NC govt for managing local needs

Kathmandu, Nov. 9 (RSS):  The local body financial commission presented its report to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home and Local Development Ram Chandra Paudel today.

After accepting the report, Deputy Prime Minister Paudel said the Nepali Congress government has laid stress on managing local needs by ensuring the local people’s participation through decentralization and is moving ahead for strengthening the nation and democracy.

Giving assurances that good points of the report will be implemented after the study of the report, Mr Paudel asserted that the government will never lag behind in streamlining administrative and management aspects of the local bodies.

Convenor of the commission and member of the National Planning Commission Dr Shankar Sharma hoped that the report which has been prepared with utmost seriousness by involving experts from the local to central levels will be very useful for the government.

The report accommodates suggestions about the budgets to be devised by the centre and local bodies, auditing, grants, responsibilities, etc, Mr Sharma said, adding that if the report is fully implemented, it will help expedite development and construction works.

President of the DDC Federation Krishna Prasad Sapkota also expressed his views on the occasion.

The 10-member commission comprising secretaries of different ministries and DDC chairmen was formed by the cabinet meeting on Magh 24, 2056.

Surgeons meet begins with emphasis on surgical advances

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 9: The Secod International Conference of surgeons started today in Kathmandu with the theme ‘Surgical Advances in Developing Countries’.

The three-day conference, organised jointly by the International College of Surgeons, Nepal and East Zone Indian Sections, was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma. Surgeons from Nepal and India, including the World President of the International College of Surgeons, Wilson Pollora, are participating the conference.

Dr. Sharma, as the chief guest of the function, said the outcome of the conference will be of immense value in creating awareness and in imparting information about new development in surgery around the world. He also said in Nepal our main concern has been to provide basic health services to the people and in increasing the number of man-power in health sector.

Welcoming the delegates at the inaugural function, Prof. L. B. Thapa, Chairman of ICS, Nepal organising committee, said the conference would help to update the surgeons in the developing countries, especially the Nepalese ones. He also said the conference would be of immense help in the transfer of knowledge and information.

Similarly, Dr. K.C. Mehta, co-chairman of the organising committee and President of the ICS (East Zone India), said the practice of surgery is changing and if there is no exchange of information it would be a lost opportunity. Similarly, Prof. Narendra Panja, President of ICS, India section, said surgeons of India and Nepal have crossed the political boundary and have been working as a single unit.

Dr. Pollora, the ICS World Chairman, said the ICS was created in the dark period between the two World Wars, when there were great prejudices in race, colour, cast. But, he said, while facing death we all are the same. He said the ICS is the body, which works to improve the teaching of surgery. At the function, he also donated cheques for fellowships to three Nepalese surgeons.

As guest of honour, Indian ambassador to Nepal, Dev Mukherjee said the surgeons of this region have the same objective reasons while practising their art.

Dr. B.K. Malla, General Secretary of the organising committee gave the vote of thanks.

The conference will conclude on November 11 and during the three days of conference  papers on various aspects of surgery will be presented and discussed.

Local role stressed in rural road management

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 9: A two-day workshop kicked off here today with a view to review the existing rural road management practice and prepare a  comprehensive action plan.

The workshop aims at optimising the support given to the local agencies by the government and the donors for effective and efficient development and management of rural road sector, DoLIDAR (Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads)’s Director General P. K. Poudyal said at  the inaugural session.

Poudyal said that the local agencies required qualified and experienced professionals to enhance their capacity and co-ordinate the development and management activities better.

“Roads are only means and not an end in themselves,” National Planning Commission member Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel said. Rural roads should be planned and developed in a way that they ensure and promote the wellbeing of the villagers, he added.

Pokharel said that the road developers should give enough thought to economic complementarity while planning the roads. “Besides, they should focus on labour-based, local resource-oriented, environment friendly approaches while planing the rural roads.”

Pokharel also stressed the need to strengthen the district development committees as well as other local agencies to ensure better management of rural roads.

Acting Local Development Secretary Khem R. Nepal, in line with Pokharel, stressed local body - oriented implementation modalities to develop and manage rural roads more efficiently.

