HM grants audience

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): His Majesty the King granted audience to Indian Minister for Human Resource Development, Science, Technology and Ocean Development Dr Murli Manohar Joshi at the Royal Palace today.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Dev Mukharji was also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, His Majesty the King granted audience to Secretary General of the Boao Forum for Asia Ajit Singh at the Royal Palace today.

Ex-Prime Minister Kirtinidhi Bista was also present on the occasion.

Likewise, His Majesty the King granted audience to founder president of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement of Sri Lanka Dr A.T. Ariyaratne at the Royal Palace today.

Founded over 43 years ago by Dr Ariyaratne, then a school teacher, the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement promotes human-centered development to improve the quality of life for the poorest people in the country.

The movement is a unique people’s self-help organisation that takes an integrated, holistic approach to development, peace and spiritual awakening.

Its methods are designed to preserve traditional Sri Lankan values, while promoting national peace. it also seeks to influence global development policies to become more human-focused and more mindful of the non-economic areas of life.

Crown Prince graces Korean dance show

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): His Royal Highness Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev graced a traditional Korean dance programme presented by Korean artistes at the Birendra International Convention Centre here this evening.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Omkar Prasad Shrestha said though far apart in geographical terms Nepal and Korea share similar art and culture.

Stating that exchange of culture programmes will be carried out between the two countries, Mr Shrestha also expressed the view that direct air services between the two countries would help promote tourism in both countries.

The Korean Ambassador to Nepal said Nepal-Korea relations have been expanding since the establishment of diplomatic relationship in 1974 and that the cultural programme would help strengthen relations at the people’s level.

Korean artistes from the seoul metropolitan dance theatre presented various traditional Korean dances including drum dance, world peace dance, fan dance, mask dance and janggo drum dance.

The programme was organised jointly by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Korean Embassy.

PM to open meet on business development

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): A national conference on small and medium scale business development is to be held here from May 25 to 26 under the joint auspices of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Centre for Development and Governance.

According to FNCCI, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is scheduled to inaugurate the conference organised with the objective of providing assistance in the formulation of a national strategy for the development of small and medium scale industries which are the backbone of the national economy.

Conference is to hold in-depth discussions on the polices, strategy, programmes and methodology to be adopted for small and medium scale businesses and on matters relating to business management, e-commerce, information technology and women entrepreneurship.

ILO accord to check girl trafficking

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): An agreement was reached here today between the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on matters relating to consolidation of the Ministry to check girl trafficking.

Secretary at the Ministry Urmila Shrestha and ILO country director Layla Tegmo reddy signed the agreement under which an amount worth 112,970 dollars is to be spent.

The agreement is to extend the programmes run jointly by the Ministry and ILO between 1997 to 2000.

Reviewing the national working plan, newsletter publication, establishment of resettlement centres, strengthening of the information exchange and education unit and collection of data through a computerised system in the Ministry are some features of the agreement.

Likewise, under the agreement programmes on consolidation of the district committees in the 26 districts recording high incidence of girl trafficking, running of special programmes in the bordering districts of Jhapa, Parsa, Rupandehi and Banke and establish vigilence groups at the village level will also be carried out.

House panel meet held

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): A meeting of the cooperatives sub-committee constituted under the House of Representatives Natural Means and Resources Committee was held here today under the convenorship of sub-committee convenor Subhash Karmacharya.

The meeting deliberated the establishment of a Cooperatives Development Bank, Cooperatives Development Policy, timely reforms in the existing Cooperatives Act, and the reasons for the cooperatives campaign not succeeding to the desired extent.

The meeting prepared a primary draft of reports on cooperatives societies running off with the money deposited by the public and Sajha Transport on the basis of discussions with representatives of the concerned agencies and experts.

DPM stresses need for direct talks between govt, Maoists

Founding Day of AI

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ramchandra Poudel has spoken of the need for direct talks between the government and the Maoists for the resolution of the Maoist problem.

