Free education to Dalit, orphan children

RSS

LALITPUR, Feb 4 : New Life Secondary Boarding School has provided free education to 120 Dalit and orphan children, the school has stated.

Speaking at an interaction programme organised here today headmaster of the school Nab Raj Thapa said a total of 15 orphans and Dalit students have completed the School Leaving Certificates from the school.

"The school has been providing education free of cost to the orphans and Dalits who are living in difficult economic condition", he said.

The school established by Ram Sharan Nepal of Gorkha with a view to providing education to people of poor economic condition was developed as New Life Secondary Boarding School in 2046 B.S.

The school has also computer education from grade four, it is said.

Nepal Promotion Centre in Germany

LALITPUR, Feb 4 (RSS)- A Nepal Promotion Centre has been established in Vigent Martini Plate of Germany with an objective of helping in the socio-economic development of Nepal.

The centre was established in association with the ‘Water for the World’ of Germany in private sector, informed expert group chairman Binayak Shah at a programme organised here today by the implementing Expert Group Nepal.

The centre will run investment, tourism and technology development activities from the Nepal Himalaya Pavilion. The centre has moved the life size Swoyambhu Stupa and the Changunarayan temple placed at the Hanover Expo in 2002 to the Martini Plate from Hanover.

Besides the temples, an attractive garden and enchanting ponds and meditation garden have been built in 25 hectares of land.

"The centre aims to run various activities from May to October each year including international trade fair, yoga, meditation and fashion", said Shah.

The entry fees raised from the visitors will be used for water utilisation and minor development works in rural Nepal.

Democracy Day celebration main committee constituted

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 5 : A 242-member 53rd National Democracy Day celebration main committee has been constituted with Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand as the chairman to celebrate the forthcoming National Democracy Day on Falgun 6, 7 and 8 (February 18, 19 and 20) in a grand manner.

The members of the main committee are the Chief Justice, the Speaker, the National Assembly Chairman, the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Chairman, ministers, National Assembly members from within the valley and heads of commissions and other constitutional bodies.

Chiefs of the District Development Committees, chief executive officers of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and the other municipalities, chiefs of educational institutions and social and professional organisations of the valley and high-ranking HMG officials are also members of the committee. Home Secretary Tika Dutta Niraula is member secretary of the committee. This was decided at a meeting held at the National Planning Commission meeting hall today under the convernorship of the Prime Minister.

The committee has constituted a publicity sub-committee under the convenorship of Minister For Information And Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey and a panel discussions sub-committee under the convenorship of Kathmandu University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma.

It has also constituted a stage decorations and management sub-committee under the convenorship of chief officer of Kathmandu Metropolis Surya Sharan Regmi and a grounds management and parade coordination sub-committee under the convenorship of Chief District Officer of Kathmandu Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai.

The meeting has decided to constitute 53rd National Democracy Day celebration district committees under the convenorship of the CDOs concerned in districts outside the valley to celebrate the day with various programmes and carry festive illumination in the evenings on those three days.

The Speaker, the National Assembly Chairman, the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Chairman, ministers, MPs of the National Assembly, heads of constitutional bodies and other distinguished persons attended the meeting.

NSU keen to launch united campaign for educational reforms

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 4 : The Nepal Students’ Union intends to launch a united campaign for educational reforms by rejecting the government’s 29-point educational reform package and extending support to the demands of the All Nepal National Students’ Union (Revolutionary), ANNISU-R.

The NSU general secretary, Gagan Thapa, speaking at the press conference held at his office today said, "We are holding talks informally with the ANNISU-R to avoid possible closure of educational instituions."

Talkng to The Kathmandu Post over the phone, Gyanendra Tripathi, chief of the education bureau of the ANNISU-R said his organisation has taken their view postively in certain agenda to go collectively for educational campaign.

He,however, said no formal understanding has been reached so far between them. Tripathi also revealed that PABSON had informally approached for dialogue but no formal proposal had been sent to his organisation.

Earlier at the press meet Thapa also said his organisation is postive in certain points of ANNISU-R’s demands and would try to hold talks with the ANNISU-R to avoid indefinite strikes in educational instituions.

NSU and five other students’ wings of the major political parties are scheduled to hold a joint discussion on current political and educational issues on Febraury 8.

"Their (ANNISU-R's) demands are genuine. We have never opposed them. We are only trying to convince them to abandon their violent path and join us in our peaceful campaign," NSU president Guru Raj Ghimire said.

