PM pledges help for welfare of workers

Kathmandu, May 1 (RSS):Nepali Congress president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the country’s development is not possible by isolating the workers.

Prime Minister Koirala was addressing a gathering of workers organised by Nepal Trade Union Congress (ntuc) on the occasion of the International May Day here today.

He underlined the need for unity and coordination among the government, workers, industrialists and businessmen for the country’s development.

Stressing the need to bring a change in the conventional attitude towards workers, Prime Minister Koirala pledged his cooperation in protecting and promoting workers’ rights and well-being.

"I have become Prime Minister with certain vision of the society and I need the cooperation from all sectors to help my vision materialize," he said.

The Prime Minister said that since his political career began when he was a labourer, he can never be indifferent to the feelings of the labourers.

Ntuc vice president Ganesh Niraula, Dhan Bahadur Gurung of Nepal Carpet Workers Association, Shishir Kumar Jha of Nepal Inter-corporation Employees Association and labour leader Artharaj Koirala shed light on the importance of the International May Day.

Ntuc president Laxman Basnet presided.

Earlier, a procession of workers carrying banners and placards passed through Kopundol, Tripureshwor, Sundhara and Bir Hospital before reaching Bhrikuti Mandap where it converged for a public gathering.

Govt priority for law and order: Joshi

Mahendranagar, May 1 (RSS):Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi says the present government not only accords priority to maintenance of law and order in the country but also is committed to protecting the people’s life and property.

Addressing the concluding function of the 2-day conference of the chief district officers, heads of the police and National Investigation Officers here today, Home Minister Joshi said that hmg wanted to strengthen the local police and administration so as to increase the people’s sense of security.

As the government was the guardian of the country, the police and the administration should always remain alert to preventing anyone from infringing the rights of others, taking law and order in their own hands, intimidating the people and indulging in vandalism, he added.

He stressed the need for the police and the local administration to work in a transparent manner to resolve the local problems and root out corruption.

On the occasion, secretary at the Ministry of Home Padma Prasad Pokharel said that it is the duty to serve the people and maintain law and order.

Inspector General of Police Achyut Krishna Kharel said that police personnel should always be ready to be deployed to maintain the law and order and prevent crime.

Chief officer of the National Investigation Department Hari Babu Chaudhari said that the employees of the department should be active to help in maintaining law and order in the country.

UNHCR keen to mediate for refugees, says Ogata

Kathmandu, May 1 (RSS):The United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) mrs Sadako Ogata arrived here today on an official visit to Nepal at the invitation of His Majesty’s Government.

Talking to the press at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Mrs Ogata said the Bhutanese side was eager to resolve the refugee crisis.

In reply to a query, she said the Bhutanese King and leaders had expressed their commitment to resolving the refugee problems.

The objective of her visit was to facilitate the resolution of the nearly decade old refugee problems at the earliest, and she was embarking on a visit to Nepal and Bhutan to mediate between the two sides, she said.

Describing India’s role in resolving the refugee issues as significant, she believed that the problem between Nepal and Bhutan would be resolved bilaterally.

Describing her talks with the Bhutanese side on resolution of the refugee problems as "positive," the un High Commissioner for Refugees said the Bhutanese side expressed its desire to resolve the problem with open heart.

We are eager to mediate between Nepal and Bhutan and do something substantive on resolution of the refugee crisis, she said.

Shortly afterwards, Mrs Ogata left for Jhapa to inspect the refugees camps.

Earlier on her arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Mrs Ogata was received by foreign secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa, other high officials of the foreign ministry, undp resident representative Dr Henning Karcher, the unhcr resident representative in Nepal and the fao representative.

During her visit Mrs Ogata will have audience with Their Majesties the King and Queen.

She will also have meeting with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the foreign secretary.

Later, in Jhapa, the un high Commissioner for Refugees (unhcr) Mrs Sadako Ogata said the Bhutanese government is ready to welcome the Bhutanese refugees residing in Nepal back to Bhutan.

Mrs Ogata was addressing a gathering organised following her inspection of Goldhap and Beldangi Bhutanese refugees camps in Jhapa district today.

Stating that she came to the refugee camp after holding talks with senior officials of the Bhutanese government, Mrs Ogata said that the Bhutanese government officials urged her to convey the message that they were ready to take back home the Bhutanese refugees from Nepal.

I will apprise the Bhutanese government about the aspiration of the refugees to return back home, Mrs Ogata said, adding that the unhcr is committed to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem as soon as possible.

