Govt distributes Rs 10 million to "Maoist victims"
Losses over-evaluated; even ministers among the major receivers

Post Report

KATHMANDU, March 31:A middle-class farmer in Rautahat district of the mid-Terai lost petticoats worth more than 50 thousand rupees while another farmer lost 600,000 rupees kept under his pillows. In addition, a farmer who has only a ground-floor simple house in Terai claimed that he lost his three refrigerators when the Maoists blasted his home with small socket bomb.

A middle-class family of Sindhupalchowk has lost his 450 muris (300 quintals) of uncommon Pokhareli type of rice when his house, used by the police, was bomb-blasted while a farmer from the remote western hills of Jumla lost his fifty copper pots when the Maoists hurled bomb at his residence.

The largest amount received in compensation so far from the government in the guise of being a victim of Maoist attack was Bharat Pradhan of Nuwakot, a farmer with political influence in the area, who received a whopping sum of Rs 604,328.

Khem Raj Bhatta Mayalu, minister for general administration has been compensated with 336800 after he presented evaluation papers showing damages amounting to more than 2.4 million rupees for the loss of his residence in Bardiya.

Similarly, assistant minister for water resources, Narayan Sharma Paudel, has also received rupees 3,40,200 as compensation. It was found that he claimed 8 times more losss of his property than actual loss.

This is a rule: To get compensation of Rs 300-600 thousands, you need to show that your property of Rs two to six million was blown up in the incident.

The war raged by the Maoists in past six years not only took lives of 2,600 people but also granted an extravaganza of treasure to the poverty-stricken people. Just ask the government, it can pay as much as you desire. Of course, you may need some tie with local political figures.

These are some ridiculous illustrations of how Maoists-made losses have been multiplying and causing more financial burdens to the government exchequer. Still, leaders and the ministry officials seem to be keeping a blind eye to these irregularities.

In the ensuing crash course to disaster, the government has already distributed more than 10 million rupees as compensation to victims of Maoists attacks with the advent of a four months emergency, under the ‘Ganeshman Singh Peace Campaign Scheme’ and another 25 million is bankrolling under process.

But a developing trend shows that the actual losses are over -evaluated in order to get full compensation, irrespective of a government policy to compensate only according to a certain ratio in the percentage of the losses incurred.

In the month of February, the Ministry of Home Affairs had gone public in making the compensation policy adopted by the government. In making the policy public, Minister of State for Home, Devendra Raj Kandel had informed that the government was providing full compensation for any loss of not more than ten thousand rupees.

Any loss in amounts that go beyond ten thousand rupees has been compensated on a progressive basis of up to 15-25 percent of the actual loss amount but house owners providing houses for police posts are fully compensated.

There are hardly any houses belonging to MPs spared by the Maoists in six years of continuous " terrorist" activities. The attacks on development infrastructures and private houses were escalated after a State of Emergency was announced in the country on November 26.

The Ministry for Home sources said that ministers and MPs were pressurising officials to compensate victims with higher compensations. "For this, we are being pressurised from the center for supposedly over evaluating losses," said a chief district officer on condition of anonymity.

"We are unable to evaluate actual losses due to security problems and are compelled to rely on reports coming from the local body of representatives and eye witnesses," he said. " But most of them are cheating us by presenting exaggerated reports based on losses which exceed almost five times of the actual loss incurred, in some cases.

The Home Ministry officials agree to these facts. "We cannot control the possibility in misuse of government funds as we have to depend on the documents given to us, which are deceptively made to look like the loss is actual," say officials.

But they also said that attempts have been made to determine and check into a certain actual loss evaluation report amounting to 5 million rupees which has been devalued to 1.1 million in a case suspected by the ministry as over evaluated. "We have tried our best to control over-evaluation and have formed evaluation committees under the supervision of CDOs in all districts" said a Home ministry official adding that the ministry has been verifying losses with all the means possible at their disposal.

According to reliable sources, the losses have been stated in the documents in such a shrewd manner that the percentage ratio decided by the government to compensate becomes automatically more than double of the actual loss.