Deputy Prime Minister Poudel, who was speaking at a colloquium on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights organised here today by Amnesty International, Nepal on the occasion of the 40th Founding Day of Amnesty International, said that it is not reasonable to spread a rumour about "peace talks" as a ploy to mislead the people. If any talks are to be held, they should be held only between the government and the Maoists.

Stressing the need for all political parties to once again unite for the resolution of the Maoist problem, he said we should unite for the protection of multiparty democracy as we did for its restoration in the past.

It is wrong to say that the police, army and civil servants are there to protect the country and democracy and we are here to simply enjoy that democracy, he said, adding it is the duty of one and all to contribute from their respective places to the protection of the country and democracy.

Stating that the ultimate goal of multi-party democracy is to build an exploitation free and cordial social atmosphere, the Deputy Prime Minister said it is regrettable that our constitution, which is one of the world’s best, is now coming under attack.

The Maoists are blatantly violating human rights and hurting the feelings and sentiments of the Nepalese people in a premediated manner and subjecting society to total fear and terror, he said, adding the maoists are at the same time conspiring to harm the country’s self respect by compelling the people to cower out of fear and terror.

Regretting that the human rights of those who are killing innocent people is being made a big issue while nobody is speaking up for the victims, the dead and injured and their families, he said in their hearts the people do not accept the Maoists; they have been compelled by the Maoists to do whatever the latter want by threatening their lives.

Stating that the government has introduced the integrated internal security and Development Package to ensure security and development simultaneously, he said the main objective of the programme is to bring those who have deviated from the mainstream back onto the right track by taking the people into confidence.

Stating that the six communist groups including the CPN-UML have been carrying out demonstrations to press a demand without providing any alternative, Poudel expressed the view that the public will not support such an irresponsible programme.

On the occasion Deputy Prime Minister Poudel also gave away prizes to the winners of a short story competition organised by AI, Chitwan unit. Story writers Basanta Khanal, Bishnu Bahadur Khatri, Saurav Shrestha and Madhav Lamichhane came out first, second and third respectively.

Also speaking on the occasion, MP Dr Prakash Chandra Lohani expressed the view that Nepal has good laws but these have not been put into practice and that the government should not encourage security personnel to resort to violence in retaliation against Maoist action.

CPN-UML’s Jhalanath Khanal said both the government and the Maoists have been violating human rights and this process will continue until and unless corruption and high market price continue to prevail in the country.

CPN-ML’s Radha Krishna Mainali expressed the view that the Maoists should not play with human lives in the name of revolution and power.

Academician Ashesh Malla, liaison officer for the International Red Cross in Nepal Krishna Chalise, president of the Human Rights and Peace Society Krishna Pahadi, vice-president of AI Nepal Raju Sarkar and acting director Uttam Pudasaini expressed the view that every individual should contribute to the restoration of human rights.

From the chair, chairman of AI Nepal Section Krishna Kandel said Amnesty International has been working since the past 40 years to safeguard human rights throughout the world.

PAC probe on CSWA leasings

Members find deals were wrong, differ in terms of their gravity

Final meet today

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 22: Despite seven-hour-long brainstorming meeting over nine different leasings of the China South-West Airways (CSWA) plane, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament could not reach the final decision today. The PAC is scheduled to meet at 8 A. M. tomorrow to finalize case regarding the irregularities pertaining to the aircraft lease deal between Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation and the lessor CSWA.

In the first session of today’s meeting, PAC members discussed about the fourth and the ninth leasings of the CSWA plane and agreed to draft the final decision with some changes in the sub-committee’s report. But when meeting sat at 5 P.M., after a half an hour’s adjournment, and the draft was presented by its chairman Subhas Nembang, members of the Committee could not agree with the decision that both — the fourth and the ninth leasing of the CSWA Boeing 757-200 plane — were leased with the same weight of malafide intentions.

