No rationale for change of Deuba-led government: Khadka

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: "Some people are trying to destabilise the present government," Home and Local Development Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka said today.

Khadka, who is a central member of the ruling Nepali Congress party, said he did not see any rationale for a change in the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government.

"I had raised this issue with the party president who also thinks it is not necessary to alter the government. So, the talk about leadership changes is just a rumour."

Calling for support for the government, Khadka said it would not be in the interest of the people and the nation to seek a change of guards at a time when the country is in a crisis.

The Minister said he was confident that the government would defeat the Maoist terrorists by mobilising its security apparatus.

"The overall security situation is not as good as desired at the moment. Maoists are still terrorising and murdering people."

Minister Khadka said that the government was making the necessary arrangements to foil the bandh called by the Maoists.

He appealed to all citizens, political parties and organisations to support the government in its efforts.

Minister Khadka said dialogue with the Maoists was not possible until they handed in their weapons. "The government has not received any offer for talks from the Maoists."

Referring to the remarks made by the Inspector General of Police at the State Affairs Committee, Khadka said, "If what appeared in the newspapers is true, the comments are unjust. The government is capable of ensuring law and order, not only in the capital, but throughout the country, and is committed to do so."

He said: "The Home Minister knows about the law and order situation in the country. The tradition is that the units under the Home Ministry have to report to me, but I have not been informed as yet that the police cannot provide security to the people.

"If anyone holding a position of power thinks they cannot work as expected, they should quit the job; sticking to a post like that is betraying the people and the country."

To a query about the absence of communication between the party president and the Prime Minister, he said that was not the case. But he agreed that they had differences over some issues.

The Nepali Congress cadres wanted unity and an end to the differences within the party, he said. "For this, the president will have to take the initiative."

"The president should appoint competent and experienced leaders to the central, disciplinary and parliamentary committees and to the party departments, regardless of their leanings."

If the president respected the feelings of the activists, the Prime Minister should also run the government as per the instructions of the party, Khadka said.

He claimed that 99.9 per cent of the party’s differences would end if the party president was ready.

"Most problems will be solved if Kishunji and Girijababu speak sincerely in one voice. The policy of balance and reconciliation can end the intra-party disputes."

Khadka asked the president to withdraw the unjust dismissal of incumbent Minister of Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta.

"I am confident that the president will respect the unanimous views of the present cabinet ministers and party rank and file to withdraw the dismissal."

Minister Khadka was speaking at the Reporter’s Club.

Maoists leave trail of destruction

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: Terrorists have blown up the airport tower in Bhojpur. They also blasted a sub-station of Nepal Electricity Authority at Chanauli in Chitwan yesterday.

Nine armed terrorists were killed in encounters with security forces yesterday. Three each died in Machchhepauwa of Kavrepalanchowk and Suryapatuwa of Bardiya, two in Baluwaphant of Krishnapur and one in Daha area of Kalikot.

Seven guns, 179 socket bombs, explosives and uniforms have been seized from the sites of the encounter.

One woman injured in a separate crossfire in Maure of Kavrepalanchowk died while undergoing treatment at the Birendra Military Hospital. One man died during security action in Dolakha. Security forces are investigating into the incidents, according to the Defence Ministry.

The forces have seized a large quantity of food looted by the terrorists from the local people in Salate of Dadeldhura.

RSS adds: In Dhangadhi, four armed Maoist terrorists exploded a powerful bomb at the Agricultural Development Bank office here yesterday causing extensive damage to the building, official documents and property.

Prior to the attack, the terrorists had forcibly demanded the keys of the bank from the two security guards on duty, according to the chief of the bank.

The bank had rented the building since the past few years.

In Charikot, Maoist terrorists set ablaze the staff quarters and office building of the Horticulture Center located at Boch VDC-5 of Dolakha district last night.

Property worth about Rs. 25 million was destroyed by the fire, according to chief of the Horticulture Center Bhola Prasad Adhikari.

