Ranipokhari finally getting a facelift

By Razen Manandhar

KATHMANDU, March 15: The 332- year-old artificial water pool of Ranipokhari, built at the heart of the capital, will soon be free of squatters and will be replaced with musical water fountains, lush green garden and picturesque open ground.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has finally decided to demolish the petrol pump, the building with a rooftop cafe and a municipal office as well as a chain of shops on the southern side of the historic Ranipokhari.

KMC received the permission to do so by the cabinet decision of December 20 last year. After waiting for three whole months, it has issued a public notice to vacate the shops and buildings by last Wednesday. But, it has not yet vacated the area.

The shops were given on lease by the government body Auditorium and Public Garden Development Committee (APDC) over a decade ago.

The 81 shop-owners of the area have had an agreement with the APDC, the authority that they pay monthly rent from Rs. 2,000 to 50,000 and would vacate the area when demanded. The committee collects Rs. 12.5 million every year from the shops south of Ranipokhari.

Mayor of Kathmandu Keshav Sthapit said that demolition works would start by next week. He said, "I feel proud to have an opportunity to rebuild the heritage of the city. Actually, I was asking for this permission for the last four years. I’m indebted to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for his right decision,"

According to the designs completed by the KMC, the pond will be free from iron bars, chairs will be added around the pond and additional beauty will be added with grass and flower. There will also be colourful water fountains around the pool that will make the historical area the biggest recreational ground of the city.

The KMC also has a plan to open the road from Bagbazaar to Bhotahity for pedestrians and turn the area into a parking zone where people can park to shop in Ason and Bhotahity.

Sthapit said the pond is a cultural heritage and "it should not be occupied by filthy chicken-sellers, vegetable market and stinking public toilets."

National co-director of the Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme P.S. Joshi said that the Ranipokhari has been the victim of pumping out ground water in the city.

Surendra Ratna Tuladhar, the chairman of the ward, welcomes the plan of cleaning the Ranipokhari area and making a garden there. But he is against closing of the street that joins Bagbazaar and Bhotahity.

"Closing of the main road will affect business of around 3,000 small and big shops in the Ason and Bhotahity area," he said.

Naresh Bir Shakya, the chairman of local Hapaa Guthi, said along with the demolition of stalls, KMC should also take step to dislocate the adjoining Kathmandu Valley Police Office.

"If the police office, said to be built despite strong protest from the locals, continues to remain there, the public will be deprived of going into the garden," he said.

However, the cabinet decision and the KMC’s plan has not decided anything about the newly-built police office.

Deputy Inspector General Amar Singh Shah said the police was ready to follow any decision to beautify the city but it needed the government decision.

However, the local shopkeepers around the area have already made themselves ready to fight against the decision. The local Sorhahate Ganesh Byapar Sangh filed a case against the decision last Friday.

"We are not against the KMC’s project but since we have been running our shops here according to authorized directions, we must be given due consideration," said chairman of the Sangh Rajkrishna Tandukar.

Monarchy, the symbol of national unity

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : Former Ambassador of the United States of America to Nepal, Carlton Coon, today said that monarchy is the very essential institution of Nepal and it is the symbol of national unity.

"Both for the people in Kathmandu and outside, the monarchy has remained the central institution," former US Ambassador said while speaking at a discussion programme on Individual Citizen and Democracy: Rights and Responsibilities. "The concept of King is the symbol of national unity."

The discussion programme was jointly organised by the Society for the Promotion of Civic Education (SPCE) and the American Centre in the capital.

Hailing the Royal simplicity and generosity, Coon added the palace was really accessible to anybody. "At least, it is good that the monarchy continues and that is important at this time (of national crisis)," he said.

Speaking at the programme, Coon who served as an ambassador during 1980 – 1984 said the cultural and traditional blocks have been the blockades to economic development and modernisation.

Citing the example of equality in the US, former US envoy highlighted that the caste and ethnic systems have been posing serious social disparity in the country. "If you want to reshape the society and bring changes, castes and ethnic systems should not be there," he said.

