NRB refutes news reports about NBL’s board

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 13: Nepal Rastra Bank - the central bank has declined a news report about the suspension of the board of Nepal Bank Limited published in some dailies and weeklies.

According to a NRB press release signed by its spokesman Tula Raj Basyal, no such decision has been made regarding the suspension of the NBL board. NRB in its press release urge all concerned not to be mis-informed by such news report.

Workshop on buck-wheat cultivation

Kathmandu, Sept. 13 (RSS): A two-day national workshop organised with the objective of contributing to research into buck-wheat cultivation as well as its development and expansion began here today.

Some 70 persons including crop experts, farmers and representatives from universities and government and non-government organisations are taking part in the workshop organised under the joint auspices of Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), the National Agriculture Bio-Science Institution of Japan and the International Plant Genetics Resources Centre, Italy.

National Planning Commission member Harishanker Tripathi inaugurated the workshop.

More than 15 species of buck-wheat have been discovered across the world and two species, "Mithe" and "Tite," are grown in Mustang, Dolpa, Jumla, Gorkha and Solukhumbu districts of Nepal.

Maoists’ activities from July 23 onwards: HMG

Kathmandu, Sept. 13 (RSS): His Majesty’s Government has furnished information about various violent activities carried out by the Maoists in various districts from July 23 to Sept. 4.

According to the information, the Maoists carried out 200 such activities like beating up, abduction, looting, explosion and arson during that period despite the government’s appeal to the Maoists to renounce violence and take part in a dialogue and its commitment to not using any force against them.

On July 23, Maoists attacked the police striking base at Pandusen, Bajura leaving 17 police personnel dead and seven others injured. Three police personnel are still missing. The Maoists looted 28 rifles, 14 shotguns, some socket bombs and hand grenades and communications sets from the striking base.

Likewise, Maoists destroyed the house at Dhunkharka, Kavrepalanchok where the striking police force used to live and demolished the houses at Machchhe Bhimkhoti in the same district which were used as police posts recently. Maoists also destroyed the houses at Sindhuli Ratmata and Jhangajholi VDC which were earlier used as police posts.

On July 24, Maoists destroyed the police posts, which were later emptied, at Gardi, Chitwan, Gumi, Surkhet and Ridi, Gulmi, while a group of Maoists set ablaze the furniture and documents at the ilaka police office at the house of Chokh Lal Basyal at Huwas VDC, Parbat on July 25. Also that day, Maoists abducted headmaster Amar Bahadur near Bhingri of Pyuthan, while a group of Maoists destroyed the empty police post at Ramdi, Palpa on July 26.

Maoists also destroyed the empty police post at Syamgha VDC of Tanahu and set fire to furniture and documents on July 30, while another group of Maoists attacked police personnel on patrol at Dhodhari VDC in Bardiya on July 31. Police personnel Ganesh Man Khadka and Prem Khatri, who were injured in the incident were taken to Gulariya for treatment.

Likewise, Maoists destroyed empty police posts at Shanteshwori VDC of Sindhuli, Khilji VDC in Arghakhanchi, Balkot VDC in Arghakhanchi and Belghari VDC in Sindhuli recently. The rebels also vandalized the ilaka police post at Devghat of Tanahu and destroyed documents on Aug. 11. Likewise a group of about four Maoists beat up police personal Sher Bahadur Gurung at Ghasa police post at Mustang on Aug. 24.

The same day, Maoists destroyed empty police posts at Khandeshwori of Darchula, Marpak of Dhading, Kapilakot of Sirtholi Sindhuli on different dates in August. The rebels looted Rs.1,000 from armed police personnel Prem Prakash Hamal at Mijhing VDC of Rolpa recently.

During the same period (July 23-Sept. 4) Maoists resorted to locking up government offices, arson, loot, abduction and looting of employees and extortion.

The rebels abducted engineer Krishna Raj Upadhyaya of district irrigation office at Baraha VDC of Dailekh on July 23 and locked up the VDC office Rajgunj Siwari VDC in Saptari on July 31. Likewise, a group of Maoists set fire to Koiralakot VDC office in Bajhang and locked up VDC offices at Mawadin, Syabun, Sabhapokhari, Barhabise, Jaljala, Bana, Nundhaki, Siddhakali, Siddhapokhari and Dhupu VDCs in Sankhuwasabha; Ghansikuwa, Devghat, Majhkot, Sanubhagati, Kota, Sundhara, Bedi, Bhirkot, Gajarkot, Syamgha, Ramjakot, Keshavtar, Deurali and Satiswanra VDCs in Tanahu, Sahare, Malarai, Lekh Pokhara and Dharapani in Surkhet, and Kavre VDCs in Dolkha recently.

Similarly, Maoists abducted (and later released) headmaster Hari Narayan Shrestha at Pakarbas VDC of Ramechhap, and abducted school teacher Arjun Bahadur Hamal at Majhkanda of Salyan on Aug. 18. The rebels locked up the VDC office at Namdu VDC of Dolkha the same day.

The rebels extorted Rs. 1,000 from Kotgaon VDC secretary Amar Singh Gharti in Rolpa recently. They also destroyed the documents at Taplejung, Change VDC office and locked up the office on Aug. 21. Similarly, the Maoists looted apples from the farm of Agricultural Research Centre at Kattikaswami of Jumla on Aug. 23. They looted a gun and property from the house of DSP Bodh Prasad Yadav of
the National Investigation Department office at Bardanga of Morang, intimidated the office bearers of Nagin, Luda, Rupa, Yang, Nam, Memeng, Prad, Buda, Sipin and other VDCs in Panchthar into signing resignation papers prepared by themselves (Maoists) recently.

Maoists abducted health worker Keshav Giri of Kolti health post at Bandh VDC in Bajura on Aug. 26, while a group of rebels abducted Tanahu, Rupakot VDC secretary Krishna Prasad Sedhai and burnt the documents at the office on Aug. 28.

Maoists intimidated the VDC chairman, vice chairman and other local representatives at Damachaur VDC in Salyan to pay them donations, threatened the VDC office bearers of Pipal Chauthe VDC in Nuwakot and Kunathari VDC in Surkhet to close the VDC offices for good, forced chairman of Topgachhi and Lakhanpur VDCs in Jhapa to resign, and pressured engineer Naresh Khadka of rural community infrastructure development programme under Ramechhap DDC to collect donations from all employees under the programme and of the DDC for them recently.

Likewise, the rebels pressured through telephone the employees of Ramechhap district treasury office to provide them with detailed records of the budget appropriated for the office. They also forced Dhading, Semjong VDC chairman, vice chairman and some members to resign and locked up Surkhet, Dahachaur VDC office recently.