Govt aims to push security, development together: DPM

Kathmandu, Apr.18 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Paudel has said that the real problem in Nepal is one of security, and as the Maoists are perpetrating killings and violence in an organised manner, the government has come up with the internal security and development programme to advance development work in an integrated manner by coordinating security and development.

Mr Paudel said this in a brief telephonic interview to the weekly "Nepal Sandarbha" programme of the BBC Nepali Service today.

Stating that the internal security and development programme basically aims at bringing into the mainstream of development people living in the nooks and corners of the country, the Deputy PM noted that cooperation will be sought from all political parties to provide immediate relief to the people.

In reply to a question, Mr Paudel made it clear the government cannot be said to have lost confidence just because of opposition by the opposition side.

The internal security and development programme will entail army mobilisation, but since this is a purely technical matter, nothing can be said about it, the DPM said refuting the allegation that he had millions of rupees to drive a wedge between the Maoist leaders. He wondered whether Dr Baburam Bhattarai would sell himself for money.

At the same programme, leader of the main opposition party and CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal claimed that the Prime Minister has become unpopular and the government has lost credibility.

"If anyone can do something in Nepal now then it can be done by the CPN-UML", he added.

Stating that the CPN-UML was able to highlight the desperation prevalent in the country, Mr Nepal also said the CPN-UML’s nine months in power was efficient and healthy.

Clarifying that the sit-in programme against the Prime Minister was legitimate, Mr Nepal said the CPN-UML and other Communist Parties had staged the programme in a non-prohibited areas, and other roads leading to Singha Durbar were not closed.

Stating that he does not have any information regarding the internal security and development programme introduced by the government, Mr Nepal said the government’s willingness to seek cooperation from the opposition is clear from the fact that the main opposition leader was under police custody to listen to the Prime Minister’s address to the nation and people.

‘Oppn should seek PM’s resignation through process’

Kathmandu, Apr. l8 (RSS): Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Prakash Koirala, speaking at a gathering of Nepali Congress workers at Gamhariya Birta VDC in Rautahat today, said that the Communist Parties should immediately withdraw their demand for the resignation of the Prime Minister who has majority backing, a resignation they are pressing for through vandalism and violence.

Instead of seeking the resignation through a constitutional process, the Left parties including the country’s responsible opposition party CPN-UML have been fostering disillusionment with democracy through their obstinacy and programme of violence, he said.

Also today, Mr Koirala inaugurated a three room Madarasa building at ward No 5 of the same VDC. Mr Koirala provided Rs l00,000 for the building construction from the MPs fund.

Some l50 students from the Muslim community are studying at the Madarasa.

Nepal, Japan are partners in development, says Ranabhat

Pokhara, Apr.18 (RSS): Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat presided over the sister city relationship signing ceremony between Pokhara Sub-Metropolis and Komagane City of Japan here today.

On the occasion, Mr Ranabhat said Nepal and Japan are co-partners in development work and the sister city relationship between the two cities will further contribute to promoting bilateral relations.

Minister at the Embassy of Japan Takamichi Okabe noted that the sister city relationship has further strengthened ties.

Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolis Keshav Sthapit spoke of the need to learn from the experiences of the city of Komagane, while Mayor of Pokhara Sub-Metropolis Krishna Thapa noted that the relationship between the two cities will contribute to tourism development in Pokhara.

Mayor of Komagane Masajumi Nakahara, handing over the keys to the city of Komagane to Pokhara Sub-Metropolis on the occasion, said Komagane has a population of 34,000.

Earlier, Mayor Thapa and Mayor Nakahara exchanged the papers after signing the agreement on the sister-city relationship.

Member of the Nagano prefecture assembly Soji Sasajki observed that the teachings of Lord Buddha entered Japan some 1,500 years ago.

Dr Krishna K.C., Deputy Mayor of Pokhara Man Bahadur Gurung and the president of the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry also spoke at the function.

Under the sister-city relationship, Pokhara will conduct cultural exchange programmes, provide free primary health services to visitors from Komagane, cooperate with those who come here to study anthropology and establish a Komagane-Pokhara Study Centre.

