Foreign secy meets Korean   vice minister

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 8: The Nepalese Foreign Secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa held official talks with Sung-Hong Choi, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea in Seoul recently. According to the Nepalese Foreign Minister, the talks had focussed on bilateral relations as well as regional and issues of common concern.

Foreign Secretary Thapa is leading a Nepalese delegation on a visit to several countries of East Asia.

The Foreign Ministry said issues like bilateral cooperation and Nepalese workers in Korea were discussed. After the talks, Foreign Secretary Thapa and the Korean Vice Minister Choi also signed two documents. One document relates to arrangement on consultations between the Nepalese Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea, and the other on agreement between the two countries for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Thapa also met with the Executive Vice President of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Executive Director of the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and discussed on matters relating to bilateral trade and investments as well as economic cooperation between the two countries.

Likewise, during his visit, Foreign Secretary Thapa also met with Ms. Kim Soung-Ja, Vice Minister for Labour and discussed matters related to Nepalese workers in Korea.

According to the Foreign Ministry, during the talks Thapa requested the Korean Vice Minister for increasing the quota and for arrangements for longer-term work permits for Nepalese workers and the Korean Vice Minister said the government would look into the matter.

Foreign Secretary Thapa left Seoul on Monday for Beijing where he will be holding talks with his Chinese counterpart, Vice Minister of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

HAN delegation meets new Chinese envoy

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 8: A delegation of the Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) met today with the newly appointed Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Wu Chongyong and discussed about various aspects of tourism promotion between the two countries.

According to HAN, at the meeting President of HAN Narendra Bajracharya underlined to take immediate steps such as immediate consideration towards increasing air services routes and to have direct flights linking Kathmandu with Beijing and other Chinese cities.

The Chinese Ambassador also said the Chinese government was positive towards enhancing tourism between the two countries and is supportive to provide cooperation for promoting tourism in Nepal. He also pointed out that Nepal should carry out aggressive promotional activities in China to attract Chinese tourists to visit Nepal.

During the talk issues such as Yuan convertibility, charter flights between the two countries and arrangement for the national flight carriers and other airlines to operate air services between the two countries were discussed.

A memorandum of understanding on tourism cooperation between Nepal and China was signed last year and a detailed agreement in this regard is going to be signed next month. China has also put Nepal as one of the outbound destinations for Chinese tourists.

Rain affected farmers to get relief package

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 8: Minister for Agriculture and Co-operative Mahesh Acharya said that the government had introduced special relief package for farmers of Eastern Development Region affected by drought as well as heavy rains of this year.

Giving the statement of the public importance in the House of the Representatives, Minister Acharya said that about 74,000 hectares of land acrosse all the 16 districts of the Region remained uncultivated due to the drought during the rainy season. Likewise, the torrential rain that happened at the end of the season inundated paddy crops in many parts of the Region.

This has already caused a negative impact in the total production of the agriculture sector of the country, he informed.

The drought is expected to reduce the production of the paddy by about 20,3000 metric ton and has hit about 62,000 farmers of the Region, he said.

Minister Acharya said that a study team formed by the Ministry had inspected the dry hit places and disclosed this fact.

Acharya said that the government has come up relief measures for enhancing the farming of the cash crops that includes cent per cent subsidy in the seed of vegetable and 50 per cent subsidies in the seed of wheat, lintel and oil-seed.

Likewise, the government will operate small irrigation and tub wells for the farmers.

The relief package programme that is estimated to cost about 156 million will be borne by the Agriculture and Co-operative Ministry and participated in by the Water Resources Ministry and Agriculture Development Bank, he added.

He also informed that a Special Relief Monitoring Committee had been set up at the central level.

'Anti-democratic elements active'

Kathmandu, Oct. 8 (RSS): Democrats and political leaders have expressed concern at not being able to consolidate and strengthen democracy ushered after a the relentless struggle and sacrifices of the people.

They argued that various forces are still active in weakening democracy attained after the successful Popular Movement of 2046 B.S. resembling the seizure of power in 2017 B.S.

