Matter of talks with Maoists proceeding positively : Koirala

Kathmandu, June l6 (RSS): Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that talks are being held through diplomatic channels to resolve existing problems between Nepal and India.

The Prime Minister, who was informing the Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee about news carried by India Today Weekly recently and matter concerning Nepal put on the internet at a meeting of the committee today, said he had held talks about this when chief advisor to the Indian Prime Minister Brajesh Mishra was in Kathmandu.

He said talks are being held in this connection through the Foreign Ministry.

Such things might have been brought up through the communications media out of a conspiracy to spoil the harmonious relations between Nepal and India, Mr Koirala said adding that all sides should be alert about this and all political parties should think about how such activities can be halted.

Responding to questions raised by members of the committee, the Prime Minister said the matter of talks with the Maoists is proceeding positively adding that he had no information about their demands and the demands and conditionalities published by newspapers could not be considered authoritative.

The Maoists should first put forth their demands clearly so that the government can, before initiating dialogue, assess which of their demands can or cannot be fulfilled, the prime minister said.

To a question concerning the Maoist affected people staying at Bhadrakali, he said the government is considering arrangements for the settlement of such people, who are slowly becoming internal refugees, at the respective district headquarters and provide them assistance under the Ganesh Man Singh Peace Campaign Programme. Main opposition party leader and CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal accused the government that its protest against the report published in India Today and its website maligning Nepal very feeble.

At the meeting chaired by committee chairman Som Prasad Pandey, MPs Govinda Bikram Shaha, Narayan Man Bijukchhe and Pashupati Chaulagain posed questions to the Prime Minister.

At the meeting, Water Resources Ministry officials presented reports on the inundation problem in some VDCs of Banke district caused by the construction of 22 km-embankment by the indian government along the Rapti river.

It was informed at the meeting that despite the repeated requests from Nepal's side to stop the construction of the embankment, the Indian side constructed it by even violating the international norm which stipulates that no country can construct a dam or embankment within eight km from the border area. The embankment constructed by India is within 200 meters from the border.

The meeting was attended by all committee members and Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi was invited as invitee to inform the committee about the security situation in the country.

A team of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations and Human Rights Committee is going on an inspection tour of the inundated areas in Banke district.

Corruption weakens democracy : Acharya

Kathmandu, June l6 (RSS):Minister for Finance Mahesh Acharya has said that the nation and the people can feel relief and democracy can be ensured if corruption, something which hurts national pride, is controlled once and for all.

The Finance Minister, who was issuing directives on the implementation of the budget to HMG secretaries at the Ministry of Finance today, said corruption is a factor that poses a challenge before the country's development, distresses the people and weakens democracy. It could be done away with through commitment on the part of civil servants, party leaders and workers and government ministers.

He made it clear that the government has effected a big raise in the pay scale for civil servants in order to raise their morale and encourage them to work for the good of the nation and its populace.

Minister Acharya also issued directives for the secretaries to be alert towards motivating subordinate staff, giving momentum to the administration and controlling corruption.

The secretaries should not hesitate to approach their ministers and even the Prime Minister for the overcoming of barriers and problems that surface while executing the functions of their ministries and offices under them, he said.

He also drew the attention of the ministers and secretaries to the need to avoid appointments on temporary basis, to put an outright halt to arbitrary appointments and avoid unnecessary increases in facilities for the employees of government undertakings and development committees.

The government cannot function as a mere employer, it has hired manpower as per its requirements only for the onerous task of national development, he said adding that government would be effortful to create employment opportunities other than in the government sector by accelerating economic activity.

Employment opportunities could be generated if unproductive expenses were diverted towards development projects and such projects implemented in an effective manner, he elaborated.

He also issued directives to the secretaries to change their working style through a scientific study of project selection and project duration, the implementation aspects and the benefits to the nation and its populace.

Foreigners will not come forward to meet the requirements and challenges of our country. We ourselves have to prepare for that. With the identification of our development challenges, the administrative machinery has to act to expedite the development process in the country, he said.

He also underlined the need for the administration to be alert over the effective implementation of the programme set out in the budget this time, adding that this was brought out after identifying fundamental thrust areas such as institutional reform, high growth rate and poverty alleviation.

He issued directives for secretaries and other responsible persons serving in different levels to maintain transparency in the plans and programmes of the government and publicize them effectively.

Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Dr. Bimal Koirala said that civil servants should not forget the fact that the nation and its people would not benefit if a programme incorporated into the budget with new commitment failed to be implemented on time.

He also expressed the view that the administration and civil society should show understanding for the sensitivity shown by the government towards halting the tendency of spending on unproductive areas and making the productive and people oriented programmes success and result-oriented and towards mobilising accordingly.

He further drew the attention of the secretaries to the decision on not creating any new staff level, freezing out excess staff levels and laying off temporary employees.

The secretaries also held discussions on the purpose and principle of the budget, its agenda, ways towards its successful implementation, supervision, follow-up, evaluation, remedies for problems encountered during the implementation of projects and budget review for the current fiscal year.

Two phones in each VDC within three years: NTC

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 16:Nepal Telecommunication Corporation looks forward to install at least two telephone lines in each of the Village Development Committees within three years time under the special rural telecommunication programme of HMG, NTC General Manager Chet Prasad Bhattarai said today.

Presently NTC has been providing telecom services through three hundred thousand lines in 1528 VDCs of sixty-five districts in the Kingdom.

The available telephone lines in the year 1975 was 10,700, this number has increased to nearly three hundred thousand in the last twenty- five years.

"The gradual liberalisation of telecom services and the participation of the private sector with NTC, would bring about dynamism in the delivery of services in the next few years," Bhattarai told the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of NTC here today.

He said in the wake of keen competition with the private sector, NTC was looking forward to re-orient its services more as an access provider and the provider of value added services in the next few years.

NTC has issued tender for the licensing of cellular mobile phones. It has issued licenses to ten private companies for the delivery of internet services and five licenses have been issued for radio paging services, he said.

"We have given licenses for the operation of V-SAT telephone and the domain of voice telephone which is still with NTC will be liberalised by the year 2002," Bhattarai said.

"We have to accept competition and we are ready for it," he said.

He said that one thousand V-SAT stations would be installed in the Himalayan area together with the feasible mountainous region of the Kingdom.

Yogendra Shakya, President of NICA and a leading tourism entrepreneur said NTC's role in the development of rural telecommunication was praiseworthy but there still was room for improvement as far as the quality of services was concerned.

Shakya said that the reason why NTC had not been able to improve its services was mainly due to government interference.

He said the future of the tourism industry in Nepal rested largely on the prompt and efficient delivery of telecom services.

Guy Trouveroy, Ambassador of Belgium to Nepal said Belgium was proud to have been associated with NTC in the development of telecom services since 1982.

He said Belgium had provided sixty five per cent of the switching equipment to NTC.

He said the striking part of the joint-venture in the development of telecommunication between NTC and a Belgium Company was the continuity with which the development goals were being pursued.

"With the equipment made available by the Belgium company, NTC has reached the threshold of what it needs for modernising its services," Trouveroy said. Dr. S.K. Hajela, Senior Consultant to the Indian Telecom Authority, who has also been working with NTC said innovative financing had helped the telecom sector to pick up in developing countries but the pace could be enhanced through liberalisation.

He said that sixty per cent of humanity did not have access to telecom services in the world despite of the information revolution.

Taki Hiro Kono associated with the Asia Pacific Telecommunication Community said development of Information Technology was a pre-requite for other development works as it stood out as the primary infrastructure for other infrastructures.

Alan Tuladhar, Chief Executive of Unlimited Software Operators Limited said NTC along with the private sector would have to concentrate on converging the emerging trends of information technology to deliver them in the form of a single package to the consumers.

NTC also announced three prizes through a lucky draw to eighteen people who will have access to its internet services free of cost. The winners of the first prize will have free access to its services for eighteen months. Similarly, the winners of the second prize will have free access for a year while the winners of the third prize will have free access for six months.

Six winners were announced for each of the categories.

'HMG sensitive to check pollution in cities'

Kathmandu, June 16 (RSS): Minister for Science and Technology Surendra Prasad Chaudhari has said HMG has launched various science and technology programmes as mentioned in the Ninth Plan by making it the basis for national development.

Furnishing answers at the question hour of the House of Representative today, he expressed the view that even though Nepal could not derive good benefit from the green and industrial revolutions which took place after the Second World War, she should not miss the opportunity of deriving benefit from the present information technology.

