Verification speed on the mark, could still go up

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Damak, Jhapa, March 28:For the first time in the last three days, the joint team of Nepalese and Bhutanese officials met their target by verifying 10 Bhutanese refugee families here today.

The team identifies 62 refugees from the Khudunabari Camp – one of the seven refugees camps in this and Morang districts – within 10 hours today while it had only two on the first day of the ongoing verification process that kicked off last Monday.

The Joint Verification Team (JVT) – that had planned to verify 10 refugee families in a day during the initial verification process – has verified altogether 19 refugees families in the last three days. There are more than 15,000 Bhutanese refugee families numbering to around 100,000 in the seven refugee camps.

"Both sides are eager to increase the pace of verification," said Nepalese officials in the JVT. "But to do that there are also other factors that need to be considered," said Usha Nepal, Joint Secretary at Home Ministry, who heads the Nepalese side in the JVT. "To verify many people than what we are doing now, we may need more space than what we have at present."

The JVT has established a twin office – for the Bhutanese team and the verification process – in this town where buses bring the refugees for verification and take back to their camps.

Today’s verification process appeared much simpler than in the last two days as the 10 refugees families arrived at the JVT office in two shifts. The first five families were brought in at around nine a.m. and were taken back some five hours later while the second half were transported in the afternoon. That way, today’s verified refugees were much comfortable since they had though time to feed themselves – either in the morning or afternoon.

The arrangement was a "drastic" change from the chaotic situation evident at the JVT office on the first day of the verification when the refugees and their kids had to starve the whole day with no food and were disappointed with only two of their families identified.

All the verified refugees today had strong cases to prove their Bhutanese citizenship, according to the officials involved in the verification. "They were all well documented."

Hari Bhakta Biswas, one of the family heads who verified today, said that the Bhutanese team in the JVT had asked him why he had left Bhutan. "I answered them that it was the Bhutanese administration that booted me out because I had married a non-Bhutanese girl."

Man Bahadur Bista, another head of the family who was verified, told the Bhutanese officials that he was forcefully evicted after his documents (proving his citizenship) were seized. "I also told them that I had petitioned the Bhutanese government asking it to give my documents back but my request was rejected."

Almost all the refugees in the UNHCR-maintained camps in this and Morang districts have similar history to explain how they were expelled from their homelands. These Nepali-speaking refugees from southern Bhutan claim that they had to flee the Dragon Kingdom after it began ethnic cleansing policy in the late 80’s.

The first batch of Bhutanese refugees arrived in the country in 1991. The influx of the Bhutanese refugees climaxed in 1992. By 1993, almost all the Lhotsampas (meaning Nepali-speaking Bhutanese from south Bhutan) were already in this part of the Kingdom.

The refugee crisis brought Nepal and Bhutan across the ministerial-level dialogue table for 10 times in the last seven years. It was only the 10 round of ministerial level talks last December that decided to verify the refugees – to begin with, in one of the seven refugees camps.

The JVT that has already begun its work now, is required to verify the refugees. To do that, the team, in line with the Terms of Reference agreed by the two Himalayan Kingdoms during the 10th round of ministerial talks, is required to make the refugees fill up a performa, take their photographs and interview them.

The refugees are made to fill up the form in two parts. The first part demands their present details including their names, address among others. While the second part requires them to specify why they left Bhutan. This is the part that also requires the refugees to mention who was the Bhutanese official who evicted them out.

Even if the JVT is involved in the verification, it will only be the joint ministerial level committee of Nepal and Bhutan that will declare the outcome of the identification process.

In case of any disputes, the JVT will take up the issue to the secretary level and if the disagreement still persists, the case will reach the ministerial level to be decided.

Dhulikhel-Bhakundebesi road
Locals euphoric, eye increased economic returns

BY B. M. DAHAL

Bhakunde Besi (Kavre),Mar. 28:The opening of the 22-kilometer Bhakunde Besi-Dhulikhel sector of the Banepa-Sindhuli-Bardibas road has proved to be a boon for the local people of Patlekhet, Bhakunde Besi and other neighbouring villages in the area. The locals have taken the road as a harbinger of other development activities there. They have also seen the road as the biggest achievement of democracy as it has started yielding social and economic benefits to them.

"The opening of the road has helped us easily market local products such as milk, vegetables and fruits to Kathmandu. Now we are attracted to animal husbandry, horticulture and vegetable farming," says Ms. Maiya Adhikari, resident of Bhakunde Besi.

