Form village-based teams to improve security: PM

Siraha (Lahan), July 1 (RSS): NC President and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that with some terrorists murdering Chandra Narayan Yadav in a cowardly manner, Mr Yadav is no more with us physically but his thoughts and contributions will ever remain fresh in the minds of all democrats.

Addressing a meeting organized by the NC Siraha Committee to mark the 13th day after the assassination of democratic youth leader Chandra Narayan Yadav here today, Prime Minister Koirala stressed the need to mobilize village security teams comprising Nepal Students Union and Tarun Dal workers so as to improve security situation in the villages.

The mobilisation of such security teams at people’s level would be of great help for the government to restore law and order, he observed.

Assuring the people of Siraha that the government will not lag behind in taking sternest action against the assassins of Mr Yadav, no matter whoever they may be, Mr Koirala said necessary instructions have already been given to the district police and administration for this purpose.

Security teams are being formed at the initiative of the people themselves even in Maoist affected areas, he said.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur alerted all against the conspiracy being hatched by some undemocratic elements to debilitate the Nepali Congress and democracy.

Stating that those who do not want to see the people and democracy strong are creating disturbances in different parts of the country, Mr Thakur said the people should boycott those who attack the police and democracy.

Former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, in a message, demanded that the government should track down the killers and take strong action against them.

NC Central Member and chief of the Women’s Department Mrs Nona Koirala strongly objected to the killing terming it as inhuman and spoke of the need to punish the killers.

Deputy Speaker Mrs Chitralekha Yadav observed that the democratic spirit and social activities of the late Yadav will be remembered by everyone in the days to come in the district.

Various other speakers including former minister of state Padma Narayan Chaudhary also expressed their views at the function chaired by NC Siraha District President and MP Amiya Kumar Yadav.

Joshi informs House on Jute Mill dispute

Kathmandu, July l (RSS):.Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi informed the second meeting of the House of Representatives today that the local administration has been directed to hold discussions with all sides concerned with the problem of Biratnagar Jute Mill as soon as possible to resolve the problem.

At the start of the second meeting of the House which took place after a break of about an hour, Mr Joshi expressed confidence that the problem would be resolved through talks and said the House would be informed if further information on the incident became available.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar said His Majesty’s Government does not wish to see any factory in the country close down or workers go hungry, but on the contrary wants to see cordial relations between government, management and labour and the smooth running of all industries so that it will contribute to the economic development of workers, proprietors and the country.

He pointed out that workers at the mill had suddenly gone on strike after the contractor who had taken the mill on lease said that some of their demands could be met within the rules laid out under the Labour Act, adding that the government is taking initiative to resolve the problem by bringing the workers towards a consensus in keeping with the Labour Act.

Mr Tamrakar said that untoward incidents might ensue if the constitutional provisions, regulations and laws are exceeded.

Earlier, scheduled proceedings of the House of Representatives were interrupted for one and half hours today after MPs from both Opposition and Treasury benches asked the Home Minister to furnish details about the police firing on agitated workers of Biratnagar Jute Mills and the injuries that occurred today.

Immediately after the start of the meeting, Chief Whip of CPN-UML Bharat Mohan Adhikari said that as some 200 workers of the mill have been arrested and some of them sustained injuries during the agitation which they resorted to since a month ago in protest against a reduction of facilities provided to them, and urged that the government consider their demands positively.

He demanded treatment for the injured and release of workers who have been held in custody.

Opposition MPs were opposed to proceeding with the House business until the Home Minister furnished details about the incident since seven workers had been injured during a baton charge, use of teargas and firing by the police during peaceful demonstrations today in front of Nepal Bank Limited Rani branch and 3l arrests had been made.

They also accused the government of planning to sell the mill property worth billions for a paltry sum and resorting to police firing on the workers who are seeking their facilities and said such incident occuring at a time when Parliament is sitting is an insult to Parliament itself.

