18 officials face action
Report on hijacking disclosed

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 27:
The government today said action will be taken against 18 officials on duty at the Tribhuvan International Airport on December 24, when an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked about an hour after take off from Kathmandu.

Strong departmental action will be taken against the officials as per the recommendations of a high level committee that investigated the hijacking which ended on December 31, Minister for Civil Aviation Bijaya Gachhadar said. "Three of them are the department chiefs, whose alertness could have avoided the hijacking."

The officials include airport General Manager Medini Prasad Sharma, airport police chief Binod Singh and a deputy superintendent of police,   Gachhadar said today as he released part of the contents of the 63-page report which was submitted to the government on Monday (Jan 24). He said the action could mean suspension or sacking from their job or trying them on criminal charges.

Gachhadar said the report completely ruled out the involvement of any Nepalese in the hijacking of the Indian passenger plane just as it entered the Indian aerospace 40 minutes after take-off from Kathmandu. The ordeal came to its end on December when the Indian government released three Kashmiri militants in exchange of over 160 passengers and crew on board.

The report also holds Indian Airlines officials on duty on that day could also be responsible for the hijacking, in which an Indian was killed for disobeying the orders of the hijackers.

The report confirms that the hijackers were A. A. Sheikh, S. A. Qazi, Zahar Ibrahim Mistry, Sayeed Shahid Akhtar and Rajesh Gopal Verma, whose identity remains yet to be confirmed. "The embarkation cards of all five, however, suggest they were Indian citizens."

The report, he said, has suggested both short term and long-term measures to avoid any such a tragedy in the future. The government will start implementing the immediate measures as soon as possible, he said.

Under short term steps, the Minister said, x-ray machines and metal detectors would be replaced with the new ones and the passengersí movement around transit lounged would be regulated through pass system.

The report also makes a passing comment on the long stretch of open border Nepal shares with India. The border also allows free movements of criminals, it says.

The investigators maintained that the hijackers had passed through the normal channel, but were unsure of how the weapons got on board the plane.

"The government also needs to beef up security arrangements at the international airport."

The Indian Airlines flights remain suspended over "security lapse" at the Kathmandu airport following the hijacking even as all other international flights are in operation.

RADAR facility underutilised

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, January 27:
Had it not been for its obsolete communication system, Tribhuvan International Airport's two-in-one Aerodrome and Secondary Surveillance (ASR/SSR) RADAR would have already become functional to its maximum capacity – displaying in its scobes aircrafts flying 200 nautical miles away and even safely guiding in approaching planes behind and below the ranges of mountains rimmed around the Capital Valley.

Pointing at the culprit, the Japanese Government, that assisted for the installation of the RADAR, is balking at committing for another SSR radar atop one of the hills around the valley. The back-up facility, estimated to cost above US$ 18 million, at a high altitude will help the RADAR at TIA to detect aircrafts flying even below the height of the Valley-surrounding mountains thus enabling it to warn pilots of the possible collision.

Under the present technical conditions, the signals sent in a straight line by the ASR/SSR RADAR at TIA does not hit aircraft flying below 9,000 feet outside the Capital Valley thanks to its mountain-rim all around. In some of the domestic routes, aircrafts maintain their altitude as low as 6,000 feet. That in turn means, such aircraft do not appear in the RADAR scobe. And in that case, none of TIA's navigation systems – area control, approach control and control tower – are able to warn the pilot.

It was this handicap that kept the ASR/SSR RADAR from warning the pilot of Necon Air's Avro that crashed last year, say aviation experts. The approaching aircraft hit a telecommunication tower before it crash-slid down a hill in the west of Kathmandu.

In other words, if there were a back-up RADAR atop one of the high-hills bordering the valley, TIA's air traffic controllers could have averted such fatal crash.

Despite such an urgency, why Japan's priority is the communication system then? "Because, what is the use of a RADAR when you can see an aircraft in the scobe but cannot communicate with its pilot?" asks Kazuhisa Arai, Resident Representative of Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), the Japanese executing agency for the RADAR project.

The communication gap has been there with a reason. It was way back in 1988 when TIA installed the Australian-aided communication equipment in all of its air-traffic control system. With almost all of them having undergone massive wear and tear by now, many equipment having no spare parts are non-functional. 

Untrained personnel handling equipment only made the matter worse. One fitting example was the ceilometer (equipment that measures the height of cloud) and Runway Visual Range that went out of order even before they were operated sometime back. Such problems, according to CAAN sources, are due to managerial lapses.

"The area-control, one of the air traffic control systems,  began to malfunction after pager, cell phones and other frequencies obstructed its link system installed atop Phulchowki Hill," according to Pradip N. Sharma, Chief of TIA modernization Project, under Civil Aviation Authority Nepal. 

