HM lauds role of Nepalese peace-keepers

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has remarked that the Royal Nepal Army has successfully fulfilled its duty by participating in peace keeping missions in different parts of the world at the call of the United Nations.

His Majesty the King made this remark in a message today to the first contingent Shree Devidatta Battalion (peace keeping force) which is going to participate in a peace keeping mission in Sierra Leon at the call of the U.N..

It is a matter of pride for the Nepalese that thanks to past performance as a country reposing faith in peace, freedom and the principles of non-alignment, Nepal has gotten an opportunity to take part in peace keeping task in Sierra Leon also, His Majesty observed.

His Majesty expressed hoped that no matter how problematic and remote the area may be from the geographical and other viewpoints peace keepers of the Shree Devidatta Battalion, which has "Service is victory" as its motto, will be able to further enhance the glory of the motherland by fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to it in such a manner as to demonstrate tolerance, discipline, valour and patience.

The message from His Majesty was read out by Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at a function at the Royal Nepal Army training camp at Panchkhal, Kavre today.

HM grants audience

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev granted audience amid a function at the Royal Nepal Army training camp, Panchkhal today to officers of the first contingent Shree Devidatta Battalion (peace keeping force) that is about to leave on a peace keeping mission in Sierra Leon at the call of the U.N.

His Majesty also observed the Royal Nepal Army’s training activities and displays on the art of warfare.

His Royal Highness Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah was also present on the occasion.

Addressing the outgoing peace keepers, Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba expressed confidence that the peace keepers will successfully fulfil their duty with a sense of service and professional competence thereby sending out the message of Nepal's desire for and commitment to world peace.

Nepal has always been supporting and cooperating in all efforts of the U.N. for world peace, and has, accordingly, been participating in peace keeping missions in different countries of the world, he said.

Chief of the Army Staff General Prajwalla Shumsher J.B. Rana recalled the successful fulfilment of its responsibilities by the Royal Nepal Army as part of multi-national peace keeping forces in different parts of the world and said that army training of international standard is being organised at the Panchkhal training camp for multinational army personnel including those of Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the U.S.

The contingent, which is leaving for Sierra Leon next month under the command of Lt. Col. Victor Rana, includes about 800 officers and men of the Royal Nepal Army.

Cooperate to promote tourism: K.C.

Kathmandu, Sept. 27 (RSS): Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K.C. has appealed for the cooperation of all sectors concerned in promoting tourism through preservation of the country's natural and cultural heritage and by developing the country into an attractive tourist destination.

In a public message on the occasion of World Tourism Day today, Minister K.C. said that as tourism is a major source of foreign exchange and a sector with ample scope for employment generation the government has given top priority to the promotion of this sector.

Pointing out that "Tourism: A tool for peace and dialogue between civilisations" is the theme of this year's World Tourism Day, he said Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, who was born in Nepal spread the message of peace across the world.

Tourism has served as a tool for dialogue between the peoples of the world thereby contributing to world peace, he observed.

Constitution Nests sovereignty In people

Nepalgunj, Sept. 26 (RSS): President of Samyukta Janamorcha (SJM) Nepal, Amik Sherchan has said that the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal promulgated after the restoration of democracy in 1990 has vested the Nepalese people with sovereignty but they should have the right to elect a Constitution Assembly to make them sovereign in the real sense.

Speaking as main speaker at a programme concerning election of a Constitution Assembly to find a way out of the prevailing problem, he said that elections for the Constitution Assembly was a peaceful political way out of the current crisis. The programme was hosted by the SJM Banke district committee here today

He further said, "The leftists have been persistently demanding a Constitution Assembly and the responsibility for making the demand lies on their shoulders."

Badri Koirala and Ved Prasad Acharya, who are the secretaries of the Banke district committees of the CPN-UML and Rastriya Jana Morcha respectively, president of the district committee of Nepal Bidwat Parishad Dipak Bahadur Singh and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by SJM district convenor I.P. Kharel.

