Ananya Air's copter burnt by Maoists

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Charikot, Dolakha, Feb. 11:Maoist insurgents put ablaze Ananya Air’s MI-17 9N-ADC helicopter Thursday midnight at Jiri Airport at Linkon, Dolakha, police sources claim.

Deputy Superintendent of Police with Dolakha District Police Office Bijaya Lal Kayastha said that the helicopter was bound to Solukhumbu. "The cargo chopper flew from Kathmandu earlier yesterday and stopped at the Jiri airport for the night," DSP Kayastha said.

The helicopter was loaded with Rs. 500,000 worth of plywood, refrigerator, metal sheets, door and window frames and furniture. The owner of the cargo is learned to be Nurbu Sherpa of Lukla, Solukhumbu.

Police sources further said that a group of nine Maoist insurgents forced their way into the airport at 12:15 midnight and overpowered the four guards on duty. "They smashed the windscreens and then threw explosives inside the helicopter; fire started immediately after the explosion," sources claim.

"When the helicopter was put ablaze, the freed airport guards informed the police about the incident and a group of police personnel was immediately dispatched to the site of the incident. The insurgents and police even exchanged fire for sometime, however no one sustained injury. Later the insurgents escaped to those of Ramechhap district," DSP Kayastha informed.

"Firstly the insurgents forced us to lie face down and when they aflamed the helicopter they told us to run if we valued our lives," said one of the four guards.

The loaded cargo was completely destroyed while only the main rotor blades and some part of tail boom remained unaffected. The Ananya Air sources say that one 9N-ADC helicopter cost around Rs. 120 million.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Sahabir Thapa inspected the site of incident this morning. A press release issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal said that a team of the technical experts also inspected the site of the incident today.

PAC wants act amended

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Feb. 11:The House of Representative Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has directed the government to implement the planned Integrated Accounting System only after necessary amendment in Financial Procedure Act 2055 B.S.

The PAC meeting today confirmed that the move of the government was in contravention with the Act and demanded that concerned laws need to be changed before taking such a decision.

The government decided to implement the new accounting system in five districts within this fiscal year on experimental basis. The new system is expected to remove delays accounting, control expenditure, stop payment in absence of related documents, discourage financial irregularities and integrated record keeping.

The PAC members and the Auditor General complained that the cabinet decision to go ahead with the new system prior to required legislative steps means that proper procedure has not been followed. This may invite procedural contradiction and complicatedness.

The approval of the Parliament was needed to give the move a legislative validity, said PAC president Subash Nemwang.

Comptroller General Mukunda Acharya said the Financial Procedure Act is going to be amended at the winter session of the Parliament. The new system is being executed without delay by delegating authority to the Finance Secretary.

PAC members Hridayesh Tripathy and Lilamani Pokhrel said the government's move overlooked the rights of the legislators.

The PAC meeting also directed the government to use the money in the Bonded Labour Debt Relief Fund to provide employment, skill development and rehabilitation of the labourers. "If the debt is paid to the landlords, this will be the move against the spirit of the Constitution," it said.

The meet asked the government to pass legislation in the winter session of the Parliament to treat the practice of bonded labourer as punishable crime. PAC discussed bonded labour issue on its Wednesday meeting.

French investors attracted to Nepal

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Feb. 11:French Ambassador to Nepal Michel Lummaux has said that French investors are interested to invest in Nepal's hydropower. "Because of the stable government formed in May last year, more and more French investors are attracted to Nepal," he said at 3rd and 4th Annual General Meeting of Nepal-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NFCCI) held here this afternoon.

Ambassador Lummaux said Nepal-France trade increased due to the stable government. "Though we could do much more in strengthening bilateral trade relations, we are progressing in the recent days," he said. "We can do a lot more in the days ahead."

NFCCI President Shyam Mohan Shrestha said that Nepal has a good trade link with France. "Our trade ties are gradually growing."

Referring to the last year's Nepalese Promotion Expo held in Paris, he said that such business activities would further enhance bilateral trade relations.

Rabi Bhakta Shrestha, Second Vice President of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the chamber could play an important role in enhancing bilateral business. He said that Nepal's export to France was greater than import from there.

Mahesh Kumar Agrawal, President of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, said that Nepal-France trade ties are as old as the beginning of Nepal's international trade in the mid-1960s. He also lauded France's contribution to Nepal's tourism industry. "About 22 thousand French visited Nepal during 1999."