 Besides, JICA officials single out other problems like fluctuation of power supply at the TIA's RADAR building receiving power from the city line and generator. "The ups and downs in electrical voltage has sent many advanced technical equipment out of order," complains Arai. 

To set the wrongs right, Japan Government has agreed to assist financially and technically under what it calls phase 1.5 – phase one being the installed ASR/SSR RADAR at the expense of 1.7 billion Rupees and phase two the yet to be installed back up RADAR at a high altitude.

With the March 2000 deadline of the 1.5 phase project, calculated at US $10 million, already approaching nearer, Nepal and Japan will once again sign a new exchange of notes very soon with March 2001 as the revised deadline. "After the completion of that project only we would like to confirm about the second phase," says Arai.

CAAN officials, however, claim that they can equally handle the back-up RADAR at a hill-top if it is installed now. "It will be more or less the way we have been handling the existing RADAR," says Sharma.    

People taking keen interests in computer technology at the CAN's IT shows at Kathmandu.

Consensus can solve Maoist problem

 BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 27:
Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who is setting off on a tour of the Maoist affected areas in the mid and far western regions of the country next week, said today that the objective of his visit is to know the on-the-spot truth about the situation there.

"Principal points in my agenda are to know the ongoing situation there, to see whether the special package programmes launched by the government are implemented effectively and to get the idea of what the local people think about the Maoist insurgency," Koirala told journalists at a Face to Face organised by the Reporters Club of Nepal.

Maoist activists unleashed an armed insurgency in the hills of western Nepal four years ago that has so far claimed over a thousand lives.

"After returning from the visit, I want to meet leaders from all major political parties and put my report before them. I cannot guess now how they will receive it but I am optimistic that a right solution of the problem can be worked out with a consensus," said Koirala who had visited the violence areas in 1998 when he was the Prime Minister.

Koirala plans to meet and interact with concerned Chief District Officers, police officers, employees of different offices, representatives of different political parties and independent individuals to know their views about the problem that different governments in the last four years have been unable to resolve. "It is nothing like a magic and I cannot guarantee a solution. It is my endeavour towards finding a consensual solution of the issue. Hopefully, an outlet can be given to it," said Koirala.

Koirala viewed that now is the most appropriate time to seek solution of the problem because all parties have expressed the same view about the Maoist problem. Nepali Congress's view is quite clear about the issue, he said ."We hold that it is a national problem and should be solved with national consensus. With this in mind, I held talks with major political parties including the UML, ML and the RPP. We had some differences and misunderstanding with the UML in this regard. But now, the party has come up with a consensual view," he stated.

Denying that the government was unable to maintain law and order, Koirala said when the root of the problem is understood, an agreed solution can be worked out. Of the conditions set by Maoists as reported in their party newspapers, he said that they should come to the negotiating table if they want a solution. He warned that the violence of the Maoists is benefiting the elements with motive of creating instability.

Asked about the reshuffle of the cabinet and taking actions against some of the Ministers as demanded by the party, Koirala said it is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. "What I wanted to stress is that the government should be dynamic."

 Koirala was not fully satisfied with the coordination between the party and the government. He however said that it is not proper to interfere with the government in its day to day functioning.

"Whatever I have commented about the government, I have done so after the evaluation of its performance. What I do and say is not for the sake of premiership and presidency. For me, national interest comes on top of everything," Koirala said.

On Kalapani issue, Koirala said the solution can be found peacefully through diplomatic approach. He informed that he is visiting India to participate in a seminar on the new millennium theme. Asked about the hijacking of the IA   plane, he said it is not proper to say Nepal's weakness led to the incident.

As the nation is in a state of directionlessness for mistaken policy, it is high time the policy in every sector was reviewed so as to give momentum to the development efforts, Koirala said.

President of Reporter's Club of Nepal Rishi Dhamala said the Club plans a media campaign for the solution of the Maoist problem. The Club's future programmes will be directed to it, he added.

Survey reckons unemployment rate at 5%

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Jan. 27:
The findings of Nepal Labour Force Survey 1998/99, released today, shows unemployment and underemployment rate much lower than claimed by previous studies related to labour situation in the country.

For the first time in Nepal, the survey recognises women’s work which are "economically meaningful activities, though not necessarily in the market sphere" as economic activities at par with international definition and standards recommended by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The survey estimates Nepal’s unemployment rate at 1.8 per cent, which is less than 200,000 people aged 15 and over were unemployed during the survey year. Unemployment in urban areas runs at 7.4 per cent, but in rural areas it is only 1.2 per cent with Eastern Terai cities having the highest unemployment percentage. Kathmandu valley also has a high unemployment of 10 per cent. The national youth unemployment rate is 12 per cent.

The Nepal Living Standard Survey (NLSS) of 1996 puts unemployment rate at about 5 per cent.