Coon also said the basic causes of the Maoist insurrection in the country are the deep-rooted poverty and injustice, adding, "The rampant corruption has been a serious problem of Nepal."

"National leaders, educationists and intellectuals should consider the severity of the problem of corruption and power should be given to the public interests to check corruption", he added.

On the occasion, president of SPCE, Dr. T N Upraity; Director of the American Centre, Robert Kerr, and secretary-general of SPCE, RP Gautam, also addressed the programme.

Show cause notice issued

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : The Supreme Court today issued a show cause to the government on the writ petition for implementing the Consumer Protect Act, states a press release issued here today.

Advocates Bharat Mani Gautum, Ganesh Niraula, Hemlal Adhikari and Bharat Dahal had jointly filed a writ in the Supreme Court, seeking mandamus for the implementation of the provisions in the Act.

Similarly, the Supreme Court had also ordered the government today to show cause on the writ filed against the slashing of VDC budget by half percent citing the ongoing emergency in the country,according to another release.

The writ was filed by Bal Krishna Mainali, advocate and general secretary of the Center for Assist and Protect Child Rights of Nepal.

10 Maoists gunned down, 2 civilians killed by rebels

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : Security forces on Thursday gunned down eight armed-Maoists in separate incidents of encounter in four districts, the Defence Ministry said here today.

The Ministry said that three rebels were shot dead in Dhadhawar area of Bardiya and three others in Damkada area of Palpa districts. One rebel each was killed in Kwangi area of Dang and Karmaiya area of Sarlahi districts yesterday.

Our reporter in Bardiya quoting the locals said that dozens of rebels had first fired at the security forces on a patrol. The forces were mobilised there after receiving information about a Maoist gathering.

Meanwhile our reporter in Kapilvastu said quoting the security officials that two-unidentified Maoists were shot dead in an encounter in a nearby jungle of Shivagadhi VDC in the north-western part of the district on Thursday night. The post-mortems of the slain rebels were carried out in a local hospital in Taulihawa before they were cremated. The army men also took one rebel into custody along with explosives from the scene.

While conducting search operations, soldiers of the Royal Nepal Army seized cache of firearms, explosives, high-frequency communication sets, other equipment, combat dresses and Maoist literature from various parts of Ramechhap, Sindhuli and Kavrepalanchwok districts yesterday.

The Ministry further added that the rebels on Thursday hacked Vice-Chairman of Manikhel VDC, Prem Bahadur Bista, to death in Dadeldhura district of the far-western hill region.

In another incident in Dang, a group of Maoist rebels on Thursday killed Lachhuman Thapa, owner of a bus (Na 2 Kha 4148), in Kavre VDC, our reporter in Dang quoted the security officials as saying. Thapa’s beheaded body was recovered near a post-office of the VDC. A written note left behind by the Maoists near the body stated that he was "taken action" for tipping-off the security forces about the Maoist activities.

Meanwhile, in a strongly-worded press statement issued here today, the central office of the ruling Nepali Congress condemned the "terrorists" for brutally killing an elderly NC cadre, Dharma Prasad Tiwari, in Bhojpur district four days ago. Tiwari was abducted from his home at Tiwari Bhanjyang and knifed him to death.

KMC Mayor’s father passes away

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : Jit Bahadur Sthapit, the father of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Keshav Sthapit, died today morning at the age of 84, his family sources said.

A plain cremation ritual was performed today at Shobha Bhagwati Ghat at 2.20 pm, where the majority of metropolis representatives and officials were present. Some of the left leaders were also present.

Senior Sthapit was a long-time kidney patient. He was only literate but had a keen sense of politics. He encouraged Keshav to join politics.

He has left four sons, four daughters and a wife behind him. Mayor Sthapit is the youngest son.

Fever, a collection of stories released

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : NC President Girija Prasad Koirala released Fever, a collection of stories by Sita Pandey amidst a function here Friday.

