ANNISU-R demands dismissal of all charges against its cadres

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KATHMANDU, March 19 : The All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), ANNISU-R, a student wing of the CPN (Maoist), demanded that the government dismiss all the charges against its cadres and release those languishing in custody.

Expressing outrage at the Home Ministry’s remarks over its general secretary Purna Poudel, who is said to be missing during the state of emergency, Devendra Parajuli, president of ANNISU-R said that the government was lying.

The Home Ministry, in its statement, earlier said that it had not obtained the whereabouts of Poudel and said he was not in custody.

"Soon after the government expressed its innocence about Poudel’s whereabouts, we came to know that our cadres Krishna Dhwaj Khadka and Rekha Sharma were still in custody," said Parajuli.

Talking to reporters at a press conference called by the ANNISU-R today, he said that his organisation would continue its struggle until all the cadres are released and that the government dismissed all its charges against ANNISU-R’s activists.

The ANNISU-R demanded the release of its central committee member including Navin Rai, Bipin Bhandary, Dil Bahadur Rai, Katak Rai, Krishna Chaudhary, Janaki Chaudhary, Dev Hari Rizal and Nirdal Shah.

The press statement issued at the end of the interaction with journalists warned that the Union would launch a joint movement with other student groups if their demands were not met.

Himal Sharma, a central committee member of ANNISU-R said there are an estimated 5,000 ANNISU-R’s cadres currently in custody. He said the government has so far released only two members.

He also added that of the total of 85 members in central committee, seven are dead, another seven are in custody, 10 are missing and three have fled. However, he declined to name those who fled the organisation or are missing.

Looters decamp with valuables

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KATHMANDU, March 19 : The Ministry of Defence has condemned the extortion of valuables that occurred at the house of Ram Adhikari of Kirtipur municipality, Ward No. 19, Jhulpokhari, by 15 young looters yesterday night. In a statement issued today, the ministry has stated that such acts can have a negative impact on the ongoing peace process between the Maoist rebels and the government, adding that acts of violence and extortion will be duly penalized.

The intruders, of the age group 18-22, knocked at the house of Adhikari at late night yesterday, claiming that they were from the army on a security check. When Adhikari demanded their identity cards, they burgled the house by breaking the door. They reportedly had carried guns and khukuris, with which they tamed the inmates of the house and decamped with 10 tolas of gold, Rs. 25,000 in cash, two watches, a camera, a V.C.D deck, one iron and kitchen utensils. The loss has been valued at around Rs. 150,000.

Similarly, the gang looted valuables worth seven hundred thousand from the houses of Ram Hari Adhikari, Dhruba Adhikari, Jhalak Bahadur Shrestha and Tej Bahadur Tamang.

In the statement, the ministry has mentioned that the security forces have geared up efforts to recover looted goods on their way across various borders of the country. In their recent bid to check such activities, the security forces have recovered goods worth Rs. 11,070 in Birgunj, and illegal goods worth Rs 18,300 in an abandoned bus at Tatopani. Similarly, the security forces have also recovered illegally hidden rice amounting to 422 quintals, and another 614 quintals of paddy.

All the recovered items have been submitted to the relevant customs offices, according to the statement.

Workshop on WINSIS software

KATHMANDU, March 19 (PR) - The workshop on United Nation’s Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) database system, WINISIS and Knowledge Management, kicked off here today.

The nine-day workshop organised by the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) is expected to play a crucial role for some innovative steps in transformation of Information Technology (IT)-based knowledge among information specialists and STI users in the region.

"The workshop is also a part of the effort in narrowing the gap of digital divide. The digital divide is the gap between the information rich and the information poor," said Tirtha Man Pradhananga, chief of Promotion Division, RONAST.

"WINISIS is the most used bibliographic information retrieval package by UNESCO and is widely used in many developing countries including Nepal," said Tirtha Mani Dahal, Information Specialist, RONAST.

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Upendra Devkota said,"WINISIS software is the one that will prove to be important in a country like Nepal."

Most rivers in urban areas polluted

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KATHMANDU, March 19 : Waters from most of the rivers in urban areas in Nepal are unfit for human use as the rivers have been polluted, according to a latest UN report. The report adds that the quality of drinking water in the Kathmandu Valley is very poor as it is polluted with coliform bacteria, iron, ammonia and other contaminants.

Poor countries, especially those having limited resources to tap, around the globe are suffering from water stress, according to the report presented at the ongoing 3rd World Water Forum in Japan.

The report has attributed to uneven distribution of both surface and ground water resources for severe water scarcity in poor countries.

