Sex education stressed to contain spread of AIDS

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Dec. 18: Speakers at a function here today stressed the need of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) education among the youths and adolscents of the country for generating awareness about population activities and controlling sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

The Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) organised workshop had a brainstorming regarding the significance of SRH education to the youths, who can play a vital role for controlling the STD and HIV/AIDS in the country.

With a view to making SRH a success story in this Himalayan Kingdom, the FPAN had launched the sexual and reproduction health project in 1999 in association with European Community (EC) and United Nations Population Activities (UNFPA). Today’s workshop was basically focused on the achievements and challenges of the ongoing project which is completing next year.

Subhash Pradhan, general secretary of FPAN, maintained that the SRH Project had a tremendous impact on the community where it was launched in districts like Kavre, Dang, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Achham.

Meanwhile, he added that to provide maximum information about SRH to the young people of the country there should not be four to five years’ time. "Because short term project cannot generate quick results or impact on young peoples’ attitude and behaviours," he said demanding the extention of the project period. The FPAN is having dialogue with the donor agencies for the continuation of the project in a phase wise manner.

The SRH education project aims to empower young people aged between 12 to 24 years in five districts to adopt safer sexual and reproductional behaviour.

General secretary Pradhan said also the FPAN has formulated the new stretagic plan (2001 - 2005) and the programme has been prioritised according to the new programme thrusts.

The main objectives of the project is to involve youths in planning, programming, implimenting and evaluating the process to endure their partnership and ownership to the programme.

Representative of UNFPA said that along with Nepal this project was launched in seven countries of Asia. He also said that the experiences achieved by Nepal in this regard should be shared with other six countries.

Land certificates given away to ex-Kamaiyas

Nepalgunj, Dec. 18 (RSS): The Land Reforms Office, Banke, has so far provided land ownership document to 545 freed Kamaiya families.

Two to five katthas of land according to the need has been provided to 144 Kamaiya families having neither land nor house and to 401 families having house but no land from among the 1,342 freed Kamaiyas of the district, Land Reforms Officer Shankar Prasad Aryal said.

Likewise, 106 of the free Kamaiyas have been rehabilitated at Bankhet of Rajhena VDC and 47 at Sinabas of Baijapur VDC.

The freed Kamaiyas identification and rehabilitation coordination committee, Banke, has taken the initiative to construct a road linking all the houses, installing water taps and distributing blankets and tents at the rehabilitated places while house for them will be constructed in the near future.

The government has already taken the decision to provide Rs. 10 thousand to each of the families and the district forest office has given the assurance to provide 65 cubic feet of timber to them for the construction of the houses, land reforms officer Aryal said.

Training in various trades have been imparted to 712 Kamaiyas under the career development scheme of HMG .

Training has been imparted on masonry, carpentry, cutting and sewing clothes, hair cutting, apiculture, pig raising, house keeping, nursery, house painting, vegetable growing, welding and driving under the skill oriented training programme.

Under the same programme, nine month training on cutting and sewing clothes has been given to 20 women of freed Kamaiya families.

Travel agents in Japan assured on security

BY STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 18: The Royal Nepalese Embassy in Tokyo recently organised a programme to apprise Japanese travel agents and tour operators about the current situation in Nepal, according to press release of the Royal Nepalese embassy in Japan.

Speaking at the function, the Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Japan Kedar Bhakta Mathema said that the announcement of the State of Emergency in Nepal resulted in improved security situation in the country.

"Many tourists recently visiting Nepal have expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation of the country," Mathema added.

He further said that Nepal is one of the safest places for foreign visitors in South Asia.

On the occasion, Ambassador Mathema requested the participants of the programme to disseminate this fact to potential Japanese tourists and encourage them to visit Nepal to enjoy the natural beauty and traditional hospitality of the people of the Himalayan Kingdom.

Japanese participants are also satisfied with the information provided by the Nepalese embassy there.

Cooperate security personnel, says Sushil

Chitawan, Dec 18 (RSS): General Secretary of the Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala has said that everyone should extend cooperation to the security units of the Royal Nepalese Army and the police being mobilsed to control Maoist activities in the country.

Koirala made this remark at a function held at the NC Chitawan office in Narayangadh of Chitawan district.

On the occasion MP Maiya Devi Shrestha had welcomed NC General Secretary Koirala, former Deuptu Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, NC central members Narahari Acharya and Gopal Pahadi, NC Kathmandu district president Tirtharam Dangol and acting president of the Nepal Farmers Association Basudev Charan Koirala by wrapping them with shawls.

Throwing light on the irrepairable loss caused to the life and property of the Nepalese people, former deputy prime minister Poudel said that everyone including the party workers should extend cooperation in suppressing the terrorists.

Minister of state for Water Resources Narayan Prasad Sharma said that His Majesty’s Government is formulating a special program for the uplift of the people in the Maoist affected areas of the country.

Assistant Minister for Physical Planning and Management Sabitri Bogati said that His Majesty’s Government is formulating a program for the uplift of the women in the country.

NC central members Narahari Acharya, Gopal Pahadi and Tirtharam Dangol, MPs Dr. Gangadhar Lamsal and Maiya Devi Shrestha, acting president of the Nepal Farmers Association Koirala, NC Chitawan district president Krishna Lal Sapkota, secretary Ramkrishna Ghimire and former president Tek Prasad Gurung expressed the view that the government and the party should take necessary steps to end the State of emergency and introduce programmes to enable the people to live in peace and security.

On the occasion convenor of the NC Building Construction Committee Mukti Lal Chuke presented the construction report of the building.

Carpet body meet stresses quality

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 18: The 62nd meeting of the ‘Carpet and Wool Development Committee’ was held at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies today under the chairmanship of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka.

The meeting discussed the annual programmes and budget estimates of the Committee for the Fiscal Year 2001/2002 and the plan to lead the representatives of carpet related organisations and carpet industrialists to Domotex trade fair in Germany to be held in 12-15 January next year. The meeting also discussed reviewing the minimum price of US 48 per square metre of carpet for export.

The meeting decided to organise a ‘door to door carpet promotion programme in the carpet promotion fair to be held in Atlanta, USA under the leadership of the Central Carpet Industries’ Association. The meeting also set instructions for government private sector collaboration for launching a result oriented project to improve design and colour combinaton.

Industry, Commerce and Supplies Assistant Minister Prakash Bahadur Gurung, secretaries from Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and the representatives of the private sector took party in the meeting.