Fever consists of 11 translations of popular Nepali short stories of Pandey.

Releasing the book, Koirala said that Pandey’s stories possessed autobiographical elements.

Labelling the storywriter as " an extremely controversial women writer" Koirala said that her stories contained universal and permanent context of men and women.

Ruediger Lemp, the Ambassador of Germany to Nepal, said that he found Pandey not only as an active woman in the society but also a pleasing and a good speaker.

Poet Silendra Sakar Pandey shedding light on Fever said that Sita seems so powerful in the stories that sometimes readers feel that the feelings in the poem are of her own.

Prof Murari Regmi of the Department of the Psychology, critic Hemanta Kafle also commented on the book.

The programme was jointly organised by White Lotus Book Shop and Democratic Writer’s Society.

W region hydro-meteorological database prepared

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : Realising a sound hydro-meteorological database with proper resource assessment as a fundamental pre-requisite prior to undertaking any development initiatives, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has prepared hydro-meteorological database and information system of the western region of Nepal.

According to Adarsha Prasad Pokhrel, Director General of the DHM, the three-year long project funded by the World Bank under the Nepal Irrigation Sector Project (NISP), would also save time and cost that the projects at present has been funnelling into the study of hydro-meteorological study prior to undertaking projects in the field of infrastructure development, water resources, irrigation and river.

Pokhrel was speaking at a one-day workshop on Hydrology Studies of the Western Region of Nepal, organised here Friday by the DHM and Tahal Consulting Engineers Ltd. to share the outputs of the project worth of US $ 4.51.

Pokhrel also revealed that the DHM had already prepared proposals for doing similar studies in other regions of the country but lacking funds for implementation.

According to the study, hydro-metric and sediment observation works in 92 river gauging stations have been completed under the project. There were 38 stations in operation before the project. Similarly, 160 new meteorological stations were also established. Besides, water availability assessment in 77 river basins in the region has also been done.

"The study will save time in project study since it will provide hydrological data and even save cost in hydrological study," said Pokhrel.

Pokhrel also informed that the Hydro-Meteorological Information (HIS) is being developed to make these data easily and instantly available in a user-friendly version.

Basin-wise compilation of agronomic, land use and water use data of 77 basins in the region is another output of the study, according to the study.

Besides, a hydro-meteorological network density within World Meteorological Organisation standard has also been developed under this project, according to the study.

Earlier, speaking at the inaugural session of the workshop, State Minister for Science and Technology Bhakta Bahadur Balayar said that the Ministry was set to upgrade the DHM in the days to come. "It is the policy of the government to gradually establish and strengthen forecasting and warning systems to protect our people from hydro-meteorological disasters," he said.

He also said that Nepal was keen to enhance its hydro-meteorological data exchange arrangements with its neighbour countries for mutual benefit and also to facilitate joint development of water resources including the security of the people of the region from disasters such as floods.

Policeman flees   abroad fearing Maoists’ threat

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KATHMANDU, March 15 : A Sub-Inspector working in the Anti-Terrorist Cell (ATC) of Nepal Police has fled the country after receiving continued threats from the Maoist terrorists.

Sub-Inspector Khamindra Ghale of Lamjung district was posted in Nepalgunj to work under cover when he received continued threat from the Maoists, sources at the police headquarters said. The latter even threatened Ghale’s family members, the source said.

With this growing threat, Ghale fled the country about a month ago without informing Nepal Police. He even did not inform his family members, said the source. Ghale is known to have joined the police services about eight years ago.

But Ghale is not the only one who has fled from Nepal Police and fled abroad to search for a better job, one of the police officers said. "At least 15 to 25 policemen have fled from Nepal Police since the action against the Maoists intensified."

Bhutanese refugees to submit collective signatures to their Monarch

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BIRTAMOD, Jhapa, March 15 : Bhutanese refugees languishing in seven camps in eastern Nepal have decided to raise their plights on international-level after several rounds of bilateral talks between Nepal and Bhutan failed to come up with any substantial results about their repatriation over the last 12 years.