Conceding that the Nepali Congress Party who came at the helm of power most of time following the restoration of democracy in 2046 B.S., they said that the leaders of the Nepali Congress who are in the forefront of the party activities have failed to remain aloof from corrupt practices, thereby causing a threat to democracy.

Member of the National Assembly Bal Bahadur Rai, speaking at a symposium on "Challenges to the consolidation of democracy" held under the joint auspices of NC constituency No. 1 Okhaladhunga and Nepal Student Union, Okhaldhunga on Sunday, said all should come in unison to safeguard the nation and democracy.

The country failed to make strides at a desirable extent in deference to the people's aspiration following the restoration of democracy, he said, adding the students, the pillars for nation-building, should not strive for power.

Ruling out any agreement regarding the issues of multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy, MP Gopal Rai said NC will not budge from its stand.

Member secretary of the Royal Nepal Academy Dr. Tulsi Bhattarai called for constituting a powerful commission to initiate a probe and disclose the property of all.

Senior journalist Purusottam Dahal said anarchy is the big challenge for democracy while NC Okhaladhunga district member Mitrasen Dahal noted that reward for good work and punishment for bad work is the essence of democracy.

NC Okhaladhunga president Judha Bahadur Rai was on the chair.

House Debate
Give relief to people: MPs

Kathmandu, Oct. 8 (RSS): Taking part in the special hour at the House of Representatives today, Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar of CPN-UML said that the government should ponder about the likely impact of genetically-engineered technique on agricultural produce and environment in advance before its application in Nepal.

Ram Kumar Chaudhary of Nepali Congress drew the attention of the government to the transport services which came to a standstill following incessant rain last week and asked the government to immediately provide relief materials to the displaced persons and to hold talks with the Government of India to control the flow of the Koshi River.

Netra Lal Shrestha of RPP critisised the government for increasing tax on Saris blended with polyester used by Nepalese women and for reducing tax on cotton.

He said it is a matter of serious concern that the Ministry of Finance had intervened in the installation of V-SAT telephone in his constituency under the rural telecommunication programme in spite of an assurance given by the government earlier.

Homnath Dahal of NC said attempts have been made to disrupt the ongoing government-Maoist talk which is proceeding positively and the people have breathed a sigh of relief. The wall-graffiti painting are seen in the streets to disrupt the peace talks, he said, urging the government to be cautious over such attempts.

Hari Acharya of Rastriya Janamorcha lambasted the air-strike over Afghanistan carried out by the USA.

He drew attention of the government towards the huge loss of life and property caused by a road accident on Tulsipur-Nepalgunj route on Sunday and asked the government to provide compensation to the families who lost their relatives and treatment to the injured.

Lila Mani Pokharel of Sanyukta Janamorcha accused the government of formulating a law after the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Committee has already decided to provide equal rights for women on the parental property and demanded some 119 discriminatory provision against women in the existing laws be abrogated.

The police personnel who are on duty at night check the baggage of pedestrians and passengers and make derogatory remarks at every check point, he said.

Lalbabu Pundit of CPN-UML accused the judiciary of down grading other constitutional bodies and the institution of people's representatives.

Lekhnath Neupane of NC urged the government to make budgetary allocations and other arrangement for black-topping the Kausaltar-Balkot-Gundu road.

National Assembly
'Talks should be fruitful'

Kathmandu, Oct. 8 (RSS): Leader of the opposition party Yubaraj Gyawali, taking special time at the meeting of the National Assembly today, said the government-Maoists talks should be focused on resolving the existing problems faced by the Nepali people and the country.

The people want peaceful prosperity for the country, Mr Gyawali said adding that both the sides should finalise their agenda for the talks within the parameters of the existing constitution.

He said he felt that the ongoing government-Maoists talks have been influenced by some partisan political interests.

Radheshyam Adhikari of Nepali Congress said the government-Maoists talks cannot end at once, we should not rush the talks and the current peaceful situation baring some exceptions should continue.

