National Democracy Day observed

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : Reports on different programmes organised across the kingdom to mark the 53rd Democracy Day are being received.

In Tansen, Palpa district development committee organised a talk programme at the district headquarters.

Different people including CDO Yek Mani Nepal shed light on the great contribution of late king Tribhuvan.

Before this a rally had passed round the city and a contingent of the Royal Nepal Army presented salute on the statue of late king Tribhuvan at the yard of local Tribhuvan Campus.

Likewise, inBaglung a democracy day was celebrated at Baglung bazaar by organising different programmes.

A talk programme, tributary programme, folk dance competition and different sports tournaments were organised.

CDO Prem Narayan Sharma distributed prizes and certificates to the winning participants on the occasion.

In Nepalganj a rally under the auspices of Democracy Day celebration committee, Banke passed through different parts of the city before converting into a tributary programme at local Tribhuvan Chowk.

Different individuals including CDO, LDO and chiefs of other offices paid heart-felt tributes on the statue of late king Tribhuvan.

In the mean time at a mass meeting organised at Kalaiya bazaar on the occasion, district judge Bharat Prasad Adhikari unveiled the national flag.

CDO Madhav Prasad Regmi and others shed light on the contribution of late king.

Likewise, a separate rally with different placards and slogans after passing through different streets of the municipality had conversed into a mass-meeting at the arena of local DDC office.

In Tanahu a talk programme organised by District Development Committee concluded under the chairmanship of LDO Lakshman Kumar Thapa.

An amount of Rs 10,025 was handed over to CDO Govinda Mani Bhurtel to be conveyed to the fire-victims of Terhathum district as relief on the occasion.

In Fidim a day-long talk programme on ‘Peace and Democracy for the Development of the Kingdom’ was organised to mark the National Democracy Day.

Likewise, a team of local human rights activists and representatives of different organisations had distributed medicines and fruits to the prisoners of district jail and patients of district hospital.

In Janakpurdham, a rally starting from the local Janaki temple passed through different streets of the town before converting into a meeting at the lawn of local Balmandir.

Similarly, the 53rd Democracy Day was celebrated in Rajbiraj, Chautara, Charikot, Taplejung, Birgunj and Rasuwa by organising various programmes.

Fridge for village health post

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : The Australian Embassy in Kathmandu in association with the Friends of KISV (FKISV), the alumni association of Kanti Iswori Shishu Vidyalaya (KISV), handed over a refrigerator to the health post at Badikhel village, just few kilometres from here, a press release issued here by KISV said today.

Australian Ambassador to Nepal Keith Gardner handed over the refrigerator to Badikhel VDC chairman Purushottam Ghimire amid a function at the VDC office on Thursday. First secretary of the Embassy Lyall Crawford was also present on the occasion along with a few members of the FKISV. The refrigerator will be used to store vaccines like tetanus that needs to be maintained at a cool temperature.

This is the second time that the Australian Embassy in association with FKISV has helped a villlage get access to proper health care. The two in coordination had conducted a health camp at Machhegaon VDC last June, the release stated.

Floral tributes paid to late king Tribhuvan

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : Heart-felt floral tributes were paid on the statue of late king Tribhuvan at Tribhuvan Park, Thankot today on the occasion of King Tribhuvan Jayanti and 53rd National Democracy Day.

Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat shedding light on the contribution of late king Tribhuvan in establishing democracy in the country said the present cease-fire should be utilised as a means to achieve permanent peace in the country.

Chairman of late king Tribhuvan memorial committee Kirtinidhi Bista speaking on the occasion mentioned about the late king’s love and devotion for democracy, nation and his people.

Different distinguished schools and VDCs to display rallies and tableaux were awarded on the occasion.

The memorial statue of king Tribhuvan, the Father of the Nation, was unveiled by late king Birendra in Falgun 8th, 2029 B.S.

Tributary programmes are regularly being organised from the date on the spot on Falgun 8th every year.

Japanese grant for grassroots projects

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : The Embassy of Japan has decided to extend a grant of US $ 81,927 , (equivalent to NRs.6, 390,317) to Love Green Nepal (LGN) in Japan’s fiscal year 2002, under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP) Scheme of the government of Japan.