World Home Economics Day celebrated

Post Report

KATHMANDU, March 31:To celebrate World Home Economics Day, a programme was jointly organised by the Central Department of Home Sciences(CDHC) and Home Science and Women Development Association of Nepal (HSWDAN) here today.

On the occasion, the first Journal of Home Science and Women Development was launched. A HSWDAN newsletter was also released.

Minister of Development for Women and Children, Sushila Swanr expressed her sincere happiness on the dedication of the HSWDAN and CDHC to the cause of promotion of Home Science and women development in Nepal.

"This type of social as well as educational endeavours are worth appreciating, especially in a society like ours" said Swanr.

Also speaking at the programme, the president of HSWDAN, Professor Doctor Leela Devi K.C. said that academics should not be ashamed and frustrated of comments made by people saying "Home Science is a subject of cooking and sewing".

"One should accept the comment boldly and proudly believing that it is through Home Science that the basic needs of humans are fulfilled," added K.C.

The HSWDA has recently established a ‘Scholarship fund’ (Research and Award Fund) to help support research projects in the field of Home Science and Women’s Studies in Nepal.

RPP call for king’s active role

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Mach 31 : Over a dozen senior leaders of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) today strongly called for His Majesty King’s active role, even if it is unconstitutional, to give way to the present crises plaguing the country.

The RPP leaders, most of whom were in the party’s central committee members, gathered in the residence of former minister Padma Sundar Lawati said the present system has made the situation of the country more critical and the active role of the King is very much essential.

"Except by the King, the Constitution has been defied from every angle - political parties, government, parliament, constitutional bodies, administration wings…… - and they have been completely defunct," said Lawati. "Now the King has to bear active role, irrespective of it being unconstitutional."

Lawati said the King’s role has become necessary to salvage the country from the existing crises. "Even if it is unconstitutional, the King should play an active role in protecting the country by bringing the outlawed Maoists in the mainstream politics."

But, he also said, "We are not trying to revive the Panchayati System. It’s already cremated."

Speaking on the occasion, RPP District President of Myagdi, Jagat Gauchan, said Nepal’s Multiparty Democracy is imported and "the King by being active can rule the country by introducing country-specific multiparty democracy".

Speaking on the occasion, central leader of the RPP, Parshu Narayan Chaudhary, said the King must be involved in the national consensus to resolve most of the problems including that of the Maoist problem.

Other leaders undersigning in a statement calling for the King’s active role are Bishnu Maden, Chhiring Tenjing Lama, Chandra Bahadur Gurung, Nar Bahadur Hirachan, Durga Shrestha, Ram Kumar Subba, Ram Krishna Acharya, among others.

District mortally fears it maybe next target for insurgents

By Harihar Singh Rathore

DAILEKH, March 31:Life in the headquarters of Dailekh district is filled with fear and suspicions, and running rife with rumours spreading like wildfire among its residents that it is the second target of outlawed Maoists after the deadly carnage in Achham district.

The locals here have interpret the crossfire between rebels and the security personnel that took place last Wednesday night in which two rebels were killed, as the prelude to a destructive Maoist attack in the district.

"The event of last Wednesday is a test on defensce performances of the security forces. The
aim is to get acquainted with what time the ‘night vision’ chopper is presumed to turn up at the site and at what distance will it be flying," is the statement that is said to have come from Maoists and is widespread among the people in the district headquartres.

The locals at Kimbu village, Narayan municipality-7 say that the Maoists have directed each house in the village to keep a torch ready for April 5.

Villages like Nayagaon, Bijaura and Kimbu, at a distance of 20 minutes from headquarters are scared of being caught in the crossfire between the army and rebels as the Maoists frequently visit these villages, say the scared locals.

The employees at the branch office of the Rastriya Banijya Bank say that they are in a state of confusion whether to ask for funds from the centre, as the bank is going dry and its clients have gone weary with services provided by the bank.

"We are so scared of the impending attack of the Maoist rebels that we don’t want the night to fall," said a shopkeeper with his shop in front of the District Police Office.

