Maoist leader for solving problem through talks

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Sept. 23: Seven Maoist affiliated organisations held a mass meeting at Mangal Bazaar, Lalitpur today. Addressing the mass meeting United People Front MP Lila Mani Pokharel said that the country is facing economic, political and cultural crises and the solution to these crises should be sought from the people. Saying the country’s Left parties are heading towards polarisation, Pokharel urged the Left parties to unite for common cause.

Agni Sapkota, politburo member of the CPN-Maoist, said that they are not against talks. "The Maoists also want the problem to be solved through talks," he said.

However, several other speakers, including Krishna Bahadur Mahara, coordinator of the Maoist team in the talks with the government, failed to turn up at the mass meeting.

Dewan new president of NATA

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 23: Joy Dewan has been elected the President of NATA, securing 108 votes as against his rival Narendra Dev Bhatta, who obtained only 64 votes.

Similarly, S.P. Shrestha, Shashi Ram Bhandary, Dhruba Narayan Shrestha, Kedar Bantawa Rai and Arjun Sharma have been elected as First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, General Secretary, Secretary and Treasurer respectively among the 12-member new executive body of the association.

Other new executive members of the association include Gautam Manandhar, Mrs. Dibya Prabha Shahi, Krishna Bahadur Shahi, Basanta Bahadur Hamal, Madhu Sudan Acharya and Mrs. Renu Bajracharya. The new committee will work for a tenure of two years.

NATA has a total of 177 members. Of them, 173 members had cast their votes in the election.

The results of the election were declared by senior advocates - Sushil Panta and Bishwa Kanta Mainali. Panta and Mainali were entrusted with the responsibility of holding the elections as election officers of the association.

Jomsom Women’s Association gets Abraham award

Mustang, Sept. 23 (RSS): The Famous Abraham Award has been given to the Jomsom Women’s Association of Mustang in recognition of its significant contribution in the field of environmental conservation.

The award which carries a purse of Rs. 40,000 given every year by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is given to individual or institution.

Senior planner and WWF advisor Dr. Harka Gurung, presenting the award at a function here today, spoke of the need to develop and preserve nature as well as cultural heritage of the country since sustainable tourism will unlock the door for development.

WWF resident representative Dr. Chandra Gurung said languages and cultures must be preserved since these will, once lost, never come back.

A host of other speakers including director general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey and CDO Ram Sharan Chimoriya also expressed their views on the occasion.

At the same function, a cheque bearing Rs. 113,000 provided by the World Women’s Work, a US non-governmental organisation, for physical improvement of the association was also handed over to the association.

The award instituted in 1995 with the help of WWF USA board member Nancy Abraham has already been given to 39 individuals and 8 groups.

‘Confiscate illegal property of the corrupt’

Pokhara, Sept. 23 (RSS): President of the Green Party Badri Prasad Khatiwada has demanded that the government confiscate the illegal property of the corrupt political leaders, civil servants and businessmen.

Speaking at a meet the press programme organised by Nepal Media Centre, Kaski here today, Khatiwada said that all the political parties within the parliament are responsible for anomalies taking place in the country.

Khatiwada expressed the view that the Maoist problem cannot be resolved until all the political parties within and outside the Parliament, the civil society and intellectuals reach a consensus.

The president of the Green Party said that his party held the view that the income generated from 10 bighas of land will not be enough to provide good education to children.

The function was chaired by president of Kaski district media centre Bhupanidhi Pant.

Industrial prospects of Butwal highlighted

Butwal, Sept. 23 (RSS): Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha has stressed the need for all political parties to unite for consolidating such achievements of the Popular Movement as democracy, constitutional Monarchy and Parliamentary system.

Minister Shrestha, who was inaugurating the Eighth Butwal Municipality Council Meeting here today said despite the government’s repeated commitments to considering amendments to constitutional provisions other than the irreversible ones it is quite regrettable that the Maoists are violating the commitments made by both sides during the first round of peace talks in such a manner as to hamper the talks.

He also stressed the need for the Maoists to be as liberal as the government has been and stop all violent activities immediately so as to lead the talks to a successful conclusion.

MPs Surya Prasad Pradhan and Beduram Bhusal asked the government to help Butwal Municipality in building a permanent industrial exhibition venue, a stadium and a city auditorium, while MP Pradip Gyawali said in the present context the Maoists’ demand for a republican state is quite irrelevant and the gun can never become a decisive force.

Deputy Mayor of Bharatpur Municipality Devi Gyawali, president of Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Arjun Man Sainju, president of Rupandehi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Paramanda Kharel and others also spoke about the prospects of Butwal as an industrial town.

From the chair, Mayor of Butwal Bhoj Raj Shrestha presented the budget estimate of about Rs.125 million for the current fiscal year.

Consumers worry sale of low quality drugs

Kathmandu, Sept. 23 (RSS): Participants at a public hearing organised here today said that as government monitoring and control of the sale and management of drugs had not been effective, spurious drugs were being brought in daily thereby directly affecting consumers at large.

At the programme organised by Pro-Public, the consumers complained that as manufacturers of low quality drugs gave higher commissions to the the retailers, the latter too promoted such drugs among consumers.

At present, 11thousand different kinds of drugs are sold in Nepal. It was not possible for the government apparatus to test the quality of them all and steps should be taken to maintain the standard of drugs entering the country.

But the drug dealers and concerned government officials say that all the complaints about drugs in the market are not true.

Director of the Department of Drug Administration Dr. Arafaq Sheikh said that the imported drugs are tested three times before being approved for sale. He expressed the view that open sale of sensitive drugs should not be permitted.

Chief of the Royal Drugs Research Laboratory Bhupendra Bahadur Thapa said that as far as means and resources permitted drugs brought for sale are tested adding that attention should be paid to controlling drug related entities which are on the increase.