NCO provides shelter to five children

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KATHMANDU, Feb 22: The Nepal Children’s Organisation (NCO), the government-owned organisation working in the field of children’s welfare, has recently taken charge of providing shelter to five children now living in different jails of the country.

According to a press release issued here today, NCO and Department of Jail Management (DJM) signed an agreement in October last year, and also had launched a Children Welfare Centre at Siphal of the capital since November 20. Bindra Man Rai from NCO and Gobinda Khanal from DJM and Binod Prasad Upadhyay from the Central Jail signed in separate agreement papers.

The new children who have arrived at NCO Kathmandu are Sagar Rai, Bikas Tamang, Laxmi Dong, Dipesh Moktan and Narayan BK.

Including the new five children, NCO is now taking care of 38 children.

Two girls allegedly commit suicide

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BHAKTAPUR, Feb 22: Binu Nima Fukai, 9-year-old, daughter of Sita Ram Fukai of Suryamani, Bhaktapur committed suicide by hanging herself on the ceiling of her room on Thursday morning.

Similarly, 32-year-old, Laxmi Shrestha of Jaya Bageshowri also committed suicide by hanging herself on Wednesday evening, according to the police.

Shrestha was found dead inside her room on Thursday morning. The source added that the reason behind the incidents is still unknown and the police are investigating the case.

Meanwhile, an Indian citizen succumbed to death on Thursday while on the way to hospital after he was seriously injured when a piles of bricks fell over him.

The deceased is identified as, Kishor Sadaya, 14-year-old, who was residing at Tanthali, Bhaktapur and working at Ganesh Brick Factory.

Govt firm to control TB, HIV/AIDS

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 22: A three-day international conference on "TB, HIV and Media" began here today with the objective of raising public awareness of HIV/AIDS and TB so that the lives of many youths of the world could be saved.

A total of 150 persons including representatives of various NGOs from 15 countries, donors, experts and mediapersons are taking part in the conference.

Health Minister Sharat Singh Bhandari inaugurated the conference jointly organised by the TB Net, National Tuberculosis Centre and the SAARC TB Centre.

Stating that media has a great role to play in raising public awareness about such infectious diseases as TB and HIV/AIDS in Nepal which is already facing the problems of backwardness, poverty and illiteracy, Bhandari said Nepal is determined to control TB and HIV/AIDS and the DOTS method for TB treatment is underway.

The Health Minister also promised that the government will implement the suggestions coming out of the conference with high priority.

Minister of State for Health Mohan Bahadur Basnet, from the chair, spoke of the need to take precautions against TB and HIV/AIDS.

Director of the National Tuberculosis Centre and SAARC TB Centre Dr Dirgha Singh Bam remarked that media have a greater role to play in preventing people from dying untimely death.

Correspondent of BBC World Service Peter Gill spoke about the contributions made by the media to the control of TB and AIDS and chief of the geneva-based office of the World Health Organisation L. Vorgan about the present state of these two diseases.

TB/HIV patient Goma complained of the treatment they are meted out by doctors.

Chairman of TB Net Dr John Dickinson, director of the HIV/AIDS and STD Control Centre Dr Shyam Sunder Mishra and Dr Shanta Bahadur Pandey of TB Net also spoke at the function.

At the second session of the conference, BBC World Service correspondent Gill presented a working paper on "Media in TB and HIV" and editor of Nepali Times Kunda Dixit on "Media".

KMC Council meet fixed

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KATHMANDU, Feb 22: The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has set the date of the annual City Council meeting for the seventh time, thanks to the recent unification of two left parities- the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the (ML).

The KMC board meeting held Thursday decided that the Sixth City Council meeting, supposed to be held July last year, would take place in March 17 and 18, said Subhan Kumar Shrestha, KMC ward No. 8 chairman who participated in the meeting.

The City Council was lingering around budget dispute for the last seven months as majority of the city council members was against the proposed budget.

"The recent party unification has resulted in giving an outlet to the long-awaited City Council meeting," said Shrestha.

