Litterateur Thapa, Shrestha awarded

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): The Madan Puraskar Award Trust has decided to present the "Jagadamba Shree Award" for the year 2057 to popular folk poet Dharma Raj Thapa in recognition of his more than half-century long service to the field of Nepali literature by means of various audio and reading materials and for helping enrich Nepali literature.

Likewise, the trust has decided to present the "Madan Puraskar" award for the year 2057 BS to litterateur Buddhi Narayan Shrestha for his book entitled "Nepal Ko Simana (the boundary of Nepal)."

Both the awards carry a purse of Rs 100,000 each. The decision to this effect was taken by a meeting of the trust today.

Kala-azar patients pour in capital for treatment

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): More and more people are coming to the capital for treatment of Kala-Azar although the capital itself does not have any problem of Kala-Azar infection unlike in the terai districts.

More than half the number of persons coming to the Martyr Sukraraj Tropical Diseases Hospital at Teku for treatment comprise Kala-Azar cases, according to hospital sources.

According to director of the hospital Dr. Punya Bahadur Thapa, 33 out of the 60 patients admitted to the hospital are suffering from Kala-Azar.

These patients are mostly from Siraha, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts, it is leant.

The Kala-Azar patients come to the capital as treatment here is free of cost.

Every day four to 10 Kala-Azar patients on an average are said to come to the hospital for treatment. As many as 60 Kala-Azar patients were admitted to the hospital on one day last month.

So far nobody has died here of the disease, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, fewer cases of gastroenteritis have been recorded in the capital this year.

Otherwise, gastroenteritis used to be a major health problem in the capital valley during the monsoon. The number of cases at the capital’s hospitals has been negligible this time.

Similarly, no cholera cases have been reported at any of the capital’s hospitals. Sporadic cases of cholera used to be reported here during this season.

Two to four gastroenteritis cases per day on average have been coming to the Teku hospital recently. Likewise, only a few gastroenteritis cases have been coming to Kanti Children’s Hospital.

Over 13,000 families given land

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): His Majesty’s Government has distributed 1,999 bighas, 18 kattha and 14 dhurs of land to the 13,259 families of Kamaiyas without houses and land as well as those who have settled down on unoccupied barren land of Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchapur districts of Mid-Western and Far Western Development Regions under its programme of rehabilitating the Kamaiyas.

His Majesty’s Government had formed land registration committees in the five districts of the two regions with the objective of providing five katthas of land to the Kamaiya family having no houses and land and five kathas of land to those settled down on unoccupied barren land.

Likewise, a nine member central follow-up and coordination committee headed by the Local Development Minister and Land Reforms and Management Minister as the vice-chairman had been constituted to provide necessary land to the district land registration committees and a 11- member district folllow-up and coordination committee under the chairmanship of the DDC chairman to rehabilitate the freed Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) in the respective districts.

The land registration committees have completed the task of providing land to the freed bonded labourers of Dang and Banke districts with the cooperation and direction of the central and district level follow-up and coordination committees.

Likewise, the work of providing land to the bonded labourers (without houses and land) possessing identity cards has been completed in the remaining four districts.

Of the total 5,128 families residing in unoccupied barren land in the six districts, land have already been provided to 2,038 such families.

The work of providing land to the remaining 3,080 families will be initiated in the month of Asoj as the tenure of the land registration committees expired on Asar, 2058 B.S.

In accordance with His Majesty’s Government’s decision of providing 75 cubic feet of timber and concessional loan of Rs 10,000 to build house, directives have already been issued to the respective district offices to provide concessional loans and timber.

Likewise, the freed bonded labourers have been provided 13 types of skill development training in order to enable them to earn a living.

The freed bonded labourers have also been provided 6,000 metric tons of rice under the food for work programme, tents, medicines and cash under the rehabilitation programme.

The chairman of the Kamaiya rehabilitation central follow-up and coordination committee and Minister for Local Development has expressed profound gratitude to all the international organisations as well as the office-bearers of the central district level follow-up and coordination committees contributing to the rehabilitation of the bonded labourers and expressed confidence that cooperation will be received from everyone in the works to be carried out in future.

Army plans to encircle Rolpa dist

Tribhuvannagar, July 19 (RSS): The Royal Nepal Army (RNA), mobilized to secure the safe release of the 69 policemen abducted from Holeri police post in Rolpa district and recover their arms is making efforts towards these objectives.