Similarly, Komagane will help build a Friendship Park in Pokhara, exchange volunteers, and extend assistance in various forms for city planning, community sanitation, education, processing of drinking water, setting up of a maternity hospital in the city and the management of a home for the aged.

The two cities with their scenic beauty are 200 kms from the capital of their respective country.

Earlier, a 31-member delegation led be Mayor of Komagane City Masajumi Nakahara arrived here for forging sister city relations between Pokhara Sub-Metropolis and Komagane City of Japan.

Members of the delegation planted saplings of Sakura flowers brought from Japan at Pokhara-Komagane Friendship Park, Baidam today.

The park will be built in the shapes of a Danphe and a duck as the symbol of relations between the two cities and a stretch from the park to Mustang Chowk will be built as Pokhara-Komagane Friendship Road.

On the occasion, Mayor Nakahara expressed the hope that the park will not only become a model for Pokhara and Komagane cities but also for the entire world.

Mayor of Pokhara Sub-Metropolis Krishna Thapa said that the friendship between Pokhara and Komagane cities will further the relations subsisting between Nepal and Japan.

The function was chaired by Pokhara-Komagane Friendship Park Construction and Preservation Committee chairman Ramesh Bahadur Bhandari.

Meanwhile, Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted a reception in honour of the Japanese delegation today.

On the occasion, chairman of the chamber Basanta Udas said if relations between the Chamber and Komagane town is established, it will contribute to developing Pokhara Sub-metropolis.

Chairman of the Komagane Chamber of Commerce Jiro Ashibe suggested that Nepal should accord priority to agro-based industry in order to develop the country.

There should be an understanding between the two chambers following the establishment of sister city relations between Pokhara and Komagane, he added.

Gifts were also presented to the Mayor of Komagane City Nakahara and members of the Japanese delegation.

Similarly, an introductory programme was organised by the Institute of Forestry Free Student Union in honour of Mayor Nakahara and members of the Japanese delegation.

Free health camp held at Dhunche

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, April 18: A group of nature lovers and doctors are organising a free eye and general medical camp at Rasuwa’s Dhunche from April 20-22 on their way to the Mt. Everest.

The medical camp to be organised by Himalayan Medical Camp (HMC) will have seven doctors and other staff who will finally climb Everest from Tibet side.

Speaking at a press meet, team leader Milan Nag said HMC had been organising expeditions since 1992 and this was their fifth expedition. "We are organising the medical camp because we have seen people a facing a host of health problems in the Himalayan region."

On the occasion, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Indian Embassy Ashok Kumar handed over an expedition flag to the team leader Nag of HMC and lauded the initiative of the team.

The expedition is co-operated by Dhunche Janaswastha District Hospital, Dhunche Local Development Committee and Nara International Himalayan Spring Water Company.

Left parties continue protest programmes

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Apr. 18: The Left parties carried out a protest rally in Kathmandu demanding the resignation of Prime Minister and in protest to the infringement by the police on, what it called as, its peaceful protest programmes. The protest rally was participated by several leaders of the Left parties.

The Left parties have also announced their protest programmes for two days. According to the CPN-UML, on Friday (April 20) there will be a nation-wide chakka jam (stoppage of vehicular movement) for one hour from 4 P.M. to 5 P.M. On Sunday (April 22) mass meetings will be held at Jhapa, Itahari, Lahan, Bardibas, Narayangarh, Butwal, Baglung, Dang, Nepalgunj, Atariya and in Kathmandu.

Meanwhile RSS adds: Participating in the procession were leaders including Madhav Kumar Nepal, Nar Bahadur Karmacharya, Chitra Bahadur KC, Buddhi Kumar Gosai and Amik Sherchan and MPs and party workers.

Addressing a mass rally following the demonstration, standing committee member of the CPN-UML K. P. Sharma Oli accused the government of trying to snatch away the people’s rights through unconstitutional means and said a government head who has failed to maintain law and order, ensure good governance and control corruption should not hold on to power.

