Infighting should not be allowed to damage NC's image: PM
'Door open for dialogue with Maoists'

Pokhara, Aug. 19 (RSS): Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala has stressed the need to take into consideration the condition of the party since its establishment to date, the changing world context and the country’s geographical condition and its landlocked nature while formulating the policy and programmes of Nepali Congress.

Prime Minister Koirala, who was inaugurating a two-day workshop seminar on western regional policy and programme organized by NC Central Policy and Programme Department here today, said in-party squabble should not be allowed "to hold the country, the people and the party itself hostage."

"Since it is on the basis of the party constitution that I have been elected parliamentary party leader as well as president of the party this has helped set a healthy tradition which should be appreciated by all," he said. "If we broke the tradition and restored the practice of " putting the tika of such posts on someone’s forehead", it will not augur well for the party as well as for the country."

Stressing the need for greater public awareness and collective effort of all parties to check corruption, terror and violence, and make the administration more efficient, he said maintenance of law and order is crucial for this and this is possible only through a national consensus.

The door will be kept open for dialogue with the Maoists, he said, adding it is not quite understandable what convenor of the Maoist problem resolution high level committee Sher Bahadur is doing despite the mandate given to him (as desired by him) by the government and the party to initiate dialogue with the Maoists.

Expressing his determination to take strict measures for corruption control on legal basis, he called for party workers’ unity and active cooperation in this task.

NC general secretary Sushil Koirala spoke of the need to formulate party policy and programmes on the basis of the party constitution and code of conduct, and bearing in mind the priorities of the government.

He also hoped that the workshop seminar would discuss ways to check individualistic attitude and other aberrations in the party.

NC leader and ex-deputy prime minister Miss Shailaja Acharya observed that the top leaders of the party are facing the challenge of handing over a strong and energetic party to younger generation.

She was opposed to the practice of privatizing corporations without adequate homework.

Chief of NC Central Policy and Programme Department and Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel said regional workshops of this kind will be organized throughout the country with the objective of collecting the views of all party workers so that they can be reflected on the party’s policy paper to be presented at the 10th general convention.

Competition within the party should be based on policy and ideology not on individual ambitions, he said, adding the party policy and programmes should be formulated by bearing in mind the condition of the people of the lowest strata of society.

Speaker and ex-general secretary of the party Taranath Ranabhat stressed the need for the party to give a strong message which discourages those who cannot countenance a coordination between democracy and constitutional monarchy.

Party central member and Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi said at present when a conspiracy is being hatched to finish off Nepali Congress the party workers and leaders should not be guided by their individual ambitions; they should think about the party and the situation of the country.

Should dialogue fail to liberate the country from terrorism the country should not lag behind in adopting the same policy that other countries have adopted to nip terrorism in the bud, he said.

NC central member and Tarun Dal president Balkrishna Khand, members of the Central Policy and Programme Department Chandra Bhandari and Ramchandra Ghimire, NC district vice president Krishna Bahadur Gurung and secretary Yagya Bahadur Thapa also expressed their views.

MP and NC district president Shukra Raj Sharma presided.

A total of 120 representatives including party presidents and secretaries from all 16 districts in the western region are taking part in the workshop.

Earlier, Prime Minister Koirala garlanded the statue of B.P. Koirala at Chipledhunga.

Govt effortful to promote well-being of children: Gupta

Kathmandu, Aug. 19 (RSS): The National Children’s Songs Competition with "Child rights and development" as its theme began here today marking the 73rd auspicious birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

Inaugurating the competition, Minister for Information and Communications Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta said despite some important achievements made in the promotion of child rights following the restoration of democracy much efforts are yet to be put into freeing many children who are reeling under poverty, insecurity and terror, and ensuring their overall development.

Stating that some elements are intimidating children into throwing school bags and carrying guns to serve their vested interests, he said the government is determined to enact strict law so as to provide security to such children.

The government is also making various efforts to preserve and promote the rights and well-being of children, older persons, women and the downtrodden, he said.

Executive director of Radio Nepal Shailendra Raj Sharma, Sharad Sharma of Child Development Society and others also expressed their views.

The three-day competition has been organised jointly by Radio Nepal, Child Development Society and Save the Children, Norway.

Kidney failure emerging problem in Nepal: Experts

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 19: Kidney related ailments are on the rise in Nepal the causes of which have been attributed to growing environmental pollution, drug abuse, Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, medical experts said.

