Govt not to wait for parties’ consent on talks
First round of dialogue on second week of March: Pun

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : The government is determined to bring the peace talks with Maoists to a logical conclusion with or without political parties’ participation in the peace process, Minister Narayan Singh Pun said here today.

Speaking at a face-to-face programme organised by the Reporters’ Club today, Pun, who is the co-ordinator of the talks from the government side, said the government’s patience with the political parties was running thin and that it had decided to move ahead with the talks by the second week of March.

"Whether you co-operate with the government or not the government is committed to fulfil the interests of the people on its own," said Minister Pun.

Referring to absence of the political parties in an all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand last week, Minister Pun said, "The bus of peace dialogue is heading towards peace city from a conflict city and will reach its destination whether someone gets in or not...Those who miss the bus have nothing left but to apologise for the mistake."

He also flayed the political parties including Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) for failing to put their views on present situation in a straightforward manner. Minister Pun said there was no possibility of conclusion of the peace talks at the earliest claiming but it was a lengthy process. "It takes ten months to a year for settlement of the weapons issue alone. The round-table meeting is a distant matter," Pun said. He added that the proposed round-table conference might require six more months to draw up its modality and select the participants.

He informed that the first round of formal goodwill talks between the government and the Maoists would take place on the second week of March.

CPN-UML leader Bamdev Gautam said the government and the Maoists are the two actors of the talks and participation of other political parties depended on their will. "Whether or not we accept, the cease-fire agreement was a result of agreement between the government and the Maoists and we have not played any role in it," Gautam said.

Gautam’s remarks contradicted the official position of his party which demands a decisive role for the political parties during the peace dialogue with the Maoists.

He also flayed the statements from the Maoist leadership who warned of possible escape from the dialogue if the necessary atmosphere for the talks was not built by the government at the earliest.

Gautam supported the concept of constituent assembly election floated by the Maoists. "As the present constitution has been abrogated with the October 4 royal move and failure of our attempts to return it to normalcy, there is no option except to support the idea."

Ram Chandra Poudel, Central Working Committee member of Nepali Congress, said that the confusion prevailing on the Maoist side was major factor that has created hindrances for the parties to come to a common point of consensus.

"What is their stance on the monarchy and parliamentary system of government?" asked Poudel, adding that if the Maoists have given up the demand for a republican set up and supported parliamentary democracy, agreement with them is not a matter of distance.

Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani, RPP leader said the parties were in confusion and failed to give a right solution by themselves.

Spiritual guru Yogi Naraharinath passes away

By Perina Pathak & Yubaraj Ghimire

KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : Renowned spiritual figure Yogi Naraharinath, was laid to rest at Pashupatinath, Mrigasthali today. The 92-year-old Yogi, revered as the national spiritual guru by many breathed his last at 12:40 midnight at his Mrigasthali ashram, where he spent more than five decades of his life.

Suffering from multiple complaints for which he was admitted to Bir Hospital, he was mainly suffering from diabetes, pressure and weakness for the last three days.

Yogi’s death has been mourned throughout the country with different leaders and organisations, calling it an irreparable loss for the country.

In deference to his wishes to breathe his last at his own ashram, doctors discharged him from the hospital one-and-half hour before the end came. According to his assistants, the guru assumed the lotus pose (meditating pose) amidst chanting of Geeta and sacred name of Lord Vishnu by people around him and breathed his last.

His admirers and devotees thronged at the ashram to catch the last glimpse of their guru whose body laid in the state for nearly 16 hours after he died - first in his room then in the open lawn below.

The cremations were performed at about 5:00 p.m. in the ashram compound, but the inflow of hundreds of his followers was still on.

Though 12 hours after his death, spark in his face was intact. "Look at his face," a spectator who came there to pay homage said, pointing at the Yogi’s face. "The spark in his face after long hours shows his enlightenment."

His followers lowered the body still intact in lotus position in the ditch prepared for his funeral as per the tradition followed by Nath sect, Aaghora Panth, to which Yogi belonged to.

