‘NC to come up with clear ideas at convention’

Pokhara, Jan. 18 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and NC central member Ram Chandra Poudel has said that the Nepali Congress 10th general convention beginning tomorrow will elect a new party leadership and provide new shape to the party’s policies and organizational structure.

Talking to reporters at a programme here today, Deputy Prime Minister Poudel said besides discussing party policy and programmes, the general convention will help the party come up with clear ideas about how best the country can benefit from globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation in the changed context.

For a democratic party, holding elections on the basis of healthy competition is not a bad idea, rather such a practice promotes democratic exercise, he said. However, such elections should keep factionalism at bay for factionalism leads to polarisation in the party, marginalises qualified and committed party workers, and deprives party workers of the freedom of electing the party leadership using their own discretion, he observed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Poudel also said that being a democratic party the Nepali Congress wants to resolve problems through dialogue. The party has always kept its door open for resolving the Maoist problem through dialogue and it does not deviate from this stand.

The government made efforts to initiate a dialogue with the Maoists even by involving mediators, but the Maoists did not reciprocate and began finding small execuses to avoid negotiations, he said.

Foreign teams

Kathmandu, Jan. l8 (RSS) Minister for Forest and Environment of Sri Lanka Mahindra Vijaya Shekhat arrived here today to take part in the tenth general convenion of the Nepali Congress (NC).

Likewise, a five-member delegation from Bangladesh including Minister for Local Government and Rural Development of cooperatives Mohammed Zillaur Rehman and his spouse arrived here today.

Former general secretary of the Socialist International Has Nischek, general secretaries of the Socialist Janata Party Of India Om Prakash Srivastav, H. N. Sharma and Mrs Basanta Nandan Kumar and general secretary of the Indian National Congress Sushil Kumar Shinde and its spokesman Ananda Sharma are also arrived here for the general convention of the Nepali Congress.

They were received by Hari Sharma, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, and secretary of the NC International Department Jaya Raj Acharya.

Refugees await verification with mixed feelings

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Beldangi, Jhapa, Jan.18: Well aware that a joint verification team of Nepalese and Bhutanese officials will soon be landing up at any one of their camps here or in nearby Morang District, Bhutanese Refugees are keeping their fingers crossed amidst mixed feelings.

Some are already smiling with great expectations while others are still frowning with their "ifs" and "buts."

Exhausted of having lived in the thatched huts for around 10 years at the camps here, the refugees, however, agree that their verification would indeed be a significant move toward the solution of the protracted refugee crisis.

"This is our chance to prove that we are Bhutanese," said Padam Lal Dhungel, Head of Sector "A" in Beldangi Camp I – one of the three camps here that houses around 50,000 Bhutanese refugees. Above 100,000 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese have been spending their exile life in Nepal, mostly in eastern region, for the last 10 years.

"Since we have the documents to prove our citizenship, we trust all will go well and we will return home," said Dhungel, a one time Chieftain of Labsi Bote Village of Goseling Block in southern Bhutan.

"We believe in god and so we trust that we will reach our homeland," said Dhanmaya Adhikary who was forcefully evicted from Dagana, another village in southern Bhutan. "I believe this problem will be solved before we end up as stateless people."

Narad Mani Neupane, another Bhutanese refugee in Beldangi Camp II, also believed that verification is necessary for the early repatriation of the refugees. "The joint verification is good news but how will that happen remains to be seen."

As agreed last month during the 10th round of bilateral talks, Nepal and Bhutan agreed to form a joint team of five members from each side to verify the Bhutanese refugees in the camps in eastern Nepal.

The joint team, according to Joint Secretary at Home Ministry Usha Nepal who will be leading the Nepalese side, will now decide when and which camp to begin the verification from.

But there are others in the camps here who think more than the verification issue. These Bhutanese in exile here are equally fearful about what treatment they would receive if in case they go back home. "The question that haunts me these days is how will life be in Bhutan once we return there," said Bhagirath Uprety, a 67-year-old refugee in Beldangi Camp I.

Echoing the same fear, Dhanmaya Adhikary, Uprety’s close neighbour in the camp, referred to the case of refugees from Rwanda in Africa. "Sometimes we even fear that we might end up as the refugees from Rwanda."

And there is equal number of refugees in these camps who are still trying to "decipher" the Bhutanese Government’s latest move – its agreement to form a joint verification team. "Given our government’s old habit of resorting to different tricks, we are still confused," said Tulsi Ram Regmi, a Bhutanese refugee in Beldangi Camp II.