He said that KMC should go for limited budget, as much as it can utilise. Referring to the past, he said that KMC has only record of using 40 percent of its budget.

"Being ambitious is not enough," he said.

Shrestha led a group of ward chairmen who pressurised the board to discuss on every agenda of the budget.

"The unification suddenly changed the scenario as it weakened the stand friends from CPN-UML," he said.

The City Council meeting will discuss on the budget KMC has spent in the past seven months. Only four months have been left to present budget for the next fiscal year. Whereas, by this time, according to Local Self-Government Act 1999, a budget review meeting would have been taken by January.

Democracy Day observed abroad

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 22: Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations, and Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Switzerland Dr Shambhu Ram Simkhada hosted a reception in Geneva recently on the occasion of the 52nd National Democracy Day.

Nepalese nationals living in Switzerland and friends of Nepal were present on the occasion.

On the occaison of National Democracy Day, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to France Indra Bahadur Singh and Ishwari Singh also hosted a reception recently.

French parliamentarians, government officials, ambassadors of the SAARC countries, friends of Nepal and Nepalese residing in Paris attended the reception.

Similarly, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany Balram Singh Malla and Jamuna Malla hosted a reception in Berlin recently to mark the 52nd National Democracy Day.

Friends of Nepal, Nepalese residing in Berlin and Nepali students had taken part in the reception.

Reports of sporadic violence pouring in

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KATHMANDU, Feb 22: Reports of sporadic violence are pouring in from different parts of the kingdom on the completion of the first day of the two-day nationwide general strike called by the outlawed underground Maoist rebels.

A policeman died instantly and another sustained serious injury trapped in an ambush set by Maoists today in the headquarters of Dolakha district, Charikot. The deceased has been identified as Daya Ram Shrestha of Hatiya VDC-3, Makwanpur district. The other injured is identified as Arjun Pandey, hailing from Gorkha district.

The deceased and the injured have been airlifted to Kathmandu. The district is under a dawn to dusk curfew for two days, following the ‘strike’ by Maoist rebels.

An incident of death and an assault have been reported in Janakpur Municipality and the remote region of Dhanusha district.

A group of armed bandits murdered Laxman Yadav-40 at Bhutahi-Paterwa, at the northeast of Dhanusha district, as informed by the District Police Office in the district. The police have suspected the murderers to be Maoists.

In another incident, Kulbhushan Sharma, 22, was severely assaulted by an unidentified gang of criminals today. Hit with sharp weapons at Janakpur Municipality-4, the victim was severely attacked all of a sudden when he was having tea in a hotel.

The victim was rushed to the Janakpur Zonal Hospital for treatment while the criminals are still at large.

However, the district witnessed partial impact of the strike today. Shops in the main hub of Janakpur Municipality remained closed while life remained normal in other parts of the district.

News of an assault is reported in Bardia district. The rebels severely beat up and injured Dhan Singh Pariyar, a cadre of Nepali Congress at Dalla of Surya Patuka VDC of this district. Meanwhile, a patrolling security team defused a country-made bomb planted by rebels in the Carcass of a dog, in Magargadi VDC of the district.

A bridge at Ranaura, around 10 kilometres west of Butwal was partially damaged when Maoist rebels blasted a country-made bomb, Thursday night. The rebels had also hurled a bomb at the Ranger Post, near the bridge, however no other damages have been reported.

Maoist rebels in Rautahat district set ablaze the house of the Chairman of Tejapakad VDC in the district, Thursday night, 21 kilometres west of the district headquarters.

A group of armed rebels took all the persons out of the house, and set it ablaze by sprinkling petrol. However, nobody was killed or injured in the incident. According to a family source, the rebels were looking for Narad Singh, the chairman, and he was saved as he was luckily out of the house.

Dawn to dusk curfew is reported in Lamjung and Udayapur districts.

Over a thousand passengers are reported to have been left stranded as flights from Nepalgunj to various destinations have been cancelled today on account of the strike.

The National flag carrier, Royal Nepal Airlines and other private airlines have ceased operations to various destinations from Nepalgunj like Dolpa, Dhangadi, Bajura, Bajhang, Mahendranagar and Simikot following untoward actions from rebels.