Bilateral ties discussed

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 4 : Stephen Smith, head of the South Asia Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom, called on Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand at the latter’s office at Singha Durbar today.

Likewise, Smith also paid a courtesy call on Minister for Foreign Affairs Narendra Bikram Shah.

Matters concerning bilateral relations and cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

Smith reaffirmed the commitment of the British government to provide development support to Nepal.

Similarly, British Ambassador Keith Bloomfield, head of the South Asia Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Stephen Smith, Mark Heffron of the Ministry of Defence and Howard Taylor of the Department for International Development paid a courtesy call on Minister for Home and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dharma Bahadur Thapa here today.

Matters concerning mutual interest and bilateral ties were discussed during the meeting.

Likewise, Federal Minister for Health of Pakistan Muhammad Nasir Khan and Pakistani Ambassador to Nepal Zamir Akram paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand at the latter’s office today. On the occasion, talks were held on matters concerning mutual cooperation and bilateral interest.

Also today, newly appointed Sri Lankan Ambassador Mrs Grace A. Asirweatham paid a courtesy call on Minister For Foreign Affairs Narendra Bikram Shah at Shital Niwas this morning.

Wild boars herding cattle in Lamitar

By Pratap Bista

HADIKHOLA (Makwanpur), Feb 4 : We have often heard about taming of wild animals by humans to assist them in their works. But it might sound astonishing for many of us to hear that wild and ferocious beasts like wild boars are being tamed to look after cattle and sheep. A community residing in Lamitar, Hadikhola region has proved this by training wild boars as cattle herders.

The locals residing at Lamitar in Hadikhola VDC-6 have been employing wild boars to tend to their cattle, sheep and goats. Every morning from 10 to 11a.m, it is learnt that these wild beasts take the cattle and other domesticated animals to graze in the nearby jungle. These wild herder use their protruding snouts to keep the herd in track, and bring them home safely from the grazing grounds, says a 50-year-old local resident of this settlement, Man Bahadur Rai. He adds that even a human herder is not as skilful as these wild boars.

Rai further contends that if any cattle or goat is left behind or lost in the jungle, it goes searching for that animal, and after finding it brings it back home along. It is also learnt that almost all the people in this settlement are into animal farming, yet nobody has to accompany their animals when grazing. All those into animal rearing business have been keeping wild boars as their assistants, says a local teacher there. If cattle are seen in any home, then one can be sure that the house possesses at least one wild boar. He further maintains that since the wild boars are assigned with the task of taking the cattle for grazing, majority of this socially deprived community people in this settlement have been sending their children to school. Usually in many of the villages children were being employed as cattle herders and tenders.

The people of this settlement which lies 18 km away from Hetauda, and on the banks of the Rapti river, have been indulging in capturing baby wild boars from the jungle around this region to tame and train them into herders. If the locals there have an excess of these wild beasts, they are sold as well. Either way the community has been benefiting from the wild boars, which are found in quite a large number in the forest around this region. A 53-year-old Nurman Rai affirms that they profit double by keeping these wild animals by either selling them or by keeping them to look after their cattle. He says, he has two boars at home each weighing more than 50 kilograms at present, which have been useful in herding his 15 cattle and 30 goats. He remarks, "How could we have sent our children to school without their help?"

This settlement in Lamitar is also known by the name of Bandel Basti meaning settlement of wild boars. Majority of the households in this settlement which has around 193 houses and consisting of Danuwar (Rai) ethnic group, wild boars have been reared. Every house has been found keeping two to five wild boars of varying sizes, and almost all of them are used for herding purpose. The meat of wild boar is a rare and a costly delicacy in Nepalese cuisine and is used in festive occasions. Those into meat-selling business are found frequenting this settlement to buy wild boars, which they purchase at Rs. 170 per kg and sell them at Rs. 250 per kg in the local market, it is learnt.

‘Let’s Visit Pokhara’ to promote tourism

RSS

POKHARA, Feb 4 : ‘Let’s Visit Pokhara’ festivals are being planned in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Dharan and Birgunj to promote tourism in Pokhara.

The festivals will be organised by the Regional Hotel Association Pokhara, it was informed at an interaction programme, yesterday. A 120-member team comprising entrepreneurs and artistes will visit these places to inform and stage programmes about Pokhara.

Indian tourists visiting Pokhara in 2000 were 120,770 and last year it was 93, 731.

The drop was 33 percent in Indian tourists and 18 percent in others, the Tourism Office Pokhara said.

