Pop singer Bhattarai performs solo in city

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KATHMANDU, April 20:Popular Nepali singer Nabin K Bhattarai today performed a solo musical concert at the Birendra International Convention Centre, New Baneswor to raise funds for the support of the Nationwide Scholarship Programme (NSP).

The concert was organised by the Society of Ex-Budhanilkantha Students (SEBS) to raise fund for the scholarship programme. Under the programme, SEBS offers scholarships to more than 300 bright and needy students all over the country, states a press release issued here today.

The prominent singer performed his 12 widely popular songs along with a band. Singer Bhattarai himself is an SEBS member and has contributed to the SEBS in the past by actively participating in its various activities.

SEBS, aside from giving scholarship, funds various social activities like free health camps, blood donation programmes and many others, the release further states.

Suraj Dahal, SEBS President, said the ex-students’ organisation is planning to provide scholarship to 100 deserving and genius students during the next four years’ time.

SEBS, a non-profit and non-governmental organisation, is running with the contribution from its members who live in thirty different countries with the vision of serving the Nepalese society.

Banepa-Bardibas road Construction in progress

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SINDHULI, April 20:The work of black topping is being carried out in the second section of the Banepa-Bardibas road at Kamalamai municipality area of Sindhulimadhi-Khurkot segment, said sources here.

Out of the total 39 kilometres stretch of the Sindhulimadhi-Khurkot section of the road, the construction works on 12.5 kilometers part is almost over and black topping has also reached the final stage, as informed by a construction official involved in the work.

The construction works on Banepa-Nepalthok, the third section of the road is in progress in some parts while black topping is over and vehicles are already plying on the other completed parts of the road. It is also learnt that a final survey study is yet to come out and that an agreement is due to be made with a Japanese Construction Company for the construction of Khurkot-Nepalthok, the third section of the road.

As informed by Shrestha Construction, the work of constructing bridges on the rivulets that fall in the first phase on Sindhuli-Khurkot section of the road, is already over.

"The construction work on Sindhuli-Khurkot section of the road would have been completed two months back had the ongoing work not been interrupted by many obstacles which included a delay in the distribution of compensation to people displaced due to the construction of the road, strikes called by the Maoists and others," said Ashok Shrestha, the Chief of Shrestha Construction.

The Banepa-Bardibas road will be the shortest highway linking the capital with the eastern plain of the country after the construction completes.

Electricity illuminates two villages 

By Rajendra Manandhar

DOLAKHA, April 20:Two rural villages in the district, Bulungkhani and Khopa, consisting of around 77 families, are now enjoying the facilities of electricity supply, known as a luxury in villages.

he electricity facility lit up the villages earlier this month. According to an official, the peltric set installed in Bulungkhani produces four kilowatts of electricity while the other at Khopa generates three kilowatts.

"As the electric lights lit up the villages replacing the old funny oil fueled lamps, some of the villagers spent the whole night on the first day of electrification watching with awe the bright glowing of their village," said Dan Bahadur Shrestha, Chairman of the Peltric Set Group, Bulungkhani, at a press conference organised in Charikot.

"The villagers thought some kind of magic had been worked out," said Shrestha.

"The locals in the village had volunteered with labour worth Rs. 72,692 for the electrification campaign and the locals will soon start some income generating works with the help of the electricity," said Bir Bahadur Shrestha, Manager of the Peltric Set Group.

The cost of the recent electrification campaign in Bulungkhola is estimated to be Rs. 215, 000 and that at Khopa is placed at Rs.2 97,500 with voluntary labour contributed by the locals in both villages.

The electrification campaign in the villages was assisted by the Alternate Energy Promotion Centre, a Local Development Fund and the concerned Village Development Committee.

Maoist suspect in Indian clinic 

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LUCKNOW, April 20:The Indian police, in its drive to arrest wounded Maoist rebels said to be undergoing treatment in different Indian hospitals and clinics, are keeping strict vigil on a Maoist suspect named Bipana. Bipana is undergoing treatment at a private clinic in Gomati Nagar of Lucknow City in India, under police custody.

The patient bears bullet wounds on her thigh and stomach and the police are not sure if the wounded person is a Maoist, while the patient, in a coma and undergoing treatment, has not gained consciousness even after a week.

As informed by a Lucknow-based crime reporter of The Hindustan Times, the name of the patient in the clinic is registered as Bipana and her address is given as Kathmandu. She has no guardians to look after her.

While contacting Ranabir, a Public Relations Officer at the Lucknow-based Police Office, the Indian Police have already extradited eight wounded rebels to Nepal and handed them over to security personnel and there are no more Maoist rebels in its custody, at present. It is also learnt that the Indian Police have been launching massive raids in suspected Indian regions to haunt down Maoist rebels hiding in India.

Women empowerment workshop concludes

RSS

BIRATNAGAR, April 20:A workshop on "Women in Politics : Problems and Necessities" was held here Friday under the aegis of South Asia Partnership (SAP) of Nepal.

The workshop aimed at stirring up a debate on the need for increasing women’s involvement in decisive level in the local as well as national politics and on the problems thereon.

On that occasion, ex-minister and Member of Parliament Kamala Panta emphasised on the need to provide reservation to 33 percent of female population in the decision making level until they reached in a position to compete with their male counterparts.

Terming the formulation of laws pertaining to domestic violence, equal rights on parental property and control on girls trafficking and formation of national women commission as milestones on the way to empowering women she noted that there remained its implementation to the letter.

