Govt lowers prices of POL products

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 16: The government today reduced the prices of petroleum products, by as much as 22.73 per cent of the current price in case of kerosene, saying it was following the international trend.

The price of kerosene was brought down to Rs 17 for a litre, which is a significant five-rupee cut from the earlier Rs 22 for a litre. A litre of petrol and diesel will come a rupee cheaper each at Rs 46 and Rs 26.50 respectively. The revised rates will take effect from mid-night tonight, said a press release issued by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

In an exclusive talk with The Rising Nepal, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar said the decision came in line with the government’s policy of keeping the consumers’ welfare uppermost.

"We are setting a trend in that we have begun to monitor the international prices of petroleum products and adjust our prices accordingly," Minister Tamrakar said. "We are proving the accusation that we did not go by the international trend wrong."

The government had raised the prices of petroleum products more than three months ago saying that it was compelled to do so because their international prices went up. That led to a series of street protests involving the consumers and the opposition political parties. The opposition blamed the government that it would only raise, and not lower, the prices whenever it invoked the international trend.

"The government had expressed its commitment to revising the prices if there were any changes in the international market," said the Ministry’s press release. "It has now revised the prices in line with the decrease in the international prices of the petro-products."

"We have fulfilled our commitment and shown that we are sensitive to the interest of the consumers," Tamrakar told TRN. "This shows the accusations against the government were wrong."

Protestors staged sit-ins and wheel jams when the prices were raised, especially as kerosene affected low income consumers across the country. The government then introduced coupons to provide subsidised kerosene, but that didn’t work.

"We had acted promptly enough by distributing coupons for kerosene. But that did not work well because of "political reasons" at the local level, the minister said. "The target groups could not benefit from this arrangement to the extent we desired. Instead, fake coupons began to be used and the middlemen took undue advantage of the low purchasing power of the target group."

The government is doing all that it can, he said adding "we will keep monitoring the international trend and keep the welfare of the people in view while fixing the prices as low as is practicable."

Chinese envoy pledges to promote trade relations

Kathmandu, Jan. 16 (RSS): Nepal Foreign Trade Association hosted a reception in honour of Chinese ambassador to Nepal Zeng Xuyong here on Monday.

At the reception, the Chinese ambassador pledged his effort to promote Nepal-China trade relations, joint ventures and transfer of technology, and to remove policy level and practical difficulties facing bilateral trade.

President of the Association Lokmanya Golchha thanked the ambassador for his contribution towards the arrangements for providing Hong Kong visas in Kathmandu for Nepalese businessmen and industrialists on the recommendation of the association. This arrangement has contributed significantly to promoting Nepal-China trade relations, he said.

In view of Nepal’s growing trade deficit with China and also to control smuggling it is quite imperative that the Chinese ambassador take initiative to facilitate trade between Nepal and Khasa in the Tibet autonomous region of China through banking channels, he said, stressing the need for technical cooperation from China to enable Nepalese products to compete in the international market.

General secretary of the association Satish Kumar Mor drew the ambassador’s attention to the Chinese government’s plan to increase customs duty on Nepalese products entering China.

NC CONVENTION
Preparations complete for Congress meet in Pokhara

Pokhara, Jan. 16 (RSS): Preparations have been completed here for the success of Nepali Congress 10th Mahadhiveshan (general convention).

The local management main committee and 26 sub-committees which were formed for the purpose have already swung into action, making final touches to the preparations.

The party general secretary Sushil Koirala heads the 15-member Mahadhiveshan preparation committee while K. B. is convenor of the 5-member central follow-up committee to make the general convention a success.

Nepali Congress central office has already opened its office here while necessary arrangements have been made for the accommodation of the party’s distinguished leaders, Mahadhiveshan representatives as well as observers and guests from within the country and abroad.

Arrangements have also been made at Pokhara airport and bus park to welcome the guests and participants of the Mahadhiveshan on their arrival here.

Nepali Congress central president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is scheduled to inaugurate the 10th Mahadhiveshan of the party amidst a gala function in the Pokhara Stadium on January 19, which will be marked by the release of ten pairs of pigeons, the symbol of peace, according to the local main management committee convenor Shukra Raj Sharma, MP.

Earlier the same day, the two top leaders of the party, Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, will garland a life-size portrait of B. P. Koirala at Naya Sadak-Chipledhunga Square. And then, a procession originating from there, will go around the town and converged to the Pokhara Stadium, the venue of the 10th Mahadhiveshan inaugural function.

Arrangement has also been made for holding the closed sessions of the Mahadhiveshan at the Dipendra Sabha Griha.

According to the arrangement made for the occasion, Pokhara Stadium will be the venue for the massive gathering during the opening and closing ceremonies on January 19 and 22 respectively.