LGN will utilise the grant for the implementation of the project for construction of a High Quality Agro-product Centre (HAC) in Kathmandu Valley, according to a press release issued by the Japanese Embassy here today.

A grant contract to this effect was signed today by Zenji Kaminaga, Ambassador of Japan, and Ravi Lamichhane, president of Love Green Nepal.

The grant will be utilised for strengthening four production and collection centres, one each in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Nuwakot districts, as well as for the infrastructure development of the High quality Agro-product Center (HAC) in Kathmandu Valley, the press release stated.

The HAC includes a showroom, office and processing room, cold chain unit, generator house and storeroom.

It will also be equipped with generator, air conditioners, furniture and computers. in addition to these items, a pickup truck will be purchased.

Japanese JICA experts and volunteers, working for a long time in Nepal, have succeeded in making high quality horticultural products such as oranges, apples, pears, persimmons, strawberries, lettuce in Nepal, it said.

Some of these high quality products are already in the market, but to a limited extent only it said adding that if these products are systematically linked to appropriate markets, domestic and foreign, by establishing an appropriate distribution system, then they will bring more income to farmers.

Many of such products have a high chance for export to neighbouring sub-tropical countries and the gulf countries.

One of the persistent problems in the marketing of high quality products in an organised manner in Kathmandu, has been the need for a place where the farmer’s products can be collected and traded.

Therefore, this project aims to establish an appropriate marketing system which can realistically expand the production of high quality horticultural products in target areas, create quality awareness, offer an outlet to the farmers to sell their products and more importantly, encourage women’s groups involved in organic farming by arranging direct sales, the release said.

The HAC is expected to address the problem of organised marketing in Kathmandu.

Int’l conference on Himalayan biodiversity to be held

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KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : The international conference on Himalayan Biodiversity (ICHB) is to be held from February 26 in Kathmandu.

A press meet held by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) announced that the three-day conference would be held to promote biodiversity as a tourism component in Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion, Subash Niraula, NTB, said that bio-diversity was an area which would be a part of the tourism board’s new focus for potential tourism products. He said the conference would provide a platform for Nepal’s Biodiversity to make it a source of educational destination.

The conference is being organised by the Himalayan Resources Institute (HIRI), Biodiversity Research Group (BRG), Central Department of Zoology, Tribhuvan University, and the Ecological Association of Nepal (ECOAN) and Nepal biotechnology Association (NBA). The conference also coincides with the auspicious occasion of the International Year of Mountains 2002 and the International Year of Eco-Tourism 2002.

The international conference on biodiversity aims to bring out a sustainable approach to natural resource management which includes, specifically, Himalayan flora and fauna, biodiversity conservation, trade-related property rights and discussion and paper presentations on the prospects and challenges of Eco-tourism in Nepal and the Himalayan region.

The theme of the conference is "Conservation of Himalayan Biodiversity for Human Welfare". More than 150 scientists, researchers, planners and development professionals from Hindu Kush Himalayan Region and other parts of the world including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Germany, Croatia, Japan and other countries will participate in the conference.

NTB, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and other various national and international organisations from Nepal and abroad are supporting the conference.

Role of media highlighted

KATHMANDU, Feb. 20(RSS)- Minister for Infomation and Communications and General Administration Ramesh Nath Pandey has said the state, the press and civil society have an equal responsibility in the preservation and protection of democracy.

Addressing a colloquium on ‘Role of the Press in the Protection of Democracy’ organised on the occasion of the 53rd National Democracy Day by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) here today, he emphasised the need for the press to disseminate true, factual, impartial and reliable news as expected by the state and society.

"Who will benefit if questions on sensitive state issues are raised in a care-free manner", the Minister enquired and made it clear that the government did not intend to curb the press.

Dalits’ representation in peace talks sought

KATHMANDU, Feb 20 (PR) - Society for the Liberation of Oppressed Dalit Castes, Nepal, has demanded the representation of Dalits in the government-Maoists peace talks. The society has demanded the proportional representation of Dalits in the round-table meeting, the interim government and the Constituent Assembly. The society also demanded with the government to announce Bise Nagarchi, Kale Sarki, Jasbire Kaami, and Maniram Gaine as national figures. Furthermore, other demands of the Society include the elimination of untouchability, employment in government and non-government offices, compensation for the Dalits, who died in people’s war. In the same way, the society has also emphasised on the modernisation of traditional profession of Dalits, including self-governance.