Refugee leaders said that they would soon collect signatures of over 100,000 refugees and hand over them to the Bhutanese king and would draw attention of the international communities about their decade-old misery.

Nepal and Bhutan have already held 12 rounds of Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting (JMCM), and a Joint Verification Team (JVT), as decided by the 12th JMCM, has already completed its verification process in the medium-sized Khudunabari camp in Jhapa.

The JVT started the verification process in the camp on March 26 and concluded its task on December 14, 2001. About 12,600 refugees had been verified during the period of nine months, which was termed at a ‘snail’s pace’.

But the verifications in six other camps have come to a standstill with authorities of both the sides remaining still undecided. The Bhutanese government has been expressing its reluctance to receive the already verified people back home.

Over 100,000 Lhotsampas (Southern Bhutanese) had been evicted from their homeland under the Druk government’s ethnic cleansing policy during the early 1990s.

International relief agency such as United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and other European nations have been extending humanitarian support for their survival.

S B Subba, the Chairman of Bhutanese Refugees Representative Repatriation Committee (BRRRC), said that they would submit a memorandum to the Bhutanese monarch, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, along with signatures of all the refugees as a final resort to resolve the refugee crisis.

"We are worried and impatient because of the arduous official procedures—several rounds of talks, verification and harmonisation processes," said Subba. "We are now considering to appeal to the king for our repatriation through senior leader Teknath Rijal. We want a peaceful resolution of the long-drawn-out crisis." Rijal had spent over a decade in Bhutanese jail before being released about two years ago.

Subba said that the appeal attached with the signatures would be handed over to the Bhutanese and Nepalese governments, UNHCR, European Union, International Human Rights Commission and various diplomatic missions based in the region.

Japanese to resume highway construction

By Khagendra Bhandari

KAVRE, March 15 : Japanese authorities have finally agreed to resume construction works of the Banepa-Sindhuli-Bardibas Highway under construction after the government assured the former to deploy army personnel for their security, sources said here today. The road is being constructed under the Japanese government’s assistance.

The Japanese contractor had postponed construction of the Highway linking the capital with eastern plains after a Maoist attack in a police station at Bhakundebesi on February 4. Sixteen policemen were killed and several others injured in the attack.

"The Japanese side agreed to go ahead with its work after we assured them of providing army personnel for their safety," said Bindu Shumsher Rana, Chief of the Highway Project. "The donor agency was convinced with our version that the Maoists had targeted the policemen, not the Japanese and Nepali workers involved in the highway," he added.

A contingent of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) on Thursday also visited Bhakundebesi to take stock of security situation. A Japanese inspection team also visited the site yesterday, said Kavre Chief District Officer Himnath Dawadi.

Kamaiya rehabilitation gets a headway with newly received funds

By Kamal Panthi

GULARIYA, March 15 : Around 6,949 freed Kamaiyas are soon to have a well managed settlement in the district and a Freed Kamaiya Rehabilitation Land Registration Committee (FKRLRC) has already received a sum of rupees twenty million from the government for this purpose today, said FKRLRC sources here.

Presently settled in Ghaghawar VDC of the district, 2,691 Kamaiya families are now identified with red cards, 1,312 with blue cards, 1,115 with yellow cards and 1,833 with white cards, as per district sources

In order to resettle the Kamaiyas, a programme called the ‘Freed Kamaiya Food Security Programme’ has already prepared a ‘model house’ and the houses to be built for these Kamaiya families will follow this model.

"Each Kamaiya family will be provided with Rupees10 thousand and the required timber shall be availed free of cost for the construction of their settlements," said Mukti Bahadur Swanr, Secretary of FKRLRC. According to him, an agreement has already been reached with the District Forest Office of the district as well as with that of Kailali district.

