'It's a dream come true'
NTV set to go global within 10 days

BY KRISHNA SHARMA

Kathmandu, June 26: After 16 years of limited air transmission, Nepal Television, the country’s first and the only TV station, is all set to go global within a 10 days time from now.

With the linking of Nepal Television’s Singhadurbar studio with Nepal Telecommunication Corporation’s Sagarmatha Earth Station through optical fiber and other satellite equipment within this week, Nepal Television will become accessible not only to the entire country but also to almost 42 countries of the world. Most of these countries fall in Asia where millions of Nepalese speaking audiences will avail themselves of NTV broadcast.

The NTV signals will be uplinked to INTELSAT 66 degree East satellite through the Sagarmatha Earth Station at Balambu of Kathmandu.

The Nepal Television programmes can be watched in all the South Asian countries, China, Colombia, Mangolia, North and South Koreas, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Myanmar and many other west Asian countries, according to NTV General Manager Durganath Sharma.

"It’s a dream come true. Transmitting of the NTV programmes throughout the country was our first and the foremost mission ever since the establishment of the Television in 1985. But because of its troublesome topography and the lack of devices the challenge was unmet for all those years," GM Sharma heaves a sigh of relief after making it a success story.

With the completion of the 100 million rupees project there will be millions of viewers, both in and out side the country, who will be directly watching the NTV programmes.

According to Sharma, cable operators from abroad have started applying registrations at the NTV to get acceptance for joining NTV in their list of TV channels.

"Cine Mtrix, a cable operator in Hong Kong has applied for such listing. According to Mtrix official, there are one hundred thousand Nepalese who are waiting to watch the NTV in their TV sets," Sharma informs. There are other cable operators from Darjeeling, Sikkim, Silgudi and Nagaland of India who are corresponding to the NTV for including Nepalese TV programme in their list of TV channels.

Mohan Prasad Bhandari is among those Nepalese staying abroad who is more than happy to know the news. Bhandari, who is currently in Kathmandu, says that like him many Nepalese in South Korea would feel at home if they watch NTV programmes in their tubes.

However, GM Sharma is not satisfied with the results achieved so far. "Our mission does not complete only by going global through satellite. Installing 25 relay centers at different parts of the country is an uphill task before us," says Sharma. So far there are only 11 relay centers in the Kingdom, which are down linking the TV signals and transmitting them to the sets.

NTV plans to start extending the relay centers from next year. "Till then, the people of the remote areas, where the relay centers can not provide the service, will have to either take help of the disc antennas or join the line from cable operators, if available," Sharma told The Rising Nepal.

Citing the benefits of launching the country’s national TV in satellite Sharma says that the relay centers could now be established anywhere in the country. He also said that after the introduction of satellite system the relay centers would transmit standard signals through TURO in stead of earlier OFF AIR RECEPTION system.

As to the time and TV programmes after the NTV goes global, Sharma said that they are thinking of extending the time and produce standard programmes and air them from August so that the viewers would feel NTV programmes informative, entertaining, educative and worth watching.

"We are planning about transmitting the English news two times a day and are also trying to produce other English language programmes keeping in mind the international viewers," he said.

Talking about the marketing aspects, Sharma said that they are trying to establish business links with many advertising agencies abroad and are committed to promote the business thereby making NTV a profit making institution.

Responding to a query regarding the much-talked about metro TV channel, sister TV programme of the NTV for Kathmandu valley, Sharma said that the Chinese government has agreed to bear all the responsibilities of building and operating the metro TV. "We have already approved the detailed design of the metro TV proposed by the Chinese party and China is expected to complete all its work within one and half a years time," he said.

Deal signed
Merchant Finance’s shares listed

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, June 26: Following an agreement signed here today, Nepal Merchant Banking & Finance Ltd. has become the 114th listed company with the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) Ltd.

The company’s 2,000,000 units of ordinary shares having the par value of Rs. 100 and paid up value of Rs. 50 per unit have been enlisted for trading, in accordance with Share Enlisting Regulations-2053.

The enlisting will enable the 25,061 investors (22 promoters and 25029 public shareholders) of the company to transact their shares in the secondary market through licensed brokers.

With the listing of Nepal Merchant Banking & Finance Ltd., the total number of listed companies in the Finance Sector Group has reached 27.

According to company sources, the share allotment was completed on April 12 (Chaitra 29). An amount of Rs 1.17 billion was collected from 180,393 applicants for the shares of Rs. 200 million at par. The public share holding in the company stands at 25 per cent.

"The NEPSE will publish a public notice of the share listing of Nepal Merchant Banking & Finance Ltd., in leading national dailies, and after seven (7) days of the notice publication, the shares will go to the trading floor for transaction," said acting General Manager of the Nepal Stock Exchange Ltd., Mukunda Nath Dhungana.

