Her Majesty inaugurates building

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah inaugurated the newly-constructed polytechnic building of the Federation of Business and Professional Women-Nepal amidst a function at Buddhanagar today.

Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion, also inspected the various chambers of the building.

The federation, which was established as the Nepal branch of the international federation of business and Professional Women, has the objective of helping in the creation of employment opportunities through the provision of skill-oriented training aimed at the progress and welfare of women working in different sectors of the national economy.

The polytechnic building was constructed at the cost of approximately Rs 8.6 million at the initiative and assistance of Mrs. Kristina Herzog, the wife of the late German president Roman Herzog.

On the occasion, Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kamala Pant said since all-round development of the country was not possible without the empowerment of women, the federation would make significant contribution to the empowerment and capacity-building of women.

International president of the Federation Pat Harrison hoped that the Federation of Business and Professional Women-Nepal would help a lot in the socio-economic development of Nepalese women.

President of the federation’s Nepal Branch Mrs. Ambika Shrestha said that the federation has started its work in Patan, Thimi, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Birgunj and other places with the objective of extending its services and to uplift the living standards of the Nepalese women in various parts of the country.

Vice-president of the federation Dilli Devi Shakya and general secretary Laxmi Keshari Manandhar shed light on the activities of the federation.

Blessed with daughter

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Their Royal Highnesses Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah and Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah have been blessed with their first child.

Her Royal Highness Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah gave birth to a daughter at Sri Panch Indra Rajya Laxmi Maternity Home this evening.

Her Royal Highness Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and the new born baby are in good health condition, according to attending doctors.

A visitors book will be kept at the Sri Panch Indra Rajya Laxmi Maternity Home, Thapathali for those wishing to express their good wishes to Her Royal Highness the Princess from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Dec 12 and 13.

So, tourism is nobody’s baby!

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, Dec. 11: What do hoteliers and labour unionists have in common? Pat comes the answer: They both can hold tourism hostage. And that exactly is what they did in their latest tryst with the 10 per cent service charge row.

First it was the trade unionists who threatened to resort to shut down strike if their 10 per cent service charge demand went unmet. Citing the move as their ultimate weapon, the labour unions said they had no choice. And so, "do the hell with the sensitivity associated with tourism."

That was an ample move for tour operators and hoteliers to declare that they were in no position to render services. Reasonable decision. When there would be no services in hotels, tourists’ holidays would go wrong. And that would mean legal tangle.

Once the wanna-be visitors were informed about the trouble, what followed was a series of cancellations of trips from international tour operators and clients. A strong reason to deepen the standoff between hoteliers and unionists.

Only one day before the scheduled shut down strike — yesterday, the unionists postponed their protest programme rejoicing what they claimed the government’s positive gesture on their 10 per cent service charge demand. Had there been no green signals, the shut down strike would have definitely rocked hotels.

But, by the time the unionists opened champagne corks, things had already gone out of hand. Most of the hotel guests had already checked out while tour operators made no new bookings and reservations. The hotels were already as good as closed.

And this was what injected into hoteliers a new "spirit". Backed by other travel- related organisations, Hotel Association of Nepal, took a "historic" decision on Sunday. No matter even if the hotel employees’ unions postponed their strike, hotels would remain closed.

Now it was the turn of the hoteliers to fold their sleeves. With their hotels practically already closed and with the time required for the resumption of business, they knew this was the time they could play their rules. Also, for bargaining – with both the government and the employees’ unions – it was now or never.

Strategically, it was a calculative move. But, professionally it was suicidal. Hoteliers themselves ganging up to lock out their establishments is an unprecedented crisis the national tourism industry has ever faced. In their determined mood to shoot back, travel traders — led by hoteliers – did not bother to consider what message would their move send to the international market.

And there already are enough ambassadors who arrived here today to trumpet the message in the international arena. Almost all the in-flying international airlines today brought in tourists – who could for themselves witness hoteliers locking out their hotels (they were declared reopened in the evening, though).

Till yesterday, they were only hearing about the shut down strikes – threatened by labour unions. Today, they saw for themselves the closed hotels – sealed by hoteliers. That too during the ongoing prime tourist season.

Business wise, one closed day may not count. But credibility wise, it does. This is exactly where the shoe pinches for the national travel trade. And, this is exactly where tourism entrepreneurs outsmarted trade unions by further denting the already shaky image of tourism.

Neither side behaved responsibly as both the warring factions traded charges and went to the extent of holding the industry hostage – turn by turn. And while doing that, they labelled their bread and butter – tourism – "nobody’s baby".

Committees suggest but not order: Thakur

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur has said that the suggestions and recommendations presented by the Parliament and parliamentary committees have been taken up seriously by the present government.