She expects that the road could be helpful in bringing other development activities in the area.

"The road has come as a ray of hope for us. We expect that it will help give a facelift to several remote villages and improve the living standard of the locals," she said.

Bimal Khanal, a teacher of Janak Secondary School in Mithinkot village development committee (VDC) near Bhakunde Besi, is assured that the local people will now be able to get electricity, hospital and development of industries and academic institutions in the locality after the competition of the road project.

"We are very happy as we have road facility. I think, this is the direct benefit we have received after the restoration of the multi-party democracy in the country," Khanal feels.

He further says that the local people have got satisfactory prices for their agro-based products after the opening of the road in the area.

The locals, however, say that together with the opening of the road, the number of theft-related incidents and commercial sex trade have increased in the locality.

They say this is the negative aspects of the road passing through here.

A 70-year-old man from Patlekhet village of the district said, "We are very grateful to the Government of Japan for its valuable assistance for building the road infrastructure. Due to their friendly behaviour and support, locals respect the Japanese people."

The 158-kilometer Banepa-Sindhuli-Bardibas road, which is under construction with the grant assistance of the Japanese government, is expected to be completed by 2007. This is the largest project launched by the government of Japan under its Official Development Assistance(ODA) given to the underdeveloped countries for infrastructure development.

The road will be about 150-kilometer shorter alternative highway to link the eastern Terai of the country with Kathmandu as compared to the existing road via Mugling. The road is also expected to be instrumental in giving a boost to the socio-economic development of the remote hilly districts of Sindhuli, Ramechhap and Kavrepalanchowk after the competition of the construction works. The locals will be able to sell their products even in Janakpur and other markets in the Terai. They can also supply their products to the Indian market.

The road project has been divided into four different sectors. The construction works of 37-kilometer road of the Bardibas-Sindhuli sector, which has been put under the First Phase of the road project, was completed in 1998. The His Majesty’s Government and the Government of Japan had signed a bilateral agreement, on June 18, 1996, for the construction of the road and providing consultancy services.

The Sindhuli-Khurkot sector (39 kilometers), which is under the Second Phase of the road project, will be started soon. The two governments are said to be in the process of signing an agreement for starting the construction works of the Third Section— Khurkot-Nepalthok sector (32 kilometers).

The Nepalthok-Dhulikhel sector (50 kilometers) is under the Fourth Section. Under this sector, construction works of Dhulikhel-Bhakunde Besi (22 kilometers) have been completed. The Nepalthok-Dhulikhel sector has also been divided into two segments—the first part has 35 kilometers and the remaining 15 kilometers is under the second part. Japan has provided 9,780,000,000 Yen for the construction of the road in this sector. The construction works of both the segments of this sector are scheduled to be completed by March next year.

The government has also spent Rs. 185.36 million, which includes among others land acquisition and administrative costs. Vehicles have been allowed to ply on the road from Dhulikhel to Bhakunde Besi, since March 16 this year, to provide easier market access to the people living along this sector.

Bindu Shumshere Rana, Project Manager, says that another 10-kilometer part of the road of this sector, from Bhakunde Besi to the Roshi Khola, will be opened in July this year.

Regarding the planning of the road, Rana says that special attention has been given to make the road project environment friendly.

As it is a single-lane (four-meter-wide) road, there are road side facilities every 150 meters for other vehicles to pass through. The designed speed of the road ranges from 20 to 40 kilometers per hour.

"Though it is a single-lane road, it is thought to be enough for traffic movement until 2010. The road will be converted to double-lane after 2010 as Japan has expressed its commitment to extend further support," Rana informed.

He, however, complains that the trucks and other vehicles without the necessary permit are plying on the road thus violating the rules. "This has become a problem for the project," he says.

But the project has received full support and cooperation from the local people.

After the road is handed over to His Majesty’s Government, it will have to conduct repair and maintenance works from its own resources. The government of Japan has also provided 30 equipment including loader, excavator, tiller, truck to Nepal for carrying out the maintenance works.

Japan has also plans to help the people living in areas adjoining the road project in income generating activities.

Mitsuaki Kojima, Japanese Envoy to Nepal, says that the Japanese Embassy will provide self-help training and other programmes to involve the local people in income generating activities.

"We have thought that the road will promote socio-economic activities of the people in the adjoining areas of the road project," Kojima believes.

He says His Majesty’s Government has to generate financial resources for the sustainability of the project.