Badri Prasad Mandal of Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Lilamani Pokharel of United People’s Forum, Lal Babu Pandit, Subaschandra Nemwang, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Rajendra Prasad Pandey of CPN-UML, Narayan Man Bijuknchhe of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Navaraj Subedi of National People’s Forum and Pashupati Shamsher JBR of RPP were among the MPs who drew the attention of the government to the issue.

Hari Narayan Chaudhari from the Treasury benches also sought replies from the home minister. Referring to his warning to be sensitive over the demands of workers at the country’s pioneer jute mill, he said it is a misfortune that the government remains silent over the incident

If government is not serious over the worker’s agitation, it will lead to aversion towards the government, he said.

Though Speaker Taranath Ranabhat gave time to the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies to speak about the incident, opposition MPs prevented him from doing so.

They were adamant that the Home Minister himself reply over this issue since the incident is related to the law and order in the country, and is not an industrial dispute.

The chief whip and whip of the ruling party assured them of replies from the Home Minister, but they did not budge from their stance.

Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi appeared at the House half an hour later while opposition MPs were demanding his presence. He made it clear that no police firing or baton charge had taken place at the mills area today and nobody was injured.

Reacting to the replies of the Home Minister, Pradeep Nepal of CPN-UML termed it false.

Police have opened fired and some workers have also been arrested, he asserted and said the Home Minister should apologise for furnishing false information.

All the opposition MPs beside those of RPP moved towards the well when the Speaker gave time to the minister for industry, commerce and supplies to make his statement.

Though Minister Tamrakar informed the House about a dialogue between the management and mills worker, the speaker was compelled to adjourned the meeting of the House for half an hour as MPs surrounding the well ignored his repeated requests to go back to their seats.

Gurung inspects Modikhola project

Pokhara, July 1 (RSS): Minister of State for Water Resources Ram Bahadur Gurung today initiated the task of channelling the water of the Modikhola rivulet, which has reached the final stage of the construction at Deupur VDC ward No. 2 Betini of Parbat district.

Minister of State Gurung made an on the spot inspection of the project which is 98 per cent complete and acquired information about its activities.

About Rs 2.10 billion has been spent on the project based on runoff river system.

Fifty per cent of the total cost was received from the government of the Republic of Korea for electro-mechanical equipment, construction of 132 KV transmission line and technical cooperartion and the rest of the amount was met by HMG and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).

Some of the power generated by the project will be supplied at the local level and the rest will be connected to the national grid of the 132 kv sub-station at Pokhara through 40 KM long 132 KV transmission line.

Under the preliminary design of the project, a target set was to generate an average of 91 million units of power by installing two sets of generator with the capacity of 7000 kilowatts but as the generating equipment are of a better quality, some increase is expected in the total generation of power.

According to the revised estimate, the annual generation of power is estimated at 92.5 million unit.

Construction of power house, switchyard, tailrace, penstock support, headworks, 1,507 metre long headrace tunnel, 38 metre high tunnel and other tunnels have been completed already.

All the 109 towers for the 132 KV transmission of power has been completed. A 7.5 metre high and 33 metre long dam has been constructed and 27.5 cubic metre of water per second has been channelled to 155 long desanding basin through a 250 metre long underground box culverts and 30 metre long intake having four gates. The water has been then channelled to the reservoir constructed at the right bank of the 63 metre long canal.

The reservoir has the capacity of storing up to 32,900 cubic metre of water from where it will be channelled to 328 metre long penstock pipe through a 1,507 metre long headrace tunnel. Then the water will be dropped down to operate semi-underground power house constructed at Patichaur.

Earlier estimate had made provision for the construction of 33 KV capacity Modikhola rivulet transmission line but taking into consideration the feasibility of construction of power houses at upper Modikhola, lower Modikhola and Raghughat, the capacity of the transmission line has been increased to 132 KV.

Lawmakers ask govt to to fulfil commitments

Kathmandu, July 1 (RSS): The House of Representatives today initiated discussions on appropriation heads pertaining to the cabinet secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Planning Commission Secretariat, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Defence, The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management and the Ministry of General Administration.