At a Face to Face programme on the nature, process and jurisdiction of the parliamentary committee organised by the Reporters’ Club of Nepal here today, Minister Thakur said that call attention on various topics by the opposition was considered guidelines by the government.

Referring to the practice of the parliamentary committees presenting reports along with suggestions and opinions to the House, he said that the committees could not issue orders on any matters.

Minister Thakur said, "it is not proper to call the opinions and suggestions provided by the parliamentary committees as orders, directives or decisions."

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and MP Subash Chandra Nemwang said that the committee was working for making the parliamentary proceedings accountable and strengthen the Parliament. The Committee is alert on checking irregularities taking place in any matters of public interest, he added.

Emphasising the need to focus on making the parliamentary system strong, MP Jagannath Poudel said that there seems to be some uncertainty on the jurisdiction of the parliamentary committees.

Supreme Court Justice Laxman Prasad Aryal, who was also a member of the Constitution Drafting Committee, said that there was clarity in the legal provisions of the Constitution and the parliamentary committees did not have the rights to take decisions.

Club president Rishi Dhamala was on the chair.

Child labour: different faces, same fate

BY RASHILA TAMRAKAR

Kathmandu, Dec. 11: About eight months back, there surfaced a story that got a front-page coverage in almost all the newspapers in the Valley.

The story was about a smooth-talking Pied Piper from Kathmandu who approached the rural families for their children to work in his wool-spinning factory. He promised the parents that he would provide their children good money, shelter and education. The poor families, believing the Pied Piper’s assurances, gave away their children so that they too could have a bright future.

But later, police rescued nine small children from the dirty and dank rooms of that wool spinning factory. The children had been working for more than 12 hours a day, from the break of day till the wee hours of the night. They were locked inside the small rooms. Besides, they were not given their wages and worst still, all of them were mercilessly beaten when they couldn’t finish their work in the given time. The working condition itself gave one a traumatic experience.

What was more astounding was that the staff of the boarding school on the first floor (the factory was on the ground floor) didn’t notice the children below them were kept in such an inhuman condition.

The rescued children were all between the age of 8-15 years. All of them were suffering from malnutrition and some were even suffering from tuberculosis, asthma and skin ailments.

The story that graphically depicted the sufferings of the innocent children did manage to raise a furore among the readers. And, in the bargain, put paid to the claims of the mushrooming NGOs, INGOs and other children related organisations about their innumerable programs’ success to improve the child labour situation in the society.

The government too had taken a host of initiatives along with amendments in the child-related laws to come up with some solutions concerning child labour problems besetting the country. Under the Children Rights Act-2048 B.S, provisions to form a specialised court to look into the children’s issues and children-related crimes had been made. The same Act had made provisions for a judge, child psychiatrist and a child specialist.

"The government has constituted the special court but it lacks financial and human resources. Neither the people file cases in the specialised court. So nothing has come out of it. Almost all the child-related cases are still being heard in the district courts. The District Child Welfare Committee is non-existent," Puskar Raj, an advocate, pointed out.

A few months ago, another child murder case was extensively reported by the papers. A domestic servant aged 14 was done to death in a suspicious manner. Sexual abuse of the deceased was also suspected. The heinous crime, according to news reports, took place in the house of a renowned judge. But another under-aged child, Subodh Mandal, is being prosecuted as the prime suspect of the crime. The ironic twist in this particular case is that while the police say that Mandal is 18 years old, the accused claims that he is only 14. The case is now being heard in the district court of Kathmandu.

The child labour and violence against them does not end here. There are countless others who are yet to be rescued from within the four walls of factories, houses and stone quarries. They have no choice but to suffer. Child labour, whether it be in the form of domestic chores or toil like virtual slaves in restaurants, stone mines and carpet factories, is the hard facts of our society.

The plight of Kaushalya, only 10 years old, is a case in point. Right in the heart of the capital city, one can always see her in front of the RNAC office complex. There she is seen carrying school bags and tiffin-boxes of the children of her master. Her days start with the dawn, followed by cooking, cleaning, washing and all other household works.

Kaushalya’s parents couldn’t provide for her and so she was sent to work in Kathmandu with an acquaintance, himself a domestic servant. She is paid 200 rupees per month which her father collects annually, she said. She and the pet dogs of the family she works for have their rice cooked separately.

Each of the children may appear different, but they have the same story to narrate.

Most of the crimes perpetrated against these helpless children, whether in the form of physical or mental abuse, are still kept behind the veil. "If Bhaktapur District does not have a single child-related case, then Lalitpur district court has only three of them and Kathmandu district court has nine of such cases in line," said Krishna Kamal Adhikary, Kathmandu District Court’s administrative chief. "In almost all the cases, the accused are not punished - they go scot-free after paying the imposed fines," he added.

