HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

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.

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