She also expressed the commitment to serve as a bridge between Nepal and Bhutan in order to give a fruitful conclusion to the ministerial level talks between the two countries.

The United Nations has been looking after refugees in many countries but the refugee camps in Nepal are the best in the world as a result of the cordial cooperation of His Majesty’s Government, the local people and various organisations, she noted.

As the future of thousands of Bhutanese refugee children in Nepal is in danger we should work towards safeguarding their future, Mrs Ogata said and expressed confidence that they would soon return back to study in schools in Bhutan.

On the occasion chief district officer Dilliraj Joshi expressed confidence that the visit of un high Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Ogata would have a great impact on the return of the Bhutanese refugees.

Secretaries of Goldhap and Beldangi refugee camps Purna Gurung and Dhanapati Adhikari expressed the view that the Bhutanese refugee problem should be resolved in an impartial and just manner.

unhcr country director Micheal Dupoizat said Bhutanese refugees in the camp have been struggling hard to maintain their identity and dignity.

During her visit to the camps, Mrs Ogata inspected Jonkha language classes, community education centres, sewing cutting training centre, chalk making centre and schools run by Caritas Nepal in both the refugee camps and gathered information about works being carried out by various governmental and non-governmental organisations under the United Nations.

Earlier, welcoming Mrs Ogata at Bhadrapur Airport, unhcr jhapa chief Micheal Zwack apprised the un high Commissioner of the refugee-related works and programmes being carried out in the district.

The visiting delegation includes unhcr Asia-Pacific Director Francois Fouinat, Soko Simojawa, the Executive Assistant of Mrs Ogata, World Food Programme country director Duglas Casson Cutts, joint secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lila Sharma and under secretary at the Home Ministry Dipak Joshi.

On the occasion the refugees in the camps presented various programmes highlighting Bhutanese culture to welcome the unhcr delegation.

Around 98,000 refugees from Bhutan are residing in seven camps in Jhapa and Morang district waiting to return back to their home country since the past 10 years.

This is the first time that the un High Commissioner for Refugees has visited the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal.

Meanwhile, today, Human Rights Organisation, the Organisation of the Bhutanese Human Rights Activists at Jhapa, in a press statement, has urged the un High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs Sadako Ogata to create the environment for the return of the Bhutanese refugees residing at the seven camps in eastern Nepal to their homland with dignity.

In the statement it has expressed the conviction that High Commissioner Ogata, who has completed her visit to Bhutan and is currently in Nepal with the objective of resolving the Bhutanese refugees problem, would play significant role in materialising the rights of the refugees to return home with dignity.

The statement states that the role to be played by High Commissioner Ogata for the return of the Bhutanese at the earliest would be of utmost important and the institution had raised voices at the Geneva meeting concerning human rights.

The various rounds of talks between Nepal and Bhutan to resolve the refugee issue had been unproductive and the United Nations should take steps for the return of the refugees to their country, according to the statement.

Nepal praises GEFONT for its contributions

Kathmandu, May 1 (RSS):Cpn-uml general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal inaugurated the Manmohan Labour Building and Health Co-Operative Clinic of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (gefont) on the occasion of the third national convention of gefont.

The building has been purchased by gefont with its own resources at a cost of Rs 8,640,000 to commemorate founder leader of the labour movement of Nepal late Manmohan Adhikari.

The building has 50 rooms. The health co-operative clinic aims at providing health services to gefont members and the public at large.

At the function, as general secretary Nepal said that a well-managed organisation and dedicated and disciplined cadres could not only instil confidence into the people, but also help resolve the problems arising out of the mismanagement of the national affairs.

Noting that gefont had not only led the trade union of the country in a planned manner, but had also been making remarkable contributions within a very short time, he suggested that attention be paid to the welfare of the labourers for the development of the national industries.

At the programme, general secretary Nepal thanked various persons extending co-operation for acquiring the Manmohan labour building and gave away certificates to those donating eyes during the third national convention.

Cpn -uml leader and MP Ishwar Pokharel said that gefont had done a commendable work by establishing a building to commemorate Manmohan Adhikari who gave new dimension to the labour movement not only within the country but abroad also and worked for the well-being of the labourers throughout his life.

Speaking from the chair, gefont general secretary Mukunda Neupaney said that the new building acquired to commemorate late Manmohan Adhikari was a symbol of unity of the labourers of the country.

Gefont vice-president and convenor of the building establishing committee Lalit Basnet and Shar Panta of Model Hospital shed light on the importance of the Manmohan Labour Building and Gefont Clinic.

Also today, Cpn-uml general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal inaugurated the third national conference of Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions here today.

