Dam report dominates international hydel meet

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Bergen, Norway, June 22: World Commission on Dam's (WCD) latest report significantly dominated the opening session of an international hydropower conference that kicked off in this Norwegian city here Wednesday.

The three-day ongoing conference -- stressing on hydropower as environmentally friendly and sustainable than any other energy sources -- was just the right forum spurring discussion on the report entitled 'Dams and Development' released last November.

The report had trigerred heated international debates -- for and against dams -- emanating from different interpretations on the report's findings. The international media had dubbed the report as anti-dam.

That, however, was not what the World Bank echoed during the meeting -- Hydropower 2001-- here. 'We will use the report,' said A Palmieri, a senior official of the Bank participating in the conference, fourth of its type. 'The bank will use the report as a valuable reference while funding any dam-related projects.'

The multilateral agency pumped in US Dollars two million of the US Dollars 15 million spent for the WCD's report on dams.

Unlike the way the report has been generally read, WB, according to the official, will continue supporting dams 'environmentally justified and economically and socially sound.'

Interestingly, if not ironically, WB's lending for new dams has declined of late and what has gone up is its portfolio for old dams' rehabilitation and safety, according to the WB official.

Stressing on the report's conclusion -- that there cannot be a blanket rule for dam building for all the countries around the world -- Palmieri said that WB had held last-hour meetings with seven different countries to discuss the dam-related issues. Nepal was one of them.

The bank had then noted that for countries like Nepal, Ethiopia and Laos, hydropower was the route to economic benefits.

Commenting on the final report of the WCD, R. Taylor Executive Director of International Hydropower Association said that the commission's recommendations can best be implemented by focusing on the key stages in decision-making on projects that influence the final outcome and where compliance with regulatory requirements can be verified. 'Among the multitude of decisions to be taken, the commission has identified five key decision points.'

The first two relate to water and energy planning, leading to decisions on a preferred development plan while others deal with project's preparation, implementation and operation.

Speaking to the press after the opening session of the conference, Norwegian Minister of Petroleum and Energy, O Akselsen said that his country would not have attained its present economic status without hydropower development. 'We believe hydropower development is a must for the economic growth. But, that does not mean we will blindly support all kinds of hydropower development around the world.'

It was during the same conference, the host country's (Norway's) comments on the report of the WCD were handed out to participants. 'One weakness of the report is that it gives little weight to a description of the socio-economic and welfare advantages of a dam for the population it is intended to serve.'

The comment futher stated: In our opinion, the commission has gone rather too far in the direction of consensus based decisioin making system. A dam may be built to serve several purposes, for example flood control, irrigation hydropower, drinking water supplies, etc, and a number of conflicting interests will generally be involved. The decision making process can be very time consuming and costly and can often end in disagreement.

Understandably, for countries like Norway that so much depend on hydropower and that in turn has to bank on dams , the on-going three-day conference could be the right forum to amplify their voice for hydropower development. Organised by International Centre for Hydropower and sponsored by 19 Norwegian and Nordic official and non-official agencies, the meeting has around 200 hydropower related personalities as participants from around the globe.

The sixth largest hydropower producer in the world, Norway has almost 100 per cent of its electricity generated through hydro-plants. That accounts to almost 30 per cent of the total hydropower generation in Europe.

'Hydropower is wordlwide presently considered to be the only large scale renewable alternative to fossil fuel generation,' said Kjetil Arne Vaskinn of StatkraftGroner AS, one of the subsidiary companies of Norwegian state run Statkraft Company.

Its success stories in its territory abound with fords and glacial-lakes apart, Norway has been steadily involved in hydropower development abroad including Nepal for quite sometime now. Having played a catalytic role to develop the Butwal Power Company more than one and a half decade ago, Norway now has increasing number of its public and private companies investing in Nepal's power sector. Norwegian official organisations like Statkraft holds 75 per cent of the share of Khimti Hydropower Project -- one of the private sector projects in the country. While Norad (the Norwegian official aid agency) is chipping in above US Dollars 24 million for the tunnel construction of the around US Dollars 400 million Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP).

Regulation on public security criticised

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 22: The Association of District Development Committees of Nepal has demanded the abolition of the recently announced Public Security Regulation –2058 saying the Resolution was against the spirit of the Constitution of 1990 and it would curtail the people’s right of expression.

A meeting of the Association on June 21 has also demanded the government to scrap the Integrated Internal Security and Development Programme saying it would create obstacles to the plans and programmes designed and proposed by the District Development Committees and the local government bodies.