These countries face both deteriorating water quality and soaring water demands. Untreated sewage, chemical discharges and petroleum leaks are among common sources of contamination in the poor countries, says the report.

It states over one billion people worldwide do not have adequate access to safe drinking water and nearly 3 billion lack access to basic sanitation. A large segment of these people live in 49 developing countries. These countries are experiencing increasing cases of water-related diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery, the report states.

Growing water crisis in the countries has adverse effects on their long-term development, the report further adds.

A series of conferences on water and international communities’ efforts to improve the overall situation of water in these countries are going on, but water scarcity and lack of access to water and sanitation still continue, the report states.

Civics class in schools from next academic year

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BHAKTAPUR, March 19 : The government is introducing Civics as an option to the Sanskrit subject in school curricula from the next academic session. The beneficiaries of the new subject will be the students from middle schools. However, they will also have the option to study Sanskrit, a source at the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) said here today.

Civics is an option for those who have difficulties in learning Sanskrit, officials at the CDC said. Students in grades six, seven and eight can choose between Sanskrit and Civics as their optional subject. Each subject consists of 50 full marks, according to officials. Similarly, English will be introduced in grade one from the next academic session as a compulsory subject. The CDC is currently preparing the curriculum for the same and the books are being designed.

The CDC is also preparing ‘technical evaluation’ of the existing school-level curriculum. The proposed evaluation would be carried out at the initiative of the teachers at regional level and the feedback received from teachers would be incorporated in the curricula for the further improvement of course contents, according to officials.

UML decides to celebrate Chaitra 26

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KATHMANDU, March 19 : The Standing Committee of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) in its meeting today decided to celebrate Chaitra 26 (April 9 this year) as the day of popular movement.

The party meet said that the significance and relevance of Chaitra 26 was much higher at a time when there were attempts to negate the achievements of 1990’s People’s Movement, attack on the Constitution and attempts to weaken the role of political parties.

So the Standing Committee issued instruction to all the units and wings of the party to conduct demonstrations, meetings and rallies on the day.

Seminar on medicinal plants to be held

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KATHMANDU, March 19 : The governments of both Nepal and India are going to jointly organise a seminar- cum- exhibition on "Medicinal, Aromatic Plants and Herbal Products" to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Nepal-India Science and Technology Co-operation Agreement. This was revealed at a press conference organised here today.

The programme, organised on the occasion of ‘Nepal-India Science and Technology Day,’ is going to be held in co-operation with the Ministry of Science and Technology of Nepal and India.

The exhibition, which is being organised from March 21 till 23, mainly aims to promote the co-operation between two nations in the fields of conservation, promotion and development of herb-based products.

Highlighting the three-day programme, representative of the Ministry of Health said that altogether 30 stalls comprising of various herb-based organisations would be displaying their products.

Over 75 participants including 60 from Nepal and 15 from India will attend the seminar, which will mainly shed light on the promotion of co-operation for sustainability and development of medicinal and aromatic plants. Similarly, the participants will also focus on Bio-diversity, Research and Development along with trade, technology and issues of globalisation.

The seminar and exhibition will be a good opportunity for scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs from both the countries to come together and discuss the issues of common concerns on the promotion and proper utilisation of natural products. The three-day programme will also be a platform for scientists and entrepreneurs to identify potentials and constraints for the development of nature-based products.

Women's music contest to be organised

KATHMANDU, March 19 (PR) - The Voices for Women Who Dare is organising the country’s first women’s music competition on March 22 with the concept of breaking the marginalised arena for women in the field of music. This was revealed at a press meet here today.

The contest which comprises the categories of solo and band performances has chosen four women bands through an audition held on March 1. The Voices has been conceptualised and organised by Dechen Sherpa and Prasanna Basnet and managed by the Silver Surf Events.

The event has the presence of prominent artistes and singers like Robin Looza, Nalina Chitrakar and Kishore Gurung, among others.

Media personnel felicitated

KATHMANDU March 19 (PR) - The National Gurung Co-ordination Council felicitated reporters for their reporting on the Lhosar festival amidst a function here today.

Speaker of the Lower House Taranath Ranabhat gave away certificates to Rita Gurung of Nepal Television and Gobinda Man Pradhan of Annapurna Post. Similarly, other recipients, Khem Ghale, Sunita Thapa, Krishna Adhikari ,Indra Gurung were also felicitated at the programme.

Speaking at the programme Ranabhat said, ‘‘Journalists should always be impartial while disseminating the news.’’

