Congress parliamentary body formed

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KATHMANDU,Feb26: President of ruling Nepali Congress, Girija Prasad Koirala has instituted NC parliamentary committee today.

The committee, which has a strong statutory position in the party will be represented by former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, party treasurer Mahanta Thakur, former Deputy Prime Minister Shailaja Acharya and Deputy General Secretary of the party Govindaraj Joshi.

Similarly, General Secretary of the party Sushil Koirala is representing as ex- officio member of the committee.

Similarly, a nine-member-Central Works Performance Committee has been instituted to perform the duties of the Central Working Committee during the time when the CWC is not meeting.

The committee headed by party president Koirala comprises of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Shailaja Acharya, Bashudev Risal, KB Gurung and Govindaraj Joshi while general secretary Sushil Koirala, treasurer Mahanta Thakur and parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba are representing as ex- officio members of the committee.

Code of conduct for journalists endorsed

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LALITPUR, Feb 26 : The International Labour Organisation (ILO) along with the Medialine, Press Council and Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) today endorsed a six-point Code of Conduct for the journalists covering the issues of children.

After a long discussion during a national workshop organised in the capital, the organisers endorsed the Code of Conduct that has basically tried to make the journalists responsively report the issues of the children.

Among the six-point Code of Conduct are – not reporting the news that would hinder child development; not broadcasting or printing the advertisement which could have a negative impact on the children; not promoting child labour; encouraging the children to reveal truth without pressure; and printing the pictures by keeping in mind its seriousness.

Addressing the inaugural session of the workshop, Director of ILO, Leyla Tegmo-Reddy, said the Code of Conduct was crucial for making better and safer heaven for the Nepalese children. "The Code of Conduct, such as the one we are discussing and endorsing today, are milestones in this offensive issue in which we are equal partners," she said.

His Majesty’s Government of Nepal has already ratified the ILO Worst Form of Child Labour Convention No 182 and in order to facilitate the implementation of the Convention, Nepal has been selected by ILO as one of the three pilot countries across the globe to implement a time-bound programme to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

Speaking on the occasion, National Programme Manager of ILO, Yadav Amatya, said the ILO is going to launch a seven-year long time-bound programme in 35 districts of the countries in seven sectors. The sectors as specified by Amatya are child porter, Kamaiya children, rag picker- children, domestic child labour, girls trafficking, children working in mines and carpet factories.

"The ILO is going to take the initiatives to clarify the myths and misunderstanding about the child labour in the society," Amatya said. He also said the ILO is planning to set up child labour cell in each media house of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, FNJ President Suresh Acharya said various media have been misquoting the children’s plight through pictures. He also suggested the Code of Conduct to be more practical and specific on the punishment side. He also said, among the child labourers, the plight of those associated with hotel and transport is far appalling.

President of Press Council, Harihara Birahee, expressed his grief over the escalating Maoist violence that has left black scars on the children. He also did not forget to denounce the Maoists for burning an eight-year-old minor to death last week in the Chitwan district.

"These days, the children’s schools have been developed as storehouse of explosives and bombs, the expenses for children’s education are redirected towards purchasing gunpowder and bullets," Birahee said.

Show cause order to govt on levying fees

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26: The Supreme Court Thursday issued a show cause order to the government in connection with a writ petition that challenged recent government move to levy fees from the lower secondary level.

The order was issued by a single bench of justice Laxman Prasad Aryal.

The writ petition was filed Monday jointly by the advocates Mandira Sharma and Satyanarayan Adhikari. The petition had stated that the government move was against the Constitution and the Nepal Treaty Act which states that international covenants once ratified by the government are as equal as national laws.

International covenants state that it is the responsibility of the government to provide free education up to secondary level without levying any charges. The Seventh Amendment of the Education Act, 2028 which was published in the Nepal Gazette has provided that fees can be charged from the students above lower secondary level.

Before the amendment of the Act, education up to secondary level was said to be free but hefty amount of money was being collected from the student under different headings.

Long awaited Maya Devi temple

to be complete in two months

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 26

The Lumbini Development Trust (LTD) has proposed an ideal scheme to build a temple over the 672 square metres archaeological site where Lord Buddha was born some over 2500 years ago.

Chairman of LTD Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur KC today said the long-awaited temple of Mayadevi would be complete by the coming birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, which is just 66 days away.

"The temple would be complete by the auspicious day," said the Minister, addressing the discussion programme on the latest design of Mayadevi temple, prepared by the Institute of Engineering (IOE).

The IOE today presented the latest design to make the temple on the site, which also has been enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site, claiming that the 9.1 meter high temple structure, being made with 260 metric tonnes of steel will be complete by 26 May, on the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha.

In the past one decade, over half a dozen major designs have been proposed to construct the temple over the ruins of the Mayadevi temple and were rejected one after another by the concerned authorities.