FKRLRC has provided land of around six hundred and seventy Bigha (each bigha equals 13 ropanis) and five kattha (equals 3.2 ropanis) of land to Kamaiya families. But the committee is yet to provide one hundred and ten Bigha of extra land along with land ownership certificates to the Kamaiyas.

Twelve houses gutted by fires Post Report

NAWALPARASI, March 15 : Twelve houses including their sheds were burnt to cinder at Ramnagar village of Paklihawa VDC-2 of the district when a fire broke out all of a sudden last Thursday night, said the sources at the District Administration Office
(DAO).

The fire, which erupted from a burning oil lamp at local Harijan’s house after it caught some dry things in the house also engulfed some hens and a young one of goat, said Ram Lohar, a local.

The fire was put to control by the fire brigades and the police personnel that rushed to the site for rescue operation from the district headquarters, Parasi.

"The victims of the tragedy are provided shelter by their relatives and the actual loss of the incident is yet to be calculated," said Krishna Prasad Pandey, the acting Chief at the DAO. The DAO provided Rs.1, 000 each to the family of the victims last Friday, said Pandey.

Telephone lines cut by district administration

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DAILEKH, March 15 : Communications, a vital priority in remote areas where Maoists are literally going berserk, the populace in this remote district are now being deprived of telephone facilities. After 20 telephone lines, based on the C.dot system and installed outside the district headquarters, Khalanga, were cut off by the district administration to monitor communications flow among Maoist insurgents.

The recent government directive has forced people in the affected area to make a grueling 48-hour trip to the district headquarters just to make a telephone call. Most affected are people in the essential service category covering government employees and school teachers working outside district headquarters.

"I found my family members extremely worried and anxious about me when I contacted them over telephone after a long gap, by visiting district headquarters after a two-day trek," said a teacher at a secondary school, located at Toli Naumule of the district. There are many like this teacher facing the same problems in the district, in the absence of a telephone service.

The people in this district have also been deprived of important means of cyber communication like e-mail and the Internet, even when the telephone service was in operation. The C.dot system of telephone services has many shortcomings, say officials at the Nepal Telecommunication Corporation (NTC) Office, in the district.

Even when the service was installed, it was not running smoothly and disturbances in the telephone services were consistently on a busy mode with erratic and continuous disruptions and many other defects, say officials at the NTC Office in the district.

The attributions that have led to the causes of these improper functions are seen in the distribution system that exceeds the capacity of the lines connected. The existing exchange system had a capacity of 150 telephone lines but the connections made totaled 184 linkups operating under the same system, said officials.

The NTC Office in the district also states that it has credits amounting to a million rupees, and red taped consumers protected by politicians have not cleared telephone dues for months.

Conservationists up to lake cleaning programme

By Kul Chandra Neupane

POKHARA, March 15 : The Bhattarai Group of Phewa Lake Environment Conservation Committee burnt off the aquatic plants it removed from the lake throughout last year amid a function here today.

Regional Administrator Madan Prasad Aryal, Chief District Officer Tikaram Aryal, Mayor Krishna Thapa, Central Committee Member of Nepal Tourism Board Kali Bahadur Adhikari, tourism entrepreneurs and locals participated in the annual programme.

The group, established after the tragic death of Yogendra Bhattarai and Sita Devi Bhattarai, claimed that 50 percent of Jalkumbhi, a kind of aquatic plant that spread quickly during rainy season, has been removed.

"To remove all these plants, it will still take a little more time," said Ramesh Kumar Bhattarai, the Chairperson of the group. The campaign of the group has been supported by Pokhara Sub-Metropolitan City and Pokhara Valley Development Committee, according to Bhattarai.

The group also has employed two boats and four people to clean the famous Phewa lake which costs more than 176 thousand rupees annually, according to Bhattarai. "We would extend our work of cleaning Phewa lake if other organisations help us,"said Bhattarai.

The group also demanded for the government’s policy to conserve the lake during the programme.

The lake, spread over 443 hectares of land, is the most popular lake of the city.