Senior medical practitioner Dr. Puskar Raj Satyal said that badly controlled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, unscrupulous use of analgesic drugs and reckless use of toxic antibiotics are among other major factors that give rise to kidney disorders.

"Nearly ten to fifteen per cent of the hospital beds in Nepal have kidney patients and roughly six hundred to one thousand patients with chronic kidney failure visit the hospitals every year," Dr. Satyal told the press at a symposium organised to give the update on Nephrology and Urology.

The symposium was organised by the Siddhartha Hospital established in the capital in collaboration with the Apollo Hospitals Group of India three years ago.

Unlike in the previous years a patient does not have to go abroad for the diagnosis of kidney diseases and competence has been developed within the country to detect the diseases.

Though the doctors have been claiming that they can carry out kidney transplant within the country, they have yet to translate their expertise into practice.

Ninety per cent of those who are treated for kidney aliments start leading normal lives again, Dr. Satyal said.

Dr. Satish Kumar Bajaj, Chief Executive Director of the Siddhartha Hospital said the cost involved for kidney transplant is very high, nearly four to seven lakhs Indian rupees is required to carry out the transplantation.

He said a great deal of money goes into post-operative care making the treatment all the more expensive.

According to Dr. Bajaj, around 100 patients are referred by his hospital every year to undergo kidney transplantation in India.

He said though Nepal has skilled manpower to carry out kidney transplantation, the young and energetic doctors are being discouraged by their seniors to go ahead.

Many leading medical practitioners from Nepal working abroad are keen to come back to Nepal provided that there are good hospitals, Bajaj said.

Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Chitralekha Yadav in her inaugural address said the doctors in Nepal apart from their curative role must also focus on the prevention of diseases.

"We should focus on launching an extensive preventive package in the deprived communities situated in the remote districts, " she said.

Yadav underscored the role of the private sector in delivering health services in the remote districts of the country.

Refugees to intensify campaign for repatriation

Bhadrapur, Aug. 19 (RSS): Bhutanese refugees sheltering at seven different camps in Jhapa and Morang districts since the last ten years have again intensified their campaign for repatriation.

A gathering of leaders of various political parties, human rights activists and representatives of different social organisations held at Damak recently by the Refugee Representatives Repatriation Committee, an elected body of the refugees, decided to work for their repatriation.

The gathering agreed to fight unitedly for democracy and human rights in Bhutan and held extensive discussions on the state of refugees movement, their repatriation, the unfavourable decision adopted by the Bhutanese Parliament and the disappointing outcome of bilateral talks, it is stated in a press release issued by the committee.

The press release said R. K. Budhathoki, chairman of the pioneer political party for the Bhutanese movement, has been designated as convenor by the gathering held after a long interval to give momentum to the movement.

Convenor Budhathoki said that he was active in the past and would remain so at all times to bring democracy and human rights to Bhutan and called for unity among all political parties and human rights organisations fighting for their rights

Chairman of the repatriation committee S. B. Subba said that if all political parties opt for this common mission, human rights bodies as well as social organisations will extend co-operation in their endeavour.

Representatives from 13 human rights and social organisations including D.M.T. Chairman Thinle Penjor and general secretary of the Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front R. P. Subba were also present at the gathering.

No movement has been launched on behalf of the Bhutanese refugees to date since a peace march set out via India for Jayagoan in Bhutan at the call of the appeal movement co-ordination committee two years ago.

Professor at Mechi Multiple Campus Chintamani Dahal, who has been closely monitoring the Bhutanese movement since its inception, said human rights and democracy cannot be ensured until a political movement is launched within the country.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the Bhutan People’s Party has unanimously selected R. K. Budhathoki as president of the party for the next five years along with other members.

Transporters welcome accord reached with India

Kathmandu, Aug l9 (RSS): The Nepal National Transport Enterpreneurs Federation has welcomed the agreement reached during Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s recent India visit on allowing only vehicles that meet Nepal’s Euro-l pollution standard as certified by the manufacturing company. It has also called for strict enforcement of the pollution standard.

According to a communique issued by chairman of the federation Yogendra Nath Karmacharya, import of vehicles into Nepal should be allowed only after ensuring that they meet the Euro-l standard, and action should be taken against companies sending vehicles that fail the standard.

It has also called for a halt to the import of 400 or so Indonesian and Chinese made micro buses falling below Euro-l which are being brought in with 99 per cent customs duty and VAT waiver to replace the diesel tempos in the capital.

If import permits for such vehicles are given under any excuse, the federation will launch a phase wise protest programme, it is also stated.