Speaker tells Maoists to lay down arms

Kathmandu, Oct. 13 (RSS): Speaker Taranath Ranabhat has said that the underground CPN (Maoist), which is resorting to violence and terror, lacks in clarity of vision.

He was inaugurating the first general meeting of Ahimsa Samabaya Nepal established at the initiative of Nepal Anubrat Samiti.

Speaker Ranabhat said the Maoists should understand the people’s desire for peace and non-violence and the current global campaign against terrorism, and join mainstream politics by laying down arms.

Stating that the Maoists should stop demanding a republic and scrapping of the Constitution, he said and highlighted the importance of Monarchy in Nepal.

On the occasion, Speaker Ranabhat presented a citation to Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi posthumously. Widow of the late Dr. Regmi Nutan received the citation on behalf of her husband.

He also launched a book dedicated to non-violence. Vice-president of Dilli Raman Regmi Trust Himalaya Shumsher JB Rana and chairman of Nepal Anubrat Samiti Hulas Chand Golchha also expressed their views at the programme chaired by president of Ahimsa Samabaya Nepal Hem Raj Gyawali.

Get into talks with determination, Koirala urges the government

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Nepalgunj, Oct. 13: President of the Nepali Congress and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the government should get into talks with the Maoists firmly and with determination.

Koirala was talking to party workers at the Sikta Guest House in Nepalgunj after his arrival from Kathmandu today. Koirala arrived today in Nepalgunj for a mass meeting to be held tomorrow. As soon as he arrived he started meeting and discussing with the party workers.

Stating that the present international situation is favourable for the government, Koirala said, "The government has an upper hand and it should go to the talks with moral strength and with resolve."

The President of the ruling party also said because the Maoists have continued their forceful activities in many areas, the government may have police in those areas to make its presence felt.

He added that as the government has instructed the police not to raise weapons, the Maoists must also reciprocate the government’s good gesture by stopping terrorising the people.

Koirala referred that when 95 per cent of the victims of the Maoists are Congress activists, and questioned, "Why it is the other parties who are being frightened of the Maoists?"

He clarified that institutional development has already take place in the Nepali Congress but it is not so in other parties. That is why, he said, the Maoists think if they can finish off the Nepali Congress they can easily wind down democracy in the country. "This has forced the Nepali Congress to work very cautiously."

While the government has to do administrative job, it is the task of the party to encourage and inspire people against the Maoists’ terror, he asserted.

He also said the party has been cooperating with the government and added that the mass meeting was also meant for supporting the government.

He informed that he has started the campaign of being close to the people and to acquaint with their joys and sorrows from Syangja and added, "This campaign will continue."

He also pointed out that if the government is firm and resolute in its works, the Maoists could not prevail in the Terai.

Answering a question on the Nepali Congress MP do not go to districts, Koirala said, "The Congress MPs will be sent to the districts with appropriate tasks, and the party will keep a record of those who fail to reach the districts."

Exports record a decline: Mahat

Pokhara, Oct. 13 (RSS): Finance Minister Dr Ramsharan Mahat has said that the country’s exports have recorded a decline as a result of external circumstances as well as due to violent activities and terror perpetrated by the Maoists.

Speaking at a press meet organised by Reporters’ Club Pokhara here today Dr Mahat said taking this aspect into consideration some programmes for economic reforms have been introduced in the present budget.

The government has been making much effort towards improving the environment for the on-going talks with the Maoists, Dr Mahat said adding that but the Maoists have been speeding up activities that could derail the talks.

Dr Mahat said the present constitution is good but in case some clauses are to be changed on the basis of agreement between various political forces then the ruling party could also agree to it.

Sugar will reach Birgunj within October 15 and arrangements have been made to sell it at Rs. 29 per kg to the maximum, he added.

He also disclosed that Nepal would become a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by next year.

Club president Raj Bahadur Gurung presided.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said that following the restoration of democracy, there has been considerable progress in women’s empowerment, upliftment of Dalits and literacy rate, and decline in children mortality rate.

In a party workers gathering organised by the NC Kaski district today, Dr Mahat noted that state-owned undertakings will be gradually privatised. He also spoke of the need to oppose wrong trend cautiously.