In his inaugural speech, general secretary Nepal said labourers should also have some control in the politics of the nation.

Stating that the labourers were in the frontline during political changes that took place in the country in 2007, 2036 and 2046 Bikram year, Mr Nepal said they should also play an important role in workers rights and welbeing, social changes and democratic development.

All Nepal Women’s Association President and MP Mrs Vidhya Bhandari said division in political parties affected the federation but it still has been working actively for the professional rights and welbeing of the labourers.

President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (fncci) Pradip Kumar Shrestha said many experiments were carried out in the industrial sector during the past 10 years but development works have not moved ahead.

Messages of best wishes from the People’s Republic of China, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Denmark, New Zealand, and other related organisations in Nepal were read out on the occasion.

The representatives of the labour unions of various countries and other speakers also expressed their views at the function chaired by the federation president Mukunda Neupane.

Trans Himalaya 2000
Leading teams delay to enter Nepal

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kodari, Sindhupalchowk, May 1:The four leading teams in the Trans Himalaya 2000—a cross country race organised by the Raid Gauloises—could not arrive here today as per schedule as they could not cross the Chinese border by 3:45 PM, the time when the Chinese border authority closes the border gate.

The delay in the arrival means the four leading teams will have to start afresh with other teams lagging behind tomorrow morning from the Chinese territory to enter Nepal.

Eight teams participating in the cross country event have lost their official status since some of their team members have been reported physically unfit, said Aude Bernard, press coordinator of Raid Gauloises.

The Raid Gauloises, a Paris based organisation, had already organised nine such cross country adventure events in different countries since 1989. This one, starting from Shegar Dzong in Tibet Autonomous Region of China and ending in Janakpur, Nepal, is the tenth mega-event organised by Raid Gauloises.

The about 800 kilometres race will initially comprise of trekking and mountain biking. Then the competing teams—69 in total and hailing from 18 countries, will traverse several small Tibetan villages reaching the highest point, 5,150 metres, of the Tibetan Plateau.

Always proceeding towards the south, the teams will then pass through the Lhasa-Kathmandu road (which is known as the highest road in the world) on horse back and bicycles and enter Nepal through the Nepal-China border at Kodari, the customs check point between the two countries.

"The chances of the leading teams entering Nepal is about nil since they are about 160 kilometres away from the Nepal-China border", said Etienne Moine, a member of the Raid Gauloises.

The cross country race kicked off yesterday from Shegar Dzong in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. To cover the initial distance between the Chinese territory and the Nepalese border at Kodari, the 69 participating teams trekked, rode horses and mountain-biked until this afternoon.

According to Moine, the delay in the arrivals of the leading teams was due to the windy weather in the Tibetan Plateau yesterday. The leading teams are from New Zealand, Spain, France and Finland.

The race will resume tomorrow morning at 7:00 A.M when the teams will peddle their mountain bikes to Barabise. Then after, the participants will continue to trek to Lamosangu before swimming downstream.

As per the cross country race’s schedule, after almost a vertical climb down till Dolalghat, the competing teams, while participating in activities like white water swimming, canoeing, rafting and canyoneering, will take a left turn towards the east reaching places like Manthali, Harkapur, among others, along the Sunkoshi River. Then again descending to the south reaching Rajbiraj, the adventurers will carry on trekking and biking towards the west to reach their final destination—Janakpur city.

The 69 competing teams will be passing through 43 check-points at different points of the entire 800 kilometre-route to reach the 44th one at the finishing point, that is, Janakpur. Also, there will be four headquarters and assistance camps in the entire race route.

The organisers and locals were hopeful till late afternoon for the leading teams to arrive here in Kodari today. Hundreds of students from the surrounding schools were waiting to give the lead teams a rousing welcome with flags and garlands. TV crews from around the world were seen shuttling between their camps and the Nepal-China border area.

Above 250 journalists from around the globe are camped at Lamosangu besides the Bhotekoshi River. Hailing from both the print and electronic media, the journos will be stationed at Lamosangu till the very last team passes this point.

The 69 teams will be moving even in the night before they reach the Nepalese border. However, all water-related activities like rafting, canoeing, white water swimming and canyoneering that will take place in the Nepalese territory will be done only during the day times.

As part of the safety and rescue measures for the entire event, there would be 15 medical doctors at different points of the entire 800 kilometre-route. Furthermore, four helicopters will be at stand-by for immediate rescue operations.

According to the Raid Gauloises, around 10 million people around the world have been surfing the Internet to follow the cross country event everyday.