Cooperation vital to prevent drug abuse in SAARC region 

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:The sub-regional countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are facing a common problem of drug abuse in a similar way. This was specified by the country reports of these countries presented by the respective delegates of South Asian Association for Regional Corporation (SAARC) during the three-day workshop on "Drug Abuse Control", organised by the Ministry of Home, Department of Narcotics and Disaster Management.

The most drug-affected area is the South Asian region. There are several reasons for drugs being abused and trafficked in these regions. The region lies between the ‘Golden Triangle’ and ‘Golden Crescent’, which is the world’s largest opium-producing area.

India, having a low cost of production and favourable climatic conditions, is the world’s largest licit opium-producing country. This has led to the misuse of opium. Marijuana and hashish produced in India, Pakistan and Nepal, known to be of better quality, have been replacing the drugs from around the world, including Morocco, which produces these drugs in high quantity.

The country report of Nepal, presented at the workshop, that concluded yesterday, stated that the main drug of abuse is cannabis followed by Codeine-based cough syrup, Opiates, Buprenorphine and heroin. All these drugs are easily available from local dealers, small shops selling medicinal and other goods or from across the border in the Indian market.

According to Dr. Nirakar Man Shrestha, psychiatrist and director, Mental Hospital, the sale and misuse of prescribed drugs by chemist/druggist and the people in general have been increasing at an alarming rate. This is mainly due to the improper training by Department of Drug Administration, forged prescriptions, multiple dispensing on one prescription, non-implementation of existing regulations, unlimited and unplanned number of retail outlets, sale by unauthorised persons, cross-border smuggling and mainly due to inadequate number of inspectors and inspections. There is only one inspector to inspect a thousand retail outlets.

Drug traffickers are usually citizens of these sub-regional countries who work for people outside the sub-region. Major substance to be trafficked from the region is Methaqualone and pharmaceutical preparations such as opium, hashish, cannabis, Buprenorphine and Codeine-based syrups.

Nepal has an easy access to wildly grown cannabis and marijuana which is trafficked to western Europe and to India through the open border and then shipped to other parts of the world.

Deputy-Inspector General of Police, Kumar Koirala, while presenting his paper stated that although drugs were not a matter of serious concern to the Maldives and Bhutan, it could affect these countries if the sub-region countries are used as a transit route for drug trafficking. For this reason, the co-operation between the agencies of SAARC region, both governmental and non-governmental organisation is required.

Studying the present situation of the countries, the governments and NGOs of sub-regional countries have been very active in the field of drug abuse control. In Nepal, legal efforts have been made by HMG to control the situation of drugs. Hectares of land with illicit drug cultivation have been destroyed.

As for the main agenda, "Networking arrangement among the Law Enforcement Agencies of SAARC", adoption of recommendation was held on the final day. They suggested that for effective networking, SAARC Drug Offence Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) should be strong. They further opined that the regular exchange of information, developing and periodically updating a directory of SAARC Law Enforcement Agencies, developing a regional database, convening of meetings of the nodal officers, at least once a year, would help better networking among the SAARC members.

They also argued that, to prevent the illicit use of drugs, the governments of all member-countries should have a strong policy to the use of precursor chemicals; legal restrictions should be framed for import, export, manufacture and transport of narcotics and psychotrophic substances; limiting the use of alcohol and tobacco and recording sales by retailers. However, the problem cannot be tackled if no moral and civic values can be developed in people, said the delegates.

They also discussed what the government and the NGOs can do to prevent the drug abuse. It was deemed that the government has to have a facilitative role in areas like service and funding, evaluation and monitoring and capacity building. They also suggested that the role of the NGOs should be in community education, media campaigns, street counselling, self-help groups, special treatment service and drop-in centres and half-way houses, and that the network of SAARC nation NGOs should be highly communicative.

Pilot projects for former Kamaiyas need follow-ups  

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:Pilot projects working for the upliftment of former Kamaiyas and Kamlahari cannot bring about any results if there is no follow up. Many such projects, involved in various development areas do not feel a sense of accountability for long-lasting results after the project has been phased out. According to Social Welfare Council, there are around 13,000 NGOs in Nepal.

The pilot project on the "Action Programme for Working Children of Former Kamaiyas and Alternative Livelihood and Rehabilitation Initiatives (PRO-KAMLAHARI)", in operation for the last 18 months, achieved the goal of educating and giving vocational training to former Kamaiyas.