At the meeting, RPP’s Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana, Lilamani Pokherel of Samyukta Janamorcha, Rpp’s Netra Lal Shrestha, CPN-UML’s Gokarna Raj Bista, RPP’s Renu Kumari Yadav, CPN-UML’s Asta Laxmi Shakya, Hari Acharya of Rastriya Janamorcha, Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav of Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Birodh Khatiwada of CPN-UML and RPP’s Buddhiman Tamang presented separate proposals for reducing Rs. 100 from the expenditure deads of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Planning Commission Secretariat, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Labour and Transport Management and the Ministry of General Administration.

In his Proposal, RPP’s Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana said the government which had assumed office with the commitment to restoring law and order, controlling corruption and ensuring good governance has totally failed to fulfil the commitment.

Lilamani Pokhrel of Samyukta Janamorcha accused the government of failing to protect the country’s national integrity and sovereignty, maintain law and order, ensure social justice and human rights, pursue a balanced foreign policy and provide any concrete programme for the upliftment of women and the downtrodden.

RPP’s Netra Lal Shrestha was critical of the nNPC’s failure to come up with any concrete policy and programme for bringing health care within the reach of the rural masses, check commercialization of education and meet the minimum requirements of the people.

Gokarna Raj Bista of CPN-UML accused the npc of failure to come up with appropriate policy and strategy for attaining the poverty alleviation goal of the ninth plan through improvement in agriculture, forest, tourism and human resource development.

RPP’s Renu Kumar Yadav stressed the need to appoint a woman as Minister for Women Ministry, fulfil the commitment made during the Beijing conference, check polygamy, give opportunity to women also to join the army, increase women’s participation in administration, provide employment not grant to disabled women and increase women awareness to check women trafficking.

CPN-UML’s Asta Laxmi Shakya stressed the need to ensure the constitutional rights of women and children, check discrimination on the basis of gender, equip the women ministry with adequate powers, give due attention to the plight of the downtrodden and ethnic groups and open women development branch in each district.

Hari Acharya of Rastriya Janamorcha was also critical of the government for not coming up with effective programmes for the wellbeing of women and children, while Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav stressed the need to increase the number of the people of the terai in the army, police and foreign service.

Presenting the budget reduction proposal under appropriation heads pertaining to the Local Development Ministry, MP Birodh Khatiwada said women and men labourers should be entitled to equal wage, child labour should be abolished, enforcement of the minimum wage scale for labourers should be monitored, foreign employement should be systemic and appointment, service and facilities and life insurance of transport labourers should be guaranteed.

Presenting a similar proposal under appropriation head pertaining to the Ministry of General Administration, RPP’s Buddhiman Tamang said works carried out by the government does not meet the commitments expressed by the Prime Minister towards maintaining law and order, wiping out corruption and ensuring good governance, transfer and appointment of civil servants has not been impartial and the Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority(CIAA) has become useless.

Taking part in the discussion, MP Sushil Koirala of Nepali Congress said law and order, controlling corruption and good governance are relevant and essential issues for the country and that the NC government is serious towards these issues and has opened doors for dialogue with the maoists.

The government is also working towards introducing a bill to strengthen and consolidate the Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and control corruption and ensure good governance in the country, he added.

Narayan Man Bijukche of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) said though many programmes have been introduced for the upliftment of women lack of transparency and congressization of such project has deprived the targetted group from benefiting from such projects, amount allocated for the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare is minimum and the National Planning Commission has not made a mid-evaluation of the Ninth Plan which has completed three years.

CPN-UML‘s Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar said the National Planning Commission has become ineffective, privatization has caused more problems for the poor, development projects are unbalanced and effort has not been made to upgrade the efficiency of the bureau of statistics.

Badri Prasad Mandal of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party spoke of the need for the government to bring about programmes to remove poverty, unemployment and corruption from the country.

Homnath Dahal and Ramesh Dutta Lekhak of the Nepali Congress strssed the need to tone up administration, audit accounts of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, make transparent the welfare fund within the Royal Nepalese Army, guarantee women’s rights in parental property and empower the national planning commission with means and resources, adding that the NPC should take seriously the unbalanced appropriation of the budget.