Mobile health camp organised

KATHMANDU, Feb 20(RSS)- Specialist services were provided to 8,500 patients at a mobile health camp organised by the Health Ministry at Dailekh Hospital in Dailekh district. On the occasion, specialist services were provided in general medicine, surgery, dermatology, gynaecology, orthopaedics, dental and paediatrics. Health Minister Dr. Upendra Devkota gave away letters of appreciation to physicians and health workers rendering their services at the health camp. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Devkota said his ministry was considering to conduct such mobile health service camps for coming five to ten years to provide such types of specialist services until specialist services are available at all district level hospitals throughout the country. Secretary at the Ministry of Health Mahendra Nath Aryal said that the Ministry would give special attention to providing facilities to physicians serving in the rural areas. Such a mobile health service camp is slated to be held in Achham district from Feb 24 to March 2.

Patwardhan’s film focuses on gender bias

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KATHMANDU, Feb 20 : A film by Anant Patwardhan named, Father, Son and the Holy War was shown at the Martin Chautari today.

The film, which focuses on gender issues, has won several awards including the Spirit of Freedom Prize in 1995 in the international film festival at Jerusalem, Best Investigative Documentary awarded by the National Awards (India), Special Jury Prize in the Bombay film festival and many others.

The movie charts gender equations prevalent in India since the last seven years, starting from the infamous sati incident in Rajasthan in 1987. The director very clearly narrates how the Shiv Sena rhetoric was being used by the aphrodisiac sellers as a sales pitch.

The director has through a careful layering of images, views and counter views presented the overall aspects of Indian politics, within the framework of a standard television documentary.

Patwardhan’s other directorial ventures include War and Peace, Fishing in the Sea of Greed, Occupation: Milk Worker, We Are Not Your Monkeys and so on.

Maoists violate cease-fire, two children killed

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BAGLUNG, Feb 20 : Barely three weeks after the Government and the warring Maoists declared a cease-fire to pave the way for peace talks, two school children were killed while another one sustained serious injuries when a group of armed Maoists opened fire in the premises of Prabha High School in Bohara VDC Tuesday. The VDC is located about 30 km from the district headquarters.

The school children killed have been identified as 12-year-old Bhabindra Kunwar and seven-year-old Sher Bahadur Kunwar. Fifteen-year-old Bhawesh Nepali has sustained serious injuries.

Eyewitnesses said that around 200 armed rebels entered the school premises to hold a political meeting. Locals said that the rebels took the bodies of the students along with them but left behind the injured boy after giving him first-aid treatment. Security forces, who rushed to the site, brought the injured boy to the Bhimgithe-based health post for treatment.

Locals said that those boys were killed when the rebels started giving them training on firing guns. A Maoist leader told The Kathmandu Post that the incident occurred due to their carelessness.

Shortly after receiving information about the incident, local administration mobilised a large number of security forces to the VDC in search of the rebels. This is the first incident in which school children have been killed by the Maoists after the announcement of the cease-fire.

Four months after death, family awaits body from Qatar

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KAPILVASTU, Feb 20 : Family members of a Nepali national who died in an accident while working in Qatar have yet to receive his body though it has been four months after his death. The bereaved family members said they could not perform his last rites in the absence of the body.

Tham Singh Thapa of Chappar village of Motipur Village Development Committee died in an accident on October 24. The Royal Nepalese Embassy in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, had informed the Foreign Ministry in Kathmandu about his death. Kapilvastu District Administration Office, after receiving a letter to this effect from the Ministry, had also informed the bereaved family members about Thapa’s death in the accident.

But the family members have not received the body though it has already been four months since he died. Brother of the deceased Hira Bahadur accused the Ministry of not co-operating with him despite requests time and again. "I knocked on the Ministry’s door several times but officials did not listen to my pleas," he said. Thapa was employed at an electric company based in Damam. He had already worked there for about two years before he came home to get married.

Regional Health Directorate building construction work in limbo

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SURKHET, Feb 20 : The administrative building of the Regional Health Directorate, which was to have been completed two years back, has remained incomplete even till date due to lack of interest shown by the concerned body and the contractor responsible for its entire construction.