It also addressed the increasing child-labour from among ex-Kamaiyas and their socio-economic status. A joint venture of Rural Reconstruction Nepal (RRN) and International Labour Organisation (ILO), the project claims to have minimised child-labour and increased enrolment of children to schools.

The programme identified 800 working children (mostly Kamlahari), in the age group 14 to 16 years for Out of School Programme (OSP) in eight districts. Of the 800 children, 300 in the age group 6 to 9 years were supported for direct enrolment in the schools, while OSP classes were conducted for 500 grown-up working children.

Questions thus arise once the 18 months programme is complete, as to what the fate of these children will be, in the absence of any follow-up after the programme has been phased out.

"In Dang, ex-Kamaiyas were provided training on automobile and motorcycle repair but they might not be able to approach customers to earn their livelihood. This situation needs follow-up programmes," says Dr. Neeraj Joshi, Consultant. Other vocational and skill development training to 200 graduates includes house-wiring, automobile (motor- bike repair), sewing and cutting, cooking and beauty parlour training.

"Programmes which are time-bound lead to no further follow-ups and can bring the target groups back to the same socio-economic level they were in before," said Yuvraj Khatiwada of National Planning Commission. He further said that not just NGOs, but the government, civil society and others should be equally responsible to take initiative for sustainable overall development of programmes.

Shankar Dhungana, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Land Reforms and Management said that though various programmes have been initiated by various NGOs in the same district and for the same target groups, no clear results have emerged. "This can further lead to duplication of work," he adds.

Pointing out the obstacles, Dr. Joshi said that only 800 children could be incorporated in the programme. Further, the programme had to be prolonged due to various emerging situations in the targeted districts. Meanwhile, Kapilvastu, Nawalparasi and Rupandehi had no proper data on the ex-Kamaiyas, which became an obstacle to launch the programme, Arjun Kumar Karki, President of RRN adds.

The website www.panasia.org.sg states former Kamaiyas (bonded labour) number 15,152 households in Nepal, according to the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management.

Minister urges parties for deliberations on royal move 

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Badri Narayan Basnet today urged political parties to give up their protest packages and work out to correct the October-4 royal proclamation, if they think the move was a ‘constitutional error’.

" If all the six parties consider the October 4 proclamation to be a wrong move constitutionally, why should they hold divided opinions on how to amend it?" Minister Basnet enquired.

Inaugurating the Second National Convention of the Association of the Employees of Timber Corporation, Nepal, here on Monday, Minister Basnet lambasted the ongoing series of protest programmes of the political parties in the recent days against the royal move.

"They are carrying out protests for protest sake" he said adding "They have unity to protest the royal proclamation but why they lack consensus to develop the nation," he asked.

"The king, the government and the political parties together should search for a solution to the present crisis, otherwise there may occur a "greater accident" in the country", the Forest Minister warned.

He also alleged the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) of running after a "competition for power" and of being responsible for the royal take over.

He remarked there was no compatibility between their protests and behaviours following the royal proclamation.

"For the first week after the October 4 royal move, they frequently visited the palace, and commenced the protests only later on. Why did not they come to streets immediately the very next day of the royal address, if they thought the move was a wrong one?," he enquired the major political parties in the country.

The Forest Minister also announced that the ministry would provide due amounts to the employees of the Timber Corporation (TCN) who had been given golden hand shake last year. The government-owned corporation responsible for buying and selling timbers of the government-managed forests in the country, laid off 50 percent of its staff but were deprived of promised amounts for the retired staffers.

Chandi Prasad Shrestha, secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, urged the TCN to help do auditing that remained due for more than five years, by the end of this year.

Chairman of TCN Employees’ Association Dhruba Khanal alleged the TCN of giving refuge to corrupt administrators in the office. He was critical of forest offices in different districts for their involvement in deforestation. Other speakers at the programme demanded the government not to overlap TCN’s jurisdictions.

PADT for transparency at Pashupati Temple 

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:Priests at the Pashupatinath Temple are not cooperating with the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), as the Trust is demanding transparency in the donations made by worshippers at the temple, disclosed member-secretary of PADT Basanta Chaudhary today.