Morang District Development Committee (DDC) President Khadga Bahadur Basnet called for freeing the society from the conservative mind set and feudalism in order to empower women

Executive Director of SAP Nepal Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepal, from the chair, said the status of women could not be improved unless and until they were involved in policy making level.

A host of speakers including Nepal Women Association, Morang District Vice-Chairperson Shanta Rijal called on civil society not to look down women just on the basis of their physical strength.

Suggestions made during the discussions were presented at the conclusion of the second session chaired by General Secretary of Women Development Association of Biratnagar Tara Sharma.

The workshop was participated in by some 90 women activists, social workers, law practitioners.

Bride refuses to accept groom at marriage altar

By Rabindra Upreti

MAHOTTARI, April 20:A young girl of Matihani of Simanta Village Development Committee (VDC) -5 challenged an age-long marriage tradition rejecting the bridegroom who was more than twice of her age.

In most parts of the country, the groom is arranged by the parents and the bride accepts him. Nitu Mandal, 15, the bride-to-be, rejected outright to accept the bridegroom, aged 32, when she first saw him at the altar where the marriage ceremony was arranged.

"I will not marry this old man," announced Nitu when she saw the bridegroom hailing from Chutar of India, 15 km south of Matihani.

A commotion grew among the attendants of the ceremony, following the refusal of the bride to go through the marriage ceremony, which was a new case, and the first of its kind in the area.

Although the bridegroom’s family forced the bride’s family to put her in the marriage ceremony, a few of bride’s relatives believed it would be better not to carry on the scheduled marriage ceremony.

"The marriage procession from the bridegroom’s side had put pressure to perform the marriage ritual at any cost, charging that not doing so was a severe insult to them on their part, but I did not bend to their pressure," said the mother of the bride, who believes that the forceful marriage will have a negative impact on the life of her daughter.

The marriage procession returned after the bride’s side compensated them with cash amounting to Rs. 5,600 as transportation expenses and other costs.

"They put pressure on me to pay them the sum," said Nitu’s father who earns living for his family from a small tea stall in bus stand of Matihani. "I paid the sum taking loan from others because for me, my daughter’s life is more valuable than the money."

"The revolution of brave Nitu is an example to all females in the region to be aware of and to fight for their rights," said Shiva Shankar Shah, a local teacher.

257 killed in 4 months in western region

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POKHARA, April 20:The so-called people’s war being waged by the outlawed Maoist rebels has claimed 257 lives in the western region of the country in the past four months, as revealed by statistics issued by the Informal Service Sector Centre (INSEC), Western Region Office.

The report issued by INSEC puts those killed by the state as 193 rebels, three political activists and five from among the public. The statistics show that Maoist rebels have killed seventeen police personnel, seven army personnel, twelve political activists and five each from among teachers and public representatives.

The INSEC report further states that fifteen got wounded falling prey to ambush laid by the Maoists, 29 brutally beaten up and ten kidnapped by Maoist rebels within the period. With relevance to the government’s role, it has arrested 876 people in the region, states the report.

It also states further that a total of 515 Maoist rebels from the region have surrendered to security personnel, so far.

The human right watch-dog yesterday released the report of the same period of fat western region in Mahendranagar. That report revealed that 358 people were killed during last four months in the region.

Destiny’s Children : 5 children of family suffer miserably due to no causes of their own

By Lilanath Ghimire

SINDHULI, April 20:The tragedies of life can sometimes be mystifying and cruel, and the suffering that befalls children can be worse, especially when forsaken or losing their parents. Sad cases of such a misdemeanor sometimes occur which chills the heart of the observer and even the listener of such a melancholic tale in real life, not to talk of the sufferer’s agonies.

The five children of a tragedy stricken family at Kamalamai municipality-5 of Sindhuli district have been going through such an odyssey in life for more than three months as they are missing their mother, the sole guardian of the family.

The minors, named Rajani Thapa, 3, Sudip Thapa, 5, Anjana Thapa, 10, Subash Thapa, 12 and Dipa Thapa, 15, all members of the same family had lost their father Surya Bahadur Thapa, an ex-army man, two years ago when he breathed his last due to heart attack. The family since then had been staying at Milahchok of Kamalamai municipality in a rented house, under the patronage of the mother.

However, the unfortunate children are now in a state of extreme misery after the loss of their mother, the sole guardian. The mother, who had gone to Kathmandu to arrange for scholarships, granted to the children of ex-army personnel, has not returned, even after three months and they are now weary of waiting for their mother, said the sad children.

"Three months have already passed by waiting for mother. Now neither mother comes nor is there any message from her," said Deepa Thapa, the eldest child of the family, with tearful eyes. "However, our infant sister Rajani and we all expect the arrival of mother each evening, but the dream does not seem to be materializing," added a sad Deepa.

Hearing the plight of the children, Ambar Deep Devkota, a social worker has managed some assistance for the helpless family by requesting the Red Cross office in the district.

"We are helping to feed the family and fulfil their basic needs by collecting donations from among members and also from the locals," Janak Dhakal, the Deputy Secretary of the Red Cross branch office in the district said. "This sort of help does not bring a permanent solution and it will be extended until a proper solution to the problem is found."

Dhakal said that he was ready to take the charge of raising a child and hoped that the minors’ troubles would be reduced if anybody came forward for the good welfare of the children.

"How long will others support such a large family and how am I to bring up my brothers and sisters?" questions Deepa, the eldest, on her ill fate.