Construction work of the frame structure building, started by the contracting company NCCN, which was slated for completion by mid-March, had come to a standstill since the past two years. A budget amounting to Rs five million had been allocated for the construction of this office of the directorate.

NCCN after being disbursed a sum amounting to Rs 2.5 million, limited its work to the beam and slab foundation work of upto 50 cubic metre, states Regional Housing and Urban Development Directorate (RHUDD), the body responsible for the supervision of the construction work for this building.

The contractor NCCN which could not complete the building as agreed in the contract signed, has not extended the time to complete the remaining work, laments the body concerned with the Directorate.

In a letter sent to Urban Development and Building Construction Department by the Regional Housing office on October 15, it had mentioned some problems that were responsible for the disruption of the construction work leading to a complete halt later on. The failure to employ a responsible person from RHUDD, lack of commitment towards the work, failure to produce the estimate of the allotted budget for the construction work even till date, dilemma regarding the items and the extent of work mentioned in the tender and the lack of proper fixed target relating to the number of stories and the parts that would be achieved while constructing this directorate building, were some of the attributable reasons behind this building’s standstill, as notified in this letter.

The body of the Regional Housing Directorate, responsible for the supervision of the construction work over this building, had sent a letter to the construction company NCCN regarding the reason for halting the construction work, but nothing has been heard from that side so far.

When the Regional Health Directorate was asked about the existing situation in the construction work, they said that they have no information regarding this since the construction work had started by effecting the contract from the centre.

Instead of doing something to complete the remaining part of the construction work in time, the Regional Health Directorate has been increasing the expenditure by leasing out a house with a monthly payment of Rs 10,000 to maintain its office there.

Talk programme on current situation held

BIRATNAGAR, Feb 20(RSS)- A talk-programme on ‘Democracy and present situation’ was organised here yesterday by the District Court Morang Bar Unit on the occasion of the 53rd National Democracy Day.

Speaking on the occasion, acting chief judge of the Appellate Court of Biratnagar Shyam Bahadur Pradhan said the political parties which have not understood the essence of democracy have infringed it and added that the political parties could not move the age as they are influenced from the thinking and ideology of the middle ages.

MP Ashok Koirala said democracy can bring about economic development as well as changes in the social structure. Unit’s central vice chairman Chudamani Acharya said the lawyers has a role to teach the essence of democracy to the people.

Ex-central member of CPN-UML Guru Baral said mere political freedom can not bring development and stressed on sustainable development of democracy as per the wishes of the people. Ex-mayor of Biratnagar sub-metropolis Ramesh Chandra Poudel lauded the role played by late King Tribhuvan.

At the function presided over by president of Morang District Court Bar Unit Ganesh Subedi, various other speakers including ex-president of bar unit Ram Prasad Sitaula and Bir Bahadur also expressed their views.

Sugarcane farmers end up making sakkhar

RSS

SIRAHA, Feb 20 : Farmers of various Village Development Committees of Siraha district have started to make sakkhar, coarse brown sugar, after they could not get the minimum price of their sugarcane.

Farmers of Kalyanpur, Dumari, Itari Prasahi, Arnama, Baniya, Majhauliya, Dhangadhi, Bishnupurkatthi, Govindpur, Muksar, Mirchaiya, Karjanaha, Saltaniya, Badharamal and Chandra Ayodhyanagar have been doing sugarcane farming giving up other crops for the last few years.

Farmers started to make sakkhar after sugar mills could not give the minimum price of their sugarcane in time.

More than 1000 farmers are involved in sugarcane farming in the district.

Over 84,000 metric tonnes of sugarcane is produced in 1,750 hectares of land in Siraha district this year.

Solar energy popular among rural folks

By Binod Tripathee

BAGLUNG, Feb 20 : Solar energy has become popular among the people in rural areas of this hill district in the western region. Around 40 per cent of the people in 20 Village Development Committees (VDC) are now enjoying electricity from solar panels, which has proved to be an alternative source of energy in the rural areas, where the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has yet to supply power through its national grid.

According to statistics made available by solar panel distributing companies, around 1,700 families have been using solar energy to light their houses and 2,000 families have applied for the installation of solar panels in their respective households.