"We will be able to inaugurate the unique temple by the target," said Prof Dr Jeev Raj Pokhrel, the dean of Institute of Engineering, today.

He said that the temple would have two storeys - for the marker stone and another floor for the image of Mayadevi.

According to the latest design, the 28 m by 24m archaeological area will be covered by 14 steel beams and will have a web of cubical sets, all joined with nut-bolts. It will be erected over the site with 1.5 m. deep foundation.

Earlier UNESCO objected to digging any archaeological area for foundation. But the present design took the pretense of digging the surrounding area for water drainage.

He said that UNESCO has allowed us to construct roof and also to dig the ground for foundation.

Engineer Ghanashyam Paudel said the total weight of the structure would be around 260 metric tonnes.

"Despite constrains, the problem of structural design is resolved," he said.

Vice-chairman of LDT Omkar Prasad Gauchan said the new design has tried to follow the guidelines provided by UNESCO and the Department of Archaeology.

Fomer chairman of LDT Lok Darshan Bajracharya said that the temple being designed need some Buddhist structures to make the area appear as a real shrine.

"The possibility of the marker stone being submerged is the major issue but the present extravagance is silent over the problem of drainage," he said.

Cultural Heritage expert of UNESCO Peter Laws refused to comment on the design. "It is too early to comment on the design. We must keep the essence and significance of the heritage site in mind while designing the temple," he said.

Achham and Salyan send alarm bells to Kathmanduites

As the cold wind coupled with the winter rainfall has started to hit the Kantipuri Nagari, the Maoist violence has once again started to send eerie message to the city-dwellers. Though it is still a mere daydream for the rebels, the Kathmanduites have started to think as if they will turn the capital into Achham or Salyan overnight.

The Maoists sent alarm bells to the city-dwellers by calling for a two-day shutdown last week. It was not the end. This single event became enough to prove themselves what the government has labelled them as terrorist. They created uproar and outcry in the capital when they led two fatal incidents – one was the Chabahil Episode and the Gwarko Episode.

While referring to the former, an ordinary porter lost his life after he was seriously injured when a bomb hidden underneath a garbage container in busy thoroughfare of Chabahil Chowk by the Maoists went off. Similarly, it was enough for the already frightened Kathmanduites when they saw a Maoist rebel falling down after receiving army bullets in the broad daylight in Gwarko of Lalitpur.

It was not enough. The city-dwellers were still to bear the brunt of the two-day bandh (shutdown). Not to mention the everyday stuff of tul bombs (banner bombs), occasional masal julus (torch lit rally) and Defence Ministry’s everyday "terrorist" killings. The peculiarity of last week’s shutdown was that it was called at a time when the country was bearing a state of emergency.

Since after the bandh that virtually paralysed the public transport system, shops and education institutions even in the time of emergency, a volley of questions and a smudgy series of doubts kept clinging in the mind of the Kathmanduites.

Whatever is the country’s situation and the government’s counter-insurgency operations, in fact, the "terrorist" activities are multiplying every day of which the capital has not been an exemption.

Every chilly morning starts with the news of killings, explosions and many mores that has been enough to create more of psychological chaos among the Kathmanduites.

The Maoist insurgency that has already cost almost 3,000 lives and ravaged property worth billions of rupees thus has not spared the historic Nagari and the present capital of the unified Nepal. Though the bandhs have been a regular stuff of the communist parties in Nepal, this time’s bandh was of different identity. Because no railing bar of Ratna Park was destroyed and no stone was pelted at the windowpanes of the city people.

The section of the society most affected by the bandh were the daily wage workers who have come to the capital long way from the country suburbs. Worried, troubled and frustrated, the poor were seen leaning on the walls of the chilly streets.

Hope the chill of the rains to come will cool down the mercury of the insurgency and help restore peace in this once-peaceful country. Come the spring season with the bare and dry trees budding and the blooming flowers, let’s pray the country will get a new direction with a permanent cease to the violence and bloodbath. What else the Kathmanduites could think of more than this?

Unofficial curfew in Sindhupalchok

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CHAUTARA, Feb 26: The curfew-like situation prevails in Chautara, the headquarters of Sidhupalchock district as the security forces in the district are in high alert to retaliate any possible Maoist attack.

The government offices and officials are provided with extra security while the special security has been imposed in the surrounding areas of the Royal Nepalese Army barrack and Nepal Police office, according to a security official.

People are prohibited to move after 7 o’clock in the evening. "You can call it unofficial curfew,
but that’s all for the security of the district and the people," said the official asking for anonymity.

The markets of the headquarters are being closed before dusk. "No one knows what will happen? It’s better to close the shops," said a shopkeeper.

Surkhet -Jumla road comes to halt

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SURKHET, Feb 26: With just completing about 10 per cent of road construction, works on the 230-kilometer-long Surkhet-Jumla road has come to a standstill for security reasons. A Chinese construction company, responsible for the construction of 60 per cent of the road, suspended its work following the latest incidents of violence, especially after the Maoist attacks in Achham on February 17.