Additional portfolio

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Minister for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyay a will, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, look after the Ministry of Population and Environment in the absence of Minister for Population and Environment PL Singh who has left for Colombo to take part in the South Asian Sub-Regional Consultative meeting to be held there.

This is stated in a notice published by the Principal Press Secretariat of His Majesty the King.

Dr Krishna Chandra award

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Dr. Krishna Chandra Mishra Academy has decided to award the Dr. Krishna Chandra Mishra Hindi award of 2057 B.S. and 2058 B.S. to former head of T.U. Hindi Department Dr. Suryodev Singh "Prabhakar" and story writer Bunnilal Singh respectively.

The award carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each.

The academy was instituted in the year 2053 B.S. with the objective of honouring persons making significant contributions to Hindi literature.

Govt to protect religious sites, says Shrestha

Syangja, Sept. 26 (RSS): Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha inaugurated the Chhaya Chhetra Bhajan Kirtan building built by the ex-Gorkha servicemen of India at a function held at the famous historical religious Chhaya Chhetra of Syangja district.

The building was constructed at a cost of Rs 67,365 collected from the ex-servicemen of Ward Nos. 2 and 3 of Chhangchhagdi village development committee.

Speaking on the occasion Minister Shrestha said that government assistance would be provided for development of the Chhaya Chhetra which is considered a religious and touristic place of Syangja district.

Mr Shrestha stressed the need to attract the Hindus if India for a pilgrimage to the Chhaya Chhetra.

At the inaugural function chaired by chairman of the Chhaya Chhetra Development Committee Nara Bahadur Rana, DDC chairman Ram Bahadur Thapa, former home secretary Khemraj Regmi, DDC member Kamal Prasad Pageni, chairman of Chhangchhagdi VDC Pritam Shrestha and Gopal Bahadur Shrestha stressed the need to develop the Chhaya Chhetra into a pilgrimage centre.

'Govt making efforts to end untouchability'

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Minister for Home and Local Development Khum Bahadur Khadka has said that a social awarness campaign should be intensified for the elimination of untouchability and caste discrimination.

Inagurating a seminar held here today with the objective of giving final shape to the 15th national report concerning the UN convention on elimination of all kinds of racial discrimination to be presented to the UN committee concerned, Minister Khadka said that taking into consideration the prevailing problem of the oppressed and down trodden in the country, the government was making effort to constitute a national oppressed and down trodden commission and ensure passage a bill on the oppressed and downtrodden during the current session of Parliament.

Referring to various tasks being caried out by Nepal to comply with the international convention concerning racial discrimination after its ratification, he called upon all the concerned parties to prepare the report in such a way that it would reflect the real condition of the various castes and communities.

MPs Romi Gauchan, Lal Bahadur Bishwakarma, Bijul Kumar Bishwakarma, Rishi Babu Pariyar and Lok Bahadur Thapa said that untouchability and caste discrimination are impediments to national development and the government should show keen interest in the laws formulated for their eradication.

Vice-chairman of the neglected, oppressed and down trodden development board Man Bahadur Bishwakarma and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the seminar chaired by Local Development Ministry Secretary Udyaraj Soti.

Nepal had presented the biennial report to the relevent committee of the United Nations in 1971.

Geological Congress kicks off

Lalitpur, Sept. 26 (RSS): The third Nepal geological congress got under way here today with the objective of holding extensive discussions on the usefulness of geology, the challenges faced in this field and evolving necessary strategies in this regard.

About 250 persons from 12 countries including India, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, Japan, Switzerland and Nepal are attending the congress hosted by the Nepal Geological Society.

About 50 working papers concerning regional geology, environmental geology and natural disaster, technical geology and underground water are to be presented at the congress.

Inaugurating the three-day congress, Deputy Speaker Chitralekha Yadav said that the role of geological scientists and technical personnel would be very important in creating necessary basic structure for national development.