Pokhara is regarded as a gateway to Annapurna region which is one of the best ten trekking destinations and gateway also to Muktinath. Regional Administrator Balkrishna Prasain said tourism will be promoted if quality service is provided with good hospitality.

Orange farming to be launched

RSS

HETAUDA, Feb 4 : Orange farming is to be launched in Namtar, Kalikatar, Raksirang and Sarikhet Palase Village Development Committees of Makawanpur district in the current fiscal year, according to District Agriculture Office.

A total of 118 improved breeding of orange saplings, 49 lemon, 325 other citrus fruits and 609 coffee saplings were distributed to the farmers, the office said.

Farmers have planted fruits in about 25 hectares of land in the district, according to District Agriculture Officer Dinesh Prasad Shrestha.

Fruit and vegetable farming has become popular in the villages of Nepal and is very appropriate for income generation to the small farmers. If the government provides facilities to the farmers who are compelled to live in poverty, it will help raise the living standards of the local people, the farmers said.

The increasing interests of the farmers in the vegetable and fruit farming in the rural areas of the Kingdom is a positive sign and that needs to be encouraged, they said.

Food, blankets provided to ex-kamaiyas in Bangai camps

By Dipendra Baduwal

BANGAI (Bardia), Feb 4 : Pennsylvania United Medical Association (PUMA) has donated food material and blankets worth Rs. 200,000 to the freed kamaiyas living in temporary camps at Bangai.

Steve Simpson, the director of PUMA distributed the relief materials to 187 kamaiya families stationed at temporary camps existing there.

Simpson says that he had been motivated to help these unfortunate people after having read about their plight in The Kathmandu Post. He was moved by how the kamaiyas had been suffering from the harsh cold and food shortage and how, some of them died due to a lack of relief.

Simpson distributed 60 quintals of rice and 187 blankets, in the presence of all the kamaiya families living there.

Once the freed kamaiyas learnt about the aid coming their way, they warmly welcomed Simpson with garlands and a ceremonial tika on his forehead. The freed kamaiyas had even erected a welcome gate with a banner reading "Welcome Helpful Guest" at a school they had earlier constructed on their own initiative.

Simpson told The Kathmandu Post correspondent that during his five-year tenure in Nepal, he had never felt so much happiness being able to help these deprived people.

During the occasion, he also handed a sum of Rs 5,000, collected by the children of Calbary Chapel in America, towards expenses for the school built by kamaiyas.

Similarly, the promoter of PUMA, Denish Scannell, personally donated Rs 7,800 for furniture required for the school.

The unexpected gifts from abroad had brought joy to these freed kamaiyas who have been leading a miserable life, and in jubilant tone told The Kathmandu Post, "We would be even more happy if some employment could be arranged for us by such organisations."

Lack of bridge makes life difficult for Rajapur dwellers

Post Report

BARDIA, Feb 4 : Residents of 11 VDCs in the Rajapur delta area of Bardia district are forced to undertake a long diversion as the authorities have failed to install a pontoon bridge across the Karnali river at Kothiyaghat this winter. While the authorities say that the work on the bridge is delayed due to the absence of technicians, locals have lambasted the government for its indifference to their needs.

Due to the lack of a bridge, the locals of Rajapur area are deprived of vehicular facilities. The bridge across the river is the only route that connects the delta area with Gulariya, the district headquarters and Nepalgunj, the regional centre.

"The authorities have been ignoring our repeated pleas for the installation of the bridge. Thus we are forced to use the diversion, which is not long but costly as well," said Rajendra Prasad Dhital, a resident of Gola.

"The district has only two technicians who can effect the installation of the bridge. However, we have not been able to trace them at the moment," said Ananda Raj Pokhrel, the Chief District Officer (CDO). "However, we will have the bridge installed as soon as we have the required manpower."

Snowfall disrupts life in Humla

RSS

HUMLA, Feb 4 : The life of the general public has become very difficult in Humla district due to the snowfall for the last few days.

All the flights to Simikot, district headquarters of Humla, from Nepalgunj and Surkhet have been cancelled because of the snowfall.

There is one and half feet snow in the district headquarters due to the incessant snowfall for the last few days.

Employees working in various offices of the district have been working burning firewood in the offices of the district.

Though the weather is clear from yesterday, it takes about one week to melt the snow, local people said. The snowfall has also created problems for the movement of the people in the district headquarters.

The store of Nepal Food Corporation is going to be empty and there is the possibility of scarcity of food grains in the district, Chief District Officer said.