"A set of regulations was passed in 1998 to ensure that donations collected at the temple were channelled for development activities. However, lack of cooperation from the priests has rendered the effort futile," said Chaudhary.

Chaudhary also appealed to media workers to assist the Trust in its fight to bring about transparency in the temple and inspire the development efforts being undertaken by the Trust.

"Pujas worth Rs 500 to Rs 1,100,000 are performed in the temple. This means hundreds of millions of rupees in donation revenues annually. It is sad that this money is not at all utilised in development activities," said Chaudhary.

PADT framed a 10-year master plan in 1996 to instigate an ambitious project of developing the Pashupati area. The project cost was initially estimated at a little more than Rs 2 billion, of which 23 percent (Rs 466.9 million) is to be procured from the Trust itself.

It is well-known that unlike major temples in India, there is no receipt system at the Pashupatinath Temple. Hence, there are no records as to how much money is collected daily as donations.

During the last four decades, only about Rs. 100,000 was entered yearly as donation revenues. It is obvious that yearly donations at the temple are many times that amount.

Chaudhary said that the task of bringing transparency in the financial donations made at the temple is tough as it is intricately linked with religious and traditional beliefs that are strongly rooted in the psyche of Hindus.

"We have to protect useful traditions. On the other hand, we also have to do away with harmful traditions. Lack of transparency in the temple does not benefit us. We must change this," stressed Chaudhary.

South Asian children’s forum kicks off

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:With the objective of promoting the feeling of unity, secularism and patriotism among the children of South Asian countries, a week-long ‘SAARC Integration Children’s Camp’ got underway here at the capital on Tuesday.

Around 100 children representing Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India are participating in the event at the premises of the capital’s National Scouts office.

Inaugurating the event entitled ‘SAARC Integration Children’s Camp’, Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha said that such a forum would help foster mutual understanding and cooperation, and enhance the spirit of brotherhood in the region.

Baikuntha Das Shrestha, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sports hoped that the camp would provide real experience to the children and broaden their understanding about Nepal during their stay.

The main objective of organising the event is to promote the feeling of national unity, secularism and patriotism among the children belonging to different background and religions, said Jnan Maity, the chief organiser of the event. "The camp is also expected to broaden the outlook and arouse the interest of the children in academic and socio-cultural activities."

"I wish to learn more about Nepal and talk to as many Nepali friends as possible during my stay in Nepal," said Anwita Nandi Chaudhary, a ninth-grader of India’s Bidhan Nagar Government High School, who arrived in the capital representing her country. "But I find it very difficult to communicate with my Nepali friends as they seem to know very little English," she added.

Mega drinking water project planned for Beni

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MYAGDI, Dec 24 : Small Town Sanitation and Drinking Water Project (STSDWP), a government undertaking, has started preliminary studies on a ‘mega project’ to provide drinking water facility to Beni, headquarters of Myagdi district.

Pumdi Khola Mega Drinking Water Project (PKMDWP) which aims to fulfil the long-term water needs of Beni is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) on loan basis.

PKMDWP organised a discussion programme in the headquarters on Sunday to highlight various aspects of the project. PKMDWP sources disclosed that Nepal Investment and Scientific Services (NISS) and Nepal Rural Development Organisation (NRDO) were responsible for the implementation of the project and that a PKMDWP office has been established in Beni.

It was disclosed that 50 percent of the cost of the project would be borne by STSDWP, 30 per cent by the City Development Fund and the rest by the consumer’s committee. The loan from the ADB is to be cleared within 15 years of the completion of the project, according to Prem Krishna Shrestha, engineer at STSDWP.

A survey by the District Drinking Water Office (DDWO) shows that the cost of the water project to be around 50 million rupees, according to Amod Dhital, an engineer at DDWO.

By the time, the PKMDWP is completed; Beni will have a well-planned sewerage system, informed sources at the programme.

"Since the consumers are actively involved in the practical aspects of the project, it may be completed in a short period," said Hari Krishna Shrestha, a member of the Consumer’s Committee expressed the commitment on behalf of the consumers.

‘Non-cooperative’ Indian cop suspended

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BANKE, Dec 24:An Indian senior police officer has been suspended for his non-co-operation for the treatment of a Nepali policeman injured during the Maoist attack on a border police post in Koilabas, Dang. Six policemen were killed and seven others injured when the rebels raided the police post on Wednesday.