It has also called the government to abolish the Acts related to forest, health, agriculture, water resources and mines that contradict with the Local Self Governance Act.

The meeting also extended its hearty congratulation to His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah for Their Majesties long lives, good health and prosperity and for a fruitful reign.

Incense export not smelling sweet

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 22: The export of incense that has shown some potential in the last few years, has nose-dived in the month of Baisakh (April-May). The rupees value of the incense export in the reported month figured at Rs. 259,751, down more than 81% against Rs. 1,385,347 in Chaitra (March–April) on the month-to-month basis, according to the sources at Handicraft Association of Nepal.

The incense at present occupies only a meagre share in total export, and for that matter, the total handicraft export of the country. But, it can have tremendous potential and growth if there are supportive government policies and effective marketing strategies and programmes, say officials at the Handicraft Association of Nepal and incense entrepreneurs.

The incense that Nepal exports has a special product attribute that can differentiate it from the products of India and other countries.

"It gives mild and pleasant aroma whereas most of Indian incense has strong scent," said Dilip Khanal, secretary at the HAN office.

"On top of that, it is made of pure herbal ingredients for the aromatic delight of the consumers, and gives no feel of suffocation at all," he added.

However, despite prospects, incense has been one of the neglected export items in the country.

"HAN has also started watching the incense export from the fiscal year 1998/99 only even though it was being exported quite many years now and included in the miscellaneous category," Khanal of HAN said.

Experts say the incense industry should also be accorded priority as it uses local raw materials (herbs) and manpower as well as traditional technology.

"Most of the incense makers are stationed in the Kathmandu valley but raw materials are brought in from across the country," said Dawa Lama, an entrepreneur from Bouddha.

He stresses organised sector supply of raw materials and industry-friendly government policies to boost export and accelerate the growth of the industry.

The monthly incense export in the first ten months of the current fiscal year has totaled Rs. 10.341 million with the highest figure of Rs. 1.485 million registered in Kartik (October-November). The HAN records reveal that the annual export figured at Rs. 11.942 million and Rs. 15.430 million in the fiscal years 1998/99 and 1999/2000 respectively.

Dilip Khanal of HAN, however, does not see any big alarm rung by the export slump of the past month. "The decline could have resulted because the foreign countries’ buyers generally prepare their annual plans around the month of April and therefore, are planning to place orders in future," he said.

"By nature, incense is basically a consumer item consumed round the year, so its business is not a seasonal one," he added. "It is likely to grow if we put up effective efforts to this end."

Dagger attack

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 22: Shyam Kumar Kamat, 28, currently living at Bhimsensthn, has been injured seriously as three vandals attacked him with a Khukuri on the head while walking at Basantapur at 11 A. M. today.

According to the victim, the vandals had looted a watch and Rs. 500 from him at Basantapur. "As I asked the vandals to return Rs. 100 out of my looted money, one of them took out a Khukuri from his waist and attacked me on my head. Then I fell unconscious," Kamat said.

Then he was immediately taken to the Bir Hospital where doctors stitched four centimeters on his head.

He is an M. A. Second Year student at Tribhuvan Univesity (TU).

'Security role constitutional'

Kathmandu, June 22 (RSS): One of the members of the constitution drafting committee and senior advocate Mukunda Regmi has maintained that the Public Security Regulations-2058 B.S. is in conformity with the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 2047 B.S.

He said that His Majesty’s Government has introduced the public security regulations-2058 B.S. as per the public security act- 2046 B.S. by exercising its jurisdiction.

His Majesty’s Government revoked the security regulations-2019 B.S. drafted under the security act-2046 B.S. and enacted the new public security regulations-2058 B.S.

The public security act-2046 B.S. has been amended three times--once in 2047 B.S. and twice in 2048 B.S.--following the restoration of democracy.

Regmi argues that His Majesty’s Government has enacted the Public Security Regulations-2058 B.S. since a new regulation was required for the implementation of the Public Security Act.

It is believed that the new Public Security Regulation will help discourage the anarchist tendency to suppress the rights of the people rather than stifling the fundamental rights of the Nepalese people.

Senior advocate Mukunda Regmi told RSS, "His Majesty’s Government is the authority to decide what constitutes the proper and appropriate ground or what should be considered the proper ground for preventive detention of a person as stipulated by the constitution. The security regulations-2058 B.S. also defines what constitutes the appropriate grounds for this provision."

He rejected the contention that the regulation restricted the jurisdiction of the courts.