Chun Bahadur Gurung, a participant, said, "The Lhosar festival is getting popular due to the support of media".

Locals infuriated over bank relocation

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HETAUDA, March 19 : At the time when cease-fire was declared, the Nepal Bank Limited shifted its sub-branch to Hetauda from Chaughada Bazaar situated in municipality-6.

However, the manager of the city office in Hetauda, Binod Chandra Koirala says that according to the decision to shift the sub-branch to the city office in Hetauda was reached two months earlier due to the prevailing security situation. The decision had been made by the centre, and that it was being implemented now, he added.

The relocation of this sub-branch office of the Nepal Bank Limited, which was situated around six km east from the main market of Hetauda, has now affected locals of Hatiya, Harnamadi, Gadi, Chhatiban, Thingan, and residents of wards-6,7 and 8 of the Hetauda municipality.

This sub-branch, which has 2035 clients, is now in a state to incur a loss of around Rs. 50 million due to investment in ventures with bleak hopes of returns, it is learnt. In the six month-period of the last fiscal year this branch had suffered a loss amounting to Rs. 3.2 million, and this could be the reason for shifting this sub-branch from Chaughada, speculate some employees of the city bank.

The locals who are infuriated by this relocation have presented a memorandum to the District Administration Office giving an ultimatum of seven days to re-establish the bank in its previous location.

If the bank is not moved back to its previous location they threatened to start a struggle against this act, said the former ward-chairman, Tribikram Manandhar. This sub-branch office of Nepal Bank Limited had been established in Chaughada in 1977. The bank had also purchased land in Chaughada Bazaar to construct its own office building, it is learnt.

Families of Kahule victims to be compensated

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NUWAKOT, March 19 : The family members of the Kahule incident have not been compensated yet even after a month of the government’s decision to compensate them. The Ministry of Home had announced compensation for bereaved families of the Kahule incident worth Rs.100,000 per family a month ago.

The victims’ families have frequented the District Administration Office (DAO) to get the compensation but to no avail. Their latest visit to the DAO was last Wednesday. However, they returned empty-handed, according to family sources of those killed by the army in Kahule.

"The DAO has not received the amount from the centre. Once we receive the money, we shall give it out to the concerned families," said Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, the Chief at DAO.

Govt forwards relief packages for women and child victims of insurgency

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DANG, March 19 : Government has announced rehabilitation programme for 1,033 children from the mid-and far-western regions, victimised by the Maoist insurgency. It has also declared rehabilitation package for women in this region who were widowed due to the insurgency. However, the package is inadequate to encompass a majority of people, according to sources.

The central office of the Nepal Children Organisation (NCO) has decided to rehabilitate the victimised children in its Kapilvastu and Dhangadhi centres.

67 are to be rehabilitated from Dang, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan and Arghakhanchi districts and 66 from Baitadi, Kailali, Bajura, Jumla, Achham and Kalikot districts.

NCO, to this effect has already issued letters to the concerned districts to identify victimised children while the District Administration Office (DAO) of the concerned districts have directed respective Women Development Branch (WDB) to present the data of the deserving children, according to sources.

It has already collected the names of 11 deserving children and passed it on to NCO, according to Dang WDB.

"A total of 148 victim children had applied for the rehabilitation programme. However, a committee chaired by the Chief District Officer (CDO) selected the required quota of children," according to WDB source.

The children thus selected will enjoy free education as well as lodging and food facilities in the NCO centres.

Besides rehabilitating the affected children, the government has also forwarded another package to rehabilitate other children and women victimised by the insurgency. The relief package is to be implemented in 18 districts from the mid-and far-western Nepal.

According to the package in Dang district, 11 selected women will be provided with interest free loan of Rs.5,000 to be invested in income generating work. Similarly, the package shall provide Rs.1,000 each to a total of 35 children to meet their stationary expenses.

However, the programmes are ineffective since they are accessible to a limited number of victims with a majority of them being left out. Dang alone has over 100 women widowed by the insurgency while there are around 200 orphans in the district, according to WDB, Dang.

Shiva cave temple to be developed

JAJARKOT, March 19 (RSS)- A 21-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Parasuram Khadka to develop the historical and religious Shiva cave temple.

The Shiva cave temple is at a distance of two kilometres from the district headquarters.

There are many signs of religious importance inside the cave and a stream. There is a big hall in the entrance of the cave temple and it is thought that it was for the purpose of chanting religious sermons.

Inside the entrance there are small rooms, a waterfall and nests of white bats.

The cave seems to be a meditation centre of the ancient sages and there is the need of preservation of the cave, which is very famous for its historical and religious point of view.