However, a trading floor representative of a broker—under the condition of anonymity—told The Rising Nepal that off-the-floor trading of the shares of the Merchant Banking & Finance had already resumed informally since several weeks back, even before the listing with NEPSE.

He said the shares are already being traded for Rs. 300-350 in the informal market.

Meanwhile, shares of another finance company Siddhartha Finance Co. Ltd., are also being enlisted with NEPSE, for which an agreement to this effect is being signed Wednesday at the NEPSE office at the Singhadurbar Plaza, according to Mukundanath Dhungel of the NEPSE.

However, the bid to enlist shares of the Oriental Hotels Ltd (Radisson Kathmandu) has not been materialised yet, pushing its 32,000-plus investors into confusion and indefinite waiting.

The Security Board, in accordance with the authority provided by the Security Exchange Act-2040, has instructed the NEPSE to process for enlisting the shares of the Radisson last May.

Earlier, the Radisson’s share listing process faced setback as it reportedly failed to make public the information of their financial status in regard to the deviation between its projection and actual figures. Against the Radisson's share, a whopping amount of about Rs. 470 million was collected from 95,708 individuals and organisations.

3,000 buildings of capital to get new house numbers

Kathmandu, June 26 (RSS): About 3,000 buildings in central Kathmandu are to get new house numbers in accordance the newly implemented Metric Addressing System (MAS), a project under Kathmandu Municipal Corporation’s Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme (KVMP).

Under the project, which is expected to complete by next year, the city’s 35 wards have been divided into six sectors on the basis of population density-- north core, south core, east, centre, north and west. Likewise, all the streets in the capital will be categorised on the basis of their width and later given the numbers, according to a press release of KVMP.

MAS was first introduced in Nepal some three months ago when the system was tested under a pilot project at ward No. 2, 5 and 20 of Kathmandu. The growing number of houses is not going to affect this system and this will also help people find out the distance between a house and the main road. The distance from one point determines the house number. For example in one person’s house is 25 meters away from the street point, his house number will be 25.

Blue plates are to be distributed to the households and each house owner will have to pay Rs. 100 to get that number plate.

In the first phase, the address numbers will be distributed in the central sector of the capital city’s ward No. 1, 5, 11, 31, 32 and 33--the area stretching from Tundikhel to Dhobikhola.

To complete this addressing task, the roads of Kathmandu are classified into Path, Sadak, Marga and Galli.

Farewell to elders
Mohsin for strong, more efficient Upper House

Kathmandu, June 26 (RSS): A function was organised at Parliament Secretariat at Singha Durbar today to say good bye to 20 National Assembly members who completed their tenure today.

Out of the 20 MPs 10 are of NC, two each of CPN-UML, RPP and CPN-ML, and four nominated by His Majesty the King.

At the function, Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat expressed gratitude to the outgoing MPs for their valuable contribution to the consolidation of parliamentary system and the country’s development.

From the chair, National Assembly Chairman Dr Mohammad Mohsin said that given the crucial role that the National Assembly can play in the all round development of the country it is imperative that the Upper House be made stronger and more efficient.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur said that the government will seriously consider the suggestions given by the outgoing MPs.

National Assembly Vice Chairman Chiranjibi Rijal, ruling party leader in the Upper House Basudev Risal, whip of the opposition in the House Surendra Prasad Pandey and Parliament Secretary General Ishwor Prasad Upadhyaya spoke about the role of the National Assembly in democratic exercise.

Meanwhile, a meting presided over by Chairman of the National Assembly Regulations Drafting Committee Mahendra Kumar Mishra today decided to prepare the draft of the National Assembly Regulations (second amendment) 2058 and table it in the National Assembly.

Govt firm to protect human rights: Poudel

Kathmandu, June 26 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Ramchandra Poudel has said the present government has always been working to create a situation where every citizen of the country is able to exercise the rights envisaged in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 without any restriction.

Therefore the question does not arise for the government to stay away from the responsibility of protecting and promoting human rights, he added.

He was addressing the meeting today of the House of Representatives State Affairs Committee.

Stating that the present government has not stopped any peaceful procession neither is it going to do so, Deputy Prime Minister Poudel made it clear that however while exercising rights given by the constitution everyone should be aware and alert towards not carrying out any act that would disturb national integrity, sovereign independence and basic structures established through the constitution.

The Home Minister also expressed his commitment to taking as guidelines the policy direction and recommendations made by the committee to His Majesty's Government in issues regarding the consolidation of multi-party democracy and maintaining law and order.

The committee chairman Homnath Dahal presided.

Education, public awareness must for abolition of torture: Khatri

Lalitpur, June 26 (RSS): The UN Torture Victims Support Day was celebrated in different countries across the world today.

The day is celebrated every year in 80 countries including Nepal in commemoration of the adoption of the UN Convention against Torture on June 26, 1984.