The function was chaired by acting NC district president Yagya Bahadur Thapa.

Similarly, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat inaugurated the third session of the Lekhnath Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Gagan Gaunda today.

On the occasion, Dr Mahat said that if revenue employees carry out their responsibilities honestly and sincerely, it would significantly contribute to removing corruption and red Tapism.

The government is determined to remove adverse impact of anything on industry, he added.

The Finance Minister also launched a souvenir of the chamber on the occasion.

Various speakers including acting FNCCI President Binod Kumar Shrestha and FNCCI vice president Chandi Raj Shrestha also spoke at the function chaired by president of the chamber Chandra Krishna Karmacharya.

National Assembly NA disapproves Civil Code Bill-2058

Kathmandu, Oct. 13 (RSS): The meeting of the National Assembly today disapproved the Civil Code (eleventh amendment) Bill -2058.

The bill was presented by Minister for Physical Planning and Works Chiranjivi Wagle on behalf of Prime Minister and Minister for Land Reforms and Management and Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Deuba for consideration on the bill.

The proposed bill was disapproved as there was majority against the proposal when it was presented for decision by chairman of the National Assembly Dr. Mohammad Mohsin.

Responding to queries raised during the general discussion on the bill, Minister Wagle said the bill was brought by the government on the basis of principle of equality to remove the traditional discrimination between the son and the daughter, adding that it will be the first legal provision in the history of Nepalese law to establish rights of the daughter to claim on property upon her birth.

Minister Wagle said this bill has secured the property rights at her birth as well as after marriage.

He said that in a backward country like ours, property on will can bring hindrances in society.

MPs taking part in the discussion on the bill were Surendra Prasad Pandey, Ram Chandra Bhattarai, Chanda Shaha, Yangkila Sherpa, Ambika Pant Chapagain, Bisweswora Dahal, Goma Devkota, Srimaya Thakali, Ashoknath Tiwari, Dr. Rupjyoti, Shukra Raj Sharma, Mohan Raj Sharma Chapagain, Dipta Prakash Shaha, Radheshyam Adhikari, Gaura Koirala and Jagannath Poudel.

The MPs said this bill will not be able to abolish discrimination between sons and daughters and cannot give equality to daughters and labelled it a lame bill as it will push the women further backward in development.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the National Assembly today passed the proposal seeking consideration on the Land (fifth amendment) Bill-2001 tabled on behalf of the Prime Minister and Minister for Land Reform and Management by Minister for Works and Physical Planning Chiranjibi Wagle.

Responding to queries raised during discussions on the Bill, Minister Wagle said the target of the government is to distribute land to the landless and that the Bill was introduced to make proper arrangement of irrigation, transportation and market for enhancing productivity of land.

MPs Surendra Prasad Pandey, Devraj Ghimire, Ranganath Joshi, Urbadutta Panta, Bir Bahadur Singh, Maheshmani Acharya Dixit, Beduram Bhusal, Ramchandra Bhattarai, Chanda Shaha, Dr Rup Jyoti, Bal Bahadur Rai, Arbinda Thakur, Gangadutta Joshi, Sukraraj Sanyok and Jagannath Poudel took part in the discussion.

Likewise, the meeting unanimously passed the nationalities upliftment National Academy Bill-2001 along with a report of the special committee.

Minister Wagle who is also looking after the affairs of Local Development Ministry had tabled the proposal seeking passage of the Bill.

Responding to queries raised during discussion on the Bill, Minister Wagle said the government has introduced the Bill with the aim of providing equal opportunity to indigenous communities and nationalities in the political and socio-economic sector of the country.

MPs Bal Bahadur Rai, Surendra Prasad Pandey, Dipak Gurung and Sukraraj Sanyok took part in the discussion.

The National Assembly will meet again at 1:00 pm tomorrow.

Health Industry
Nepal imports medicine worth 7 bn rupees

BY RAJ KUMAR K.C.

Kathmandu, Oct 13: If the government develops an effective regulatory mechanism to promote private investment in the health sector, it could emerge as one of the lucrative areas after tourism and IT in the country.