Stating that as Nepal also lies in an earthquake prone zone, technical personnel associated with this field should move ahead with full commitment to disaster mitigation, she said that the suggestions received from the congress would help HMG evolve necessary policy.

President of Nepal Geological Society Pratap Singh Tater, conference convenor R.K. Aryal and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by Director General of the Department of Mines and Geology Nanda Ram Sthapit.

Ultra-leftist deviation is a threat: Nepal

Pokhara, Sept. 26 (RSS): CPN (UML) general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal has said ultra-leftist deviation is a more serious threat to the communist movement than the rightist deviation.

Mr Nepal, who was inaugurating a zonal level orientation programme organised by the party's Gandaki Zone Coordination Committee today, observed that though unification many not be possible with the parties not accepting the resolutions of the party's sixth convention, working unity can be forged with such parties.

The UML leader spoke of the need to bring the agenda of the country and the people into discussions in order to make the government-Maoist talks fruitful and wondered under what kind of democracy the acts as looting and eating foodgrain collected by the people come.

Various other speakers including alternate central party member Prithvi Subba also spoke at the function chaired by UML central member and MP Kashinath Adhikari.

A total of 120 persons are taking part in the two-day orientation.

Farewell call on PM

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Mr Benjamin Bassin, Ambassador of Finland to the Kingdom of Nepal, paid a farewell call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at Singha Durbar today.

Resident in New Delhi, Mr Bassin is leaving for his country after the completion of his tenure.

Late Kansakar's contributions hailed

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopalman Shrestha has said that the activities of the Paropakar Institution established at the people's level with the theme "service is religion" should not be confined to Kathmandu but extended to the grassroots also.

He was speaking at a function hosted here today to mark the 55th foundation day of Paropakar, the oldest charity institution of Nepal.

Minister Shrestha said that just as the founder of Red Cross Henri Dumont had rendered services to those injured in war, Nepalese society will remembered the services rendered by late Daya Bir Singh Kansakar to the helpless, poor and sick in Nepal.

Paropakar anniversary

Member secretary of Social Welfare Council Dr. Tika Pokharel pointed out the need to make the activities and field of Paropakar, the oldest charity organisation of the country more widespread.

General Secretary of the Institution Hitkar Bir Singh Kansakar and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the programme presided over by its president Prayag Raj Singh Suwal.

The Paropakar institution, established in very difficult circumstances in 2004 Bikram Era has been rendering selfless services to the poor and the helpless.

Focus on creating jobs, Prime Minister tells NPC

Kathmandu, Sept. 26 (RSS): Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said as unemployment has emerged as a problem bigger than poverty our attention should be directed towards addressing this problem.

Prime Minister Deuba, who was speaking at a programme organised at the National Planning Commission Secretariat today to discuss the concept paper on the 10th Development Plan (2059/60-063/64), stressed the need for the NPC to pay special attention to resolving the unemployment problem within ten years.

He also said that population growth control, and resolution of unemployment and social and economic problems alone would help resolve the Maoist problem.

Discussion on Tenth Plan

The Prime Minister also asked the Planning Commission to bear in mind the implementation aspects and feasibility while selecting development projects.

Speaker Taranath Ranabhat spoke of the need to take into account the influence of the two giant neighbours and the country's own topography while formulating development plans.

Speaking of the need to pay proper attention to the development of water resources, tourism and human resources for sustainable development of the country, Mr Ranabhat noted that development of the nation is possible not by pleasing donor agencies but by involving the people in the selection, implementation and supervision of plans.

Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat noted that projects in the past failed in the past not because of the market oriented economic policy, but due to lack of optimum utilisation of our limited means and resources.

Stating that the Eighth Plan was highly successful, Dr Mahat said the National Planning Commission cannot be held solely responsible for the failure of projects and we all are equally responsible for this.

MPs on the occasion had given different suggestions to make the NPC more effective.