One of the seriously injured policemen was rushed to Indian border town of Jaraba for treatment. However, policeman Ganesh Karki died of excessive bleeding four hours after the shootout due to the non-cooperation by the Jaraba-based police station.

Quoting a high-ranking Indian police officer, Monday’s Lucknow edition of Hindustan Daily said senior sub-inspector, Sadanada Singh, deputed at the Jaraba police station, was suspended on charges of his non-co-operation with the seriously injured Nepali policeman. Karki breathed his last for want of immediate treatment.

Earlier, authorities of both the countries, during a joint meeting, had agreed to extend mutual co-operation with each other in case the Maoist rebels attacked the police station located in isolated border area of Koilabas.

Death toll of viral influenza reaches 14

JUMLA, Dec 24 (PR) - The epidemic spread of viral influenza that started in remote Jumla district since mid-November, has claimed two more lives on Monday raising the death toll to 14.

Over 16,000 are infected with the disease in several parts of the district, according to a source at the district hospital.

Absence of medicines and adequate manpower in the hospital has further compounded the situation, according to sources at the hospital. Presently, the health workers from INF, an NGO are attending to the victims.

The disease has seriously affected many from VDCs like Dilli Chaur, Guthi Chaur, Patmara, Bumbhra Chaur, Kanaka Sundari, Chanda Nath Mahat, Kartik Swami and Depalgaon and others.

"Though the hospital has the provision for three doctors, not a single one is present," said Dal Bahadur K.C., in-charge at the Chhama Chaur Health Post.

"An employee is sent to the Regional Hospital Nepalgunj to fetch drugs," said Bimal Raj Achrya, the Chief District Officer (CDO).

Two rebels killed in Sangkhuwasabha

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KATHMANDU, Dec 24:Two Maoists were killed in an encounter with the security forces on regular patrol in Sangkhuwasabha district on Monday morning, according to security sources. The unidentified Maoists were shot dead in Chewa Besi of Khandbari municipality. The security forces recovered a home-made gun, two socket bombs and donation receipts from the site of encounter.

A report from Dang said that the rebels abducted three locals from Hapur Village Development Committee (VDC) on Monday. The kidnapped people have been identified as Pushkar B.K., Ram Bahadur B.K. and Suresh B.K. According to their family members, the rebels abducted them when they were going to India for work.

Meanwhile, our reporter in Dolakha said that the Maoist rebels have recently issued circular warning almost all the VDC secretaries against providing recommendations to the people leaving their villages for overseas employment. Since the beginning of the Maoist insurgency none of the locals can obtain citizenship certificates and passport without the recommendations by the secretary of the concerned VDC.

Some of the VDC secretaries said that the rebels have told them to issue such recommendations only to persons who are over 50 years of age. They said that the rebels adopted this strategy after a large number of youths began fleeing homes to escape from forced-recruitment by the Maoists.

Low wages for Nepali labourers

PITHAURAGHADH (India), Dec 24 (PR) - Nepalese are facing difficulty finding well-paying jobs in Pithauragadh, an Indian border town, due to a major increase in their numbers. With the increasing flight of Nepalese from mid- and far-western Nepal to Pithauragadh, the labour wage has dipped sharply.

"Where once we were paid IRs 160 in the past, we get IRS 30 now and finding employment has become difficult," said Jeet Bahadur Bista, from Baitadi.

"Though we are struggling for jobs here, our mind is in our villages. The adverse security situation back home forced us to come here in search of a livelihood. We are waiting for peace to prevail so that we can go back to our own lands," said a displaced Nepali.

Rebel woman arrested with socket bomb in Dang

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DANG, Dec 24:Security personnel acting on a tip-off arrested a Maoist woman armed with a socket bomb from Kwadi of Tribhuvan municipality-9 today. The arrested is identified as Asha Chaudhari, according to Purna Singh Khadka, Superintendent of Police.

Meanwhile, our report from Bhojpur states that the employees of government offices in the district are terrorised by telephone calls from a Maoist rebel. The rebel identifying himself as Shisir often calls the government offices involving monetary transaction and demands money, said sources.

"The rebel demands donations ranging from three hundred thousand rupees to six hundred thousand rupees from different offices through telephone calls. He has threatened dire consequences in case of failure to meet his demands," said the Chief of a government office.

In absence of a caller Id facility, the caller could not be traced, said a source.