"Since our government, in the last 10 years, has been saying something and doing something else, nothing can be said on the verification issue as well," said the former member of the Bhutanese National Assembly.

It is this fast-and-loose-playing track record of Bhutan that has left even the Bhutanese political and Human Rights leaders here clueless. "We hope for the best but nothing can be ruled out about Bhutan’s tricks," said Dr. Bhampa Rai, an Executive Member of Bhutanese Refugee Representative Repatriation Committee (BRRRC).

Leaders of most of the leading Bhutanese refugee’s organisations in this district and also in Kathmandu claimed to be brainstorming on "how to enable the mass-refugees to deal with the joint verification team."

That appears important, especially for the refugees having problems on documentary evidences. For instance, there are, according to refugees themselves, few of them whose documents were destroyed by fire in the camps.

"Our huts in the camps caught fire in Sector B in 1999 and in Sector G in 1996 ," said Dhungel the Head of Sector "A" in Beldangi Camp I.

Then there are others who had to flee the Dragon Kingdom in the early 90’s after the Bhutanese authorities snatched even their documents at gunpoint.

That apart, the orientation is also necessary for the young ones who had arrived in the camps when they were kids. "We want to make sure that they should be able to pronounce their villages’ names since they do not even clearly remember their houses in Bhutan today," said Dr. Rai.

FM radio violating rules

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Jan. 18: Despite the directives of the Ministry of Information and Communications to transmit only developmental, productive and authentic news items, which can be useful for the general public, many Frequency Modulation (FM) radio stations seem to be violating the rules and regulations related to transmission.

After the government issued the directives in this regard last week, some FM stations such as Sagarmatha, K. A. T. H. and Kathmandu Metro have abided by them.

As per the government’s directives, the FM stations should not collect national and international information on their own for transmission. But they can transmit the news items covered by the government media and other publishing houses.

Bharat Shakya, station programme coordinator of K. A. T. H. said that his FM has totally abided by the directives issued by the government. But Shakya complained that the Kantipur FM has been transmitting the news items, violating the government’s order.

He further said that the transmission of news is necessary for providing information to the audiences but it is not good to violate the contracts made with the government and the existing rules.

Individuals affiliated with FM stations say that FM stations have been allowed to transmit only imformation items related to entertainment and people’s welfare.

Experts have also been raising fingers at some FM stations, whose programmes are heard beyond the stipulated area.

"The government issues directives in the name of FM not to transmit news items but the FM stations are not abiding. This shows that the FM stations are out of the government’s control," a listeners commented.

Another person, who refuged to be identified, said, "Kantipur FM’s service should be limited to the Kathmandu Valley. But I have listened to its programmes even in Trishuli of Nuwakot district."

Rakesh Lamichhane, managing director of Classic FM, is of the opinion that FM cannot transmit political news in other countries but such stations are broadcasting such news items in Nepal.

But Gopal Jha of Kantipur FM said that the transmission of Kantipur Diary programme by Kantipur FM cannot be taken otherwise. Jha also said that the news items being transmitted through the station are not questionable in terms of authenticity.

"If FM stations are violating the code of conduct, all the concerned persons should sit down for solutions," he says.

High level sources at the Ministry of Information and Communications say that the only objective of the measure taken by the government to stop the FM stations from transmitting news items is to guide them. The sources also say that the initiative has been taken after the FM stations transmitted the unauthorised news item regarding the issue of Hrithik Roshan.

"The problem will not be solved only after the government’s issuing of directives and framing up laws. The most important thing is that the concerned department and authorities must move ahead with regular monitoring and supervisions," says a personnel at the Radio Nepal.

"If the deputed officials do not carry out the task of supervision strictly and the higher level authorities do not pay proper attention to it, it will not be the mistake of the FM stations but the negligence of the government," he added.

Nepal, India agree to exchange more power

Kathmandu, Jan. 18 (RSS):  The sixth Nepal-India power exchange committee meeting that concluded here today agreed to exchange up to 150 megawatt of electricity between the two countries.

The existing provision allows the two countries to exchange up to 50 megawatt of electricity.

Nepal currently imports about 50 megawatt from India, while India receives about 37 megawatt from Nepal.

The Nepalese delegation to the meeting that began on Jan. 16 was led by executive director of Nepal Electricity Authority Bishnu Bam Malla and the Indian delegation by member of the Central Electricity Authority and ex-officio secretary of the Indian government K.N. Sinha.