CPN-UML ‘s Bhadra Bahaur Thapa and Mrs Urmila Aryal said master plans should be worked out for the welfare of women and children and carried out accordingly, appointments, transfers and promotions of Royal Nepalese Army officials should be made more transparent, all forms of discrimination against women should be scrapped and women’s awareness income-generating programme made more effective and transparent.

NC’s Ram Kumar Chaudhary observed that plans should be worked out only after identifying the real problems and concrete programmes brought about for removing poverty, corruption and unemployment widespread in the country.

Ananda Prasad Pokharel of the CPN-UML said that the structure of the National Planning Commission should be improved to make it active in formulating proper policy and programme for the welfare of the poor people.

Ram Chandra Tiwari of the Nepali Congress said that if the source of income of any property was not clear, it must have been acquired through corruption, and it was a welcome step to curb it through stringent laws.

Sushila Nepal of the CPN-UML said that women should also be given the chance to join the Royal Nepalese Army, and the bill concerning women’s rights to parental property should introduced in the current session of the parliament.

Hit Kaji Gurung of the same party said that people were losing faith in the system due to delay in the administrative field and remarked that the government had not paid attention to modernising the Royal Nepalese Army.

Romi Gauchan Thakali of the Nepali Congress said that the step taken by the government to reduce the number of ministries to ensure healthy administration was praiseworthy.

Jagannath Khatiwada of the CPN-UML demanded budget allocation for setting up of National Women Commission and alleged that administrative expenditures had been increased by keeping similar programmes in various ministries.

Shiva Raj Joshi of the Nepali Congress said as the National Planning Commission had failed to formulate plans by understanding the geographical border of the country, the people could not receive the fruits of development.

Kunta Sharma of the CPN-UML said the budget for the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare is low, citizenship should be given in the name of the mother too, women should enjoy equal property rights, women are treated unfairly in some acts, and the children reform homes should be made effective.

Hridaya Ram Thani of NC said the children’s homes should be opened in all the 75 districts and the disabled training centre in five development regions, the Royal Nepalese Army should be mobilised in national development works and the prime minister’s office should be made timely.

Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi of the CPN-UML said women and men should receive equal wages, wages should be fixed for agricltural labourers, the salaries of the workers should be increased, indigenous workers should be given priority and demanded equal property rights for women.

Bharat Kumar Shaha of the Nepali Congress said the women’s awareness programme is effective, the National Women’s Commission should be formed immediately, and demanded that the women’s property rights bill be brought in the current parliament session.

Ram Chandra Yadav of the CPN-UML said the National Planning Commission is leaving old projects under political pressure, the ministers have more programmes in their districts and demanded management in the foreign employment.

SLC toppers enjoying competitive careers

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 1: Unlike the majority of her predecessors, this year’s SLC (School Leaving Certificate) exams topper Sumnima Singh would like to pursue her career goals in both science and literature streams.

"I want to get my name registered in the Guinness Book of World Records by accomplishing something extraordinary in literature," a jubilant Sumnima told The Rising Nepal. Not only that, Sumnima also has an ambition to win the Nobel Prize if possible in both of these disciplines.

Sumnima who topped nearly 94 thousand successful students, scoring 647 out of 700 (92.43 per cent) said that she would enrol herself in science course but was unsure about the option between Biology and Physics. "I will either become a doctor or an engineer but I will focus on research," Sumnima said.

The elder daughter of engineer Dilli Bahadur Singh and sociologist/anthropologist Anju Singh, Sumnima said that she used to spend 6-7 hours regularly for her studies that got prolonged up to 16 hours in the peak preparation period. "Obviously, I am very happy; I am rewarded for my hard labour."

A student of Siddhartha Vanasthali School, Sumnima’s hobby is to read literary works and compose poems. She likes Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Taranath Sharma. "English dramatist William Shakespeare and Russian novelist and short story writer Maxim Gorky are my choice among the foreign writers."