Likewise, Chairman of the Federation of District Development Committees K. P. Sapkota said that technically efficient human resources, equipment, and quality control mechanism were essential to strengthen DDCs’ capacity.

Programme facilitator David Stidel said that the workshop would discuss the ways to develop a co-ordinated approach for rural roads administration.

In the workshop organised by DoLIDAR with the co-operation of the British government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and International Labour Organisation (ILO), DFID’s engineering advisor Bettina Demby and senior ILO advisor Leyla Tegmo-Reddy stressed partnership among all the stakeholders for an effective development and management of  rural roads.

Women pilots a step ahead

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 9: Women pilots in Nepal came under the umbrella of an international organisation of women pilots here today.    

The Ninety-Nines, Incorporation international organisation of women pilots formed its Nepali Section today in its 3rd World Aviation Education and Safety Congress. This group comprises of the first 5 women pilots of Nepal, the minimum quorum needed to form an affiliate in the country. There are 10 women pilots in Nepal now, but only six of them are currently working.

With the theme of spreading fellowship through aviation, the newly built Ninety Nines Inc, Nepal aims to promote networking with other sister organisations and encourage aviation education and opportunities for women in the community.

“We are now a step ahead in the terms of safety and education in Nepalese context” said Barber D. Sharp, the former president of Ninety Nines Inc, USA. “ Now more can be expected as the Nepalese pilots are independent and hard working”, she added.

With the willingness of sponsorship from the other participants, the Ninety-Nines of Nepal are very eager to carry out their further procedures. “ Even the membership charges are sponsored by among the participants. And more have promised to help us in future”, said Niru Shrestha- one of the five Nepalese women pilots.

“ This can also be taken as the historical event in the course of union of Nepalese women pilots” said another Nepalese woman pilot- Sabina Shrestha.

The three days programme effectively planned and immaculately executed was a mirror of the improvisation for developing the theme of spreading the world fellowship through aviation. In blending technology with human endeavour and skill, the participants had presented a rich and informative research and studies to project the whole concept of challenges in the field of aviation and flight safety.

With more than 100 participants from eight different countries, the congress covered various spectrums of contemporary aviation.   The subjects presented were the impact of modern technologies on flight safety, human factors, advances in aviation weather forecasting, role of aero-space education and many other informative researches. More than 55 participants through audio and visual means presented altogether 21 subjects that related with the safer sky and safer ground.

“Though the subjects both the technical and non-technical varied in its character, they projected one objective-flight safety” said Captain Bala.

And Ms. Linda, an aviation instructor and the participant of this meet claimed that the workshop program was no doubt informative and educating. But the fellowship that has widen through this congress can also be taken as a major achievement, she added.

After the three days workshop in the valley, the congress finally dropped its curtain with the message: that human centred and human controlled automation are the paramount requisition for safer flights. 

The organisers bid farewell to all its participants with the shared value of fellowship. “We will all honour our participants for bringing success and honour to the field of aviation”, observed Barbara.

‘Technical aspect vital to ensure air safety’

Kathmandu , Nov. 9 (RSS): Member of Parliament Narayan Singh Pun inaugurated an international workshop seminar on “Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT)” jointly organised by Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal and the COSCAP-South Asia Project in cooperation with Honey Wel Inc., USA here today.

Some 70 persons including aviation experts and technicians affiliated with the aviation sector of Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives including Nepal are taking part in the two-day seminar.

Addressing the seminar, MP Pun pointed out the need to lay emphasis on the development of the technical aspects of the air service for the systematic development of air services in Nepal and the safety of human life.

On the occasion, spokesman of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kumar Prasad Poudel said that His Majesty’s Government has attached highest priority to aviation safety matters through Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Medini Prasad Sharma noted that Nepal has initiated various aviation safety measures as per the recommendations and guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

US Ambassador to Nepal Ralph Frank pointed out that Nepal needed to develop its air services and give emphasis on economic progress.

Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Mr. Ramesh Man Joshi and Robert Francis of the Honey Wel Co., USA, also spoke on the occasion.