The politburo member of CPN (Masal) and chairman of the Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC urged the people to join in the movement, while general secretary of Samyukta Janamorcha Nepal Lilamani Pokhrel spoke of the need for Leftist unity and said the agitation would not stop until the Prime Minister resigned.

Sushil Prajapati of NWPP remarked that the people’s right to peaceful demonstrations cannot be snatched away.

The procession started from Ratnapark and dispersed at Ramshaha Path after passing through Bhotahity, Indrachok, Naya Sadak, Mahankal, etc.

CESDIM Award to Dr. Sharma

Kathmandu, Apr. 18 (RSS): A meeting of Centre for Stato-Dynamic International Movement (CESDIM) has decided to present Stato-Dynamic Award-2057 to renowned litterateur and critic Dr. Taranath Sharma for his valuable contribution to the field of Nepali literature as per the wish of Swami Sachchidananda.

The award carries a purse of Rs. 51,101.

The award will be presented Mr Sharma amid a function to be held on April 22.

EurOrient’s application to be reconsidered

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, April 18: A couple of months after it had recommended the cancellation of the application of EurOrient for Arun III Hydropower Project’s survey license, the Department of Electricity Development (DED) has received instructions from Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) to reconsider the American Company’s case and submit the document to the ministry.

The ministry sent EurOrient’s file back to the Department Tuesday for reconsideration, according to Sharda Prasad Sharma, Joint Secretary at MoWR. "But, it is difficult to provide the license under the condition EurOrient wants," he said.

After the Los Angeles-based company failed to pay Rupees 42 million performance guarantee, as required by the project’s Terms of Reference, the Department had earlier recommended the ministry to scrap off EurOrient’s application.

Then began the American Company’s repeated efforts to convince high influential offices. Its say: Either the performance guarantee should be charged while applying for the generation license or that the provision should be made conditional so that it could receive the guarantee money back if it fails to sign a Power Purchase Agreement with India – the country to which Arun III’s power will be exported.

Under the existing arrangement, the government can forfeit the guarantee money if EurOrient fails to develop the US$ one billion project. And, before the project’s first spade touches the ground, the American Company will have to sign the PPA with India and will have to show its funding resource.

To date, the company is not sure if it would ever be able to sign the PPA with India – the country whose northern states are already power starved. Hence, EurOrient’s stress to make the guarantee money conditional.

But, officials at MoWR – despite the fact that it has asked the Department to review EurOrient’s application – still maintain that the American Company has a very weak case.

"If it had problems with the unconditional clause regarding the guarantee, it should have raised the issue when it submitted its proposals in the beginning," they say. "Since other companies have also applied for the survey and generation license under the same conditions we cannot show any favouritism toward EurOrient only."

If in case the American Company pockets the survey license without coughing up the guarantee money, the ministry fears, it would face legal hassles from other parties that have either paid or are willing to pay the guarantee money for the licenses of other hydro projects. The applicant for Likhu Hydropower Project, for instance, has already deposited Rupees 5.1 million for the generation license of the 51 MW scheme.

"And there could also be other parties who may claim that they would have applied for the licenses if there was no provision of guarantee," ministry officials said.

The DED included performance guarantee as a mandatory clause in the TOR for the development of 11 hydropower projects, including Arun III, the government had opened for Independent Power Developers last year.

Under the rule, companies applying for survey license are required to pay guarantee amount at the rate of Rupees 10 per kilowatt while those applying for generation license need to pay at the rate of Rupees 100 per kilowatt.

Arun III’s TOR, however, had asked EurOrient to pay the guarantee money for generation license even as it was applying for survey license. Why? Because the government already has the 402 MW project surveyed with the help of World Bank that aborted the scheme – then known as 201MW Baby Arun – in 1996.

So, when EurOrient’s case stands no chance with the rules, why was its application sent back to the DED for reconsideration? According to a highly placed source at the ministry, the move could lead to a "logical" end this way:

Expectedly, the Department will once again recommend the cancellation of EurOrient’s application. "We will stick to the condition of guarantee and we will not dilute the provision with issues of foreign investment," said Keshav Bahadur Chand, Director General at DED. "If the clause of the performance guarantee has to be changed, there has to be a policy-level decision first."

