Working Group Meet
South Asia transport body set up

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 2: Nepal recently hosted the inception meeting of the Transport Working Group under the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Co-operation Programme (SASEC).

Besides the host, the countries participating in the programme included Bangladesh, Bhutan and India, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW).

The SASEC programme supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) currently covers five sectors prioritised by the participating countries. These include transport, energy and poser, tourism, environment, and trade, investment and private sector co-operation. Bangladesh chairs the working group for energy and poser, Bhutan environment, India trade, investment and private sector co-operation, and Nepal chairs tourism and transport.

The Ministry said in the first phase of the programme, different working groups are identifying and prioritising sub-regional projects for financial assistance from ADB and other multilateral and bilateral development partners. These sub-regional projects will include technical assistance grants as well as loans for projects to be included in the next phase. The technical assistance projects will largely relate to improvement in the policy and institutional environment for the development of cross-border infrastructure facilities, cross-border investment and trade. The Ministry said the loans will be mainly used to finance investments in cross-border physical infrastructure projects such as highway, power grids, inland waterway, etc. The first round of such regional technical assistance projects will be launched in 2002. The first round of regional investment projects is expected to be launched by 2003 or 2004.

The Ministry said the basic strategy of the transport working group is to add incremental investments to national infrastructure facilities already in existence or in the pipeline, such as Nepal’s East-West Highway, or the Golden Quadrilateral highways project in India connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkota. "Such incremental investments will connect these national road, rail and inland water systems at minimal cost through cross-border links. This will establish a grid of east-west and north-south high-speed road corridors connected to a network or ports stretching from Chittagong to Mongla to Kolkota and Haldia along the northern rim of the Bay of Bengal," said the press release. "Such a transport system would give a strong boost to trade and investment in the region."

Speaking on the occasion, MPPW Secretary D. C. Pyakurel observed that economic co-operation among the four neighbouring countries had remained a latent dream for many years adding it was now making rapid progress. He thanked the ADB for playing a catalytic role in transforming this dream into reality.

Sudipto Mundle, Head of Operations and Policy co-ordination in ADB’s Programme Department (West), noted that the Manila-based organisation attaches very high priority to this initiative in the context of its principal mission of poverty reduction in Asia. This is because Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal together account for the largest concentration of the world’s poor.

The SASEC Programme is aimed at transforming the poorest, most densely populated area in the world into one of the fastest growing regions through the establishment of a high-speed transport grid, and similar grids for power and energy exchange, fibre optic telecommunications grid, world class port facilities and supporting improvements in the regulatory and institutional frameworks to enhance productivity and efficiency in the region.

Govt-WWF partnership on wildlife discussed

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov 2: A steering committee meeting on Supplementary Agreement was held between the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MFSC) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal Programme today. The meeting focussed to sustain the conservation efforts and continue the working partnership between WWF and the government.

This was the first steering committee meeting since the Supplementary Agreement between the two conservation organizations was signed on July 13, 2001 for implementation of projects in Terai and Kanchenjunga complex as well as Shey Phoksundo National Park and Sagarmatha National Park.

At the meeting, Chandri Prasad Shrestha, Secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation expressed that the ministry would fully coordinate with all the programmes and facilitate for better implementation of the agreement.

According to WWF, the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and WWF have reviewed their common efforts on conservation to discover that Nepal’s conservation history evolved from species and habitat protection to sustainable community development and landscape approach.

Dr. Chandra Gurung of WWF said that there would be a long-term coordination between His Majesty’s Government and WWF Nepal Programme.

Guthi Sansthan faces crisis

Kathmandu, Nov.2 (RSS): Guthi Sansthan is now facing increased crisis with the encroachment by both the government and the private sector upon its lands in different parts of the kingdom, threatening the very foundations of religions, traditions and social civilization.

The Sansthan was established 37 years ago with the objective of managing and operating Rajguthi.

Due to its own interal mismanagement and lack of compensation for the land illegally encroached upon by the people and the government, the Sansthan has found itself in deep soup.

This was disclosed in a function organised to mark the 38th anniversary of the Sansthan.

According to a report of the Sansthan circulated at the function, the Sansthan is entitled to over Rs. 50 million in compensation as per the land evaluation of 2045 BS and it has yet to get Rs. 20 million as land rent.

The problem has furthercompounded as the Sansthan itself is unknown of how much land it has and how much of it has been illegally encroached upon by the government and the private sector.

Minister of State for Land Reforms and Management Ram Janam Chaudhary, speaking as chief guest at the function, spoke of the need of strict descipline to get rid of the problem of land encroachment.

Chaudhary also gave away medals and certificates to the employees for their over 25-year old services.

Assistant Minister for Land Reforms and Management Dilliraj Sharma pointed out the need of radical step to reclaim the guthi land and discourage those who try to get the land registered in their name illegally.

Various other speakers including secretary at the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management Keshav Raj Rajbhandari and ex-chairman of the Sansthan Bishnu Prasad Khanal also spoke at the function chaired by chairman of the Sansthan Shyam Raj Dhungel.