Mr. Regmi said that the new regulation has made provision for review of whether the chief district officer has or has not misused the sweeping powers assigned to him/her under the old public security act and regulation.

He said what has been mentioned in the constitution can not be curtailed by the act and that no regulations could be framed outside the framework of the act.

Similarly, another advocate Radheshyam Adhikari does not accept that the provision in the new public security regulations which gives a person under detention the right to file an application at the Home Ministry for compensation curtailed the jurisdiction of the courts.

Now the Home Ministry has also been added to the list of institutions providing legal redress with the new provision under which the Home Ministry can give a hearing to the plea of the person under detention, he added.

Her Majesty's health

Kathmandu, June 22 (RSS): The health of Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah continues to make satisfactory progress.

This is stated in a notice issued today by the Principal Press Secretariat of His Majesty the King.

Felicitations

Gulmi, June 22 (RSS): The first general meeting of journalists working in various parts of Gulmi district has extended heartily felicitations to His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev on His Majesty’s accession to the throne and wished for His Majesty's long life, good health and good reign.

The meeting also wished for speedy recovery of Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah.

The meeting also formed an 11-member Resunga Samachar Samiti, Gulmi under the chairmanship of Mahendra Pandey, a news reporter of space time daily.

Hari Prasad Pokharel (Nepal Samacharpatra daily), Janardan Ghimire (RSS), Chandra Kant Khanal (Haank weekly), Ganesh Sirpali (Mechikali daily) are the vice chairman, secretary, joint secretary and treasurer of the committee respectively.

Registrars of court must play active role: CJ

Kathmandu, June 22 (RSS): A three day second conference of Appellate Court Registrars began in Lalitpur today.

Inaugurating the conference, Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya expressed the view that the registrars have an active role to play in materialising the injunctions issued by the judges in various cases as well as in maintaining administrative and financial discipline in the courts.

He noted that registrars of the gazetted first class officers level have been posted at the Appellate Courts keeping in view their crucial role in mustering public confidence towards judiciary.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur said that the constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal has envisaged an independent judiciary in deference to the aspirations of the people to do away with the instability that can destabilise the fabric of the society and country in the absence of sound judicial system.

Attorney General Badri Bahadur Karki said as the promptness in disposing judicial obligation will help build-up people's confidence towards the courts, there should be a guiding policy in this regard.

Secretary at the judicial service commission Kashiraj Dahal disclosed that only five percent of the present manpower working in courts came from the judicial sector and the remaining 95 per cent came from administrative sector and this showed how important the registrar's role is for the judicial system.

Chairman of Nepal bar association Sindhunath Pyakurel said as the people's confidence towards the court can be gained only through good conduct with the people seeking justice, the registrars should be aware of this fact.

The inaugural function was chaired by the registrar at the Supreme Court Sri Prasad Pundit.

Speaker for active role of House panels

Kathmandu, June 22 (RSS): A joint meeting of House of Representatives and National Assembly committee chairmen was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Taranath Ranabhat at the Parliament building today.

The committee chairmen, on the occasion, informed the meeting of the work being carried out by the committees and measures to be taken for the resolution of problems coming in the way.

Speaker Ranabhat underlined the need for the committee chairmen and members, the secretary and the secretariat to make the committees more active and directed them to report on short and long term measures to be taken to improve the situation.

Chairman of the National Assembly Dr Mohamad Mohsin stressed the need to hold meetings and operate the programs of the parliamentary committees in order to take parliamentary activities to the people.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur noted that His Majesty's Government has advanced the process of reviewing the existing protocol arrangements.

NC workers urged to stand united

Rajbiraj, June 22 (RSS): Minister of State for Home Hari Prasad Sapkota, at a workers' gathering organised by the Nepali Congress Saptari district committee here today, spoke of the need for unity among congress workers and for setting aside differences since totalitarian forces are at work to undo the congress party.

Stating that if the Maoists come forth the government is ready to hold talks with them, Mr Sapkota noted that the public security regulations will be a headache only to those who have taken the wrong path.

MP Ram Kumar Chaudhary spoke of the need for patience in the critical situation the country is now passing through.

Various other speakers including Saptari DDC chairman Dinesh Kumar Yadav, mayor of Rajbiraj municipality Jagarnath Das and others also spoke at the function.

Minister of State Sapkota, also speaking to the press in Rajbiraj today, noted that threats to constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy mean threats to the country itself.

He also urged the opposition parties to remove the Prime Minister only through constitutional means.