has been providing regular programmes. The programmes include activities like vulnerability assessment survey, community-based disaster management training, public awareness campaign, publication of awareness-raising materials and programme on Metro F.M. in ward No 5 and 20.

In the near future about 8 Richter scale earthquake is going to hit the Mid-Nepal, damaging 50 percent of buildings in the area and affecting 1.3 million people of the total population.

This estimation was presented by JICA survey team in a discussion programme entitled Agreement on Minimising Earthquake Damage, organised by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) amidst a function here today.

The discussion mainly focused on subjects like Casualty of Mid-Nepal Earthquake, Casualty of Death and Heavily Damaged Buildings.During the programme it was predicted that core area of the Kathmandu Valley will be heavily damaged.

Major quake likely to hit Valley in near future In the programme, Mayor Keshab Sthapit highlighted about the regular activities of DMS for safety measures during disaster period.

In the programme, H.D. Ranjitkar representative from JICA also shed light on 1934 AD earthquake and forthcomming earthquakes in Mid-Nepal, which has seismic intensity of 8 Richter scale comparing to 1934 tremour which measured around nine in Richter scale.

IREF board meet held

KATHMANDU, Sept 7 (PR) - At the second board meeting of the Interim Rural Energy Fund (IREF), the board members yesterday expressed their satisfaction over the general progress in subsidy delivery by the IREF.

However, they also expressed concern over the delay in credit arrangement for the Solar Home System (SHS) and Micro Hydro (MH) installation. According to the progress report, since April 2001, IREF has disbursed subsidy to 3256 SHSs covering more than 44 districts and has paid subsidy to 8 MHs.

In the meeting, director of IREF, Dr Madan Bahadur Basnyat informed that IREF is expecting to disburse subsidies to SHS and MH to the tune of Rs 100 millions in the current Fiscal Year.

Nepalese artworks in Germany

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KATHMANDU, Sept 7- Nepalese Ambassador to Germany, Balaram Singh Malla inaugurated an art exhibition organised by the German artist Rolf A. Kluenter in Rhode, Wolfsburg on Thursday. This was stated in a press statement issued by Royal Nepalese Embassy, Berlin here today.

The artist Rolf A. Kluenter is in Nepal since 1980 and he was here under a study grant to make field study on religious art. His paintings titled Aworldwide integrates and confronts all existing characters "A" by means of his artistic media of paintings, states the release. All his paintings are done in specially hand-made Nepalese papers.

On the occasion, Ambassador Malla said that the art transcends national borders and geographical boundaries. He also placed emphasis on the fact that the Nepalese art of this type shown in Germany will enhance a further stone in the cultural ties between Nepal and Germany.

The inaugural function was attended by German Ambassador to Nepal, Rudiger Lemp, the Mayor of Rhode, businessmen and many more art-loving people.

Stress on quality education

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KATHMANDU, Sept 7 - "The Nepali students are very bright, intelligent and serious in their studies but the only thing they lack is a good oppurtunity so there is a need to invest in the education sector for better results", said Barbara Beckham.

Kiran Bhattarai, co-ordinator of Learning Zone, said, "students should be more serious, conscious and should actively participate in career development programmes and labour hard to be in par with international students.

The programme was jointly organised by the Nagarjun College and British College. Likewise, Madhav Hari Maskey, Principal of Nagarjun College, welcomed all the invitees and inspired the students of 10+2, O and A levels to work hard for their better future and emphasised on quality education.

Maoist extortion condemned

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KATHMANDU, Sept 7 – Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (CEHURDES) has condemned extortion spree of the Maoists despite their assertion against extortion, states the press release issued today by CEHURDES.

Two activists of the Maoist party on 3rd September handed over a letter to the Publications’ Managing Director and the Director demanding a donation of Rs. 400,000.

Although the letter was addressed to Namaste Group, the two rebels said that it was intended for the Publications.

Ph D conferred

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KATHMANDU, Sept 7 – Humanities and Social Education Faculty of the Tribhuvan University has awarded doctoral degree to Sushila Malla on her thesis entitled "Complimentary Feeding Practice and Its Impact on Nutritional Status of Children Below 2 Years of Age in Urban Areas of the Kathmandu Valley".

Malla,44, resident of Koteshwore, is the first female personality to bag the doctoral degree in this faculty in Nepal. Malla is currently the programme director of the Institution of Community Health.

According to her studies, the imported baby foods are either expensive or are stale (date expired), which are harmful to the baby. She also feels the need for nutrition awareness programmes to parents so as to eliminate the act of feeding in different proportion to the baby boy and the girl.

Booklet released

KATHMANDU, Sept 7 (PR) - A collection of major cases of financial irregularities in the country in the last decade was made public amid a function in the capital today.

The booklet in Nepali titled The Biggest Financial Irregularities in the Decade(when translated) includes 14 big scandals including the infamous LC scandal and the Lauda Air scam.

The book authored by Hari Bahadur Thapa, a journalist presently with the Kantipur Daily, and published by Citizen’s Poverty Watch Forum (CPWF), Nepal mainly consists of irregularities done under political protection.

"Although there were cases of irregularities and corruption in every step of life, this collection consists of big cases which are likely to re-occur," said Hari Bahadhur Thapa.

The booklet consists of various cases of irregularities in the last decade including scandals like the powder milk scam, fodder scam, RJ-100 deal and Dhamija scandal.

Problems of Dalit children discussed

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LALITPUR, Sept 7- With a view to presenting problems of downtrodden children at the UN General Assembly Session, a two-day workshop on Problems Faced by Dalit Downtrodden( dalit) Children kicked off here, Friday.

Addressing the programme, which was organised by Press Chautari, Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said it would be good to present Nepali downtrodden children’s problems in the international forum.

The UN Assembly is slated to be held from September 17-21 in NewYork, USA.

Speaking on the same occasion,Man Bahadur Bishwokarma, former dalit lawmaker said, "The government sends Rs.29 million 900 thousand every year to schools in different districts for scholarship for dalit children but it never gets utilised properly." He also urged the government to provide vocational training to the dalits.

According to data provided by Save the Children – US (SC-US), Dalit, or so-called untouchables make up nearly one quarter of Nepal’s population. Though the caste system was officially abolished in 1963, the history of discrimination, denial to citizenship, educational opportunities have left tremendous obstacles for many members of Nepal’s dalit castes and ethnic communities.

Sixty dalit children from 18 districts are participating the workshop, which is supported by SC-US.