Mr Chaudhari said HMG has been doing homework on developing computer network between the ministries, developing the Vsat system, establishing a science museum and developing solar, wind and biogas as an alternative source of energy.

In answer to another question, he said presently 7 megawatts of electricity have been generated from 5,000 solar household systems and 1500 small hydro power projects.

The members of parliament posing questions to minister Chaudhari were Prakash Jwala and Shankarnath Sharma Adhikari.

Answering questions pertaining to His Ministry, Minister of State for Population and Environment Shiva Raj Joshi said though there is a difficulty in controlling environmental degradation caused by population growth and lack of reform in management, environment protection programmes like afforestation, soil conservation, river control, water source control and people's awareness have been launched.

He said HMG is sensitive to checking pollution in the cities, the diesel operated three wheeler vehicles have been prohibited since last year to check pollution in the historical and archaeological cities of Kathmandu valley, vehicles failing emmision test have not been permitted to ply, policy has been taken to involve the private sector in the management of solid waste, and works are underway for fixing the standard of water and air pollution in the outlying cities. In answer to another question, Mr Joshi said as the population is multi regional and multi dimensional subject, works are underway for launching various programmes to develop necessary manpower to provide a reliable population data.

MPs posing questions to Minister of State Joshi were MPs Som Prasad Pandeya, Vidyadevi Bhandari, Prakash Jwala and Shiva Raj Joshi.

Similarly, answering questions pertaining to His Ministry, Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Mohammad Aftab Alam said there is no programme to develop the chure mountain as a wildlife reserve in Kanchanpur district, and though the control of the Seti landslides at Lampantar VDC of Sindhuli district is underway since last month, there is no programme at present to control the Nyaule landslide at Kakurthakur VDC in the same district

It is not true that a masterplan will be formulated to control soil erosion in the chure ranges, he said, adding that the Riddhikot forest area at Kusum Khola VDC in Palpa district, and the preservation of water resources will be launched as per the policy of mobilising local forest users.

Minister of State Alam said there is no programme at present for issuing license for musk deer farming in the northern Himalayan region of the Dolakha district, adding that there is a plan to launch a special programme for rhododendron preservation in milkedanda in the next fiscal year by fixing the Milke Jaljale area of Sankhuwasabha, Terhathum and Taplejung as the rhododendron preservation area.

There is a programme to distribute 68 Bighas of land through the landless people problem resolution committee and 140 bighas to the families as compensation for land to those who fall under the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, he said, adding that for this purpose the land east of the eastern university, west of the Sakhula Khola, north of Biratchowk settlements, and south of the national forest has already been delineated.

MPs posing questions to Minister of State Alam were Ramesh Lekhak of NC, Ganga Prasad Nepal, Birodh Khatiwada, Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi, Ananda Prasad Pokhrel and Parashuram Meghi Gurung, and Lal Bahadur Pandit designated by Suresh Karki of CPN-UML.

‘Nepal Police doing excellent job'

Kathmandu, June 16 (RSS): The Home Ministry has voiced serious objection to some current media reports which, it said, demoralizes the Nepal Police instead of boosting its morale.

Nepal Police has been doing excellent job while it comes to maintaining law and order in the country, the Home Ministry said, adding it is the duty of one and all to boost the morale of a sensitive force like Nepal Police which has been working for the protection of people's life and property with a deep sense of duty.

In a press release issued today, the Ministry has said that its attention has been drawn to some fictitious and misleading media reports which say the procedures of sending police personnel to sensitive areas is faulty, many policemen and officers have started resigning and despondency is on the rise among the police personnel.

There is a legal provision under which matters concerning the transfer of DSPs and other senior officers are dealt with by the Home Ministry by following certain criteria, while the transfer of inspectors and other junior officers and men falls within the perview of the police headquarters, the Home Ministry said. Matters concerning the transfer of nongazetted police personnel in the regions is dealth with by the respective regional DIGs, it added.

Stating that districts which are sensitive from security point of view have been divided into "A", "B" and "C" categories and a certain criteria has to be followed for selecting the police officers for such districts, said the Home Ministry, adding the police personnel, who have already served in the category "A" districts are not sent to the districts again without their consent.

However, due to limited number of police personnel and large number of places requiring
security personnel police personnel who have already served in category "B" and "C" districts might be sent to the districts again.