The School Leaving Certificate (SLC) students who have gathered from around the district to its headquarters for attending their examinations have largely felt the impact of the rumour.

In a bid to tighten security in the area, security personnel are checking students frequently and this has disturbed the students psychologically, preparing for the examinations. Security personnel, in checking the new faces (students) who have arrived at the headquarters of the district, are also harassing house owners in their houses. The district headquartres will temporarily be home to around 2,000 SLC students.

It is learnt that cadres belonging to the ruling Nepali Congress party in the district have remained away for months going into a sort of hibernation in the capital and Nepalgunj.

Maoists threaten students to refrain from SLC exams

By Kamal Kumar Panthi

GULERIYA, March 31:While the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination is nearing, the SLC students have been threatened to refrain from the examination by outlawed Maoists. And the ultra activities of the Maoists in Bardia district last week have doomed the fate of around 15,000 students appearing in the examinations this year.

The students in the district are already in tense as authorities shifted the SLC centres of other parts of the district to its headquarters, following the destruction of four VDC offices and an irrigation project in the district, set ablaze by Maoists on Friday night last week. The Maoists also caused damage at several sections of Kothiaghat–Rajapur road so as to check the flow of students to the district headquarters Gulariya from other parts of the district.

As informed by guardians, a gang of rebels stopped the SLC students at Khairichandpur Ghat last Saturday, who were heading from Rajapur area to Gulariya and forced them to return. "If you proceed further for the examination, you will be shot dead," said a student requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, security forces were deployed on Sunday morning at Rajapur site to bring examinees to the district headquarters, it is learnt. The Local Police Administration has stated that full preparation has been made to ensure a healthy environment for the SLC examination.

According to Nayan Singh Dhami, District Education Officer in the district, District Health Office, private schools, and training centres in the district headquarters have been brought into use to shelter students coming from different parts of the district to attend the examination.

RNAC to resume flights to Rukum

Post Report

NEPALGUNJ, March 31;Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), the national flag carrier, will soon resume flights on Salleri airport of Rukum district.

The decision by RNAC has relieved the passengers who were fearing that no flights would be operated to the airport following the Maoist attack last Friday night.

The Maoist rebels’ attack left the airport with partial damage so the flights can not be resumed until it is well-guarded, said Ganeshman Barun, the Manager at RNAC branch offiice in Nepalgunj.

The Maoist rebels attacked six government offices in Salleri and Serigaon on Friday night. Chaurajhari, another airport in the district has not been operational ever since the Maoist attacked it four months ago.

Terhathum sans high rank officials

By Leela Ballabh Ghimire

DHANKUTA, March 31:Terhathum district, where security forces gunned down around three dozen Maoists in an encounter a month ago, is now devoid of the Chief District Officer (CDO) and District Senior Police (DSP) for a month. In such a state, the district populace interprets the situation as leading a life vulnerable to risk, saying that the district heads have fled to safer places, leaving them in the lurch and neglecting their responsibilities.

As informed by the Regional Administration Office, Dhankuta, Ram Prasad Ghimire had left for the capital, Kathmandu for his treatment on five-day leave and has not turned up as yet. In order to regulate administrative works in his absence, Taranath Upadhyaya, Acting CDO of the district is undertaking the responsibilities of the CDO, it is learnt.

"I have been assuming the role of the CDO, however, in the absence of a DSP, I am facing a tough time in terms of performing my duties," said Ghimire. It is known that After Ali Ansari, the DSP of the district has been transferred from the district a month ago, he has not been replaced as yet. "What can be more startling than this that a Maoist-hit district is devoid of its chiefs?" questioned Bhawani Khapung, the CPN-UML Secretary of the District Committee, in the district. He further stated that he has apprised the concerned authority of the deteriorating situation that the district is going through.

The absence of the two district heads has also irked and vexed the guardians of the students appearing in the SLC examination on security concerns and its smooth operation.

The populace in the district says that the so-called politicians in the district have now gone for hibernation owing to impending fears of Maoists attacks. As to how they will live their lives in a district that can give no guarantees for security, remains their unsolved question that only god can answer.