Price of construction materials up by 3 pc

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Sept 12 : Anchored by the recovery in real estate transactions, particularly in the urban areas, the prices of major construction materials recorded an increment of over 3 percent in the last fiscal year.

The overall Price of Construction Materials for the period compiled and disseminated by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) registered an upsurge of 3.18 percent against the increment of 5 percent witnessed during the previous year.

Of the major construction materials, the price of cement that holds the largest weight of 26.66 percent in the index went up by 6.54 percent during the period. Recent increment in the prices of chief raw materials for cement in international market is the main reason for the surge.

Frequent shutdown of domestic cement factories, which hardly support half of the national demand, fuelled the dependency upon imported cement – another influential reason for the price rise.

Likewise, the price of bricks that command the second largest weight on overall index, recorded a low increment of 2.47 percent. High demand of bricks along with the increased production largely helped to contain the price rise at lower level.

However, concerned entrepreneurs warn that the price of bricks might go up further in days to come as environmental activists along with the government is mulling to announce various measures to relocate the brick kilns to farther off areas.

In contrast to a series of price rise, the growth in the price index for iron rods, billets and others during the review period went down by 1.57 percent against a rise of over 7 percent during the previous year.

Despite recent rise of steel in the international market, excess production of rods in the past and revaluation of domestic currency are some of the reasons of the price decline.

Similarly, during the period, the price of electrical wires and cables also registered a rise of 2.39 percent as compared to previous year whereas the price of corrugated sheet also increased by 2.25 per cent.

Similarly, the price of woods sawn, which is the smallest weight holder among the six major construction materials incorporated by the index, recorded a high surge of over 10 percent.

Locals construct road for tourism promotion

POST REPORT

BAGLUNG, Sept 12 : With an aim to attract the international tourists in general and domestic tourists in particular, the locals of the western district of Baglung have started constructing physical infrastructures, primarily the roads.

The locals have said that they had taken such steps after the government was not serious in promoting tourism sector in the district. They have further stated that various roads are under-construction to link tourist spots within the district.

"As the government turned a deaf ear to develop physical infrastructures in the district, including the road construction, we have begun constructing Achhetelekhani to Suldanda road, ourselves," said Mani Bhadra Sharma, one of the local residents.

He said that the expansion of road facilities would be helpful in attracting the tourists willing to come to Dhaulagiri region. This will also help in exploring new tourism destination of the district.

"We have collected Rs 15 million from locals to construct the roads," he said. The District Development Committee (DDC) has also provided financial support for the road construction," said Bhawani Prasad Parajuli, Local Development Officer.

Kalikot deprived of telephone service

BY TULA RAM PANDEY

MANMA, KALIKOT, Sept 12 : The people of Kalikot district are deprived of telephone service, the only means of communications after the VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) broke down a week ago.

Kalikot, a remote hilly district in the mid-western region, has no road link and air transport.

People of far-flung villages who had come to the district headquarters walking for two days returned home disappointed as they could not make a telephone call.

"I have not seen my son for three years. So I came to phone him in Nepalgunj walking for two days," said 56 year old Thosi Mahatara of Kumalgaon in a sad tone.

People are afraid of visiting the district headquarters due to the fear of the Maoists.

"I told the Maoists that I was going to the district headquarters to see my daughter at Lalighat. I fear whether the Maoists knew the real intention about my visit", she added.

The VSAT was installed there about eight months ago at a cost of Rs 2 million.

Before one and a half-year ago, there were 150 telephone lines including C-DOT, Marts and VHF system and postal office in all 30 Village Development Committees (VDCs).

But with the escalation of Maoist violence, all of them are non-functional.

Although the two-line VSAT phone was definitely insufficient for a district with more than 100,000 population,
at least people could send their urgent messages.

According to Acting office chief of Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) Kalikot branch Prem Bahadur Bista, 6 Marts lines were functional, but they were also destroyed by a lightning 20 days ago.

He said that though he had, through the communication of police, contacted the STF, an Indian company responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of VSAT, the company has not responded yet.

Although the Marts system repeater tower based at Bharta, which was damaged by lightning, can be repaired easily, it cannot be done due to the fear of the Maoists, it is said.

Smuggling on the rise in Dhanusha

POST REPORT

DHANUSHA, SEPT 12 : The smuggling in the district of Dhanusa through the Indo-Nepal porous border has increased following the unilateral renouncement of cease-fire by the Maoists.

Unlike the period of cease-fire, that saw the illegal trade between the two countries through the region at low level, the renewed nation-wide violence has pumped the smuggling here.

Businessmen attribute the increased smuggling to withdrawal of number of Area Police Office from the bordering region as a result of escalating Maoists attacks on police posts throughout the nation.

The other reason for the spur of the smuggling is a decline of police patrol in the bordering area.

Customs officials state that the region lately has been witnessing a massive smuggling of cashew-nuts, vanaspati ghee, Chinese electronic parts, cellular phone sets, among others marking the amount to over million each day.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Achyut Prasad Siwakoti, Chief of Janakpur Customs Office (JCO) also conceded that the JCO is well aware of the rising illegal trade. "But we are short of resources to curb the smuggling," he added.

Many goods including electric-cable, auto parts, garment, among other, are smuggled daily through Khajuri, Inerwa, Bedehi, Jatahai and Bhadaria points these days. And the prime time of cross-border illegal transfer of goods lies between 2 am and 5 am, according to locals.

The other reason for the increased smuggling is also because of the strong nexus between the smugglers and the local police.

Sources claim that senior police officials regularly get a handsome amount for the smooth operation of their illegal business.