Stating that police personnel whose performance record is outstanding are rewarded and those failing to fulfil their duty honestly face action in accordance with existing rules, the Ministry said any media reports published without paying any heed to such a transparent policy and provisions will simply disinform the people.

If anyone has any complain or grouse, the Home Ministry has a provision of listening to them, said the Ministry, requesting one and all to benefit from this provision.

PAC to finalise fate of RJ-100 Wednesday

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 16:Public Account Committee of the Lower House of Parliament would finalise Wednesday the fate of Avro RJ-100 plane to be purchased by Royal Nepal Army under Defence Ministry.

Since the information on purchase process provided by the Ministry at the Committee's second request was also inadequate, the Committee in today's meeting agreed that it would reach the decision after consulting Defence Secretary.

The information details presented at the meeting held under the Chairman Subash Nemwang shows that the cabinet straight decided to buy the aircraft at the Ministry's request through an ordinary proposal.

The proposal lacked necessary documents including study reports related to the purchase. Nor did it contain the study of its financial aspects, according to the Committee.

A report on the purchase prepared by the Army shows that the purchase has greater number of disadvantages than advantages.

Among its advantages it can be used in the international flight during top leaders' foreign visit, it can be used in the peace keeping mission, it carries upto 100 persons, it can land on a runway at maximum 5000 feet and it can be given on lease for commercial purposes.

But it has to be refilled at every four hours' flight, training of its crew members is expensive, it cannot have optimum utility through commercial flights, there is no guarantee of its being leased, it cannot bear the full load of its capacity while flying over plains and flying in the European sky is not profitable.

The proposal requires Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation to lease the Army's plane. The reports also states that the plane can annually earn about 270 million rupees through 1500-hour flight and that it can recover the total purchase cost of two billion 160 million rupees in eight years, the Committee said.

The Committee also decided to ask Home Ministry to give details within seven days of the purchase of seven Nissan cars and 19 Nissan jeeps. The ministry is said to have purchased the vehicles directly from a company.

Sagarmatha summiteers felicitated

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 16:Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation felicitated six Mt. Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) summiteers in the capital today. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarani Dutta Chataut gave away the felicitation letters and cash awards to the mountaineers. Foundation President Daman Nath Dhungana and Kathmandu Metropolitan Mayor Keshav Sthapit praised the mountaineers for their courage and skill.

The Foundation awarded Babu Chhiri Sherpa with "Pasang Lhamu Special Mountaineering Award" for his record breaking fastest climb on the world’s highest peak. Babu reached the Mt. Sagarmatha top in 16 hours and 56 minutes from the base camp on May 21. His speed-climb broke the record of fastest climb of 20 hours 24 minutes on the 8,848 meters high mountain set by Kaji Sherpa in 1998.

In the same function Lakpa Sherpa and Pemba Doma Sherpa were awarded "Pasang Lhamu Youth Award" for their record setting successful bid on Mt. Sagarmatha. Lakpa reached the mountain top on May 18 becoming the first Nepalese woman to return safely after a successful Mt. Sagarmatha and a day later on May 19 Pemba Doma became the first Nepalese woman to scale the mountain from the Tibetan side. Their predecessor Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who became the first Nepalese woman to assault the world’s highest peak in April 1993, succumbed to the harsh and unpredictable weather on her way back from the peak.

Two teenage mountaineers, Temba Chhiri Sherpa and Arvin Timilsina were awarded this year’s "Pasang Lhamu Youth Award" for their attempts on Mt. Sagarmatha. Temba Chhiri, 14, reached the height of 8,828 meters last month, only 20 meters short from the peak, but was forced to turn back due to finger frostbites. On the other hand Arvin Timilsina, then 15, abandoned his bid last Spring from the height of 8,850 meters, 48 meters short from the peak, due to eye problems. Both the teenage mountaineers were opting to become the youngest climber to scale the majestic height of 8,848 meters by breaking the record set by their compatriot Shambhu Tamang in 1973 at the age of 17.

In today’s function Appa Sherpa was felicitated for highest number of climbs on the world’s tallest mountain. On May 24 this Spring, Appa became the first human to step on the Mt. Sagarmatha atop for the eleventh time. Apart from Appa, only two other veteran mountaineers Ang Rita Sherpa and Babu Chhiri Sherpa, both from Nepal, have successfully reached the Sagarmatha top for ten times.