The B. P. Memorial National ‘Dohori’ Song Competition will be held at Pokhara Stadium on January 18, 20 and 21 to mark the Nepali Congress 10th Mahadhiveshan.

Ten renowned ‘Dohori’ song groups of the country will take part in the competition to be organised by the various creative and youth activities committee, a unit of Nepal Tarun Dal, says its convenor Mukti K.C.

To mark the occasion, the same committee will also organise a B. P. Memorial Cup Football Tournament from January 23 onwards.

Eight ‘A’ division teams will take part in the tournament.

Nepali Congress Kaski district No. 2 constituency committee, with the active co-operation of 26 party units, launched today a clean-up and publicity drive as the delivery of the Mahadhiveshan message at various wards and villages, according to N.C. constituency unit president Nirmal Karmacharya.

Nepal Tarun Dal’s youth activities committee is also going to launch a clean-up drive at Pokhara on January 17.

To mark the occasion, Nepal Tarun Dal health sub-committee, Kaski, will conduct medical check-up on 108 inmates of the district prison and distribute medicines to them free of cost.

The district administration says that security arrangement has been beefed up in Kaski district in view of the Nepali Congress Mahadhiveshan, the ANNFSU national council 3-day second meeting to be inaugurated here on January 18 by general secretary of the chief opposition party CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal and a 3-day ANNFSU national workers’ meeting to be inaugurated by CPN-ML general secretary Bamdev Gautam.

The district administration banned transport, use and sale of liquor within Pokhara sub-metropolis from January 17 till 23 in view of the need to take tight security measures for successful completion of all those programmes.

Meanwhile, in Biratnagar, a meeting of general committee and general convention representatives of the Nepali Congress held here today has heartily welcomed the announcement of candidature for the NC president made by incumbent president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

Election for the party president is to be held at the l0th general convention of the Nepali Congress to be held in Pokhara from January 21 to 23.

The meeting concluded that Koirala’s efficient and capable leadership is needed just as much by the party under the present political scenario.

NC Morang district committee president and general committee member Ashok Koirala presided over the meeting.

In Kathmandu, the Nepali Congress Kathmandu district working committee at its first meeting today called upon all friends in the district to cooperate for the victory of incumbent president Girija Prasad Koirala in order to put an end to the existing uncertainty and corruption in the country and make the Nepali Congress stronger and more effective.

Committee chairman Tirtha Ram Dangol presided.

‘Govt to introduce bill against racial discrimination’

Kathmandu, Jan. 16 (RSS): A discussions programme was held here today to prepare an alternative report on Nepal for the conference on elimination of all forms of racial discrimination 2001 to be held later this year in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speakers at the programme jointly organised by the Dalit NGO Federation (DNO) and the Dalit support unit under DANIDA/HUGOU said that the oppressed and downtrodden in Nepal were deprived of political, social, educational and economic opportunities and demanded social awareness and reservations for the upliftment of this community.

Under secretary at the Ministry of Local Development Sadhu Ram Sapkota said that the government has formed a committee for protecting and promoting the rights and interests of the oppressed class and a bill in this connection will be introduced in the forthcoming session of parliament.

U.N. Human Rights sub-committee member Barbara A. Frey, Federation President Durga Sob, General Secretary Dilip Pariyar, member D.B. Sagar, advisor Hira Biswakarma and Dr. Jeet Gurung of DANIDA furnished suggestions at the programme.

Interaction on role of civil society on nationality

Kathmandu, Jan. 16 (RSS): Speakers at an interaction programme organised by the Human Rights Communication Academy Nepal here today have suggested that political parties, journalists and civil society should carry out their roles in an honest and responsible manner in matters concerning the nation and nationality.

Various individuals pointed out the need for all the political parties, the police administration, the media, film artistes, human rights activists, advocates at law and others to have clear views about matters concerning nationality, for newspapers to disseminate factual news only, the ruling and other opposition parties to come down to the streets to control the public during times of tension or confusion and for parties to give attention towards making the youth responsible.

They also emphasised the need to establish the facts behind the recent incidents that took place in different parts of the country.

Taking part in the programme were spokesman of the Ministry of Information and Communications Hem Raj Poudel, AIGP Krishna Mohan Shrestha, chairman of the Hritik Case Investigation Committee Bhoj Raj Pokhrel, Raghuji Pant of CPN-UML, Devi Prasad Ojha of CPN-ML, Narayan Man Bijukche of NWPP, Kamal Thapa of RPP, Harihar Birahi of the Press Council, Gokul Pokhrel of Nepal Press Institute, advocate Biswakanta Mainali, women’s rights activist Pratibha Subedi, film artiste Krishna Malla and politician Hiranya Lal Shrestha.

Chairman of the Academy Shobha Gautam and member Suresh Acharya also expressed their views on the occasion.