Girl commits suicide after 10 days of marriage

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HETAUDA, March 19 : A young girl committed suicide after 10 days of her marriage to a boy much younger than herself. She took her life on Wednesday.

A 24-year-old, Yashoda Thapa a resident of Churiyamai VDC-2, had been wedded against her will to a 20-year-old youth of Churiyamai VDC-9 on 10th March. The girl committed suicide when she came to stay with her parents on the fifth day of their marriage by hanging herself from a tree in front of her house, stated the District Police Office of Hetauda. The husband had left the girl at her paternal home on the fifth day. The locals say that because her parent had married Yashoda to this boy without her consent, she was forced to take such a drastic step. Her friends also said that she was against this marriage, and was forcefully made to marry this boy.

The husband of Yashoda, Bir Bahadur Pokhrel, however says, that nothing bad had transpired between them for her to resort to such an extreme measure. According to the information provided by the officers of the District Police Office, the boy being much younger to her, and having lesser educational qualification than her, could be the main reasons for her to commit suicide. It is learnt that the boy had finished upto the seventh standard, while the girl had been pursuing her education at the certificate level.

Japanese students to assist school construction in Jalpa VDC

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PALPA, March 19 : The construction of a school building in eastern Jalpa VDC has started with the financial assistance provided by a Japanese leprosy patient.

The patient, Mori Moti, wants the financial assistance to be used for some noble cause in this VDC, and has provided a sum of Rs. 53,000 to an organisation of local students there to be utilised for the construction of a school building. So, with this donation construction of a school is underway.

It is learnt that a team of students from the Agriculture and Forestry Institute of Japan has arrived in this VDC on Sunday, and will be providing their labour assistance in the construction of this school.

These students were able to come to Nepal through the efforts of a Japanese social worker Kajumasa Kakima who had been working and providing his help in various fields such as education, health, humanitarian development, and others, to 22 VDCs of Palpa since the last 10 years.

These students are expected to provide their labour assistance for almost a week for this ongoing school construction in Ghusene of Jalpa VDC, which is 35 km away from the district headquarters, Tansen.

The Japanese students had established an organisation called "Doli-Kyan" within their institute, and through this organisation that they got an opportunity to come to this remote village and assist in this endeavour, said the team leader Kumiyo Kiyamoto. This Japanese team comprising nine members will be working from morning to evening daily.

"In the Nepali society students often refrain from indulging in such works after they complete school, while these Japanese students who are doing their bachelors have come from such a long distance to work with mud and pebbles," commented a local, Dan Bahadur on seeing these cute and neatly dressed Japanese working with mud.

The team leader Miyamoto said that they had a wish to come and work in some remote villages of Nepal, and now their wish has been fulfilled. Because he came in contact with this social worker Kakimi also known as OK Baje, they got this opportunity to work here, added Miyamoto.

"We did not know anything about this place, but now we have got the opportunity to learn about the culture, ways and practices of Nepal, which we were totally ignorant about just," reiterated another member, Namoi Nijuma.

The locals are full of regard and express their immense happiness to have such helpful guests contributing to this noble cause.

Presently, in this same village morning classes are being conducted for small children. The Japanese organisation, Hiroko Sakurai, and Sen Dai, have been assisting in conducting these classes through the efforts of OK Baje.

Mahendra Chikitsalaya’s upgrading to be demanded

RATNANAGAR, March 19(RSS)- Demand will be made with HMG for upgrading the Mahendra Adarsha Chikitsalaya to a regional hospital with at least 300 beds along with necessary manpower.

A meeting of the Hospital Development Committee presided over by its chairman Nar Bahadur Khand has taken the decision to this effect. The meeting also took the decision to set up a trauma centre at the hospital and formulate a master plan for its development.

It also decided to constitute a co-ordination committee with medical superintendent of the Bharatpur Hospital, executive director of the B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital and executive director of the college of medical sciences as members and chairman of the Hospital Development Committee as the convenor.

Dolakha-Singati road benefits 50,000 locals

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DOLAKHA, March 19 : Around 50,000 locals of nearly a dozen VDCs in the extreme north of Dolakha district have been benefited by the 39-kilometre Dolakha-Singati road coming into operation. Seven passanger buses and equal number of cargo trucks ply along the dusty road which has reduced the chances of starvation in the area, according to sources.

The VDCs incluiding Alampu, Kalinchwok, Bigu, Lamabagar, Gaurishankar, located near Tibet faced starvation each year as the land there is infertile. The road that links Singati bazaar with the district headquarters, Charikot, came into operation after over two decades of work, according to Padam Prasad Shivakoti, the chairman of Rolwaling Transportation Co-operatives (RTC). RTC has been operating bus services along this road.