Each year billions of rupees are being spent on importing medicines alone. Cost of medical education abroad and the cost of treatment outside the country are equally high.

Though there are dozens of private nursing homes that have opened up in the span of the last one-and-a-half decade, the prime objectives of the government for an effective involvement of private sector, according to people in the health sectors, have not been achieved to a desired extent.

If there is anything that Nepal can enjoy a comparative benefit after tourism and IT, it could only be the health sector, from which Nepal could earn billions of rupees each year.

However, nothing has been done in this sector so far. Despite having plenty of opportunities in the health sector like establishing - pharmaceutical industries, medical research/education institutes, herbal processing industries and health resorts, no achievement has been made owing to lack of initiatives from the government, says Sneha Sayami, Executive Director of the Industrial Information Center (IIC).

Sayami sees plenty of scopes in the health sector in which Nepal can earn a huge amount of foreign currency with active participation of private sector. But the government has to develop an effective regulatory mechanism to promote the ‘health sector as an industry’.

According to the Department of Drug Administration (DDA), each year Nepal imports medicines worth six to seven billion rupees and generates revenue of seven to eight millions rupees

It is said that each year over 50 million rupees are being spent on treatment outside the country. The development of health sector would also help whittle down such heavy spending.

If the government takes initiatives to establish pharmaceutical industries within the country, we can save more than eight billion rupees that goes in importing medicines every year, says Sayami.

Provided a favourable industrial atmosphere, multinational companies may be willing to come to Nepal for investment.

Dr. Kalyan Raj Pandey, director at the Department of Health (DoH) without differing with Sayami, says that regulatory mechanism is essential to monitor and promote the private sector. The Health Ministry should be given sole authority to monitor activities of private nursing homes and health centres.

"In fact commercialisation of nursing homes has created problems owing to lack of regulatory mechanism," Dr. Pandey asserts.

The Bill concerning the public health has already been tabled in the House of Representatives. It is said that the new Health Service Act, if it were passed by the parliament, would help to overcome several problems in the health sector.

Dr. Pandey also sounds optimistic over the upcoming Health Act and says ‘private participation in health sector would compliment as well as supplement the government’.

Asked whether Nepal could reap comparative advantages in health sector like tourism and IT industries, Dr. Pandey indicated a strong possibility of such development in health sector. But what is required is the participation of both public and private sectors, he says.

How can Nepal reap comparative advantage in the health sector? On the one hand medical colleges here can attract students from other South Asian countries where quality of education and academic atmosphere are better and cost for medical education is the cheapest in the region. Apart from this health resorts can attract tourists, other than trekkers, climbers and vacationers.

Pradip Man Vaidya, executive member of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) says the only area after tourism and IT industries in which Nepal can have more benefit is the health sector.

By opening health resorts, medical colleges and research institutes Nepal can earn foreign currency. On top of that Nepal can save its spending on imports of medicines from other countries.

In view of doctors, industrialists and economic analysts, if the government accords priority on establishing pharmaceutical industries, health resorts and researches institutes, it would help boost national economy to a great extent. Health industry could be a panacea to the ailing economy.

‘Maoists’ demand irrelevant’

Butwal, Oct. 13 (RSS): CPN-ML General Secretary Bamdev Gautam has described as improper and irrelevant the Maoists’ demand for a republic and scrapping of the Constitution.

General Secretary Gautam, who was inaugurating the fourth CPN-ML Kapilvastu district convention at Bariya today, termed the Maoists’ demand for institutionalisation of republic in Nepal whimsical.

Stating that the Maoists cannot trample on the public opinion through the politics of gun, he stressed the need to take the government-Maoist talks to a successful conclusion.

He also stressed the need for the Maoists to become more serious and honest towards making the talks a success.

Status quosim is an obstacle to the liberation of working class people, he observed.

Party central member Ramchandra Adhikari called on one and all to be sensitive towards the protection of constitutionally guaranteed rights.

CPN-ML central member Prem Bhandari, district member Mitra Lal Aryal and NC representative Aditya Gyawali also expressed their views.

District committee secretary Jivan Sharma presided.