The MPs representing the ruling Nepali Congress party in the committee said that the fourth leasing of the CSWA plane was against all the rules and regulations of the RNAC and that the leasing was full of ill intentions. They said that since the then RA management had leased Boeing 757-200 instead of leasing the proposed wide-bodied 767-300, the fourth leasing was more serious than the ninth one. Similarly, they accused of the then RA management and the Ministry for granting foreign exchange facility without studying the process of lease seriously. The fourth leasing of the CSWA plane was done at the time when Bhim Rawal of the CPN-UML was the Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Similarly, MPs from opposition parties also pointed accusing fingers at the then RA management and the Ministry when the ninth lease deal was done between the RNAC and the CSWA for a period of one year in 2000.

However, all the members of the Parliamentary Committee have come to a finding that the entire lease deals with CSWA were ill intentioned and against the benefit of the country’s national flag carrier. Since 1997 the RNAC has so far leased the CSWA aircraft for nine times, two leases for a year’s term each while the rest of other leases for a short period of time.

Khimti, Bhotekoshi in, power supply out?

Power outage

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, May 22: Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has squarely blamed the freshly operational Khimti and Bhotekoshi Power Plants for the frequent and abrupt power outages these days while the two Independent Power Producers point their fingers back at what they call faulty transmission system of the authority.

"It is all because Khimti and Bhotekoshi have been abruptly shutting down their generation time and again these days," said Meg Raj Upadhyay, Distribution Chief at NEA. "Since we depend on them for 50 per cent of the power supply during off peak hours, our system closes down if they do not supply the power."

In line with the Power Purchase Agreement signed with the two IPDs, NEA began purchasing power with 60 MW Khimti since July, 2000 and with 36 MW Bhotekoshi beginning January this year. The deal is based on "take or pay" basis, meaning, NEA will have to buy the power from the IPDs whether it uses the electricity or not.

Upadhyay further said that the two private power developers have not even informed NEA about their generation failure in the last few days. Senior NEA officials said they held a meeting yesterday to discuss the issue. "During the meeting, the non-performance of Khimti and Bhotekoshi was the main focus."

Both Khimti and Bhotekoshi officials outrightly dismissed the charge. "There has been no problem in our plant," said Sandeep Shah, General Manager of Bhotekoshi Power Company, the promoter of Bhotekoshi Hydropower Project.

Gokul Dahal, Senior Engineer at Khimti Hydropower plant’s site in Kavrepalanchowk, echoed Shah’s voice. "There has been no fault on our part."

Instead, both Shah and Dahal singled out having faced problems with NEA’s transmission. Said Shah, "There is a lot of problem at Bhaktapur substation. That was the reason why there was frequent power outages yesterday and last night."

According to Dahal at Khimti, his office has been recording high voltage and frequency in NEA’s transmission line. "It looks like their transmission line is bearing the power than what it actually can, therefore it shows high voltage. And the moment that happens, our plant stops functioning automatically."

Going by Dahal’s version, Khimti did abruptly stop its generation at irregular intervals in the last few days. Yesterday, for instance, the power plant stopped functioning for eight odd times. "We could not help it. Due to high voltage in the transmission line, our plant closed down itself."

Upadhyay at NEA said that the private power producers have not even informed any complications to the authority. "If they had noticed such problems they could have taken the initiative to tell us so that we could together solve the problem. If only they had done that, these issues would have surely been raised during yesterday’s meeting." Communication gap.

This time of the year, it is usual for the power to go out even when there is no load shedding. Reason? Lightning, and winds are the prime culprits sending power off. But this particular time, the power cut has been exceptionally bad.

Immediately after NEA declared the end of load shedding earlier this month, abrupt power cuts at irregular intervals have crippled normal business in the country — fuelling speculations if there is an undeclared load shedding.

With the two IPDs – Khimti and Bhotekoshi – and NEA pointing fingers at each other, does it send the message that the country’s transmission and distribution system is not ready to bear the burden of additional power?