At the meeting, the Nepalese side apprised the Indian delegation of the progress made so far in the installation of three more transmission lines, Butwal-Anandnagar, Birgunj-Motihari and Dhalkebar-Sitamadi, as part of the construction work for a 132 kv transmission line linking Nepal and India.

The government has already approved the programme for installation of the three transmission lines and has arranged for funding from the Asian Development Bank for construction of the Nepalese portion of the Butwal-Anandnagar 132 kv transmission line.

Responding to the Nepalese side’s proposal for amending the existing electricity tariff, the Indian side that as it had been mentioning at previous meetings a separate body will be formed for that purpose and will start work on the matter within three months.

His Majesty’s Government has already consented to fix new electricity tariff as the tariff in practice at present was valid from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998 only.

The Nepalese side also emphasized the need to carry out a study on installing high quality transmission lines for linking transmission lines between Nepal and India as instructed by the Nepal-India water resources committee meeting held in October 2000.

In its response, the Indian team suggested that as matters concerning the selection of new technology (for high quality transmission lines) does not come within the perview of the power exchange committee, a detailed study needs to be carried out before taking a decision in this regard.

The meeting also discussed matters concerning technological improvements at local level to regularize power supply in border areas.

Nepal and India currently exchange electricity at 1.60 Indian rupees per unit. The meeting also agreed to settle in the near future bills overdue between the two countries.

The next meeting of the committee will be held in New Delhi, India in September 2001.

NC convention to end flaws in party: Acharya

Pokhara, Jan. 18 (RSS):  Minister for Finance and Defence Mahesh Acharya has stressed that the 10th general convention of Nepali Congress beginning here Friday should inspire the party leaders and workers to take part in a campaign to end any flaws or defects within the party in keeping with the party norms, values and ideals.

Speaking at a press meet here today, Minister Acharya said individualistic tendency, indiscipline and irresponsibility would continue to dog Nepali Congress until its leaders and workers followed a tradition of re-evaluating the disparity between the responsibilities and duties.

In reply to a query, he said any one ready to take the leadership should also be able to face hardships for the cause of the people, nation and democracy.

The party could not be dynamic and people-oriented as one calling oneself a leader was engrossed in fighting for a generation issue, throwing to the wind its ideology and programmes, he alleged.

As regards intra-party wrangle, he said that within the party, it was necessary to develop definite ways of venting one’s dissent and crisis management.

He also expressed the confidence that the 10th general convention would find simple ways of crisis management within the party.

Minister Acharya said that as all the activities the party carried out and struggles it waged for the cause of the country, democracy and people were linked with the party’s existence, the honest leader and workers of the party should make ceaseless struggle to save its entity.

Stage ready for NC General Convention

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Pokhara, Jan. 18: The Pokhara Stadium is all set for the 10th General Convention of the Nepali Congress party as a grand and colourful stage is being built on the western edge of the field for the inaugural programme.

The dais erected about five feet above the ground with foam and cushion has sitting arrangements for about 200 people. The party’s Central Working Committee members, MPs, ministers, party’s district committee presidents, and invitees of the other political parties and abroad will take their seats on the dais.

The whole stadium is decorated with the party’s flag and the party emblem. On both sides of the stage will be 10 flags, each of them 10 by 12 feet in size, signifying the 10th General Convention of the party.

According to Balram Kunwar, coordinator of the stage preparation committee and the party’s district committee member, the whole pitch of the stadium will be jute-carpeted for the other participants, delegates and members to sit on.

Today a ‘dohori-geet’ competition was held at the stadium, which was participated in by the country’s top ranked singers.

All that glitter is not gold

BY KRISHNA SHARMA

Kathmandu, Jan. 18: Once dominated by the Newars, the indigenous inhabitants of Kathmandu valley, it seems, their gold business is slowly losing out to Indian traders. Though they are small in numbers, Nepalese jewelers see the foreign capital investment as a great threat to local businesses, which have been operated, on a small scale for centuries.

However, it is not only the influx of Indian traders that worries President of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association (Negosida) Tej Ratna Shakya so much, as the credibility of the business which is at stake.

"We receive a lot of complaints at the Association about the quality of gold that these new jewelery shops sell," says Shakya. He cited an example of a jewelery shop at Bishal Bazar (super market) at New Road, which was selling 22 carat gold as 24 carat.

Gold jewelery is no longer what it used to be, say customers. ‘There is a lot of mixture in the gold available in some of the shops established recently.’