Senior Labour Specialist Robert J. Pamber said that the 1.8 per cent unemployment rate was an "expected" phenomenon, which he cautioned, was a "very bleak" picture of economic scenario for a developing country at Nepal’s stage where "people cannot afford to remain unemployment" even for a subsistence living.

In addition to the unemployed, the survey classifies some 4 per cent of the labour force as having work but being in time-related underemployment.

Like the previous studies, this survey also recognises agriculture sector as the largest employer, yet the labour force absorbed by the sector is lower than the earlier estimations. According to the freshly released NLFS report about 7.1 million of over 15 population, which makes 73 per cent of the work force, are employed in agriculture sector. The National Census 1991 put the percentage at 81 per cent. Outside agriculture, 1.7 million people work in the informal sector compared to only 600,000 people hold white-colour jobs.

The NLFS considers people with 40 plus hours per week as fully employed. The press release distributed during the data dissemination seminar claims that the latest definitions has wider coverage of economic activities that incorporates traditionally unrecognised activities like water fetching and firewood collection also within the boundary of production.

The unemployment rate of 4.9 per cent as given by NLSS 1996 would have gone slightly to 5.2 per in 1998/99 if the 1996 definitions had been used, and on the contrary, underemployment rate estimated at 47 per cent in 1996 would have dropped to 32 per cent in the survey year, the press release says.

The survey estimates that 41 per cent of children of the 5 to 14 year age group are economically active.

A special feature of the NLFS is its more prominent gender sensitivity than any of the previous studies. The survey collects additional information about various non-work activities to measure the contribution of men, women and children to household maintenance. According to the survey, men and women spend roughly the same amount of time doing the work activities with 216 million hours a week for men and 197 million hours for women, a disproportionate share of household maintenance activities are done by women. Women spend 132 million hours a week on these activities, compared to only 25 million hours spent by men. The similar imbalance is maintained between girls and boys as well. The survey says girls aged 5 to 14 years spend 12 million hours a week on household maintenance where as boys’ share of household maintenance contribution is only 3 million hours.

Dr. Meena Acharya expressed content that the NLFS is comparatively more gender sensitive. "The finding may help make corrections to the plans drawn to increase employment opportunities that went wrong because the earlier studies made women’s works invisible," she said.

Trans-Himalayan 2000 to boost tourism in Nepal

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

A meeting participated in by high-level representatives of various hmg ministries and offices was held here Wednesday under the chairmanship of Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar to ensure the success of the "Raid Gauloises Trans-Himalayan 2000" international adventure tourism programme to be organised in Nepal at the start of the millennium.

The meeting decided to constitute a coordination committee with high-level representatives of the various ministries and offices for the success of the millennial event.

On the occasion, Minister Gachchhadar stressed the need for making the Trans-Himalayan 2000 programme successful since it would contribute to Destination Nepal Year 2002 to be organised in the near future.

Assistant Minister for Tourism Narayan Singh Pun shed light on the importance and significance of Trans-Himalayan 2000.

President of the Trekking Agents' Association of Nepal (taan) rajendra Bantawa and local representative of the event organisers, Gate Himalayan Adventures Pvt. Ltd., Ashok Mansingh Basnet, fielded various queries at the meeting and gave detailed information about the programme.

About 800 persons from more than 15 countries will take part in Trans-Himalayan 2000  to take place in mid-April. The participants   will take part in various adventure sports such as rafting, trekking, cycling, conoeing in the designated ten days.

According to experts, since the event would be broadcast live over television in more than 50 countries and as various articles and write-ups covering Trans-Himalayan 2000 would be published in major newspapers and magazines, the event would make significant contributions in promoting Nepal's tourism and this would open up a new vista for the country's tourism industry.

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar had made the announcement of Trans-Himalayan 2000  to be organised as the tenth programme of the famous French adventure tourism organisers,  Raid Gauloises, at a joint press conference organised by the Ministry of  Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Embassy of France on October 28.

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has also assumed patronage of the programme.

Nepalese industries seek support of government

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

Office-bearers of Nepal Tor-Steel and Iron Rod Manufacturers Association and Nepal Biscuit Industries Association met separately with Minister for Industry Omkar Prasad Shrestha at the Ministry of Industry today and held discussions.

On the occasion, Minister for Industry Shrestha said that  regular consultations and discussions with industrialists and businessmen have been organised with the objective of soliciting practical suggestions from the entrepreneurs regarding steps to be taken to run the country's industries at full capacity.

He also said that the government was seriously contemplating what steps were necessary to run the industries at full steam.

During the discussions suggestions were given for strictly monitoring the quality of food items like biscuits which are mostly used by children and the sick.

At the programme, advisor of the Ministry of   Industry Ananda Raj Mulmi underlined the need for the government and the private sector to join hands in ameliorating the problems facing the nation's industries.

He said the government was making a serious study as to the steps necessary for the creation of a sustainable economic system by eliminating the present impracticalities.