Despite the innumerable initiatives of the government, the NGOs and other child-related organisations to do away with the child labour problems, the population of child laborers has only increased. A recent study has revealed that 2.6 million children between the age of 5-14 years are involved in child labour in the country. This number constitutes 42 per cent of the total children in Nepal.

"Children are chosen because they are cheap and can be easily controlled," said Prekshya Ojha of Human Rights Education Radio Program of Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC).

Recently, Nepal hosted a big international conference of International Labour Organisation with more than 75 participants from 25 different countries. The two-day seminar, as usual in such much-hyped meets, ended with lots of plans, obligations and conventions for the posterity.

The participants applauded Nepal’s effort to rehabilitate the destitute child labourers in the country. Nepal, during the ILO-organised meet on child labour, further expressed its commitment and zeal to uproot child labour problem from the face of the nation. Similarly, the ILO announced the launching of a 53-million rupees pilot project in Nepal for the bonded labourers, one of its kind in the whole of Asia.

"Now it is time to ensure that all the citizens of the nation get their minimum requirement of food, health and education and ample job opportunities so that they don’t have to force their children to work’" said Kamala Parajuli of INSEC, member of Agriculture Child Labour Committee.

"The people are not in a position to sell five kilos of rice to buy a litre of kerosene. In such a dire situation, they have no other recourse but to send their children to work in order to solve their hand-to-mouth problem," she added. "The government should disseminate information to the targeted groups like the destitute families and child labourers. It should also chalk out effective plans and policies for them and ensure that such programmes reach down to the desired people."

So what is to be done?

"Banning child labour is not a solution. These children have some social as well as economic problems and are forced to work in order to sustain themselves. The real solution lies in creating an alternate options—such as the elimination of poverty, guarantee of jobs and wages according to their work" said Kamala Parajuli.

NPU to institute ‘B.P. Koirala Journalism Award’

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Dec. 11: Nepal Press Union (NPU) has decided to establish "B.P. Koirala Journalism Award" in the name of former Prime Minister and the supreme leader of the Nepalese democratic movement B.P. Koirala.

The NPU will present the award annually to the working journalists or publication houses recognising their contribution in educating, informing and entertaining the people through media. The award will carry a purse of Rs. 100,000.

Issuing a press release today the NPU has requestred all the interested people of the country to help create a revolving fund of Rs. 1,000,000. People willing to help establish the award can deposit their money in the savings account No. 8164850 of B.P. Koirala Journalism Award Fund opened at the central office of the Nepal Bank Limited, New Road or by visiting the NPU office situated at Anamnagar, Kathmandu.

Hoteliers decide to resume services

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec.11:One day after declaring the closure of their hotels, hoteliers today decided to resume their operations.

A press statement of Industrial Friendly Relation Committee, an alliance of 15 travel related associations, stated that hotels will be reopened from today.

"The decision was made by all the travel related associations after a meeting with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya at the Prime Minister’s Office today," the press statement said.

"The Prime Minister has assured that there would be no more strike in hotels and that the high level committee will consider the sayings of both hoteliers and hotel employees on the 10 per cent service charge issue."

The press statement said that Prime Minister Koirala has also assured the security of tourists, hotels, restaurants, hoteliers and hotel employees. "The Prime Minister has made it clear that the government would create an environment to make the travel industry run smoothly even after two months."

"If no work takes place in accordance to the assurances received from the Prime Minister, we will remain united and will resort to struggle," the press statement has warned.

The two months, as mentioned in the press statement, is the period labour unions have postponed their shut down strike for. After reaching into an agreement with the government yesterday, labour unions said that they have postponed their shut down strike for two months granting time to a high level committee to study their demand of 10 per cent service charge.

The government has already formed a high level committee – headed by National Planning Commission Vice Chairman Prithvi Raj Ligal — to study the 10 per cent service charge issue.

Hardly one hour after the labour unions stated the postponement of their strike yesterday, hoteliers made it clear that they would not open their hotels beginning today. They demanded that the hotel employees’ unions should call back their strike unconditionally and that some amendments should be made in the Labour Acts.

Hoteliers have been denying the introduction of 10 per cent service charge demanded by their employees’ unions. They claim that the additional charge would overburden their clients who are already paying two taxes – 10 per cent Value Added Tax and two per cent Tourist Service Fee.

As a result of their declaration of closure yesterday, almost all big star rated hotels remained closed today. Hotels like Soaltee, Taragaon Hyatt Regency, Yak and Yeti recorded zero occupancy today.

Tourists who arrived here by international airlines were directed to small lodges at Thamel and other touristic spots.

Govt urged to sign Landmines Treaty

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 11: Speakers at a seminar appealed to the government to sign the Ottawa Landmines Treaty 1997 in ensuring better human rights.