Humla district saw no impact of the strike, while districts like Siraha, Dang, Bara and Parbat, were partially affected by the strike, till late evening today.

Apart from these, life in other parts of the district has remained normal. In most of the other districts, no vehicle plyed on the roads and shops and educational institutions remained closed.

‘Auto Engineering Village’ comes up in Butwal

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BUTWAL, Feb 22: Butwal Municipality is wearing a new look, and its environment has freshened up after several automobile workshops were shifted from crowded areas to what is being called a "Auto Engineering Village".

"As per an agreement reached among the Municipality, the Butwal Auto-Engineering Association and the Transportation Entrepreneurs, most of the workshops and garages of the municipality have been shifted to a well-managed Auto Engineering Village," said Deputy Mayor Bimal Shakya.

Shakya hopes that such villages will be replicated in many other parts of the country. " It took around two and half years to set up the infrastructure for the Auto Engineering Village. We hope that this will stand as an example to the rest of the country," said Shakya.

The auto village is located at ward-4 of the Municipality on the banks of Tinau River.

Over 100 garages and workshops used to operate in the main areas of Butwal, spoiling the Municipality’s outlook as well as polluting its atmosphere.

"The garage and workshop owners as well as transport entrepreneurs are glad to have a permanent and well-managed site to run their business," said Khadga Bahadur Gautam, Chairman of Butwal Auto Engineering Association.

The Auto Engineering Village, stretching over 13 bighas of land, is equipped with basic facilities such as electricity, water, communication network and access road.

It is learnt that the Municipality invested about two and half crore rupees, and the Butwal Auto Engineering Association 13 crores to set up the Village.

Witch doctor Niraula is a big draw

By Dharma Prasad Poudel

TAPLEJUNG, Feb 22: He doesn’t think much of modern scientific methods adopted to cure mental diseases. He thinks psychiatry is a futile way of treating psychological disorders, and he would rather rely on the rituals of his witch-craft profession. Meet Devi Prasad Niraula, a witch doctor from Deulinge of Funglig VDC.

"As advised by the government, whenever mental patients come to me, I ask them to approach the district hospital. But when their condition gets worse, they come back to me. I have never failed to cure any of my patients," says a boastful Niraula who has been practising witchcraft for 38 years.

"He is a really busy person, and it is very difficult to get his time for treatment. People from near and far come with patients to visit him every day," says a neighbour.

Niraula is happy with his flourishing profession. "I don’t have a fixed charge for patients, I am satisfied with whatever they give, in cash or in kind," says the shaman. "Some guardians have even given me five to six thousand rupees for curing their wards.

Niraula cuts quite a popular figure in his locality, and to some extent, outside it. He says he studied the black art in the Vedas rigorously before taking up the profession

Meanwhile, Khagendra Prasad Dahal, a physician at the district hospital, says his hospital is woefully inadequate in treating mental ailments due to the lack of equipment and medicines. That’s more good news for witch doctor Niraula.

Recruitment to Indian Gorkha Army begins

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BESHISAHAR, Feb 22: Hundreds of youths have arrived here seeking to join the Indian Gorkha Army. The recruitment camp began here today under the authority of the Gorkha Recruiting Depot of Gorakhhpur, and the Ex-Indian Gorkha Army Development Committee of Lamjung district.

"Youths from the five districts of Gandaki zone can apply here for employment in the Indian Gorkha Army," said Captain Lal Bahadur Gurung, Chairperson of the Lamjung committee.

The new recruits will be selected by a 12-member team led by Colonel S Pal Singh, which arrived here Wednesday. "We are holding the recruitment camp here to make it easy for the candidates," said Singh. "This will save money and time for them."

Earlier, the recruitment camp used to be held at the district of Gorakhpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The aspirants will be going through the usual physical and written test, as well as medical check-up during the 10-day camp.

The camp has also proved to be a blessing in disguise for the local hoteliers. "The hotels and lodges here are packed due to the camp," said Purna Chandra Regmi of a local hotel.