Yogi who was member of Raj Parishad was given national honour for his outstanding contribution in the field of religion, culture, historical and archaeological research throughout his life. He was given national honour as a band of policemen played the mourning tune. His quest for research didn’t interfere in the search of God all along.

As soon as the death message spread, personalities from throughout the capital congregated with flower and garland at Yogi’s ashram to give last condolence.

Along with the devotees, large number of dignitaries also visited the ashram to pay homage to the Yogi. Among those who visited the ashram included Pashupati Maharjan, Principal Secretary to the king, chairman of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Parshu Narayan Chowdhary, his predecessor Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, Deputy Prime Minister (DyPM) Badri Prasad Mandal, former DyPM Bam Dev Gautam, Home Minister Dharma Bahadur Thapa, Education Minister Devi Prasad Ojha, former minister PL Singh and many others.

"The government will make arrangements to preserve as well as make available of Yogi’s properties and creations to general public," said Minister Ojha.

Village boy Kulbir Thapa renounced his home at a tender age and got initiated into the Nath sect of the Aghora Pantha by Mahantha Chhipra Nath at Mahanta Chandan Nath Temple in Jumla. He was given the name - Yogi Narahari Nath - after his initiation into the sect. Ever since, he continued to be a follower of Guru Gorakhnath, the spiritual guru of the Shah dynasty.

The Yogi who became a legend in his lifetime, however, was not free from controversies. He was an ardent advocate of nationalism, culture, heritage and Hindu religion and didn’t hesitate to criticise anyone including the king at times. He, however, was a relentless advocate of the strong monarchy calling the institution as a symbol of unity in the country with so much heterogeneity and diversity.

Yogi, author of many books, has also completed 17 parts of unpublished books on History of Treaties of Nepal.

For the cremation procession, a 19-member Yogi Narhari Nath Samadhi Management Committee was also formed, in co-ordination with Chintamani Yogi.

Many national figures as well as organisations have mourned the death of the Yogi. Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, former prime minister and founding member of Nepali Congress, called Yogi a patriot and a disciplined as well as a lorgnette son of the motherland who never breached the limits of discipline that he had set for himself.

Over the irreparable demise of Yogi Narahari Nath, a number of organisations have also extended heart-felt condolences by issuing press releases. According to the statement issued here today from World Hindu Federation, the death of the legendary figure has caused irreparable loss to the nation.

HM condolence

KATHMANDU, Feb 26 (RSS) - His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has said that His Majesty and Her Majesty were very saddened to learn of the demise of Raj Parishad member Yogi Naraharinath who made a distinguished contribution in the fields of religion, culture, language, archaeology and history.

In a message of condolences, His Majesty has said, "He was dedicated to Nepali nationalism and was an adherent of Hindu religion and culture, and he has made a notable contribution to the enrichment of history writing in the Kingdom of Nepal.

TU results

KATHMANDU, Feb 26 (RSS) - The TU Institute of Engineering has announced the results of all programmes of the I.E. (Intermediate of Engineering) first year first part re-examinations held between December 2002 and January 2003. Similarly, TU Office of the Controller of Examinations, Balkhu has announced the results of MA second year English and Economics examinations held last year under the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Govt on crash course to boost spending

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : Successive governments have long decried the lack of resources to fund development works, the present government has not exhausted billions of rupees at its disposal. An example is the recent six-monthly development spending.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has concluded that just Rs 7 billion has been spent on development work in the first six months of the current fiscal year. The balance of Rs 38 billion earmarked for development for the entire year is to be spent in the remaining half of the year.

Faced with such record low levels of half-yearly development spending, the MoF has urged all the ministries to take urgent steps to boost development budget expenditures allocated to respective ministries.

The MoF initiative comes after the mid-term budget review reckoned that overall development spending, which is a crucial factor to maintain the minimum development pace of the country, was far less than the budgeted amount.