Surprisingly, there are very little complaints in this business. ‘Only about 5 per cent of the customers come to return the gold items.’

Many people believe that the practice of cheating customers has been going on unchecked due to lack of laws in this direction.

Nepal consumes "about 10 tons of gold annually". In a bid to control the gold and silver business, the government, from the current fiscal year, has made Nepal Rastra Bank, country’s central bank, the authorised wholesaler of these precious metals.

However, the Department of Mints (DoM), the branch of the central bank looking after the gold and silver business, sells only about 8 to 10 pieces of 50-gram gold biscuits a week, that too during the marriage season. If it is so, where does all the gold Nepal consumes come from?

Last year, the country’s total transaction was for "12 tons of gold". Since the start of the current fiscal year, the DoM has sold only 6,050 gram of 24 carat gold so far, according to the director of the DoM Madhav Adhikari. This clearly shows there is something fishy in this business. Despite the government’s attempt to keep a tab on gold and silver business, the private sector is finding enough loopholes to carry on its business on the sly.

But the problem with the Department is that it can’t sell gold of various denominations. One of the reasons why the DoM has not been able to attract many people may be that it has no choices. It sells only 50 gram gold pieces," the cashier at the DoM Jyoti Prasad Bhandari explains.

Although the DoM sells gold with a focus on gold dealers they simply do not entertain buying gold from the government body. "But if they come to know that the price of gold is going to be high by noon they would flood at the counter of the Department," Bhandari said.

However, during the three days of Tihar, the second greatest festival of the Hindus, ‘the DoM did a business worth Rs. 17.6 million’.

Meanwhile, a jeweler, on condition of anonymity, said that many jewelers prefer buying gold from Surya Traders and Laxmi Jyoti Traders at Ason rather than go to the DoM. "Buying gold from the DoM is not practical. We can’t buy gold on credit and the time is also not suitable," he said.

As to why they don’t like to buy gold from the DoM, jewelers add "the price of gold being sold from the DoM is comparatively high."

"The price of gold being sold from the office could be dearer than that of other places because we add the administrative expenses with the real price of gold," Bhandari said.

"We do not buy gold from the DoM. The gold sold from the DoM is expensive. We buy from the market, from ordinary people and Lahures (soldiers)," says Nabin Tuladhar of Laxmi Jyoti Traders, the retailer and wholesaler of gold and silver metals.

The Trader is supposed to be one of the famous suppliers of the precious metals. The owner, Tuladhar, says that they sell about 40 tolas of gold everyday. "The quantity may go as high as 60 tolas during the festival or marriage season."

Kathmandu valley is the main business centre for gold in the country. Out of the total gold business, 60 per cent of the transactions are made in the capital.

According to the proprietor of the City Gold Jewelery, New Road, many old jewelery shops like to do business with regular customers. "We are like family jewelers. 90 per cent of my customers have been visiting the shop since my father’s time. And it is the case with many other shops owned by the Newars," he says.

As to why they are not able to compete with the newly opened jewelery shops owned by the Indians, he says that they lack capital to expand their business and that they can’t spend much on decoration of their showcases with readymade jewelery.

"But whoever goes to the shops owned by the Indians, he/she can’t be a permanent customer there," he says, probably hinting that the Indians jewelers were showy and not trustworthy.

Shakya, meanwhile, is of the opinion that the government should immediately begin working out laws and policies to address the problems of the gold and silver business. The Negosida, which was the wholesaler of gold business till last year and which still determines the daily value of gold and silver, currently has nearly 300 members.

"We help, govern and punish our members as per our rules and regulations but it is not practical to check all when there are over 1,000 jeweler members in the country.

Presently, there is no clearly defined mechanism for the punishment of the wrong doers. And, mixing inferior metals to gold is on the rise, according to Negosida.

"If the government formulates an appropriate and practical law, the gold and silver business will become more credible. And there may be healthy competition among the businessmen."

But the tragedy has been that there are very few Nepalese goldsmiths remain, he adds. The younger generation no longer wants to take up the profession of a goldsmith.

As to rumours that the gold being brought from Bangkok is not pure, Shakya says that the claim may have a grain of truth. "But only some amount of gold comes from Bangkok these days. The gold from Bangkok comes in the form of ornaments by the people who visit the city. Nepal is a market for gold that comes from Hong Kong and Singapore. Meanwhile Indian gold is also pure," Shakya discloses.