The Annual General Meeting held after the inaugural session re-elected Shyam Mohan Shrestha as President, Manohar Shumsher J. B. Rana as Vice President and Kamal Shumsher J. B. Rana as General Secretary.

Princess Shanti opens art show

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Feb. 11:Her Royal Highness Princess Shanti Rajya Laxmi Devi Singh inaugurated an exhibition of 'Nihonga' Japanese style painting of Japanese master Sokyu Mizutani and his Nepali pupil Narayan Bahadur Gurung at a funtion held at the Japanese embassy today.

Born in Kuwane city of Japan in 1943, Mizutani is known as a master of Nihonga painting which was introdued in the Meiji period to distinguish works executed in the manner of Japanese traditions, conventions and techniques.

Narayan Bahadur Gurung was invited by Mizutani as a stundent in 1997 and after three months of learning, Gurung completed a work of Nihonga painting entitled "Burning Everest" which won a prize at the Shinbijutsu Kyokai association exhibition.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Mitsuaki Kojima said that relation so happily exiting between Nepal and Japan is going to get more warm and cordial in the days to come because of these painting exhibitions.

Atternative medicines discussed

BY A STAFF REPORTER,

Kathmandu, Feb. 11: The Fourth International Congress on Alternative Medicines and Non-formal education organised by Lama Gangchen World Peace Foundation, a United Nations affiliated NGO began here at Himalayan Healing Centre today.

With the theme 'How to create Better Living for 2001', this year's Congress is to focus upon natural medical systems, peace environment and peace education to show that non-violence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and strengthen life and the human community towards global peace in the third millennium participated by doctors and specialists in various aspects of medical field.

Chairman of Royal Council Standing Committee Dr Keshar Jung Raimajhi inaugurated the Congress and National Buddhist Federation with traditional lighting of lamp and the inaugural ceremony was attended by diplomats, dignitaries and scholars.

The World Peace Foundation has provided assistance in Nepal in the field of health, education and financial support to schools, moansteries, sponsoships for children, monks and the needy, through Help in Action and the Himalayan Healing Centre.

The Foundation and the Himalayan Healing Centre aim to promote constructive exchnage  between the traditional Tibetan and the Western medical systems. The process is a mutually complimentary one as western medicine needs the support of natural holistic medicine while eastern medicine needs help from advanced technology and science. Traditional Himalayan, Nepali and Tibetan medical systems are combined with Ayurveda and modern medicine in practice in the out-patients wards at the Himalayan Healing Centre and study and research are conducted in Tibetan medicine.

The Congress on the occasion of the United Nations International Year of the Culture of Peace is jointly organised by the Himalayan Healing Centre, International Association of Educators for World Peace, Global Open University for Complementary Medicines under the patronage of Nepal Institute for United Nationas and UNESCO, the National Buddhist Federation and Lions Club International-Dist 325.

Govt firm in realising local governance: Wagle

Lalitpur, Feb. 11 (RSS): Local Development Minister Chiranjibi Wagle has said that provisions in the local self-governance regulations contrary to the local self-governance act and various others principle and practical problems will soon be solved.

Inaugurating a two-day national workshop on "implementation of local self-governance act" organised by ddc Federation here today, Minister Wagle said the government is committed to fully implement the act and that the district development committees should cooperate in realising it.

He also said that the local self-governance act has been introduced with an objective to transform local bodies into local government, make them more efficient and self-reliant, and capable of formulating and implementing projects by themselves.

nc parliamentary and local body department chief mp shivaraj Joshi said as the Nepali Congress is committed to authorize and transform the local bodies into local governments in pursuance to the spirit and norms of decentralisation, it took special initiative in introducing the local self-governance act and regulations.

cpn-uml parliamentary and local body department chief Rajendra Pandey said the party is ready to cooperate in reforming the local self-governance act and regulations and that the parties representing the parliament should works together in solving problems arising in course of implementing the act and regulations.

cpn-ml local body chief spoke of the need to amend immediately the act and regulations which are contrary to each other.

Local development secretary Udayaraj Soti said a problem resolution committee has already been constituted to resolve the problems but special attention should be given towards the delay caused in spending the amount sent from the ministry for development projects.

Chairman of ddc  Federation Madhav Poudel, ex-president Krishna Prasad Sapkota and chairmen of different ddcs also expressed their views on the occasion.

Chairmen of various ddcs in the country are taking part in the workshop.