Asked about the latest situation in Holeri and Nuwagaon of Rolpa district, deputy superintendent of police at the district police office, Dang, Prem Bahadur Gurung said that additional reinforcements have reached the area by air and on foot and they have assumed their stations.

He said because of the unfavourable weather concrete results have not materialised.

According to available information, the Royal Nepal Army is encircling Rolpa district in a u-formation.

Additional troops have been deployed there from the neighbouring districts of Pyuthan, Rukum, Salyan and Dang by truck and on foot as troops could not be dropped there by helicopter owing to the unfavourable weather.

The army has plans to encircle Rolpa district from all sides except the south.

The army has shifted to Budha Gaon, north-west from Triveni, and the Maoists are also learnt to have moved to safer areas along with the abducted policemen by crossing the north border of the district.

Meanwhile, a team of human rights activists which departed for Rolpa to broach talks between the two sides has returned to Nepalgunj today after visiting the area.

Although the District Administration Office, Dang, had stopped the team from going there in view of the gravity of the situation, the team was given permission to visit the area for 48 hours.

Appointment

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy for Science and Technology (RONAST) Girija Prasad Koirala has, inaccordance with the RONAST Act-2048 B.S., appointed Prof. (Dr) Krishna Manandhar as secretary of RONAST.

The newly appointed RONAST secretary Prof. (Dr) Manandhar was dean of the Tribhuvan University Institute f Science and Technology.

NEA truck set on fire

Bhaktapur, July 19 (RSS): A group of about 12 masked persons believed to be Maoists have set fire to a truck (Ba 1 Ya 1041) kept at the garrage of the Nepal Electricity Authority Thimi branch office located at ward No 15 Gatthaghar of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality at a round 3:45 am this morning, according to nea security guard Moti Prasad Shrestha.

Later the fire was extinguished by the fire engines of Bhaktapur Municipality.

The unidentified persons also smashed the front wind shield of the truck (Ba 1 Gha 452 parked at the same place.

· In the same manner a group of about five Maoists damaged the vehicle (Ba 1 Jha 5427) belonging to the District Agriculture Development office at a round 5 a.m this morning.

Floods disrupt transport service

Kapilvastu, July 19 (RSS): Transport services on the Taulihawa-Gorusinge section of the road has been disrupted due to floods caused by Ramghat river.

Vehicular movement has come to a halt on the 14-km Taulihawa-Gorusinghe portion of road after flooding on the Ramghat river, which lies two km north from Taulihawa since Tuesday.

Transport services cannot be resumed on the road during rainy seasons because of flooding.

About 50 vehicles are operating on the road daily.

Dolakha fest on Oct 1-3

Charikot, July 19 (RSS): Dolakha festival is to be organised on October 1, 2 and 3 under the joint auspices of the Nepal Tourism Board and Dolakha Tourism and Cultural Promotion Committee.

The objective of the festival is to bring to light the natural, religious and cultural aspects of Dolakha district and attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Cultural tableaux of Thami, Jirel, Surel, Newar, Tamang, Sherpa andother ethnic groups of Dolakha district will be taken out and panche baja (traditional musical instruments) and photos displayed during the festival, chairman of the committee D.B. Basnet said.

Photos of Mt. Gaurishakar, Chho-Rolpa, the world renowned glacier, tasinam, the birthplace of the youngest conqueror of Mt. Sagarmatha, Beding village, the birthplace of more than 29 Nepalese summiters who have scaled Mt. Everest, Kalinchowk Danda and Bhimeshwar Temple will be exhibited, convenor of the photo exhibition committee Shambhu Gautam said.

Landslide obstructs transport service

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): Transport services came to a complete halt today because of a landslide at Dobhan VDC-5 in Palpa near Siddhababa temple, North of Butwal, along the Siddhartha highway.

According to the western traffic office, mud and debris is yet to be removed from the road.

Transport Services Operating in areas from Butwal to Pokhara, Waling, Gulmi, Tamghas, Riddi, Rampur, Mirmi, etc, have been stopped.

Reception

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): President of the Federation of Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industryrabibhakta Shrestha has said that he will remain effortful in enhancing the efficiency and skills of the federation secretariat keeping in mind the changing times.

Mr Shrestha made this remark while speaking at a reception organised on the occasion of his taking the charge of office today.

Outgoing president Pradip Kumar Shrestha and general secretary Badri Prasad Ojha also spoke at the function.

