UML wants package solution to overcome Maoists issue

Kathmandu, Jan. 13 (RSS): CPN-UML has emphasised the need for a package solution to the problem of the so-called Maoists stating that it could not be resolved superficially and in an unilateral manner.

A press release issued by the party here today states that this emphasis was given during official talks between the high level commission constituted by hmg under the leadership of former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and a delegation of the party yesterday.

The second Kathmandu District Level convention of the CPN-UML began Thursday amid a huge gathering of party workers and well wishers.

According to the party, the delegation presented the view that the alternative to the wrong policy and performances of the government can be sought constitutionally and peacefully. CPN-UML had completely disagreed with the views of the so-called Maoists.

The delegation was of the view that it was a political problem created as a result of the wrong policy and activities of the government and was based on extreme ideas and terrorist activities.

During the meeting, the delegation had sought clarification from the commission on how the problem arose and what was the view of the  government on this matter.

The delegation also demanded that the irregularities and vandalism under government’s protection should be checked, free and fair elections should be guaranteed, people’s confidence on multi-party system of governance and elections should be ensured, and action should be taken against the corrupt to prevent corruption.

It also demanded that the report of the joint parliamentary committee on revenue should at least be implemented, no one should be detained on the basis of his conscience, criminal activities like fabricated cases, killing and repression, and congressisation in educational, administrative and various other fields should be stopped.

The delegation also sought scrapping of the Self-Governance Act and regulation which ridicules the local bodies. Those in power should work honestly to resolve the problems of the people and the country to enhance the confidence of the people in the system, the press release states.

Mahat expects to solve refugee issue in Thimpu

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 13: Nepal is expecting a significant breakthrough towards the settlement of the Bhutanese refugee issue in the upcoming foreign ministerial level meeting to be held in Thimpu.

Foreign Minister Dr. Ramsaran Mahat said today that Bhutanese refugee problem will be hopefully finalised in the Thimpu meet to be held very soon. “We are presently working to give a permanent outlet to the problem. I hope this will be the final and fruitful ministerial level talks between Nepal and Bhutan,” said Mahat in an upbeat and optimistic mood.

Nearly 100,000 Nepali speaking refugees expelled from Bhutan in early 90s are living in over half a dozen camps in eastern Nepal.

Present environment is highly favourable to find a solution of the problem. Time has come to make a headway, Mahat told journalists at a Face to Face organised by Reporters Club Nepal.

The Foreign Minister stated that following the Thimpu meet, both sides will be able to visit the camps, identify the refugees and start the process of sending them home.

Asked to cite the basis of his optimism over the refugee issue, Mahat said that the views expressed by Bhutan was the foundation of his confidence. There is an agreement over the identification of refugees and confusion and misunderstandings between the two sides have been cleared. We have made it clear to Bhutan that Nepal has nothing to do with her internal political affair. Dignified return of the refugees is only the concern of Nepal. The goodwill shown by Bhutan gives us reason to be optimistic, he added.

Regarding the recent hijacking of the Indian Airlines (IA) jet and trading of fake Indian currency by a Pakistani Embassy staff member and their impact, Dr. Mahat said this is not going to affect Nepal-India ties. Asked if IA flights to Nepal would not resume until the report of probe commission into the hijacking incident is released, Mahat said it was not true. “I have been told by the Indian government that the flights being currently postponed will resume soon,” he informed.

Things reported by the Indian media were unfounded. The truth will be known when the report of the investigation commission comes out to the public. We are very sensitive about this issue and the government is committed to rectify the matters if any security lapses are found, said the Foreign Minister denying that there was demand and acceptance of Indian representation in the probe commission.

About the Prime Minister’s visit to India, Mahat said the date had yet to be fixed at the convenience of both sides. Clarifying that the visit was overdue because of the special session of the Parliament, he said agenda of the visit would be known when the date of the visit is fixed. 

Dwelling on the visit of the Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mahat said Norway is coming to Nepal as the biggest investor in the hydropower sector. We are trying to attract the rich hydropower expertise, experience, capital and resource of that country to Nepal, he added.

He called unfounded the report that Karmapa Lama had entered India via Nepal and declined to comment on the issue.

Club president Rishi Dhamala also spoke at the programme.

