Oli lays hope on talks with Maoists

Pokhara, Oct 15 (RSS): Deputy leader of the main opposition in the House of Representatives K. P. Oli has said that the third round of talks between the government and the Maoists scheduled for this week will definitely resolve the grave problem of the country.

Mr Oli made this remark at a meet the press programme organised by the CPN-UML Gandaki Zonal coordination committee here today.

Accusing the Maoists of trying to disrupt communal harmony by forming Mukti Morchas in the country, Mr Oli stressed the need for all to unite and work actively to safeguard the people’s rights attained through the popular movement.

The talks between the government and the Maoists could take some more time, CPN-UML leader Oli said, adding that the talks should not be prolonged unnecessarily.

The meet the press programme was held under the convenorship of CPN-UML council member Mukti Khanal.

Sharma appointed chief of Tax Disposal Panel

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 15: His Majesty’s Govt has constituted Tax Disposal Panel under the chairmanship of Anup Raj Sharma, the leading legal counsel for corporate and banking sectors. Other members in the panel are Mr. Kishor Banskota and the Director General of the International Revenue Deptt.

The panel is formed for the quicker disposal of the cases relating to tax.

Mr. Sharma headed the similar panel formed by the government in 1998. The panel had disposed of some of the cases lying unsettled for over decades. The panel employs flexible modus operandi to decide about tax returns field by the tax payers, says Mr. Sharma in a chat with this reporter.

Mr. Sharma is currently the chairperson of Nepal Law Society. He was also the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He has been involved in law practice for about three decades.

MRI machine donated to TUTH

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 15: The Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) has got a new MRI machine – courtesy Timir Banerjee, a senior American neuro-surgeon. The machine was handed over by Dr. Banerjee to Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University Navin Prakash Jung Shah at a function at the Teaching Hospital today. The MRI unit has been named as Mahakavi Laxmi Prasad Devkota MRI unit.

Inaugurating the MRI, Vice Chancellor Shah said the introduction of the latest medical technology would greatly boost the hospital’s diagnostic capability and also that the machine would be used in properly in the field of training and research process.

Senior Neuron Surgeon Banerjee said Nepal is like his second home and he loves the Nepalese people. So, he hand-over the MRI machines. Furthermore, he said that there are many rich people in Nepal if they provide financial support to the Teaching Hospital it will benefit a lot of poor people.

Chief of the hospital’s Radiology Department Sunil Pradhan said as MRI is the latest medical technology it will give special benefit to the patients who are suffering from the diseases of brain, neck, muscles, and spinal cord. He further said latest software technology is used in the MRI making it easy to operate and comfortable for patient. The cost of the treatment is around Rs 4,500.

Head of the Surgical Department of the Hospital Prof. Dr. Mahesh Khakurel said although the Hospital had proposed to the government for installing an MRI machine in the hospital, it has not yet materialised. At such a time, Dr. Banerjee’s assistance was highly valued, he pointed out. He also said Dr. Banerjee provided the machine in the name of a non-political person – late Laxmi Prasad Devkota.

In addition he said that the service charge collected from the machine will not be paid to the government, but will be used in the maintenance of machine, investment in the field of medical science and technology and purchasing of the new medical equipment.

Elders draw govt attention on various issues

Kathmandu, Oct. 15 (RSS): CPN-UML’s Mahesh Mani Acharya Dixit, speaking during special time at the National Assembly today, said the Auditor General’s Report shows amounts unaccounted for of around 73 billion rupees and this is a result of the extensive irregularities and corruption on the part of ministers, high ranking officials and corporation employees during the past 12 years when the Nepali Congress was in power most of the time.

He then drew the attention of the government towards bringing in ministers, secretaries and heads of corporations within legal parameters, carrying out audits at corporations and giving due consideration to the recommendation of the Auditor General’s Report.

Devendra Ghimire, also of the same party, said dense habitation along the Mahendra highway has given rise to an increase in road accidents thereby leading to frequent obstruction to transport.