The mid-term budget evaluation, which the MoF is soon to make public, has presented a dismal scenario, as the total development expenditures in the first six months of this fiscal year stood just at around Rs 7 billion. This is a mere 18 percent of the allocation of Rs 38 billion for the current year.

Of the total expenditure, the government contributed just Rs 2 billion, while the rest came from the donor funding. Given the current trend, the evaluation has also revised the estimated development expenditure for the current year to be Rs 31 billion.

A high-level government source informed The Kathmandu Post that the government has recently simplified the budget release procedures in order to expedite expenditures. "The government has brought about some changes in the allocated development expenditures by shortening the current budget release channels and simplifying the procedures," said the source.

Beset by the alarmingly low half-yearly development expenditure, the MoF recently organised a meeting of all secretaries and requested them to utilise the allocated funds for development expenditures to their respective ministries as soon as possible.

Dr Badri Prasad Shrestha, Minister of Finance also confirmed the latest step of the MoF and added that the Ministry has taken liberal attitude in releasing the budgetary development expenditures.

The source further said that the government is even preparing to launch special packages to boost expenditures through especially designed programmes and increasing direct grants to the programmes, that have direct impact in fighting poverty. In addition, the proposed packages expected to be announced soon, would also pay special attention in the quick release of budget that frozen due to security reasons.

The MoF has also underlined the need of special attention to boost the development expenditure to explore the opportunity that evolved due to the cease-fire. A high-level official of the Ministry of Finance said that the total expenditure could scale up to Rs 31 billion, if the government takes appropriate and immediate measures. Apart from the assurance of release of allocated expenditures to priority-one (P1) projects, categorised under Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), the government is also preparing to release funds to the projects put in P2 and even P3 projects depending on their need and effectiveness in checking the worsening poverty situation. The government for the current fiscal year has identified 184 projects.

Minister Shrestha also said that the government is in a position to release the necessary development expenditures, as the latest fiscal position is relatively comfortable due mainly to satisfactory revenue growth rate of 6.6 per cent. Despite the moderate growth, the evaluation has also downgraded the budgetary target of Rs 57 billion to Rs 54 billion.

Left parties demand immediate dismissal of Chand Govt

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : The grouping of nine left parties, led by the CPN-UML, today demanded that the present government be dissolved immediately to find a way out of the present political impasse.

Putting blames on the Lokendra Bahadur Chand government as ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘unworkable’, the representatives of the nine left parties at a meeting called today by the CPN-UML at the latter’s office in Balkhu demanded its dissolution immediately to bring about durable peace in the country and to safeguard democracy.

"It is clear that Prime Minister Chand government is unworkable and incapable of resolving the present problems and it should stand dissolved immediately and a new government is chosen," CP Mainali, co-ordinator of the meeting said.

"This government headed by Chand is unconstitutional. It deserves to be dismissed immediately," said a joint press statement issued after the meeting. The meeting, among others, urged that the dialogue be transparent and that the achievement of 1990’s people’s movement be protected.

However, the meeting remained undecided about the structure and representations in the new government. Subash Nemwang, a CPN-UML stalwart, said, "The government, which replaces the present government, would be the government of the people." The grouping of nine left parties also decided to extend their co-operation to NC and CPN-UML to mobilise the masses against the Chand government, as agreed between them last week.

Gurkhas preparing to go to British Court of Appeal

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO), which is fighting for equal rights and pay for present and former Gurkha soldiers today hinted that it could knock the doors of the court of appeal if the British government did not agree to settle the Gurkha issue out of the court.

"If the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) does not agree to settle our issues out of the court, then we will be compelled to go to the British Court of Appeal," GAESO’s legal advisor Gopal Siwakoti "Chintan" told newsmen at a press conference held here today. "And this has to happen within two weeks."

The announcement came five days after the London High Court rejected Gurkhas’ claim that they are entitled to the same pay, pensions and perks as their British counterparts. However, the GAESO officials reiterated today that the verdict has addressed the grievances of all the present Gurkha soldiers.