Born on November 17, 1984 in Kathmandu, Sumnima has already proved herself a creative writer. She has two anthologies of poems and a short story collection to her credit and is currently working on a travelogue. Her works include Pallavi (an anthology of 53 Nepali poems), The Wreath of Flowers (that includes 36 English poems) and Anjuli (a collection of short stories). Ministry for Women and Children awarded her with the Best Child Literary Award for Pallavi a couple of years ago. "My writing centres around the theme of Nature and the central characters in many cases represent myself."

Sumnima who believes in tough competition had reservations about the SLC Examination Controller’s decision to stop announcing the names of top ten students in the merit list. The Controller’s office said that the decision was taken to discourage exam-oriented teaching and to ensure healthy competition. "I feel that this decision will impair the sense of competition among the students. The office should instead take measures to check unhealthy competition."

"Besides, the government should take initiatives to check unhealthy competition and commercialisation in education and ensure children’s access to teaching that would instill a sense of competition in them," Sumnima said.

Sumnima said that the credit for her success goes to her father, family, school Principal Laxman Rajbanshi, the teachers and friends.

Jeevan Poudel - one of the two toppers among the boys with 91.85 per cent - aspires to become an engineer. "I will work harder in future to accomplish my career goals," a dispatch from our Butwal based correspondent quoted Jeevan as saying.

"Apart from standing out as an industrious student, Jeevan participated enthusiastically in extracurricular activities like quiz contest, singing, essay and poem writing," his headmaster Laxman Rajbanshi said. Jeevan has to his credit a literary publication written during his high school years.

Jeevan who had been provided with full scholarship never took tuition during his school days. He said his parents and teachers deserved the credit for his success.

Agreed Manoj Bohara - another topper. "The key of my success is a regular 5-6 hours study plus their inspiration."

"My aim in life is to be a good doctor and serve the nation," Manoj from Butawal-based New Horizon English Boarding School said.

Interested equally in extra-curricular activities and a great fan of cricket, Manoj said that the evaluation was fair.

‘Drug abuse on the rise’

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 1: Executives and social workers Friday said that drug abuse was on the rise due to a lack of co-ordination among the agencies fighting the malady and stressed co-operation between the government and the non-governmental sector to check it.

Drug abuse is said to be increasing in Nepal despite preventive measures on part of the government and the non-governmental sector. The total number of drug users in the country is estimated to be 50,000 out of which 20,000 use syringes.

The estimated number of drug users in Kathmandu Valley alone stands at 15,000. The number of drug users in Dharan and Pokhara is 3,000 each.

"The problem persists because we have not been able to mobilise the available resources effectively due to a lack of co-ordination among the concerned agencies, Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said addressing a one-day dissemination workshop on the Need Assessment of Intravenous Drug Users here Friday morning. "The government, non-governmental agencies as well as the public should go untidily to address the problem effectively."

Yadav said that drug abuse could not be contained unless people were well educated. "Proper education and proper advocacy is essential to check drug abuse."

Psychiatrist Dhruba Man Shrestha said that drug abuse was on the rise as there were inconsistencies in policies and a lack of co-ordination among the agencies fighting the malady.

Kathmandu Municipality Mayor Keshav Sthapit said that drug abuse was a by-product of social frustration and stressed on employment schemes to divert the youth to the constructive path.

Stressing on partnership between the government and the non-governmental organisations, Health Services Department’s Director General B.D. Chataut said the government was moving ahead with the NGOs to check drug abuse as well as to reduce its harm.

"The government is launching programmes through non-governmental organisations to check drug abuse and reduce its harm," National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Control Centre’s Director Dr. T.N. Jha said.

"Intravenous drug use is one of the main causes of HIV," Director of Save the Children US Keith D. Leslie said. "Needles and syringe exchange program and methadone treatment can help prevent HIV." At present, over 40 per cent of the 20,000 IDUs (Intravenous Drug Users) are estimated to be HIV positive.

The workshop was organized by Youth Power Nepal with the support of Save the Children US and Neda (Enhanced HIV Prevention Program).