"If the government subsidises on solar panels we do not have to depend on hydropower project to get electricity at our homes," said 20-year-old Tara Poudel in Gwalichaur VDC.

The government, however, provides subsidies of Rs 12,000, Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 8,000 to the people in the remotest, remoter and less remote parts of the country respectively and the rest has to be borne by the family installing the solar panel. The Danish government has provided about 90 per cent of amount on the subsidy scheme. Statistics show that 25,000 solar panels have already been installed all over the country and about 2.5 million people have been directly benefited from them.

Rehabilitation programme for visually challenged a success

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DANG, Feb 20 : Nepal Blind Association, and Norwegian Association for Blind and Partially Blind Rehabilitation Programme has proved to be a real boon for the visually challenged in this district.

A blind residing at Manpur VDC-3, Chudamani Dhital, does not any more feel that he is blind. After this rehabilitation programme, Dhital is able to go around the village with the help of his white cane, and he has been able to meet the expense of his family by rearing buffaloes . Due to the training he got, he is now able to milk the buffaloes, collect the cow-dung, and even take the milk for sale to the market.

Similarly, after attending this training programme, Kanchu Chaudhary a resident of Sonpur VDC-2, with the help of a guide does not have any difficulty in money transactions now. After obtaining the skill necessary to identify the money by coming under this programme, he has been provided with a loan to conduct a grocery shop for his livelihood, he said.

Like Dhital and Chaudhary, more than 100 such blind people such as Jirrakhi Chaudhary of Manpur-8, Pansari Bishwakarma of Urhari-5, Ganuba Chaudhary of Duwaba-9 and many others are in the process of starting businesses of their own to sustain themselves.

According to the coordinator of the rehabilitation programme for the blind, Kiran Paudel, efforts are underway to provide treatment to those blind who can be cured, while those who cannot be cured by treatment alone are being provided relief assistance through this programme.

Under this programme, interest free loan amounts of Rs 15,000 for each blind person, have been disbursed out to these blinds who want to start their own businesses, contended Paudel. Availing of this loan, 86 blinds have already started businesses such as rearing either cattle, sheep or goats, or pig keeping, and conducting grocery shops on their own.

This programme has even made arrangements for providing education to the blinds with the assistance of Education office. Due to this 104 blind students in this district are being taught with the help of Braille keeping them in hostels without charging any fees from them.

Such type of programme for the blinds is being conducted only in Dang and Chitwan at the moment.

The chairman of Nepal Blind Association, Chintamani Acharya, expressed his view that for conducting such type of quintessential programme, one should not rely only on the donor agencies, but efforts should be made from the local level as well to give continuity.

200 cubic feet timber seized; three held

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MAHOTTARI, Feb 20 : In a raid conducted on Friday, forest employees with the help of security personnel at the far northern VDC of Khayarmara, confiscated more than 200 cubic feet of timber. Three persons have been taken into custody in this connection.

District Forest Officer, Ganesh Jha, said that precautions were taken this time around since the forest employees had retaliated when the previous raid was conducted in Khayarmara region, that lies between the Churey and the natural forest. This time the raid was carried out with the help of armed forces as well as civilian police.

Due to the timely and well managed security during the raid conducted this time at ward-5, the logs that had been hidden within the premises of homes could be confiscated, stated the forest office there.

Jha informs that there may be other smuggled timber hidden in other wards as well, but due to difficulties arising out of location and security reason, raids could not be conducted in these localities.

Owing to Maoist activity the forest employees had not been able to put a check on the timber smuggling that was going around in the region of Khayarmara adjoining the border of Sindhuli. As a result, rare species of trees such as Prajan and Sati-Sal are fast thinning out, contends an officer at the forest office.

The forest office is however making necessary preparations to carry out the raids in other wards of Khayarmara, says chief forest officer Jha.

Superintendent of police (SP) at the Chhinnamasta Armed Police Force stationed in the forest region, Prakash Ojha, expressed his commitment that the armed police is always ready to render its help to protect the property of the state if called for by the forest office.

In the previous year timber smuggling had become rampant after the Maoists attacked and set fire to four range posts and the area forest office situated in the forest region, it is learnt.

According to Jha, intensive interrogation is underway of the three arrested timber smugglers.