As of 17 April 2001, 123 countries including Nepal have ratified or acceded to the convention. The convention remains the least ratified of the core international human rights treaties, despite the fact that torture is one of the most serious human rights violations.

The convention requires state parties (governments) to ensure jurisdiction to punish torture committed either within their territory or by, or against, their nationals. The convention also provides for measures to be taken in the prevention of torture and the rehabilitation of torture victims.

Marking the occasion, National Human Rights Commission and the Centre for Victims of Torture (CVICT) organised an interaction programme on "Torture Victim Crime Investigation: Problems and Committment" here today.

Speaking at the programme, chairman of the commission Nayan Bahadur Khatri emphasised the need for education and public awareness for abolition of torture while Commission member Kapil Shrestha disclosed that the Commission is to run institutional and systematic training, education and campaign towards that end.

Inspector General of Police Pradip Shumsher JB Rana expressed concern over human rights activists’ indifference to the incidents of abduction of 21 policemen and disclosed that a specialised investigative training has also begun at Nepal Police.

Inspector General of Armed Police Krishna Mohan Shrestha said every sector concerned should play a role in bringing order to society by paying attention to individual freedom, maintainence of law and order, ensuring justice to victims and stopping torture.

President of the centre Dr Bhogendra Sharma described torture as an extreme crime against self-dignity of human beings, and said not only human rights organisations but government and governmental security bodies also should work for wiping out torture.

Member-secretary of the Commission Jogendra Kesari Ghimire and advocate Rabindra Bhattarai presented working papers at the programme.

85 listed poachers cashing in on monsoon in Chitwan Park

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, June 26: Monsoon-induced swollen rivers, thus unusually grown-up vegetation, and adverse weather conditions for anti-poaching patrolling teams have all pooled to be classic-setting in the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) activating around 100 poachers in and around the protected area these days, official sources said.

Interestingly enough, authorities responsible for the conservation of the park know that. The RCNP office of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) even has a list of more than 80 notorious poachers said to be already active in and around the park, cashing in on the monsoon rains that have rendered some areas of the park inaccessible.

"The park officials are at a war footing stage discussing how to deal with this problem and are even brainstorming if they should publish the names of the poachers," an official with DNPWC told The Rising Nepal.

The listed poachers, many of them already wanted by the law, are said to be well-organized with established networks from the dense jungles of the RCNP to the Narayanghat Bazaar nearby the park and from the capital to international markets. "Naturally, they are very well organised," said Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General at the DNPWC. "And the most challenging part is that very strong and influential persons are involved in this crime."

Equally challenging is the timing. This time every year, RCNP sees accelerated movement of poachers thanks primarily to the weather conditions. Heavy rainfall causes river floods preventing army-patrolling teams and the members of the Anti Poaching Unit under the DNPWC to be on their rounds at may pockets of the park.

Then there is the remarkably less human movement in the park as most of the seven resorts and lodges within the RCNP are almost closed as they have no business. Ditto is the case with other local’s movement in the park as most of them are engaged in planting monsoon crops.

Beginning monsoon till the festival holidays of Dashain and Tihaar in October, poaching activities do surge in and around the park, official records show. To make matters worse, the significantly increased number of certain protected species in the park beckon poachers inside and outside the protected area.

One such highly sought "prize" by illegal hunters is rhino that RCNP has successfully conserved taking the population to around 550 from not even 100 in the late 70’s.

Today the growth in their number have these pachyderms fighting against one another for space and many a time going out of the park near the buffer zone – area bordering the park where human settlement are allowed but not the army patrolling. What is true with rhinos is also true with tigers, which too have gone up in number. "Since these animals frequently come out of the park boundary poachers have easy time killing them," said Dr. Maskey.

And easy hideouts too, courtesy the unfavorable weather conditions for patrolling teams during the monsoon season.

"Despite all these constraints, we will still track down these poachers sending patrolling teams on elephant backs. In fact, we are already doing it and have sent poachers behind the bars in recent times," said Dr. Maskey. "But we hope to tackle with all these problems with the help rhino conservation policy we are bringing out very soon."

Officials are also counting on help of the locals in the park’s buffer zone where, they said, their informers are actively vigilant on poachers’ move.  

Pregnant rhino poached

Poachers gunned down a pregnant cow-rhino and sawed off its horn in the Royal Chitwan National Park on June 12 earlier this month.

RCNP authorities discovered the carcass of the rhino, pregnant for four months, one day later it was shot down near Meghauli in the western part of the park’s northern border.

"The incident was confirmed and we have already begun the necessary investigations," said Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.

Poachers managed to saw off the rhino’s horn before disappearing in the monsoon-influenced hostile jungle of the park.

RCNP had witnessed the death of above 40 rhinos in the last two years. Most of them were reported as natural deaths while 25 per cent was recorded as poaching cases.