Norway interested in Nepal’s development 

Kathmandu, Jan. 13 (RSS):  Norwegian Minister for Foreign Affairs Knut Vollebaek has said that for a country like Nepal with diverse climatic features, the telecommunications sector can be of great significance in addition to hydropower.

He was speaking at an interaction programme held here today by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI).

Mr Vollebaek said Norway can extend cooperation to Nepal in telecommunications, environmental technology, wood processing, metallurgy and chemicals compatible with its needs and interests.

Norway has been cooperating with Nepal for more than three decades, and development cooperation in primary education and basic health have paved the way for much broader contacts in higher education and research, in environment matters, in the work of the United Nations and other international organisations and in business, he said.

A visible sign of the bonds that have developed between us was the opening of a Norwegian embassy in Kathmandu, he said adding that although a small country, Norway has world class industries in a surprising number of fields, among which the hydropower industry is one of the most advanced.

Describing hydropower as economical, reliable and by far the most environment friendly source of energy, he said more than a century of national experience from working under extremely challenging topographical and climatic conditions has given Norwegian companies a competence which is quite unique.

Today Norwegian hydroelectric companies are represented all over the world, and their investments in Nepal have made Norway the third largest private investor in this country, he observed.

Describing both countries as mountainous with scattered populations and a harsh climate, he said modern telecommunications can overcome and even take advantage of such challenges, adding that telemedicine, distance education and mobile and satellite telephony are some of the specialities of Norwegian industry which ought to be relevant to Nepal’s needs.

Referring to environmental technology as another area where Norway is a leading nation, he said stringent environmental standards for decades have led to the development of advanced environmental technology.

A clean environment is not only natural and pleasant,  it is also economically sound, and the longer one waits to install new and environmental friendly technologies, the larger the clean-up bill will become, he observed.

Characterising trade and investments as two-way processes, he said the Norwegian market has a high purchasing power and may be of interest to Nepal despite its limited size.

Nepal has already achieved success in Norway with garments and handicraft products, and Nepalese exporters should be aware of the assistance that the Norwegian import assistance organisation, Norimpod, can provide, he said.

Pointing out that sound development policies at all levels of government are essential to attract investments, he said transparency and predictability are crucial to such policies and combating corruption and the unproductive use of resources are other key elements.

He also observed that  the Nepalese government has committed itself to developing a favourable and socially responsible climate for trade and foreign investments.

Welcoming the Norwegian Foreign Minister, chairman of the FNCCI Pradeep Kumar Shrestha said Norway is one of the few countries in the world surpassing the United Nations recommended norms in extending official development assistance to developing countries, adding that the contribution of Norway in the economic development of Nepal is truly remarkable.

He said apart from hydropower, Nepal can be a very good location for firms willing to be involved in areas like agro-forestry, agro-processing, tourism and services.

 Norway has achieved excellence in all these areas and Nepalese businessmen would like to benefit from the experience and expertise it has gained, he said.

Member of the FNCCI Suraj Baidya also spoke of the prospective sectors for foreign investments in Nepal.

Senior officials of His Majesty’s Government, noted figures of  industry and commerce  and members of the Norwegian delegation also attended the programme.

 ‘Tap youth for development’

Kathmandu, Jan. 13 (RSS): A two-day seminar organised by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for participants of the youth mobilisation programme for rural and community development began in Lalitpur today.

Inaugurating the seminar, Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture Sharat Singh Bhandari said that this programme implemented by the government since last year in keeping with the policy of tapping youth in the campaign of national development has turned out to be fruitful and result-oriented.

He also observed that rural and community development workers have to play an important role to uplift the living standards of the rural people who are deprived of basic needs including education.

Secretary at the Ministry Shreeman Shrestha said that His Majesty’s Government has put forth a variety of result-oriented programmes in line with its youth self-employment programme.

Joint secretaries at the Ministry Dilaya Kumar Bista and Dr. Saphalya Amatya spoke of the importance of the programme for enhancing the capabilities and skills of youths.

Under the youth mobilisation programme for rural and community development, some 350 jobless graduates will be sent out on observation tours to 40 different districts of the country for one month this year.

The youths will identify the problems faced by rural people, share experience with people from different walks of life, participate in developmental programmes, foster local awareness against evil practices like early marriage, polygamy and girl trafficking and encourage people in creative work.