"The court has told the British MoD to end all kinds of discriminations against the Gurkha soldiers currently serving with the British," Chintan said of the verdict, details of which are yet to be mad public. "And the decision has also opened the floodgate for hundreds of other litigation that we can lodge if need be."

"This is just the beginning of our victory," said Padam Bahadur Gurung, the GAESO President. "More victories will follow in the months to come, when we will lodge more litigation at the court."

The officials, meanwhile, blamed an alleged correspondence between the governments of Nepal and Britain as the "possible cause" leading to the rejection of the Gurkhas’ claim.

"While announcing the verdict, the judge cited some practical difficulties and said that he could not hand down the verdict favouring us because of the letter from the Nepalese ambassador," Chintan said. "We don’t know anything more than that."

When asked to comment, Madan Bhattarai, the spokesman at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here denied having any knowledge about the correspondence, and only said, "We will be able to tell about it only after we get the official written verdict of the London High Court."

Currently there are more than 3,500 Gurkhas serving in the British army. But until 1998, there were 10,000 of them. The feared Gurkha fighters from the Himalayan foothills have served with the British army since 1815, battling through many bloody encounters in two world wars as well as serving more recently in the Falklands, the Gulf War, Kosovo and East Timor.

During last week’s hearing the Gurkhas were represented by Cherie Booth, the barrister wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair and other prominent lawyers. Had the Gurkhas’ succeeded in their claim, experts say, the British government would have faced a bill of more than $1 billion to compensate past and current Gurkhas.

In November last year, in a separate claim, three elderly retired Gurkhas who survived years in Japanese prison camps in World War II won a High Court challenge to the government’s decision not to extend prisoner of war compensation payments to Gurkhas. The court ruled that decision had been "racist".

Leasehold forestry programme to benefit the poor

By Suvecha Pant

KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : Life is hard for most Nepalis, especially those living in the rural areas.

Rural people go to great lengths each day, trying to make a livelihood, from the natural resources around them. Unfortunately for most of these people the once plentiful source of daily income, collecting firewood and fodder, is slowly disappearing.

With the successful introduction of Leasehold Forestry Development Programme in 26 districts across the country, those living under the poverty level have reason to be optimistic.

"The forestry programme directly targets the poorest of the poor," said Braj Kishore Yadav, District Forest Officer (DFO), Chitwan. "We have been able to reach those communities that were previously unreachable."

The Leasehold Forestry Development Programme, funded by the Government of Nepal, the Netherlands and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), targets people on the margins of Nepalese society, such as women, lower castes, ethnic minorities and those with little or no land.

Providing villagers with 40-year lease on the otherwise unproductive land has motivated the people in these areas to put time and energy into planting grass seed and fast-growing trees. It is hoped that the monsoons will help with the plantations.

"Participants raise improved breeds of livestock and feed them with grass they cut on their own land," said Yadav. "They have also began investing their income in other ventures, brining on a sense of self-confidence."

Yadav also added that the programme was one of the few that was ‘accepted’ by the Maoists. "The Maoists have recognised this programme as one that helps those living at the grass-root level," he said.

The project also supports community development and off-farm income-generation. The block of degraded land is leased to a leasehold group comprising poorer small farmers from the community. Each member household receives a small part of it. This arrangement makes group membership critical in targeting.

"There are two important advantages of this programme, one is the alleviation of poverty and the other conservation of our forests," said Arun Kumar Srivastav, DFO, Dhading District.

He added that the communities in which this programme has been implemented have benefited, leading to upliftment of their socio-economic status.

The programme, which started in 1990 now operates in 26 out of Nepal’s 75 districts, and has helped 11,000 families reclaim 7,000 hectares of hillside land. Studies also show that 6 percent of project households report the return of a household member who had previously migrated for work elsewhere.