Govt to give compensation to Maoist-hit victims

Kathmandu, June 16 (RSS): Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi has said that His Majesty's Government is making efforts to create a congenial environment for the people affected by the Maoist terror to return to their homes.

Giving information of public importance at the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Minister Joshi said the cooperation and rehabilitation committee constituted with representatives of the bodies concerned under the convenorship of Minister of Education has started its work.

Mr Joshi said the government has also made arrangements for providing compensation to those who have suffered loss of property from the Maoists.

Minister Joshi said those suffering a loss of upto Rs 10,000 will be given the whole amount. Those suffering a loss of Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 will receive Rs 10,000 + 30 per cent of the remaining amount. Those suffering a loss of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 will be given Rs 10,000 plus 30 per cent of the remaining Rs 25,000 and 25 per cent of the remaining amount.Those suffering a loss of Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 will receive Rs 10,000 plus 30 per cent of the remaining Rs 25,000 and 25 per cent of the amount of upto Rs 50,000 and 20 per cent of the remaining balance.

Similarly, those suffering a loss of Rs 1,00,000 to Rs 5,000,000 will get Rs 10,000 plus 30 per cent of Rs 25,000 and 25 per cent of Rs 50,000, 20 per cent of Rs 100,000 and 15 per cent for the remaining balance.

Likewise, those suffering a loss of more than Rs 5,000,000 will receive Rs 10,000 plus the amount mentioned under clause 5 and 1 per cent for the remaining balance.

Similarly, the children of the victims of terrorists will receive a lump sum of Rs 500 and Rs 100 monthly for the primary education, lump sum of Rs 1,000 and Rs 150 monthly for the lower secondary education, a lump sum of Rs 1,200 and Rs 200 monthly for secondary education, a lump sum of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 per month for proficiency and higher education, a lump sum of Rs 2,500 and Rs 800 per month for diploma level education and a lump sum of Rs 3,000 and Rs 1,000 monthly for degree level education, minister Joshi said.

He said HMG has been working towards providing Rs 150 per month to the widows of the deceased by removing the barrier of age and added that if those sitting at the Bhadrakali fall under any of these criteria HMG will not lag behind in helping them.

NBA condemns Jajarkot killing

Kathmandu, June l6 (RSS):Nepal Bar Association (NBA) has issued a press communique stating that the incident that took place at Panchkatiya in Jajarkot district is a challenge to human rights, the right to live and to democracy itself.

Killing of not just ordinary people and police but even children and attack on citizens' homes are a blow to the right to live and right to shelter, it said adding that a system established through the killing of children and citizens is not something that the country wants.

Making a strong appeal to the Maoists and to His Majesty's Government not to resort to the killing of children and to allow people to live in peace, it also appealed for a resolution of the problem through talks.

PAC to finalise fate of RJ-100 Wednesday

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 16:Public Account Committee of the Lower House of Parliament would finalise Wednesday the fate of Avro RJ-100 plane to be purchased by Royal Nepal Army under Defence Ministry.

Since the information on purchase process provided by the Ministry at the Committee's second request was also inadequate, the Committee in today's meeting agreed that it would reach the decision after consulting Defence Secretary.

The information details presented at the meeting held under the Chairman Subash Nemwang shows that the cabinet straight decided to buy the aircraft at the Ministry's request through an ordinary proposal.

The proposal lacked necessary documents including study reports related to the purchase. Nor did it contain the study of its financial aspects, according to the Committee.

A report on the purchase prepared by the Army shows that the purchase has greater number of disadvantages than advantages.

Among its advantages it can be used in the international flight during top leaders' foreign visit, it can be used in the peace keeping mission, it carries upto 100 persons, it can land on a runway at maximum 5000 feet and it can be given on lease for commercial purposes.

But it has to be refilled at every four hours' flight, training of its crew members is expensive, it cannot have optimum utility through commercial flights, there is no guarantee of its being leased, it cannot bear the full load of its capacity while flying over plains and flying in the European sky is not profitable.

The proposal requires Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation to lease the Army's plane. The reports also states that the plane can annually earn about 270 million rupees through 1500-hour flight and that it can recover the total purchase cost of two billion 160 million rupees in eight years, the Committee said.

The Committee also decided to ask Home Ministry to give details within seven days of the purchase of seven Nissan cars and 19 Nissan jeeps. The ministry is said to have purchased the vehicles directly from a company.