The postponement of the road construction has resulted in a negative impact over hundreds of labourers. It is speculated that construction of the road, which was lagging behind for decades, would be further delayed. Development experts believe that once the road is linked up to Jumla, it would help boost economy of the most backward Karnali region of the country.

"The Chinese Company has informed us that it would not be able to go ahead with the construction until the government provides security of its workers," said Ram Ayodhya Prasad, the site chief of the road under construction.

Likewise, constriction work on the Kalikot-Jumla section of the road had been suspended about one month ago, citing a shortage of explosives, which are essential for breaking hard rocks on the road. The government is worried that if the contractors are allowed to use explosives in the roads, they could fall at the hands of Maoists.

The Chinese contractor had offered the lowest bid of about Rs. 340 million for the construction of the 132-km section of the road.

The company is supposed to gravel the road and widen modes in several places by end of 2003. But it has finished only 10 per cent of the total work by now, said the Surkhet-Jumla Road Project Office.

"No other contractors would be ready to construction the road in such a low price as the Chinese company has agreed," said Ram Ayodhya. It was planned to link Khalanga, the district headquarters of Jumla within two years.

The World Bank has already agreed to finance over US $ 50 million for the construction of the road, while the government is supposed to allocate about 20 per cent of the total cost.

The government has earmarked about Rs. 400 million for the construction of two bridges over Lohare and Paduka rivers that fall on the Surkhet-Jumla road. Once these bridges are constructed, vehicles can ply on the gravelled road up to Ramghat, about 95-km away from Surkhet, even during the monsoon.

"If the construction work is not finished by end of 2004, the World Bank may not further extend its loan assistance to the government," said Ramesh Biasta, Chief at the Road Maintenance and Development Project.

As the entire Karnali zone is deprived of road links, the government has to spend more than Rs. 120 million from its national coffer for transporting foodstuff there every year.

Draupadi’s saga from rape victim to culprit’s wife

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BIRATNAGAR, Feb 26 : Rape victim’s heart rendering stories are everywhere. Very often, the culprit denies to marry the victim. But what happens if the victim becomes strong enough and adament to reach up the police and press. Meet Draupadi , a rape victim turned culprit’s wife and she has her own saga to say.

Dipak Rajbanshi of Katahari Village Development Committee (VDC) - 3 raped his neighbour Draupadi Rajbanshi in the night of February 8 when she came out of her house to go to the toilet. Some of the villagers claim that they have actually seen Dipak running away while they reached hearing the shouting of Draupadi.

Draupadi couldn’t file the case because of her exam the next day and due to the fear of social hatred, says Bishnu Sharma, the chairperson of District Level Network Against Girl Trafficking. "The health check up was done after a few days and they found no traces of rape," says Sharma.

Police did not arrest Dipak due to the lack of the proofs. "They reported the incident to us only after they were threatened repeatedly by the family of Dipak," says Sharma. The network filed the case in District Court on February 10.

"But the marriage became possible only after the news was published in different newspapers," says Sharma. "It’s all because of the social pressure."

The members of the committee tried to convince Dipak’s parents for the marriage and they suceed only after the police started looking for escaped culprit after the social pressure, according to Sharma.

"I married her only because of the pressure otherwise I wanted to marry a rich girl," said 24-years old Dipak after the marriage ceromony. But he had to sign the legal papers before marriage was over.

"I am happy," said 20-years old Draupadi, "it was the best option infront of me."

"We should run a campaign against the rape and should teach the people not to hide the incidents fearing the social hatred," says Durga Niraula, the coordinator of network.

Air passenger stranded

By Navraj Shahi

JUMLA, Feb 26 : The air service to the remote mountainous district Humla has not resumed yet after it was closed down 6 weeks earlier due to the heavy blizzards.

The close down of the Simikot airport has forced hundreds of air ticket-holders to stay and wait in Nepalgunj. This year Jumla received the heaviest snowfall of last five years.

"We are staying in hotels since a month and running out of money," said Palbadi Bohara of Deha village development committee. Bohara went to Nepalgunj for the treatment of his father-in-law two months ago.

" Possible food shortage is in front of us," said Kali Bahadur Bhandari, the chairperson of the VDC. The helicoptor service is not available in the district.

The only other way to reach the district from Nepalgunj is the 24 hours bus ride to Saphebagar of Accham and 8 days walk from there. Although some of the youngsters have reached the district walking, it has stopped since the bloodiest attack of Maoist in Saphebagar airport and Mangalsen, the headquarters of Accham.

More than 4 quintals of newspapers published from Kathmandu that should have reached Humla have piled up the Nepalgunj airport, said an airport official. "We are uncertain about the resume of the flights," said the official.