And it is this rigidity of the Department that will pronounce the "open sesame" password for EurOrient. Here is how: Once the American company’s application will be cancelled, it will be allowed to apply afresh. And, this time, there would be no mandatory provision of guarantee for generation license, as the developer would be required to pay much lesser amount for survey license.

The idea, according to the source, has already been hinted to EurOrient.

But, will EurOrient apply once again? "There is a big risk to apply once again due to the political uncertainty," said Binaya Amatya, EurOrient’s local agent. "Who knows if we would be chosen once again or not? Therefore, we will reapply only if we are assured in black and white that we will be given the survey license."

Litterateurs honoured

Kathmandu, Apr. 18 (RSS): Distinguished litterateur Krishna Chandra Singh Pradhan has been selected for the "Sarvada Literary Dedication Honour" and Yubaraj Nayaghare of the younger generation for the "Haribhakta Katuwal Sarvada Creative Youth Honour" for the year 2058 Bikram era for their contribution to the enriching of Nepali language and literature.

Dozens of works by Pradhan, who has made significant contributions to various literary genres such as poetry, essay, criticism and editing, have been published.

Likewise, three works by Nayaghare renowned for his contributions to poetry, essay and travelogue, have been published.

The prizes and honours will be conferred in the month of Jetha (mid-May to mid-June), 2058 on the occasion of the third anniversary of Sarvada Bangmaya Pratisthan.

Special promotional measures NTB targets at Indian tourists

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, April 18: In its bid to market Nepal as a safe, fun and value for money destination, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is very soon launching what it calls a special promotional campaign – billed at Rupees 16 million — in India, the board declared at a press meet here today.

The event titled "Nepal Festival of Life – Fun Next Door Like Never Before" will take place from May 1 through July 31.

"Indian tourists are known to be high spenders. By making available various activities and diversifying products, the average length of stay of Indians will increase and there will be a corresponding rise in their expenditure," stated NTB’s press release. "Another objective of the awareness campaign is to increase the percentage of repeat visitors and position Nepal as a destination for the travellers of all ages and for all seasons."

According to the board, the campaign will also reinforce the message that Indians get special incentives and privileges in Nepal that is not available anywhere in the world, requiring no visas (taking into consideration the visa processing time), foreign currency, trekking fees, exchange rate that works in their favour, special hotel and travel packages, among others," added the press statement.

The main attraction of the campaign is NTB’s Privilege Card that will be distributed to those interested in coming to Nepal through airlines and travel agents and other outlets in India. The holders of the card will be entitled to benefits and attractive discounts in hotels, restaurants, cable car, handicraft items, department stores, trekking, rafting, safari, among others.

Another benefit to the cardholders, according to NTB, is the priority visit and offering prayers at the Pashupatinath Temple.

More than 230 service providers like hotels, restaurants, department stores, airlines, travel agencies from across the Kingdom have pledged support to the campaign and offered privileges in various forms, stated the press statement. "Visitors to Nepal during the campaign period (May-July 2001) will be a part of a 90-day celebration of life, people, culture, religion, adventure, shopping, holidays, among others. The campaign period will be dotted with festivities such as national level folk dance competition, Jomsom Festival, Manakamana Festival, sporting events, musical extravaganza, bungy jumping and canoying festival, Nepali food and cultural festival, international food festival, mud festival, handicraft bonanza and much more."

"We cannot ignore India as it is our major market," said Pradeep Raj Pandey, Chief Executive Officer at NTB, while briefing the press about the campaign today. "The promotional activities at this time of the year we did last year was reactive while the one this time is more pro-active."

Pandey said that the board would host a press meet in Indian capital New Delhi on Friday for the publicity of the campaign. "We want to give the impression that Nepal still values and welcomes Indian tourists."

According to NTB, the Nepal Festival of Life will be backed by a massive publicity programem under which Indian television and print media will be brought to Nepal to generate destination coverage and a media-servicing programme.

Speaking at the press meet, Varun Prasad Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, said that coordination is very important to make such campaign successful. "The idea is to compensate the previous losses and also to identify the past lapses."