In yet another report from Baglung, Maoist rebels have released Chakrapani Sharma, the secretary of Tangram VDC, today after five days of abduction. They have warned him about involvement in the VDC works, according to Sharma. Sharma was abducted from the meeting hall of the Village Council.

"The rebels took me to an unknown place and told me not to do any work that are assigned to an elected representative," said Sharma.

School inspectors idle for two years

By Ishwori Neupane 

GORKHA, Dec 24:Resource persons chosen from the staff of schools have been functioning in the resource centres of many schools here. The school inspectors who are actually supposed to function as resource persons have been remaining idle for two years.

In the 24 resource centres of Gorkha district, resource persons have been chosen by the school themselves, with the eight school inspectors of the District Education Office (DEO), who are the designated resource persons for these schools, functioning as mere government employees at the DEO.

In most other districts, school inspectors are dispatched from the office of the DEO, and only, in case of a shortage of inspectors are resource persons selected from among the teachers of various secondary-level schools.

However, in this district the resource persons in the 24 resource centres have been selected by their respective schools, with the portfolio of the inspectors at DEO has become insignificant.

A school inspector, Chandra Bahadur Baniya says, "What is the purpose of the school inspectors when there are already resource persons for this," and adds, "There should not be two people for the same post, and the office has not been able to provide them any clearly defined work."

According to a letter from the Department of Education, there are provisions for monitoring of the primary and secondary schools to be conducted by the school inspectors. However, in 2001 the Department had come up with the decision that, if due to some reason the post of resource person in the school remains vacant that an inspector selected from among the teachers should fill in position.

The branch officer at the Education Office, Baniya instead questions, "When there are resource persons in all the centres what work can the school inspectors meant for this job do?"

The school inspectors are never present at the field, but prefer to stay home most of the time, laments one of the locals. He noted further, that when the Education Office fails to assign them with responsibilities, government investment in this sector is wasted.

In this regard, the District Education officer, Gyani Yadav reiterates Gorkha is one of the 19 districts where this Comprehensive Programme was conducted. He said that according to the correspondence from the Department of Education the resource, persons have been employed, but the actual duty and responsibility of the school inspectors have not been clearly stated.

Abandoned triplets get relief materials

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BARA, Dec 24:The Chamber of Commerce, Kalaiya, has provided relief assistance to three triplets born on 13 October.

The 26-year-old Parmila Devi, a resident of Auraha VDC ward-5 of Parsa district, and daughter of Sitaram Mahara had given birth to three healthy daughters in a private clinic situated in Kalaiya. The father of Parmila Devi informed The Kathmandu Post correspondent that after her husband came to know about her giving birth to three daughters at a time, he abandoned her.

The Mahara family who were financially unstable could not provide all that were required for looking after the mother and her three triplets, so they had approached The Chamber of Commerce at Kalaiya for some relief assistance.

The secretary of The Chamber of Commerce Kalaiya, Rajkumar Sharaf said to The Kathmandu Post correspondent that, their organisation has provided a blanket and two tins of powdered milk for these babies as relief assistance. The chairman of The Chamber of Commerce Kalaiya, Gajananda Agrawal, had handed over these relief materials to Mahara, the father of Parmila.

Mahara said that he has recently borrowed a sum of Rs. 5,000 for further arrangement of milk and food for the babies and their mother whose health condition is quite sound.

Over 100 families removed from community forestry

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BHAIRAHAWA, Dec 24:The Rupendehi District Forest Office (DFO) on Monday removed more than 100 families who had encroached upon community forestry, holding portraits of Their Majesties and national flags on their huts.

According to Rajan Pokharel, chief at the office, the encroaching people had started building huts inside the community forest, located close to the Karahiya and Shankarnagar Village Development Committees for two days. He said police personnel were mobilised to dismantle the illegally built huts and to remove the encroachers from the jungle area in co-operation with locals living close to the forest.

Police also arrested four people, including ringleader Krishna Bahadur Nepali. Three others involved in the encroachment have been identified as Ram Bahadur Nepali, Bikas Pande and Nandaram Thapa.

Earlier, Krishna Bahadur Nepali was charged with attempting to encroach upon the forest a couple of years ago. Locals associated with forest users’ groups said that the main accused had collected Rs 3,000 in cash from each of the families to erect huts inside the community forestry.