Attention should be given on time towards locating human habitation at a fixed distance from the highway, he added.

RPP’s Lok Bahadur Thapa drew the attention of the government towards the need to become serious about maintaining law and order and developing the nation.

MP Dipta Prakash Shaha said taking into consideration the norms and values of international law, national laws and regulations should also be reformed and made practical and systematic so as to better consolidate friendship with neighbouring countries and resolve border-related problems.

CPN-UML’s Urbadutta Panta said the commission constituted by the government in the name of rehabilitating people living within the Royal Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Kanchanpur has been distributing land to the wrong persons and giving only trouble to the right ones.

He demanded constitution of an all party commission in order to resolve the problem.

NC’s Sukraraj Sharma urged the opposition to move ahead on the basis of reconciliation and present creative suggestions for the protection of democracy and ensure the overall prosperity of the nation.

‘Focus on children’s education’

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 15: Speakers and resource persons today said that if the children were to be made the future stars of the society in real sense, the planners should focus on their education along with other rights.

They asked the planners of the upcoming 10th five-year plan to continue the incomplete programmes of the ninth five-year plan and give special attention in solving the problems which barricade the child development.

The experts were showing their concern about children at a one-day workshop on the policy formulation for the child development in the 10th five-year plan organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare here today.

The paper presenters also asked the government and the planners to make detail plans complying with the United Nations’ Child Right Convention and many other international conferences held for the rights of children.

Addressing the function resident representative of Save the Children Norway Peter Dickenson said that the government and the planners here should first address the problems being faced by the children if they were to be made the best citizens for tomorrow’s world.

Meanwhile, the participants from various Non-Governmental Organisations, International Non-Governmental Organisations and child clubs at the function also asked the planners to include all the rights of the children mentioned in the CRC and many other international conferences, in which Nepal signed and participated. The representatives of the child clubs also asked to involve children in development activities. During the function Acting Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Krishna Prasad Sharma Bhandari, president of NGO Federation Gauri Pradhan and child section chief at the National Planning Commission presented papers on various topics giving ways for the development of children in the country.

In their papers the resource persons have asked the governments and planners to make such a situation so that the NGOs and INGOs working for the sake of children would go to the rural areas of the country where the children are in dire straits.

They also urged for the co-ordination among the government, INGOs and NGOs for avoiding duplication and their involvement in integrated programmes.

Likewise, the paper presenters have also suggested the planners to give special attention and introduce pilot projects for uplifting the situation of the children of indigenous backwarded families of the country.

Armed dacoits terrorise villagers in Jhapa

Bhadrapur, Oct 15 (RSS): The people of Jhapa district have been terrorised as a result of armed dacoits looting cash and goods worth hundreds of thousands from eight houses in different parts of the district within the last three days.

According to Kankerbhitta Ilaka Police Office, a group of about 20 armed dacoits looted the house of Yam Bahadur Karki located at Burmeli Tole Ward no 10 of Mechinagar Municipality and fled to India.

Likewise, the dacoits have looted gold, silver, camera, telephone and clothes worth about Rs.86,000 from the house of Bhupendra Dahal, a resident of Lalmati of Charpane VDC-5.

Likewise, the dacoits have looted gold, silver, radio and other goods worth about Rs 132,000 and Rs 70,000 from the houses of Bhakta Bahadur Sitaula and Dataram Khatiwada respectively, both residents of Suranga VDC-9.

The same group of dacoits is reported to have injured two persons and absconded with goods worth about Rs 200,000 from four houses of Maharani Jhoda and Khajurgachi VDCs.

In the same manner the dacoits looted Rs 30,000 from the house of Bhakti Gadtaula, Rs 70,000 from the house of Guru Prasad Bastola and Rs 5,000 from the house of Buddhiman Pariyar located at Maharani Jhoda VDC and Rs 10,000 from the house of Satanu Singh, a resident of Khajurganchi VDC.

According to SSP Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, an extensive search is being conducted for the group of dacoits who are at large.