Cosmic Air to add two new aircraft from Oct 1

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 25: Cosmic Air’s SAAB -340 aircraft landed at Tribhuwan International Airport this evening. According to officials at Cosmic Airlines, it has planned to start its domestic operation from October 1st 2000.

With the addition of the SAAB - 340 aircraft, Cosmic Air will add new flights to Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairawa and Simara. Cosmic Air has already operated several flights from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Bhadrapur, Jomsom and Tumlingtar on four Dornier-228 aircraft.

It also operates mountain flights. Cosmic Air’s helicopter department with its MI -17 helicopters operates chartered flights to different parts of the Kingdom.

According to a press release issued by Cosmic Airlines, two SAAB-340 will start domestic operations, which will be supplemented by one more SAAB 340 from November 1st this year.

Manufactured in Sweden, SAAB-340 aircraft are the most popular in Europe and USA. Over 50 airlines companies are operating SAAB-340 aircraft.

A SAAB-340 aircraft has the capacity of 34 passengers with 24 large and clear windows. Besides, it has 47 cm wide seats with cabin height of six feet. It is said that with its low wing position, passengers can see the outside seen from their seats. The aircraft has complete pressurization and environmental, air-conditioning and heating system. The aircraft has ground proximity warning system (GPWS), Traffic Collision Avoidance System(TCAS), color weather radar, high altitude passenger oxygen system and fire resistant seat fabric and carpet. SAAB- 340 like its SAAB- 2000, is suitable for a country which have different geographical situations.

Upper Bhotekoshi to be completed by mid-November

Chautara, Sept. 25 (RSS): The 36-megawatt Upper Bhotekoshi Hydel Project is expected to be completed at phulping VDC, Sindhupalchok district by mid-November.

Bhotekoshi Power Company says the project, originally scheduled to be through by July this year, was delayed by disruption of traffic due to flood and landslides.

The dam of the project is located at Guhya Odhar, Tatopani, 110 kilometres of the Arniko Highway. A 3500 metre long tunnel is to supply waters from the dam to Jhirpu power house to generate electricity. The project work is now 98 per cent completed.

The project is being constructed at the total investment of US dollar 95 million panda energy, Harja Engineering and Himal International Power Company. Sixty-seven out of 71 towers have been erected along 25 kilometres for 132 kv transmission line under the project.

The project is to carry out tree plantation on the forest areas along the 25 kilometre transmission line, which passed through most of the forest region.

Social workers for equal opportunities to all disabled

Biratnagar, Sept. 25 (RSS): The National Federation of the Disabled, Nepal organised a day-long regional mobilisation workshop seminar in association with the Purba Chhitiz, Biratnagar.

Twenty-two disabled persons including one representative each from all the 16 districts of the eastern development region and six observers took part in the workshop seminar.

The main objective of the seminar was to identify and familiarise the affiliated member institutions and associations of the national federation of the disabled, Nepal and the people working for the welfare of the disabled persons about their rights and welfare and to assist such individuals and institutions to play an effective role in their task.

Inaugurating the workshop, chairman of Morang District Development Committee (DDC), Khadga Bahadur Basnet said that the nation as a whole would become lame if we donot take care and provide opportunities to make them self reliant and able.

He urged constructive co-operation from all the sectors in providing equal opportunities to the disabled since this was not possible from the government side alone.

Team leader of the Norwegian Federation of the disabled stressed that efforts for providing equal opportunities to the disabled should be effectively initiated at the local level also.

President of the National Federation of the Disabled, Nepal Mr. Munishwar Pandey underlined the need of formulating effective programmes for the welfare and interests of the disabled.

District Education Officer Jagadish Aryal, secretary of the Morang industries Organisation Shyam Poudel and chairman of the Purba Chhitiz, Biratnagar Mr. Rajendra Kumar Yadav also expressed their views at the programme presided over by Federation Secretary and training coordinator Rama Dhakal.

In Itahari, central member of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN - ML) and ex -MP Kamal Koirala inaugurated the second district convention of Sunsari district committee of the party at Dharan on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion Koirala accused the NC and the CPN-UML parties of pushing the country into disgrace in the greed for power adding that nothing had happened in the last ten years in torch processions, but now the government has turned dictatorial by banning the torch procession.

Chief of the central school department Narayan Acharya said 'we don't think that the Maoist move is wrong and we are not of the opinion that their activities are terrorist but the NC has pushed the country under threat to democracy because of its policies.'

Also speaking on the occasion were Kabita Ram Shrestha, Sharan Kumar Rai, Poshraj Niraula, Malekshi Chaudhari, Mahesh Regmi, Dambar Budhathoki, Ghanashyam Rai, Madan Dhakal, Dropadhoj Rai and Naradevi Rai also expressed their views.

At the two day convention presided over by CPN- ML Sunsari secretary Rajesh Bantawa altogether 175 representatives have been taking part.

Problems with India are not due to open border: NSP

Rajbiraj, Sept. 25 (RSS): The meeting of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party National Working Committee was held Wednesday at Lahan of Siraha district under the chairmanship of party president Gajendra Narayan Singh.

The meeting decided to organise national training programme effectively in Rajbiraj from November 7 - 11 and to hold the village and district level elections of various bodies of the party within a year.

A press release issued here Sunday states that the meeting opposed the violence and terror in the name of Maoist people's war and its control by the government and that dialogue only is the way to resolve the problem in the concept of social justice.

The release said the NSP has been struggling from time to time for the end of political exploitation, permanent solution to the problem of citizenship certificate and reservation for the backward communities, nationalities, women, the Dalits and the Madhesi community and for the establishment of provincial governments both in the street and in the parliament.

The party said the present problems and complexities are not due to the open border with India, but that the root cause of the problem is elsewhere and called for its resolution by identifying it with mutual cooperation and faith.

The party's attention has been drawn towards the compulsory use of citizenship certificate, passport and voter identity card while travelling through air, the release said and called on the government not to reach agreement to this effect at a time when there are more than 4 million people without citizenship certificates.

Nepal should not be used against any friendly countries, the party said and accused the government for weaknesses it has been developing as a play- ground for the international terrorists.

The party said the import of rice and jute despite adequate production of agricultural goods in the country has lowered the price and called on the government to fully ban it and demanded the release of Nepali students forum and Mahottari Campus FSU president Lal Babu Yadav arrested by the district police office, Mahottari and the action taken by the local administration to Raghunath Sharma of Siraha district.