CPN-ML's Dr Ram Man Shrestha said that the preamble and many clauses of the Education (seventh amendment) Bill still gives one a feeling of the Panchayat era and that the bill is full of anomalies.

CPN-UML's Urbadutta Panta said the CDO of Kanchanpur hesitated in taking action against the Maoists involved in beating up Rampur Bilaspur VDC chairman Harka Bahadur K.C. for fear of derailing the talks. He accused the government of not being able to provide security to people defending themselves against the Maoists.

NC's Bijul Kumar Biswokarma accused government media of not giving due attention to news concerning the Dalit community and urged the government to take necessary measures to rectify the situation.

CPN-UML's Dev Raj Ghimire said the government should allocate a budget for rural telecommunications soon.

Meanwhile, Aravinda Kumar Thakur of the Nepali Congress, seeking time from chairman Dr. Mohammad Mohsin at the meeting of the National Assembly today, said that Nepal should also show solidarity with the United States of America in the fight against terrorism at a time when most countries in the world have supported that country for the sake of peace, prosperity and human rights.

Bachaspati Devkota of the CPN-UML said that the Maoists had kidnapped the principal of a private school and teacher Chandra Bahadur Thapa of local Bhanu Campus, and the government should immediately secure their release.

Bishweshwar Dahal of the same party alleged that the government was seeking to avoid responsibility by coming up with a Civil Code (eleventh amendment) Bill that is in comple as it does not give daughters any inheritance rights.

Lok Bahadur Thapa of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said that HMG should introduce programmes concerning sports in a planned manner for the utilisation of the 22 bighas of land in Narayani zone belonging to the sports council and lying useless at present. Special attention should be paid for the preservation of historic sites at various places of Makwanpur and Bara districts including Gadhimai temple, he added.

Ramchandra Bhattarai of the CPN-UML said that as far as providing the right to inheritance to daughters is concerned, the government was saying one thing and doing another and the Civil Code (eleventh amendment) Bill was a body without soul tabled only for show. It should be sent back to committee and a consensus worked out.

World Post Day
Gupta calls for prompt postal service

Kathmandu, Oct. 9 (RSS): Founded to encourage collaboration and development within the international post the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is celebrating its 128th anniversary today.

The union was founded on October 9, 1874 and has 189 member countries. Nepal has been an active member of the union since its joining in 1956.

Giving a message on the occasion, Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta said for its existence in the new circumstances the postal service should work becoming sensitive towards the wishes and demands of its customers.

Apart from increasing the reliability and efficiency of traditional services like mail, telegram, insurance and the like provided by the post, modern services like E.M.S., e-mail and fax should also be made available to postal customers at postal counters, he added.

Minister Gupta also said there are 4,009 post offices across the country, domestic express mail service in 45 places inside the country and E.M.S. services with 26 different countries.

Establishment of an additional 20 ilaka post offices this year will fulfill His Majesty's Government’s target of reaching the postal service to every VDC and municipality of the country, he added.

Likewise, Director General of the Department of Postal Service Mukunda Sharma Poudel said after fulfilment of the government’s target to extend postal services to every village within the Ninth Plan the Department will focus on upgrading the quality of the service provided.

Director General of the Universal Postal Union Thomas E. Leavey has in a message said the post cannot afford to grow isolated or complacent, and to continue to compete effectively it must expand the range of its products and services.

On World Post Day celebrates the commitment by world posts to carry their customers' messages beyond geographical and national boundaries.

Similarly, on the occasion of the 127th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union, Nepal Philatelic Society organised a stamp exhibition here today.

Stamps related to the Union collected by senior philatelists Bhubaneswor Kumar Pradhan and Punya Ratna Sthapith are on display at the three-day exhibition inaugurated by Director General of the Department of Postal Services Mukunda Sharma Poudel.

On the occasion Mr Sharma also affixed the first cancellation mark on the special commemorative cover published by the society.