NEA officials differ on their answers. Distribution Chief Upadhyay said that NEA’s national grid can still take in 200 MW power. The authority now has the installed capacity of around 400 MW.

Govinda K.C, Chief of Generation and Transmission, however, said that there would be some complications when new power producers are connected with the national grid. "When new power producers begin generation, it is natural to have problems. Especially in system like ours where there is no reliability."

He explained that the national grid has a single line system (technically known as N-1) that increases the chances of unreliability. "In such a situation, lightning and wind can cause disturbance in the supply. In our context, system operation and system planning are complex issues. We are trying to fix out things."

Whether that will bear fruit or not, right now the question is who would bear the loss from the power outages? Will NEA still have to pay the two IPDs for the power that was lost for whatever reason – be it Khimti and Bhotekoshi’s fault or the authority’s system error?

"That is something both NEA’s and the two IPD’s devices can easily trace out," said Ratna Sansar Shrestha, a Chartered Accountant associated with hydropower development from quite some time now. "But, as commercial operators, Khimti and Bhotekoshi would not have their supply interrupted because in that case they would not be paid. Whereas if the interruption is due to NEA, they will definitely have to be paid."

Environment friendly productivity stressed

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 22: Japan based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) officials called on the President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Pradeep Kumar Shrestha at his office Monday and discussed about private sector assistance to promote environment friendly productivity.

Advisor to APO General Secretary, Eugene Yamada and Environment Department Director Augustine Koh had come to Kathmandu as the resource persons for the seminar on Green Productivity Promotion organised by National Productivity and Economic Development Centre (NPEDC).

"It is a big challenge to increase productivity and to maintain a balance in environment," FNCCI President Shrestha told the delegates. "We hope that APO will assist us to attain a sustainable growth."

Shrestha said FNCCI had learnt a lot in its collaboration with APO, adding the Organisation had played a vital role to encourage the private sector and increase productivity.

Shrestha said that Nepalese private sector was determined to push ahead APO’s Green Productivity Promotion scheme. He said the FNCCI would also participate in other programmes targeted to increase productivity.

FNCCI Environment Committee’s Chairman Mahendra Lal Pradhan said Nepalese industrialists were interested in increasing productivity keeping in view the issue of environment protection. He said the Committee had been organising various activities to push ahead production balancing with environment.

Shrestha said the Committee had been established to disseminate information about environment in the business community, assist the government in devising laws, and to encourage the industries to promote green productivity.

On the occasion, Yamada said APO had carried out studies and prepared programmes in its member countries for green productivity promotion.

He said the Organisation had given priority to green productivity as there was a growing demand of environment friendly products and it would also assist in keeping the environment intact.

Yamada hoped the seminar would specify the roles of the government, business community and the Organisation, adding it would help Nepal implement the programmes targeted to increase productivity.

FNCCI said NPEDC’s General Manager Ramesh Man Singh Pradhan, Productivity Promotion Section’s chief Ranajit Amatya and Federation members were also present on the occasion.

Bus overturns killing four

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 22: Three persons were killed on the spot and one while ongoing treatment in a bus accident at Babarmahal, Kathmandu at 5: 15 Tuesday morning.

The tragic mishap happened when the ill-fated bus (Na 1Kh 6341) plying from Kathmandu to Banepa with 20 passengers fell upside down as it tried to overtake another bus, according to police source.

A total of 15 passengers, who sustained minor injury in the bus mishap, returned home after treatment at Bir Hospital.

The name of the deceased was yet to be identified, said police. One who died at Bir Hospital was known as Khil Bahadur Shrestha of Chautara of Sindhupalchok district.

According to an eyewitness, the bus was coming at high speed from New Baneshwor and lost its control before it overturned.

