Anti-poverty struggle stressed

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Chairman of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi has stressed the need for a peaceful struggle in the country against poverty and illiteracy.

Addressing the concluding function of a peace march organised by the Nepal Forum for Non-violence here today, Dr. Rayamajhi underlined the need for maintaining peace in the country first in the context of Nepal raising its voice for the maintenance of peace in the international arena.

He also pointed out that all should imbibe the three-fold Buddhist philosophy of peace, non-violence and compassion.

At the programme, former assistant minister Tilak Bahadur Negi, president of the federation Yug Prasad Dhamala, president of the Reporters’ Club Rishi Dhamala, president of Charumati Vihar Palsang Lama and president of the Jain Swetambar Terapanthi Assembly Bimal Singh Surana also expressed their views.

The peace march which started from Charumati Vihar at Chabahil passed through Pashupati, Gaushala, Purano Baneshwar and Dilli Bazaar and concluded upon reaching the Jain Mandir.

CPN-ML set to discuss documents

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Shambhuram Shrestha and Hari Rokka, who holds separate views in the CPN-ML, presented their documents at the fourth-day of the ongoing CPN-ML national conference here today.

Ashok Rai presented the constitution of the party.

Ten groups have been constituted to hold discussion on the documents presented so far and group leaders are to present their report following the discussion.

According to convenor of national conference publicity committee Devi Ojha, a proposal has been presented to constitute a national council from the representatives taking part in the conference and the council will elect the central committee, president and general secretary of the party.

But communist parties have a trend of selecting the central committee, president and general secretary directly from the representatives taking part in the general convention or conference, said Mr Ojha.

The proposed constitution will remove the provision of general and organised membership in the party and will provide only organised membership, he said adding that the minority views in the central committee could be taken to the lower body of the party.

24 ex-Kamaiyas arrested and freed

Nepalgunj, Dec. 11 (RSS): Twenty-four ex-Kamaiyas were arrested in Kohalpur and 14 in Kanchanpur today in connection with the Chakka Jam organized by the freed Kamaiyas in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts pressing for the fulfilment of their demands for land and proper rehabilitation.

They were, however, released in the evening today, according to Ilaka police office, Kohalpur.

The 38 ex-Kamaiyas were arrested for creating obstacles on the roads.

Meanwhile, INSEC regional office, Nepalgunj has condemned the arrests stating that it was inhuman to arrest the freed Kamaiyas who were peacefully demonstrating demanding 10 katthas of land, speedy rehabilitation and proper arrangement for food and health care.

It has also demanded that the government immediately fulfil the demands of the ex-Kamaiyas.

Workshop assesses CBED projects

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): A day-long workshop on finding out ways of increasing the effectiveness of the decentralization process on the basis of the past experiences of the Community-Based Economic Development (CBED) project was organised here today.

The CBED project is run in Dadeldhura, Baitedi and Jumla districts with the joint cooperation of the Local Development Ministry and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

Around 50 persons including representatives of His Majesty’s Government, and the local bodies and community organisations in the three districts took part in the workshop.

Inaugurating the workshop, Minister of State for Local Development Suresh Malla said women participation and public awareness has increased significantly in the districts where CBED project has been enforced.

First secretary of CIDA K. H. Rufelds said CBED is aimed at consolidating civic societies with the development of community-based institutions through the medium of decentralization.

Joint secretary at the Local Development Ministry Surya Sharan Regmi also expressed his view at the programme chaired by member-secretary of Social Welfare Council Dr Tika Pokhrel.

‘Poverty eradication to promote HR’

Kathmandu, Dec. 11 (RSS): Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva Dr Shambhuram Simkhada has described extreme poverty and the culture of violence as the biggest impediments to the full enjoyment of dignity and rights by the people in the world today.

Speaking at the opening of the Culture of Peace Forum organized to mark the Human Rights Day 2000 at the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today, Dr Simkhada, who is also chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission said, even societies traditionally well known for their culture of peace and tolerance are suffering from the scourge of conflicts and violence in recent years.

He stressed the need to promote a culture of peace and tolerance for the enjoyment of greater freedom and human rights.

Stating that a large number of people, especially from the developing world, are deprived of even the most basic needs such as food, health care and education, he pointed out the need to undertake poverty eradication as an important and integral part of global endeavour towards protection and promotion of human rights.

Dr Simkhada was elected chairman of the 56th United Nations Human Rights Commission for one year.

This is the first time Nepal has occupied such a prestigious position in one of the most important organs in the United Nations.

Honour senior citizens: Bastola

Pokhara, Dec. 11 (RSS): Minister for Foreign Affairs Chakra Prasad Bastola, speaking at an ancestry god worshiping programme and general meeting organised by Bastola Ancestry Services Central Committee at Hemhja VDC of Kaski district today, said that while carrying out any religious or social activities, the organisations should identify the possibilities of various development and construction works and implement them.

Minister Bastola also pointed out the need for social organisations to take care of the children and honour the senior citizens.

Various other speakers including Ghanashyam Bastola and Umanath Bastola also expressed their views at the programme chaired by central chairman of the committee Tikaram Bastola.

The general meeting elected a new executive committee with Tikaram Bastola as the president for two years.

Minister Bastola has also been elected a member of the committee.

Digital fuel centre opened in Sunsari

Itahari, Dec. 11 (RSS): Executive director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Madan Raj Sharma inaugurated the newly-constructed new Sercikali digital technology fuel centre at Ekamba village development committee (VDC) in Sunsari district.

Speaking on the occasion, executive director Sharma hinted at a further increase in petroleum prices due to the sharp increase in the demand for petroleum products in the market and in the face of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) being adamant on maintaining production stability because of decrease in their storage.

At the programme, vice-president of the eastern region petroleum products transportation association Devaki Nandan Agrawal, Public Consumers’ Forum, Sunsari district president Dhruba Raj Ghimire and president of Koshi Truckers Association Tika Bahadur Khadka also expressed their views.

Proprietor of the petrol pump Shiva Prasad Ghimire presided over the programme.

Regional meet on tuberculosis concludes

Bhaktapur, Dec. 11 (RSS): The South Asia regional level meeting on tuberculosis concluded Sunday with recommendations for disseminating information about the double infection of tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS to the grassroots level and making arrangements for providing suitable training to match such efforts for making the national tuberculosis control programme more effective in the SAARC countries.

The meeting also recommended that physicians working in the private sector should be encouraged towards this goal.

The meeting was organised by the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre, Bhaktapur on the occasion of the establishment day of SAARC with the objective of reforming the training materials used by the National Tuberculosis Control Programmes of SAARC countries and making the programme more effective.

At the programme, director of the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre Dr. Dirgha Singh Bam, deputy director Dr. Pralhad Kumar and Dr. Mrs. Jaya Tilakar of Sri Lanka had expressed their views.

Chiefs and training chiefs of the National Tuberculosis Control Programmes of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka took part in the meeting while experts from Health Canada, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the JICA Tuberculosis Control Programme attended the meeting as observers.