‘Resignation of PM not the remedy’

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): The Communist Party (Masal) has welcomed the Prime Minister’s resignation.

A statement published by the CPN (Masal) stated that the resignation has made it clear that people’s victory is certain.

Noting that the the Prime Minister’s resignation is not the remedy for all problems, the party spoke of the need to pay attention to other problems.

Dialogue alone can solve ME crisis:Nir

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Avraham Nir has said that restoration of peace in the Middle East is possible only through the medium of dialogue.

Speaking at a press conference organised by the Embassy of Israel to apprise the press of the increasing violence in the Middle East and worsening of relations between Israel and the Palestinians, Ambassador Nir said Israel has always been in the favour of peace.

Israel, the only democratic country in the Middle East, has always wishes for the peace and prosperity of its neighbours, Mr. Nir said and expressed concern over the escalation of violent incidents in Israel.

Disclosing that the Palestinian side was behind 570 violent incidents that took place in Israel in the past 35 days, Ambassador Nir accused the Palestinians of trying to win international support by fielding children in war zones.

The Palestinians wants to make Israel another Kosovo, he said.

Palestinian terrorists have been carrying out destructive activities in Israel, but the Israelis want to live peacefully, Ambassador Nir said adding that the Palestinian side also ignored the request of the Israeli side to take action against the Palestinian terrorists.

Ambassador Nir said the Palestinian side has also been carrying out misleading publicity against Israel in order to garner support from the international community, and accused Palestinian Ministers of always instigating the Palestinian people by making statements against Israel.

DNYF set to send team at Marchabar

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): The CPN-UML affiliated Democratic National Youth Federation (DNYF) is sending a team to the Marchabar area of Rupandehi district tomorrow to carry out an on-the-spot study of a dam being constructed there by India. the dam is likely to submerge large areas of Nepalese territory.

A press release distributed at a press conference organised by the federation today states that India was constructing the Rasuwal Khurd Lautan Dam at Marchabar in utter violation of international law and that the dam construction was likely to submerge more than two dozen village development committees (VDCs) within 200-metres of the dam on either side.

Stating that construction of the dam without seeking permission from His Majesty’s Government is tantamount to a breach of Nepal’s sovereignty, federation president and MP Gokarna Bista said the campaign was launched to pressurise the government as it has also not taken any initiative to oppose the illegal construction.

The inspection team will comprise technicians concerned, journalists and federation representatives.

General Secretary of the CPN-UML and leader of the Main Opposition Party Madhav Kumar Nepal is scheduled to see off the team from the party offices at Balkhu at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Badu initiates talk programme

Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): Minister of State for Education and Sports Dilendra Prasad Badu, inaugurating a talk program on the role of UNESCO in building a non-violent society organised by the Nepal National UNESCO Federation on the occasion of the founding day of the International Association here today, spoke of the need to make comprehensive the program launched with the objective of realilising UNESCO goals.

Ex-Prime Minister Kirti Nidhi Bista, from the chair, underlined the need for children’s education to publicise the norms and values of UNESCO.

Federation president Prof. Dr. Damber Bir Thapa, general secretary of the Nepal National Commission for UNESCO Khagendra Basnet, former Ambassador Keshav Jha and others also expressed their views at the function.

Meet against trafficking of women

Butwal, July 19 (RSS): A two-day workshop seminar on planning strategy in enhancing cooperation against women trafficking at border transit points began here today.

The objective of the seminar is to review the present status of the women trafficking problem and the condition of the trafficked women, measures to be initiated at border transit points to stop girl trafficking and the obstacles encountered in the process.

The workshop will also thrash out a strategy for putting a stop to girl trafficking.

District Administrators of Siddharthanagar and Maharajgunj districts of India, representatives of NGOs working in the anti-women trafficking movement, high officials of the Ministries of Home, Social Welfare, Foreign Affairs and Local Development, representatives of various NGOs, office chiefs and journalists from India and Nepal took part in the workshop.

Quake impact study team leaves for Dhading, Gorkha

Dhading, Gorkha Kathmandu, July 19 (RSS): A team has left for Dhading and Gorkha today under the joint aegis of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Earthquake Technology National Society Nepal to study the impact of the powerful earthquakes that occurred Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The eight-member team comprising representatives of the Home Ministry, technicians, doctors, journalists and representatives of who and the Earthquake Technology National Society Nepal will study the technological, economic and social impact of the quakes at various places in Dhading and Gorkha districts, according to the study team.