Interaction on govt, media relationship

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, May 22: With a view to establish good relations between the ministries and the media, Nepal Press Institute (NPI) and American Centre (AC) jointly organised a three day interaction programme on ‘Importance of a Constructive Relationship Between Government Spokespersons and the Media’ in Kathmandu today.

A total of 40 participants including spokespersons, police officers, army personnel and journalists are taking part in the programme.

Terry Michael, Executive Director of the Washington Centre for Politics and Journalism, Washington DC, who is the resource person of the interaction, said that individuals’ access to information about their government is key to democracy.

"Good relation between information officers and the media people can ensure citizens’ ability to obtain the information about the government activities." he added.

Highlighting on history of American journalism, Terry lectured that American journalism developed through an evolutionary process.

He dwelt on the interrelation between media and politics and said that freedom, independence and responsibility are the three legs of journalism to the path of democracy.

Bob Kerr, AC Director, said media have played vital role for the democratic set up in Nepal.

Kerr said that media often face difficulty to get information from government here.

However, democracy has a brighter future in Nepal, he added.

NPI president Gokul Pokharel said that there lacked follow up measures to establish the good relations between the media and spokespersons.

P. Kharel, media advisor at Frederick Ebert Stiftung, dwelt on various mediums that information officers could employ to flow information to the public.

Welcoming the participants, NPI Executive Director Krishna Timilsina highlighted the objective of the programme.

In today’s discussion, Terry lectured on how government brings out information through press release and how reporters should work under dateline. The topics include ‘Government by Press Release’ and ‘Newsroom Culture.’

‘Businessmen asked to cooperate with govt’

Biratnagar, May 22 (RSS): Eastern regional administrator Chandi Prasad Shrestha has said that the businessmen and industrialists should not consider themselves as an entrepreneur for making money but also extend cooperation to the government for maintaining law and order in the country.

Speaking at an interaction programme on law and order situation in the industry and commerce sectors organised by the Morang Industries Organisation here yesterday, Shrestha stressed the need to bring about changes in the attitude of the people inconnection with the law and order situation.

Shrestha said that the police administration could extend additional cooperation to the people if they developed the capacity of retaliating.

Mayor of Biratnagar Sub-Metropolis Ramesh Chandra Poudel said that financial transactions have not been carried out in in the industry and trade sectors in a independent and farsighted manner due to the lack of law and order.

Stressing the need to resolve the Maoist problem on the basis of general consensus, Poudel said that a long term policy for maintaining law and order should be formulated in the country.

Meet on law, order situation

DIG Rajendra Bahadur Singh said law and order are the basic rights of every citizen.

Stating that the feeling of fear in the minds of the people should be removed inorder to maintain law and order, Singh said that the government could provide security to the people if cooperation was received from them.

President of the Eastern Regional Chamber of Industry and Commerce Mahendra Golchha regretted that a negative impact was taking place in the industry and commerce sectors as a result of the practice of collecting donations by using political pressure as well as the bandh and chakkajam programmes.

Chief district officer Binod Gyawali urged the people to extend positive cooperation for maintaining law and order, stop works that promotes terrorist activities as well as bandh and chakkajam programmes.

At the function chaired by president of the Morang Industries Organisation Sushil Kumar Dhanawat, secretary of the Morang Trade Association Moti Dugad and secretary of the Morang Industries Organisation Shivashanker Agrawal expressed the view that development in the industry and commerce sectors could not take place unless law and order is guaranteed.

They stressed the need to check terrorist activities, bandhs and chakkajams for development of the industry and commerce sectors.

On the occasion the eastern regional administrator Shrestha, Chief District Officer Gyawali, DIG Singh and president of the Morang Industries Organisation Dhanawat had answered questions concerning law and order, protest programmes, political pressures raised by the journalists, professors, industrialists and businessmen.

‘Education sector facing problems’

Pokhara, May 22 (RSS): An interaction programme on "the problem of private schools and its solutions" was organised jointly by Press Chautari, Kaski, Media Centre, Pokhara and Press Club, Pokara today.

