Deuba pledges to make NC more dynamic

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (RSS): Ex-prime minister and Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the Nepali Congress will remain united only if differences of opinion within the party are given due respect.

Ex-prime minister Deuba, who was addressing NC general convention representatives and general committee members from Bagmati zone here today, said failure on the part of the party president to listen to and accept the views and suggestions of his opponents will debilitate the party.

He expressed his determination to always work for party unity and put effort into making the party more dynamic and people-oriented.

Stating that the Maoists are conspiring to finish off democracy by creating an atmosphere of terror and violence, Deuba stressed the need for party workers to unite so as to alienate the anti-democratic and violent elements from the people.

He also spoke of the need for a wider consensus among all political parties to banish poverty, unemployment and caste discrimination, and ensure the upliftment of the ethnic groups.

He claimed that he can forge a national consensus among all national political parties for the development of water resources, upliftment of ethnic groups, commercialisation of agriculture, proper utilisation of forests, and for controlling corruption and resolving the Maoist problem.

Ex-prime minister Deuba said his candidacy for the post of NC president is aimed at relieving party workers of servitude, fear and inhibition and making the party more dynamic.

NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka said he who aspires to take up party leadership should not hesitate to go to the people.

He spoke of the need to run the party in a legitimate manner and establish the party leadership on the basis of ideology so as to put an end to in-party squabbling.

NC central member Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar urged the party workers to use their own discretion while electing the new party leadership, without giving in to any fear, greed or temptation.

Pradip Giri, also an NC leader, said the Nepali Congress will be able to win the trust of the people only if it is run in a democratic manner.

NC leader Chiranjibi Wagle said an irresponsible and weak party leadership will only lead to erosion of the people’s trust in the party.

MPs Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Hari Narayan Chaudhari, Rajendra Kharel and Narayan Singh Poon, NC Bhaktapur district president Radheshyam Jonchhe, ex-general secretary of Nepal Students Union Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, NC general committee member from Dhading Bharat Upreti and many others urged the party workers to resist the efforts being made within the party itself to finish off the political future of those holding different views.

Those preaching violence will be exposed: Acharya

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (RSS): Minister for Finance and Defence Mahesh Acharya has said that the decision about any rift in a political party arising out of various reasons should be accepted once it is taken by the party leadership after holding discussions.

Minister Acharya, speaking at a symposium hosted by the free students union at Balmiki Campus here today, said that Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala has accommodated those having different views within the party and the determination to cover all the factions for moving forward will provide new dynamism to the party.

Stating that the present government would not resort to blood for blood but instead move ahead ideologically to defeat violence, he said, "as no one in the country was for violence, those unleashing violence from the jungles would be exposed among the people".

Former NC Central Member Bhu Bikram Nembang said that the leadership and the cadres should stand united and abide by the results of the general convention.

President of Nepal Tarun Dal Bal Krishna Khand, former Nepal Students Union President Dhana Raj Gurung and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the function chaired by president of the Free Students Union Balmiki Campus unit Badri Aryal.

Measures needed to minimize quake effects

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 15: On the occasion of Third Earthquake Safety Day 2057, a Ceremonial Meeting and Inauguration of Earthquake Safety Exhibition was held in Kathmandu today to highlight the measures for taking preventive measures and raise awareness among the people, a mass rally which started from Bhugol Park went around the city. Bhugol Park was erected to remind people of the devastating effects of the earthquake of 1934.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest, Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Kamala Panta said earthquake is a natural disaster that cannot be stopped but measures can be taken to minimise the effects of an earthquake.

She even stressed on the use of scientific technology to decrease the effects of earthquake and to raise awareness among the people so that people would resort to preventive methods.

The chairperson of the of the programme Ramesh Ananda Baidhya of the National Planning Commission said that every good thing has bad effects as Nepal is rich in mountains but it equally is prone to earthquakes.

Secretary of National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET-N) Amod Mani Dixit said the technology that has been developed in foreign countries to offer safety from earthquakes will be used in Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Ananda S. Arya of Roorki University of India said the best way of achieving safety is to take precautions while building houses, hospitals and schools and pay extra attention to make them earthquake resistant.

He even added that earthquakes don’t kill the people but the weak buildings when destroyed by the earthquake kills the people and people should be aware of the probability of earthquake in Nepal.

Dr.Brian E.Tucker, the President of Geo Hazards International said no one becomes safer through speeches alone but everyone should work to reduce the effects of earthquake.

There is the probability of an earthquake hitting Kathmandu again, in the future, of the magnitude that occurred in 1934 A.D. (1990 B.S.). Due to the density of the population and buildings not built to specifications, the effect of the earthquake will be many more times than the previous quake, Dr. Brian said while talking to The Rising Nepal.

According to the study made by NSET-N and Geo Hazards International, there would be about 40,000 deaths if an earthquake occurs that has the intensity of the 1934 earthquake and 90,000 injured persons may require hospitalisation. It is like preparing for war, it said.

State Minister Panta gave away prizes to the best drawings and the poem with the earthquake as the theme.

Pant demands more seats to women for NC CWC

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (RSS): Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kamala Devi Pant has expressed the belief that the upcoming 10th general convention of the Nepali Congress will take a concrete decision to implement social and cultural programmes for promoting the interest of women.