Within one month after completion of their assignments, they will submit reports on the problems of the locations where they were deployed and possible remedial measures.

Meanwhile, our staff reporter adds, at the seminar paper on Nepalese Rural Economy was presented by Dr Chiranjibi Nepal and Deepak Subedi while papers on the Objective of the Programme   was presented by Bishnu Nath Sharma and Nirmal Raj Kafle. Other papers presented at the seminar today were on The Role of Youth in Social Development by Dileep Bista and Chitra Bahadur Karki and a paper on Population, Reproduction, Health and Environment   by Ajit Pradhan and Harischandra Rai. During the past year Youth Ministry signed up 249 University graduates  to go to different VDCs of nineteen districts and work for rural and community development.

Students up to the age of twenty nine years with a bachelor’s degree are eligible for this program. The Ministry aims to mobilise twenty thousand youth in a period  of five years and is mobilising three hundred fifty students this year.

UNDP aid to SCDP scheme

Kathmandu, Jan. 13 (RSS): United Nations Development Programme (undp) has agreed to provide a technical assistance of U.S. $ 1.2 million (approximately Rs 82.08 million) for the implementation of Sustainable Community Development Programme (scdp) phase II.

The first phase of scdp launched in 45 village development committees (VDCs) of Dang, Surkhet and Kailali districts is considered as one of the successful community development programmes supported by undp.

The first phase scdp supported sustainable poverty alleviation and environmental management through community mobilisation. It helped to build capacities to integrete gender sensitive socio-economic development and environment management at the community level in 650 Community Based Organisations (cbos).

The second phase of scdp will be expanded to Humla, Myagdi and Okhaldhunga districts. It will build on the experience gained during the first phase by expanding the programme to the more national scope and developing national capacities for adopting the scdp approach.

The scdp will coordinate closely with the activities of the concerned local bodies helping them better understand their potential roles in supporting and contributing to sustainable community development.

The National Planning Commission (npc) will be the implementing agency of the two year programme begining from January, 2000.

The project document to this effect was signed by Mr Madhav Prasad Ghimire, joint secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Ms. Laxmi Maskey, joint secretary at the npc and national project director of scdp on behalf of His Majesty’s Government while Mr Henning Karcher, undp resident representative signed on behalf of undp.

His Majesty’s Government has expressed its appreciation and gratitude to undp for its continued support and assistance towards meeting the poverty alleviation target of the government particularly through support to social sector programmes of Nepal.

Gurkhas to go international

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 13:

The retired British Gurkha soldiers who are campaigning in Nepal for equality in pensions and other welfare facilities at par their British counterparts today said that they are now ready to go international.

The Gurkha Army Ex-Soldier Organisation (GAESO) announced that it is going to take the issue to World Human Rights Conference to be held in March in Geneva.

“We will organise a peaceful demonstration in Pokhara prior to our departure for Geneva,” GAESO President Padam Bahadur Gurung said. He also informed that his organisation would hold a consultative meeting with lawyers from United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, India and Nepal after the Geneva conference to discuss about strategies to take the issue to international courts.

GAESO also expressed its dissatisfaction against the government for “failing to accord due concern to Gurkha issue and channelise diplomatic strengths to solve it”. The organisation also flayed the British government for “cheating the Gurkha soldiers” with announcement of hundred per cent increase in Gurkha pensions.

On December 24 of 1999, the British government announced a new pension arrangement for Gurkha soldiers according to “Indian Government Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations”. Under the new arrangements, the pension and gratuities rates will range from Rs. 7,043.55 per month for rank below Corporal and Rs. 23,612.80 for a Major. The revised pension package also makes one-rank-one-pension arrangements as against the four different rates earlier that paid least to the Gurkha soldiers retiring before 1969.

Earlier in 1999 the British government had formed a ministerial working group under the chairmanship of British Arm Force Minister John Spellar to examine and report on Gurkha pensions by end of the year.

“Our campaigning is about status not money,” a statement issued by GAESO said adding, “British government’s latest decision is only an attempt to down play our campaign”. 

The light drizzle this Thursday afternoon caught pedestrian offguard of slight rain in the cold was experienced after the downpower.