The promotional campaign had to be designed in the wake of decreased Indian tourist arrival in the country last year. The total number of Indian visitors went down by around 30 per cent in 2000 compared to the 140,000 arrivals in 1999. Indian tourists constitute around one third of the total tourism arrival – recorded at around 500,000 in 2000.

After the New-Delhi-bound Airbus, which had taken off from Kathmandu, was hijacked on December 24, 1999, the number of Indian tourists dwindled by more than 50 per cent on January 2000. The scenario did not improve even in May – the peak time for Indians to visit Nepal – when their arrivals was still less by around 50 per cent.

What followed was other troubled times triggered by the alleged and unconfirmed reports of an Indian cine star’s remarks against Nepal and Nepalese.

To arrest the situation, NTB officials said, the Nepal Festival of Life had to be planned. "We had to do it considering the fact that Indians also are high quality tourists," said Tek Bahadur Dangi, Marketing Manager at NTB. "There is also the fact that the number of outbound Indians is increasing at the rate of 15 per cent."

Meanwhile, with an idea to complement the effort of NTB, Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO) is holding a special programme in New Delhi on May 5. "Since the arrival of Indian tourists has been decreasing for the last one and a half year because of sundry problems, the effort of both NTB and NATO will be to consolidate the Indian market by providing various promotional gimmick and dissemination that Nepal is a safe destination," read a press statement of NATO.

"The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between NATO and Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be the major highlight of the programme," read the statement. "The main features of the MoU will be that IATO and NATO will work together to promote tourism in India and Nepal and to share IT information in relation to tourism in both the countries."

Another major feature, according to NATO, will be the bonding for the recovery of bad debt and other credit incurred by the members of both the associations on reciprocal basis.

SECOND INT’L AIRPORT
Consultant unable to submit report

BY KRISHNA SHARMA

Kathmandu, April, 18: Without doing any field work Apla Consultant Co. Ltd. (ACCL) has cited ‘political unrest’ as the main reason behind its inability of not completing the feasibility study for the country’s second international airport at Bhairahawa.

The government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 12, 2000 with the Paris based multi-national construction company and had allotted nine months time for the feasibility study to convert the Gautam Buddha Airport of Bhairahawa into an international one.

The ACCL was supposed to present its report to the government last week, but the Company, in its recent letter, has asked the government to give it three more months to carry out the feasibility study.

However, according to officials at the Gautam Buddha Airport of Bhairahawa, an ACCL survey team had done a study of the physical structure before it signed the MoU with the government. "But after the signing ceremony it never appeared to the site," an official at the Bhairahawa airport said.

As to the granting of three-month additional time to the ACCL, joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Yagya Prasad Gautam said that he has sent his comments to the Minister in this regard. Gautam was the one who had signed the MoU with the French company on behalf of the government. Gautam, however, refused to disclose anything about the content of the comment. He said it is now up to the government whether to extend the period or not. According to the MoU, the ACCL had agreed to construct the airport in Bhairahawa on BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis but authorities at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) say the Alpa Consultant has not yet found any financier for the 100 million dollar project.

This could be the main reason behind the non-completion of the feasibility study, sources say. Others, meanwhile, think the Maoist insurgency problem may also be one of the reasons for the investors’ hesitancy towards the ACCL project.

‘Even if the government grants time to the French company and the feasibility study is completed indicating a go ahead signal, Nepal still has to finalize a very important thing in its quest for having a second international airport outside the Kathmandu Valley. "That is having bilateral agreement with India for air space," hinted a CAAN official.

Since the Gautam Buddha Airport is very near to the Indian border, three-fourth of the total air space falls inside the Indian territory.

No doubt, Nepal desperately needs an international airport outside Kathmandu to ease the air-traffic movement of the TIA because of its topographical and geographical constraints. The proposed site for the international airport is just a few kilometres from Lumbini.

An international airport near Lumbini is preferred not only because of its central location in the country but also to develop Lumbini into an attractive tourist and pilgrimage site for over 300 million Buddhists followers all over the world who want to come to the birth place of Lord Buddha.