"The human rights is one of the main concerns of our constitution," Supreme Court Judge Laxman Prasad Aryal said while inaugurating the seminar on ‘Ban Landmines for Human Rights and World Peace’ organised by the Ban Landmines Campaign - Nepal (NCBL) this afternoon.

Human rights activists should oblige the government to sign the Ottawa Treaty and to put the human rights in practise said Aryal.

The seminar was held to bring into notice the effect of landmines, which can bring untoward incidents in the nation by making people physically and mentally disabled and even taking their lives.

One of the victims of landmines Chandra Bahadur Shahi who worked in the Khimti Hydro Power Project, said he suffered from an explosion which claimed his fingers and affected his eye-sight. He said he was not compensated.

From the Chair, National Assembly member Jeevan Prem Shrestha stressed on banning the production of landmines and further added it is favourable time for Nepal to move forward to sign the Ottawa Treaty.

Lt. General Gurbir Man Singh of an international organisation working for anti-mines called for the need of banning landmines and to create a balance in wars and humanitarian to reduce the human sufferings. He also said there is challenge to rehabilitate the victim.

To make a landmine it takes $3 to $10 but to diffuse it, it takes about $200 to $1000 where to rehabilitate the victim it amounts to $ 3500 to $5000 said Mrs.Purna Shova Chitrakar of Ban Landmines Campaign-Nepal (NCBL). She even said about 26,000 people are victim of landmines where about 30 to 40 per cent are children. She even stressed on the Anti-Personnel mines that are targeted to destroy the human beings.

Prem Kumar Shrestha, Shankar Pokrael, Jagat Bahadur Gurung, Gauri Pradhan and Mr.Tilak Prasad Neaupani also expressed their views on the ocassion.

Foodstuff adulterated: Report

BY SURENDRA UPRETY

Kathmandu Dec. 11: No matter how much producers trumpet the quality of their products, food items consumed by the public today are rampantly adulterate.

The latest report that was published in 1998/99 from the Central Food Research Laboratory revealed that various foods, mineral water and feed commodities produced in the country have not met the Mandatory Quality as per the Food Act 2023 B.S. and Feed Act 2033 B.S.

Of the tested total food samples from the 151 different industries last year, the pasteurised milk from big as well as small dairy plants are found the most adulterated food item. Almost 75 per cent of the sampled pasteurised milk have found coliform contamination that causes dysentery and diarrhoea.

Similarly, the ghee (milk fat) was found highly sub-standard item that contains 61.9 per cent adulteration with vegetable ghee high content of free fatty acid.

Mustard and rapseed oil are contaminated with poisonous argemon oil nearly by 29 per cent. Argemon oil is obtained from the argemona maxicana and is poisonous to human being even if 0.01 per cent is mixed to the edible oil.

The non-permitted colour mixture in fruits is another adulteration. The colour mixture in these fruits are accounted to 19 per cent. Similarly, the non-permitted colour in noodles accounts to 52 percent.

In noodles, matanil yellow colour is found mixed which is deadly poisonous if consumed of its very small units.

Eventhough there are 69 districts where the food Commodities with Mandatory Standard have been applied and 36 districts including all three districts in the Valley are Food Act implemented districts, most of the items rolling in the market are sub-standard posing adverse effects in the public health.

Harendra Bahadur Shrestha, Chairman of the Nepal Consumers’ Forum pointed out the need to effectively implement the Consumer Protection Act to eliminate the sub-standard hazards.

"Its all because of the lack of implementation of the Act and the government itself is not serious to implement it," he said.

Shrestha further added that there was a need of a consumers’ movement and protest in the anti-adulteration demand to implement the Act and its effective enforcement.

Government official, however, claim that adulteration in edible commodities is in the decline. "But there still are many substandard food in the market," said Urmila Joshi, Public Relation Officer at the Central Food Research Laboratory.

Old vehicles to be stopped by Dec. 2001

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Dec. 11: By the end of next year, the air of Kathmandu valley is likely to be cleaner than it is today. After the government banned the smoke belching diesel three-wheelers, commonly known as Vikram tempos, a year back, the government is all set to stop all sorts of vehicles which are twenty years old.

But the government still has to work out regarding the ban on the 20-year old private cars running in the valley. "Since they are well maintained and run less hours than others we have thought of deciding on that issue later by having much discussions," secretary at the Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) Dr. Govind Raj Bhatta said.

The MoPE today disclosed that by the end of December 2001 over ten thousand 20-year old public and private vehicles are going to be phased out from the valley.

According to a ministry press release issued today, all the two stroke engine three-wheelers running in the valley are going to be strictly banned after a year. The government has also decided to ban the diesel-run three-wheelers to run in any of the sub-metropolitan cities or municipalities of the country. Here, it may be crucial to note that the government had banned those vehicles to be registered in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini Development Area nearly a decade back.