Maoist issue a national problem: DPM

Tanahun, July 7 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Paudel has said that no political system other than multi-party democracy can ensure the people’s well-being.

Mr Paudel, who was speaking at a programme held by the Tanahun DDC on the occasion of the 55th birthday of His Majesty the King today, noted that land has been distributed to the landless people with the aim of making them masters of their land.

Stating that the NC government is determined to intensify development and construction works by providing transport services, electricity, drinking water, etc in the villages, the Deputy Prime Minister remarked that some elements who have indulged in violence and killings have caused a setback to the nation.

The Maoist problem is a national problem, he said and spoke of the need to form a multi-party front by ending mutual differences.

Chairman of the Landless Squatters Problems Resolution Commission Tanahun Laxmiraj Acharya chaired the function.

Fire set on SFDP office in Arghakhanchi

BY OUR COORESPONDENT

Sandhikharka, July 7: Maoist rebels set a fire on the office of the Small Farmer Development Programme (SFDP) of the Agricultural Development Bank at Phudbang of Arghakhanchi district at 10.30 P. M. yesterday.

According to Dal Bahadur Jhakri, peon of the office and an eyewitness to the incident, all the documents, files, furniture and other equipment were burnt to ashes. Jhakri and Kashi Ram Gyanwali, the owner of the house where the office is situated, said that four women and some men had appeared with khukuris in their hands. One of them was carrying a wireless set.

The office is situated three kilometers east of Sandhikharka Bazaar, the district headquarters. The office has been in the house of Gyanwali for the last three years.

"We do not damage the personal properties. As per our programme, we have taken action against the Agricultural Development Bank," the rebels were quoted as saying after setting a fire to the document and other things of the office.

Before setting the fire, the rebels had cut off the four telephone lines installed in the office.

Meanwhile, according to our Sunsari correspondent, the Maoist rebels set a fire on a vehicle of the National Construction Company of Nepal (NCCN) in Itahari at 1 P. M. today.

The vehicle, with a plate number Ba. 1 Yan. 1306, was alighted after splashing it with diesel at Itahari Municipality ward No. 5. The vehicle was used for construction of bridges in Sunsari district.

A group of six rebels had attempted to burn down the vehicle but the locals gathered here were able to put down the fire. The windscreen of the vehicle was smashed and its colour was sheared.

The Area Police Office informed that the police in the civil dress had reached the spot but they were unable to arrest the rebels. The rebels chanted slogans in favour of the terrorist activities before they fled away.

To bring under control the terrorist activities in Itahari, a lot of police force has been mobilised in the area.

SLC reexamination begins in Dhankuta

Dhankuta, July 7 (RSS): Re-examination of English paper under the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations began at Panchakrishna Secondary School, Khoku in Dhankuta today.

The examination for the English paper under this year’s SLC examination had been canceled at the centre on April 16 due to some technical reasons.

Due to the misinterpretation of the question paper by the centre’s in-charge, the regular students had been given the question sheets of 135 full marks while the new students were given the question sheets designed for old students.

Various students unions staged protest demonstration demanding re-examination of the paper and set ablaze the furniture of the district education officer.

According to Examination Controller’s Office, Sanothimi, re-examination of english is being conducted at the same Panchkrishna Secondary School and some 118 regular and 50 exempted students sat for today’s examination.

Discussion on trade of agro-products

Bhaktapur, July 7 (RSS): The Agriculture Enterprises Centre of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry jointly organised a discussion programme on "Business transaction of high-value agri-products" here on Friday.

According to the organisers, the discussion programme was held with the objective of giving priority to the production of off-season vegetables and crops with high value of returns according to the climatic condition of the place and the commitment of the farmers there, and also to assist in the promotion of such crops.

Director of the Agriculture Enterprise Centre Dr. Dev Bhakta Shakya said that the centre has been involved in the promotion of agriculture and agriculture produce in the last ten years.

President of the Bhaktapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Krishna Prasad Tamrakar underlined the need for commitment for improving the quality and technology in the country’s agriculture sector.

Executive president of the centre, Suraj Baidya, spoke of the need for bringing about timely reforms in the agricultural technology employed in the country and stressed proper utilisation of the ASAID assistance in this regard.

Participants at the programme laid emphasis on the need to provide quality seeds and fertiliser to the farmers for boosting agriculture production.

Office-bearers of various district chambers of commerce and industries, dairy farmers, poultry farmers, livestock farmers and vegetable producers took part in the discussions.

Workshop on mgmt of Kamala Irrigation Project

Janakpurdham, July 7 (RSS): A day-long workshop seminar on the handing over of the irrigation management was organised here yesterday by the Kamala Irrigation Office Portaha, Dhanusha in order to exchange views on management transfer.

Participating at the seminar were farmers of the water users committee, VDC chairmen as well as representatives of various political parties.

The Kamala Irrigation Project for which the foundation was laid in 2016 B.S. has provided irrigation facilities in 25,000 hectares of land in Dhanusha and Siraha districts.

It was informed at the seminar that voluntary labour was mobilised nominally despite provisions that 26 per cent of the works should have been done in the project implemented with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in connection with the extension of the Kamala Irrigation Project.

At the seminar presided over by DDC Ilaka member Balaram Subedi, various other speakers including DDC chairman Ramcharitra Saha, NC Dhanusha president Ram Krishna Yadav, CPN-UML Dhanusha secretary Shital Jha also expressed their views.

RPP district secretary Udayakant Thakur said the project had failed to provide any facilities to the farmers during the past 42 years but the engineers of the project have erected large buildings of their own within a few years.

Also speaking on the occasion were CDO Narayan Gopal Malego, chief of the Kamala Irrigation Project Gauri Shankar Singh, central secretary of the Water Users Federation Padma Aryal, president of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party Dhanusha Bijaya Kumar Singh, VDC chairmen Narayan Mandal, Jitendra Das, Dhitendra Lal Das and Indra Narayan Mandal.

A discussion followed in the second phase of the seminar on mobilisation of 26 per cent peoples’ participation, general membership, felling of sisau trees and women’s participation.

Badi girls receive journalism training

Nepalgunj, July 7 (RSS): The Social Awareness for Education Institute yesterday honoured five girls from the Badi community who were the first to take a journalism training course here recently.

Those who were honoured on the occasion were Miss Rupa Nepali, Miss Rekha Nepali, Miss Ranjita Nepali, Miss Sapana Nepali and Miss Usha Nepali. All these SLC pass girls who had received a training in "Journalism training programme for Dalits" held by the Nepal Press Institute Regional Communications Resource Center.

On the occasion, the girls pledged to use their pens for exposing the pains and sufferings undergone by the Badi community.

President of the Dalit Service Association, Banke Ishwori Bishwokarma, distributing letters of honour, urged the girls to use the knowledge and skills for the development of their community.

RSS Mid-Western Regional Chief Pramod Pradhan noted that any one with skills and knowledge can make progress in the field of journalism.

Various other speakers including executive director of the Institute Suklal Nepali also spoke at the function chaired by treasurer of the Institute Yashoda Upadhyaya.