"There is not much difference in the price of goods in Charikot and Singati after the operation of the road," said a local.

"Goods at Singati bazar, the regional hub would be expensive due to high transportation cost. Since the goods had to be carried all the way by porters, it also involved risks of damage to the goods causing loss to the merchants and the consumers as well," said Prakash KC, a merchant, who is also the ex-DDC Chairman. "Prices of the goods have been lowered by 50 per cent after the road came into operation."

The road also highly significant in the sense that it can be linked to Tibet, if stretched 50 kilometres further.

However, the road is dysfunctional during the rainy seasion. "Even slight rain does enough damage to the road," said Shivakoti.

X-ray machine provided to Bandipur Hospital

TANAHUN, March 19(RSS)- Chief District Officer Govindmani Bhurtel initiated the operation of X-ray machine received through Rotary Club of Singapore for the use of Bandipur Hospital. Rotary Club of Singapore has provided an X-ray machine and computers for Bandipur Hospital and local schools at the initiative of Rotary Club of Patan West, according to chairman of Bandipur Co-operation Committee Madan Piya.

Singapore Rotary Club has provided the X-ray machine and computers worth rupees 900,000 to Bandipur Hospital, Bhanu Secondary School and Ratna Rajya Laxmi Girls Lower Secondary School, he said.

A host of speakers including the chairman of Rotary Club of Patan Ishwor Pradhan, Rotarian Ramchandra Pokharel and Dr. Tham of Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore spoke of the need of social works for the welfare of poor people.

Song, dance competition held

MAHOTTARI, March 19 (RSS)- Bathanaha Secondary School, Mahendra Adarsha Girls School Jaleshwor and Shishu Gyan Kunj came out first, second and third respectively in the district level singing competition. Likewise, Bathanaha Secondary School, Shishu Gyan Nikunj and Mahendra Adarsha School stood first, second and third respectively in the dance competition. Chief District Officer Krishna Prasad Pokharel gave away prizes and certificates to the winner teams.

Phalgunanda road construction

ILAM, March 19(RSS)- The construction work of Phalgunanda (Damak-Ravi-Ranke) road, an alternative route to Mechi Highway, has been concluded. Tractors, taxies, motorcycles and other light vehicles have been regularly running on the road, which links Mechi Highway at Ranke of Ilam district starting from Damak of Jhapa district. The construction of the 70-km road was initiated 10 years ago. The Damak-Ravi section of the road, which is about 26 kilometres long, had been constructed at a cost of Rs 24 million provided by His Majesty’s Government and the remaining section of the road, which is about 44 km, had been constructed with an amount of Rs 270,000 provided by Damak Chambers of Commerce and Industries along with local volunteer labour. The road is said to benefit thousands of rural people of Panchthar, Taplejung and Ilam districts.

Dead body recovered

SARLAHI, March 19 (PR) - Police recovered dead body of a young woman from a duct at Murtiya VDC-7 of Sarlahi district this afternoon. The body was lying in the position facing face down in the duct that contained around one-foot of water. The deceased has been identified as the wife of Pukar Goshai, a local of Murtiya VDC-8. The deceased’s husband is at large, according to Prakash Mahato, the Head Constable at the area police post.

Three Maoists freed from Indian jail

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BIRTAMOD, Jhapa, March 19 : Three of the nine Maoists arrested by the Indian police in Siliguri, West Bengal have been released on bail but the whereabouts of six others, including a member of the People’s Government Chaturman Rajbansi, is still unknown.

The Indian police arrested them from a railway station in Jalpaiguri on December 28 last year. Those, who were released on bail of IRs 20,000 each, include Krishna Subba, Tika Pokharel and Sunil Rajbansi.

However, the whereabouts of six others – Mishri Dhimal, Tara Rijal, Samjhana Adhikari, Jhuna Subedi and Suresh Pokharel – is still unknown. They were also arrested from the railway station along with the three persons released recently.

Family members of the missing people have asked the Jhapa District Administration Office and security officials to make public their actual status.

Siliguri-based Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra, talking to a Nepali daily in Siliguri, had said that Cahturman Rajbansi had been arrested by the Nepal Police.

After his release from three months detention, Krishna Subba, however, claimed that Chaturman had been also arrested by the Indian police with them and was beaten up during interrogations. Subba said all of them were charged of being associated with the outlawed Kamatapuri Liberation Organisation.