Speaking at the programme, member of National Assembly Dhukra Raj Sharma said education sector is facing problems arising out of the tendency of running academic institution on a commercial basis.

Member of Rajparisad Ganesh Bahadur Gurung noted that thousands of people will be jobless and national resource will drain out if the private schools are shut down.

Some of the demand put forth by the students are genuine, Kaski DDC chairman Punya Prasad Poudel said and underlined the need for maintaining sound monitoring system to improve the deteriorating condition of the public schools.

President of Kaski District ANNFSU (Revolutionary) Ram Prasad Parajuli alleged that the founders of the private and boarding schools were taking undue advantage from textbooks and uniforms sold to the students.

Director of Western Regional Education Directorate Krishna Prasad Khanal objected to the tendency to running schools in sheds even unfit for poultry and charging fees under different headings.

The programme was presided over by president of Media Centre, Kaski Bhupnidhi Pant.

Nir stresses educational development

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Israeli Ambassador Abhram Nir inaugurated the Nepal-Israel Friendship Exhibition and Nepal-Israel Friendship Inter-School Painting and quiz contest organised by the Nepal-Israel Friendship Association and Child Forum Nepal to mark the 41st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries here today.

Speaking on the occasion Ambassador Nir said educational development is necessary for the prosperity of any country.

He stressed the need to make investments for educational development of the children of the future.

At the function chaired by former Minister Ramhari Joshi, President of the Nepal-Israel Friendship Association Pashupati Giri and vice-president of the Child Forum Nepal Suresh Kumar Pudasaini threw light on the importance of the programme.

SC issues directives to govt

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): The Supreme Court has issued directives to the Council of Ministers and the Home Ministry in connection with the demand made in a writ petition for the providing of minimum humanitarian facilities to inmates at all the prisons of the country in accordance with the standards prescribed by the United Nations in order to turn the prisons into reform houses.

The order was issued by a joint bench comprising judges Govinda Bahadur Shrestha and Harishchandra Upadhyaya.

Advocates Bharat Mani Gautam and Moti Raj Gautam had filed the petition stating that inmates of prisons should be able to exercise fundamental human rights as per the constitution and the law. The petitioners and advocate Dinesh Tripathi pleaded in the case.

Purnagiri march participantsreach Jogbudha

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): The nationalism awareness campaign (Purnagiri march) participants reached Jogbudha of Dadeldhura this morning.

The march participated in by 550 women and led by CPN-ML president Sahana Pradhan had begun in Kathmandu on Jestha 6.

The age of the participants in the Kathmandu-Purnagiri march organised by All Nepal Women’s Association, a sister organisation of the CPN-ML, range from 80 years to 12 years. Mrs Manarupa Chaulagain, 80, Mrs Shiva Kumari Limbu, 75, and Mrs Chandrakala Chaulagain,70, of Kathmandu Constituency-2, Miss Maya Sharma, 12, and women carrying two to three year old babies on their backs are among those participating.

According to the CPN-ML, a rally organised at Jogbudha today was addressed by CPN-ML president Sahana Pradhan, party politburo member Trilochan Dhakal, central members Hiranya Lal Shrestha and Govinda Kalauni, vice president of All Nepal Women’s Association Jibanti Rai and general secretary Sushma Sharma, Dadeldhura district secretary of the party Tara Joshi and mayor of Mahendranagar Municipality Surya Kunwar.

The speakers appealed for struggle against construction of the Purnagiri dam by India and promotion of awareness about Nepali nationalism.

Earlier, the march participants had converged for public meetings at Bhaluwang of Dang, Kohalpur of Banke, Bansgadhi and Bhurigaon of Bardiya and Lamki, Attariya and Chaumala of Kailali.