The project, with priority given to the disadvantaged ethnic groups such as the Tamang, Praja, Majhi and Magar, aims to raise the income of populations living below the poverty line. Degraded lands are leased out to the community with the idea of forest regeneration and the expansion of the forest resource base.

As the programme, supported in 10 districts by IFAD and in 16 districts by the government, approaches its last year, Chandi Prasad Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, said that the government would continue its support. "We are working for the extension of the programme," added Shrestha.

Shrestha was speaking at a seminar organised by the Department of Forests to mark the completion of the programme. The three-day seminar will discuss future plans of the programme as it reaches its last year.

He added that this was the most effective programme organised by the government in reaching people living under the line of poverty.

Nepali Congress (D) CWC expanded

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : President of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba has nominated 21 members in the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) and ten chiefs of the central departments.

The expansion is the major change in the party’s central level after the party was formed in the last week of June as a splinter group of the then ruling Nepali Congress party.

Deuba has nominated former CWC members Bal Bahadur KC, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Rishikesh Gautam in his central committee.

Similarly, Balakrishna Khand, Basanta Kumar Gurung, Harinath Bastola, Tek Bahadur Chokhyal, Krishna Kumar Joshi, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Dip Kumar Upadhyay are other members nominated into the committee.

Shiva Bahadur Khadka, Ramesh Rijal, Hari Shankar Mishra, Sagar Shumsher Rana, Tirtha Raj Sharma, Dr. Narayan Khadka, Dr. Minendra Rijal, Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, Harishankar Pariyar, Dr. Rajaram Karki and Jip Tshering Sherpa are other members of the committee.

The meeting also decided to provide special membership to Krishna Prasad Bhattarai who will be the highest ranking member in the party. Deuba also nominated ten central committee members to the post of the party’s ten central departments.

CWC members, Prakashman Singh, Balakrishna Khand, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Sagar Shumser Rana and Dr. Minendra Rijal have been nominated as the chiefs, of organisation, co-ordination, parliamentary and local units, international relations and publicity departments respectively.

Likewise, Bimalendra Nidhi, Chitralekha Yadav, Amar Raj Kaini, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat and Homa Nath Dahal have been nominated as the chiefs of policy and programme, women, training, research and evaluation and intellectual and professional departments.

The party’s central committee meeting that concluded today also decided to institute five special committees for publicity of the socio-economic reforms programme announced during Deuba’s government last year.

Dip Kumar Upadhyay, Purna Kant Adhikari, Devendra Prasad Upadhyay, Indra Bahadur Gurung and Harishankar Pariyar have been nominated as the co-ordinators of the newly formed economic, non-governmental, educational institutions, ethnic, oppressed class and monitoring special committees respectively.

Widow demands justice for husband’s murder

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BIRATNAGAR, Feb 26 : The widow of Chandan Yadav, allegedly killed by local businessman Pradip Muraka, has filed a complaint at the local police station demanding action against the murderers.

The complaint was filed at the end of a protest rally, which went round the city on Wednesday. Nearly five hundred women, some of whom had come all the way from Jhapa participated in the rally.

The complaint filed against Pradip and his brother Pashupati Muraka, by Yadav’s widow Indra Devi, states that those women members of the Muraka household used to flirt with Yadav. This had irked the Muraka brothers who had allegedly killed Yadav suspecting that he had illicit relations with the women of the Muraka household.

Yadav, who had been planning to leave his job at the Muraka household, was not able to do so earlier as he was yet to receive his pay for December.

The police have formed a three-member team to probe into the death of Yadav.

NSP to parley with disgruntled party members

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KATHMANDU, Feb 26 : A meeting of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) central committee on Wednesday designated Khusilal Mandal, party’s general secretary to hold talks with dissatisfied members within the party.

"I hope that the situation will soon improve now," Mandal said, talking to The Kathmandu Post after the meeting. "Everyone is expected to participate at the forth coming general convention," he said.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal claimed that his party would never split.

According to Mukti Nath Mandal, party spokesperson, the party is fully prepared for the upcoming general convention.