Minister of State Mrs Pant, who was speaking at a face to face programme organised by the Reporters Club here today, said the Nepali Congress has been encouraging active participation of women in various sectors without any gender and caste discrimination.

She also stressed the need for the party to provide 35 per cent of the central working committee seats to women so as to increase women’s participation in party activities also.

She said that the forthcoming NC general convention should elect Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as party president for strengthening the party, and for effective implementation of social and cultural activities in the interest of women.

Deputy speaker Chitralekha Yadav stressed the need for increased participation of women in helping the government fulfill its commitments. She also hoped that the upcoming NC general convention would take necessary decisions to address the problems of women.

The country’s present circumstances demand Prime Minister Koirala as the party president once again, Mrs Yadav said and also expressed the belief that the general convention representatives will give the electoral victory to Prime Minister Koirala.

NC central member and ex-minister Mrs Lila Koirala expressed the belief that the NC general convention will give out the message of party unity and announce additional programmes in the interest of women. She also stressed the need to elect Prime Minister Koirala as the party president.

President of Nepal Women’s Association and ex-minister Mrs Mina Pandey was of the view that women should be provided with equal opportunities in every sector thereby paving the way for them to reach the decision making level.

Club president Rishi Dhamala presided.

Information on security situation presented

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (RSS): Secretary at the Defense Ministry Padma Kumar Acharya and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) general Prajwalla Shumsher J.B. Rana presented detailed information on the present law and order situation and the activities of various security agencies at the Parliamentary State Affairs Committee meeting today.

At the meeting chaired by Committee Chairman Homnath Dahal, the Defense Secretary and the COAS Informed the Committee about the ongoing terrorist activity, coordination and cooperation among army personnel deployed in various districts to support the police and the local administration, and problems encountered in implementing security measures and solutions.

They also informed the committee about the strategies of the Ministry of Defense and the Royal Nepal Army and their future programmes for containing the Maoist insurgency.

Also at the meeting, convenor of the government vehicles investigation and study sub-committee Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh presented the sub-committee’s report.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the sub-committee formed by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to look into alleged irregularities at the Ministry of Education initiated discussions on the irregularities at Tribhuvan University as mentioned in part two of the Annual Report of the Auditor General (2052 B.S.).

In course of the discussion, the sub-committee instructed that the amounts that have remained unaccounted for be realised within three months.

‘Strive to consolidate communal harmony’

Kathmandu, Jan. 15 (RSS): The cultural programme staged by the Cultural Subcommittee constituted under the Citizens Main Celebration Management Committee to mark the 56th Auspicious Birthday of His Majesty the King was jointly inaugurated here today by Raj Parishad Standing Committee Chairman Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi and Minister of State for Health Tirtha Ram Dangol.

Sixteen songs and dances were presented depicting national culture, costumes and customs and also those of the nationalities and indigenous people.

On the occasion, Chairman Rayamajhi pointed out the need for one and all to always strive to consolidate communal harmony to get rid of poverty and backwardness and for the peaceful development of the country.

Minister of State Dangol said that attempts were being made to create communal distrust and take the country towards disintegration.

Former prime minister and chairman of the Main Celebration Committee Kirti Nidhi Bishta said that His Majesty King Birendra was the symbol of unity of the entire Nepalese and that His Majesty was always concerned how to raise the living standard of all the people and how to make them prosperous.

On the occasion, Main Committee general secretary and Rajparishad Standing Committee member Ratna Kamal Baidya and subcomittee convenor Beti Bajracharya wished long life and good health to His Majesty the King.

For Family Planning Services
Strategic plan devised

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 15: The Nepal Family Planning Association (NFPA) has devised a five-year strategic plan for the 2001-2005 period.

The strategic plan includes generating public opinion to clear social, traditional and policy-wise obstruction for expanding reproductive health services, dissemination of information to attract more people towards family planning services, increase women‘s capacity in decision-making, fulfil the demand of reproductive health services of the youth and to make its services easily available and also increase its standard.

The Association said it has changed its organisational structure, according to the instruction of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), its parent body, to achieve its strategic plans.

The Association has a new executive committee with Chhatra Bahadur Giri, Nirmal Lacaul and Subash Pradhan as president, vice president and general secretary respectively.

According to NFPA, the Association provided temporary family planning services to 290,973 in the year 1999 and permanent family planning services to 6,796 people.

Similarly, the total number of people, who received family planning services from the Association was 301387 in the year 1999. Similarly, the Association also provided maternal-child health services to 661,985 people the same year. It has also been providing pathological service and service related to sexual disease.

Giri, the newly elected president of NFPA said at a press meet today that the Association has opened three cells on gender, women and youth as parts of the strategic plan.

The Association’s budget for the year 2001 is Rs. 229 million and of that 9 per cent of the budget goes for gender related issues, 37 per cent for family planning, 37 per cent for youth, 9 per cent for administrative and 0.35 per cent for advocacy programmes.

The Nepal Family Planning Association was established in 1959. In 1965, it got the full membership of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. It was the year Nepal started works on family planning.

According to, Sunil Kumar Bhandari, the outgoing president of the Association, from 1991 the Association has expanded its services to the mountain areas focussing mainly on marginalised, ethnic and under-served people. These people will also be the focus of the new strategic plan, he said.

Meanwhile, Bhandari refused accusations of corruption within the Association. The new president also said the Association’s activities would be done in a transparent manner.