Boy serving in jail despite SC’s mandamus

Dhankuta, May 22 (RSS): Keshav Khadka, a 14 year old boy of Dhankuta Danda Bazaar has spent 15 months in Dhankuta jail on the charge of committing robbery despite the mandamus issued by the Supreme Court to the Home Ministry, Dhankuta District Court and Dhankuta District Jail to keep him in a child reform home.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Laxman Prasad Aryal and Kedarnath Acharya had issued the mandamus to the authorities concerned on May 5 stating that the boy had been detained against the Child Act-2048 B.S.

Keshav Khadka had written a letter to the Central Jail Management Department alleging that he had been been puzzled as there was no child reform home in the Kingdom as mentioned in clause 42 sub clause 1 of the Child Act-2048 B.S.

Dhankuta District Court had sentenced Keshav Khadka to 22 days in prison along with a fine of Rs 29,379 on the charge of robbery.

The boy is serving a sentence of three years and three months in jail after he failed to deposit the fine of Rs 29,379 in the court.

Nembang visits Dhankuta, Tehrathum

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives Narendra Bickram Nembang today acquired information on the law and order and development situation in Dhankuta and Tehrathum districts.

In this context, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Cooperatives made an on the spot inspection of the Dhankuta-Hile-Basantapur road.

Nembang also gave directives to the NC activists of Tehrathum district. On the occasion, he said that everyone should extend cooperation to put an end to the increasing incidents of violence and terrorism in the country.

Korean teamscales Mt Lhotse

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Three members of the 2001 Korean Lhotse Expedition team successfully scaled the 8,516 meter high Mt. Lhotse from the west face on May 16.

To the Ministry of Tourism, the successful climbers are Um Hong Gil and Ra Kwan of the Republic of Korea and Sirdar Ang Babu Sherpa of Solukhumbu, Nepal.

People’s role in bio-diversity highlighted

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Prakash Koirala has in a message on the occasion of World Heritage Day emphasised the need to enhance public participation in the protection of bio-diversity by raising public awareness in this regard.

Stating that bio-diversity is the basis of human life and conservation of bio-diversity is essential in order to fulfill the basic human needs, Minister Koirala appealed for active cooperation and participation from every class of society.

Heritage Day

He also noted that the UN Convention on bio-diversity was propounded in order to garner international cooperation and committement for the preservation of bio-diversity.

Likewise, Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Shiva Kumar Basnet has in his message said that pre-identification of attacking species, their possible route and control is essential for conservation of bio-diversity and that a study should also be carried out on the negative effect of foreign species on Nepal’s bio-diversity.

‘Enhance public awareness against AIDS’

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Minister of State for Health Tirtharam Dangol has said that the government is working with determination to keep the country free from HIV/AIDS by enhancing the level of knowledge and consciousness of the public.

Inaugurating a workshop on nation-wide public awareness against HIV/AIDS organised by the Saroj Prasad Koirala Memorial Academy in Lalitpur today, Mr Dangol said efforts from doctors and the Ministry only are not sufficient to control the killer disease.

He pointed out the need for every member of society to work towards enhancing public awareness against HIV/AIDS.

Chairperson of the Academy Sabita Koirala presided.

Politburo meet of CPN-ML held

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): The politburo meeting of the CPN-ML held today has reconfirmed the need for national consensus and a national government.

The meeting has made the allegation that the government of the Nepali Congress has pushed the country towards civil war by mobilising the army instead of pursuing a policy of dialogue for a peaceful resolution to the Maoist problem.

Emphasising the need for all opposition political forces to unite to take the movement against the government forward, the meeting has stated that the role of the CPN-UML has been too parochial and divisive.

Demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister, the meeting has also decided to lend moral support to the nation-wide strike being held on May 27, 28 and 29 at the call of the six leftist parties.

Party general secretary Bamdev Gautam chaired the meeting.

Credentials presented

Kathmandu, May 22 (RSS): Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany Bala Ram Singh Malla presented his letter of credence to Pope John Paul II at the Apostelic Palace of Vatican City on May 19, according to the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Berlin, Germany.