Administrative officer of the Sansthan Muktinath Sharma Ghimire presented an annual report on the occasion.

New round of Nepal-India trade talks from today

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Nov 2; Another round of talks for the renewal of the Nepal India Trade Treaty 1996 is going to be held here from tomorrow. The talks this time are going to be held at joint -secretary level between the two countries.

A seven-member negotiation team led by S. Ramsundaram joint secretary at the Ministry of Commerce of India, arrived this afternoon. Upon the arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), S. Ramsundaram- who is heading the negotiation team said, "We are here to negotiate Indo- Nepal Trade Treaty that is going to expire by December 5." However, S Ramsundaram declined to say anything about the agenda of talks. While asked what Nepal can expect from this (third) round of talks he said ‘ No comment.’

Purshottam Ojha, joint secretary at the Ministry of Industries, Commerce and Supplies here expressed belief that the talks could open some avenues for solutions of the issue if India shows its flexibility. But Nepal will not go against the main spirit of the treaty, said Joint Secretary Ojha while talking to this daily.

Ojha expressed hope that India will be more flexible this time.

Nepal would clearly put forth its views about India’s proposal regarding some amendments of the treaty. On top of that Nepal will refuse any terms and conditions that go against the spirit of the main treaty, said a highly placed source at the Ministry here.

It is believed that the joint secretary level talks this time would pave some ways for next round of negotiations to be held at secretary level.

However, some experts and even diplomats raise questions upon the intention of India saying that it is trying to lengthen the process of negotiations. In fact, India wants the problem to be solved at political level, they say.

Following the notification about the amendment of the treaty, three rounds of talk have already been held in Kathmandu and New Delhi, but no conclusion has been drawn yet. India had sent a letter in August this year with the intention of renewal of the treaty.

According to the Article XII of the 1996 Trade Treaty it shall remain in force up to December 5, 2001 and shall be automatically extended for further periods of five years at a time unless either of the parties gives to the other a written notice, three months in advance of its intention to terminate the treaty.

It is to be noted that India is pressing Nepal to put five items such as - vegetable ghee, acrylic yarn, GI pipes, zinc oxide and copper wire within the surge net and wants to cut down the export of these items into India.

As per the Article V-2 of the Nepal India Trade Treaty - in the event of a surge in the imports of any particular item, the two governments shall enter into consultation with a view to taking appropriate measures.

Meanwhile, a meeting was called at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, to understand the views of private sector in which Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) underlined the need to follow the recommendations of the joint economic committee of the FNCCI and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

Since the apex bodies of the private sector from both countries have already recommended for the renewal of the treaty in its original form, there should arise no questions, he says.

First cancellation mark affixed on postage stamps

Kathmandu, Nov 2 (RSS):Minister of State for Information and Communications Harinarayan Chaudhary affixed the first cancellation mark on the five commemorative postage stamps being issued by the Department of Postal Services at a function here today.

The commemorative postage stamps being issued today are Rs. 5 denomination stamp of water pennywort, Rs. 10 denomination stamp of ficus religiosa l, Rs. 15 denomination stamp of rockfoil, Rs. 30 denomination stamp of Himalayan yew and Rs. 20 denomination stamp of UNHCR to mark the 50th anniversary of UNHCR.

The four-colour commemorative postage stamps are being designed by artist of the Department of Postal Services K. K. Karmacharya.

Water pennywort is a plant found in eastern and Western Nepal at an altitude of 500 to 2,100 metres and used in medicines for providing vigor, skin diseases and purification of blood.

Likewise, rockfoil is another herbal plant found at an altitude ranging from 2,100 to 3,000 metres in central Nepal upto Kashmir and is used in medicines for treatment of lung diseases.

Pipal (ficus reliosa l) is a plant

Kathmandu, Nov. 2 (RSS): Bagmati river which has great significance from the religious point of view will provide pure and clean water to the people from next month, thanks to the initiative taken by the Bagmati Area Sewerage Construction-Improvement Project.

The garbage and sewage flowing from the residences in 537 hectares of land along the river from Gokarna to Pashupati has polluted the Bagmati river.

The construction work under the project designed to keep the river free from pollution from the Shivapuri watershed area to Chobhar has reached its final stage, Bidur Poudel, chairman of high level committee formed to implement the project said at a press conference held here today.

Under the project, the contaminated water flowing from Gokarna to Pashupati area will be connected to the four different treatment plants at Guheswari where the water will be purified and other mineral added and released into the Bagmati river. The remaining polluted water of the treatment plants will be released into the Bagmati river at Tilganga through a two-diameter tunnel that stretches over 572 metre.

The project will be completed at a cost of about Rs. 520 million as against the budgetary allocations of Rs. 650 million, according to the committee.

In a bid to keep the river clean in the long run, the haphasard human settlements along the river needs to be evacuated and a green belt built in a phase-wise manner.

Chairman Poudel informed that in this connection, efforts are being made to find alternative land for the relocation of such people.