President of Nepal Tor-Steel and Iron rod Manufacturers' Association and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (fncci)  pradip Kumar Shrestha spoke on the problems facing iron and steel manufacturing units.

He said Nepalese firms should be given priority in the supply of iron rod and tor-steel products to big projects through open competition, regular supply of electricity of the designated voltage and time slots should be ensured, concession given on  power tariff since electricity is a major component of the iron and steel industry and monitoring carried out on the quality of products being supplied and sold.

He also called for timely amendmend of the Labour Act, effective implementation of the  One-Window Policy, stopping of unauthorised trade and equal treatment of imported items and items manufactured in the country.

Loan assistance provided to three municipalities

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

The Town Development Fund (TDF) has agreed to provide the Bharatpur, Banepa and  vyas municipalities loan assistances of Rs 11,800,000.   

Documents to these effect were signed by acting executive director Harka Bahadur Chhetri on behalf of the town development fund, mayor Him Bahadur Piya and secretary Hem Sharma Pokhrel on behalf of the Bharatpur municipality, Mayor Dr. Surendra Bade Shrestha and secretary Tara Prasad Sharma on behalf of the Banepa municipality and Mayor Dhruba Raj Wagle and acting secretary Rajendra Aryal on behalf of the Vyas municipality.

The town development fund will provide Rs 6,841,000 out of the total cost of Rs 7,600,000 for the construction project of the Mahendra Bus   Park in Bharatpur municipality and the remaining balance will be met by the Ministry of Local Development and the municipality itself.

Similarly, the Town Development Fund will provide a   loan of  Rs 1,960,000, or 90 per cent of the total cost of Rs 2,178,000 for the construction  of  road and sewerage to be constructed near the Ancient Chandeswori Park at the Banepa municipality and the rest of the amount will be provided by the Ministry of Local Development and the Banepa municipality.

Likewise, the Town Development Fund will provide 90 per cent or Rs 3,000,000 for construction of the 11-room shopping complex costing Rs 3,300,000 at the premises of the Vyas municipality and theremaining Rs 300,000 will be provided by the Ministry of Local Development and the municipality.

TIA staff told to be responsible

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

As per the suggestions made by the tourism entrepreneurs, industrialists, businessmen and personalities of various sectors  to the Prime Minister on the problems of the Tribhuwan International Airport in the wake of the recent incident  there, chief advisor to the Prime Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka   advised the concerned chiefs and staffs of various bodies to behave with the passengers decently, not to make unnecessary delays and to fulfill one's responsibility   sincerely without any fear.

Earlier Dr. Khadka had inspected the security arrangement at the Tribhuwan International Airport, the check in counter, the cargo system, pass arrangement, the immigration, the sterilised area and the customs offices.

On the occasion Dr. Khadka assured that discussions would be held with the concerned bodies on changing of old equipment and training of the employees in order to make them more efficient.

Also  present on the occasion were senior expert Khagendra Prasad Poudyal and deputy director of the Department of Immigration  Atma Ram Pandey.

Traffic resumes along Mechi highway

Ilam, Jan. 27 (RSS):

Traffic along the Mechi highway that was halted since a week ago over disputes relating to bus fares and other reasons  resumed today.

Talks to this effect had been held yesterday evening between the committee chairman and cdo of Jhapa district Dilli Raj Joshi, cdo of Ilam Narendra Raj Sharma and bus operators of Jhapa district under the coordination of the zonal transport management committee.

At present an agreement has been reached only on the resumption of  traffic, but all other disputes on the bus fares have not been resolved, cdo Narendra Raj Sharma said, expressing hope that they will be resolved in course of time through dialogue.

Mr  Sharma said the issue of the Ilam-Dharan and Biratnagar route bus operation was also raised but had not been solved. It will be resolved through talks very soon, he added.

Ban on use of standard logo lifted

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

The Department of Nepal Standards and Measurement has lifted  the ban  imposed on the use of Nepal Standards Logo on  the high density polythene pipes of various sizes being used in drinking water projects produced by the Nepal Polythene and Plastics Industries Pvt . Ltd ( Nepothene).

The lifting of ban was made after inspecting the production of the pipes under the supervision of the representatives of the department after the ban was imposed earlier and after the mistakes were corrected after inspections undertaken  daily  which  has proved that the pipes have been produced as per the Nepal standards, the department disclosed today.

FNJ statement

Kathmandu, Jan. 27 (RSS):

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (fnj), in a statement issued here today, has drawn he attention of His Majesty's Government towards the situation in which most of the newspapers and magazines have stopped reaching the international subscribers because of the increase in postal costs and demanded immediate withdrawal in the hike in the postal charge while sending periodicals abroad through the post offices.

In this context, fnj has called upon all the publishing houses to send their opinions and suggestions concerning the impact on account of the hike in the postal charges.