The terrorists had blocked the road by felling a tree on the ground of the horticulture center located 13 kilometers away from charikot, the headquarters of the district.

Passengers of a bus removed the tree and re-opened the road at 11:30 a.m. today.

Likewise, the terrorists vandalized the office of the Cottage and Small Industry Development Committee in Dolakha district and destroyed property worth about Rs. 75,000 last night.

According to chief of the office Dhanaraj Pant, the terrorists took away six sewing machines, one typewriter and one juicer from the office.

In Nuwakot, Maoist terrorists on Thursday night set ablaze and damaged the wooden bridge over the Tadi Khola river on the Kathmandu-Trisuli section of the Pasang Lhamu Highway.

The fire was brought under control, but eight wooden planks of the bridge were completed destroyed.

Following the incident, transportation along the section of the highway has been diverted via the Devighat Galchi Road.

Prior to setting the bridge on fire, the terrorists had created obstruction along the road at Majhitar of Bidur municipality by cutting down trees. The obstruction was removed by security forces this morning.

It has also been learnt that the Maoist terrorists blasted a bomb at the entrance gate of Bidur municipality. The gate was damaged in the incident.

NC asks govt to take stern action against extremism

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: A Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party (NCPP) meeting today called for a united move to fight against Maoist terror and violence and suggested the government take stern action to counter Maoist extremism.

The meeting, which is held as per the tradition after the conclusion of the winter session of Parliament, assessed the 21st session.

"It extensively discussed and assessed the situation created by Maoist extremism," NCPP Secretary Benup Raj Prasai told journalists after the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s residence this afternoon.

Prasai said that the meeting directed the government to forge greater unity and to mobilize all the security apparatuses to defeat the Maoists.

Assessing the Maoists’ violence, murders and the destruction of development infrastructure, it demanded that such actions be stopped immediately. It asked the government to take all the necessary steps to foil the Maoists’ call for a five-day general strike.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, addressing the meeting, said that the 21st session of Parliament, which approved many important bills, was successful in realising the people’s expectations.

Deuba told the Congress legislator that the Maoists’ mindless activities had left them in the lurch, and they had been isolated from the rest of the society.

According to Prasai, Deuba told the meeting that the approval of the Anti-terrorist Bill and the unprecedented unity shown by the political parties against the Maoists were the major achievements of the 21st session, which concluded on Wednesday. "We need strong unity at a time when our security forces are fighting against the terrorists."

Labelling the Maoists as "mad dogs" because of their recent spurt of violent and destructive actions, Deuba said: " As their actions have isolated them, the defeat of the terrorists is certain."

Apart from Deuba, about one dozen legislators, including NC General Secretary Sushil Koirala, Joint General Secretary Govinda Raj Joshi and Former Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel expressed their views.

General Secretary Koirala said that terrorism had affected not only the villages but also the towns and cities. Koirala justified the need for a united fight against the Maoists, for which "a greater democratic alliance must be forged."

Poudel said that the ongoing wrangling between the party and the government must stop so that both of them could move ahead to hammer out greater unity.

Attended by 104 Nepali Congress lawmakers, the meeting was held despite two of its leading Congress leaders- Party President Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai are still out of the country.

About one third of the lawmakers walked out during the three-hour meeting. The other MPs that include Anand Raj Dhungana, Ram Kumar Chaudhary, Tilak Neupane, Sukra Raj Samyok, Ganga Dutta Joshi, Romi Guachan, Mahadev Gurung and Naryana Singh Pun drew the government’s attention over the deteriorating law and order situation and lack of the effectiveness of the government’s policy and programme.

Prasai said that the MPs had pointed out that the government had failed to implement the directives of the Party. They suggested that the government to correct its mistakes and shortcomings, Prasai said.

Held under the chairmanship of the NCPP leader Deuba, the meeting passed two resolutions. It strongly condemned the Maoists’ actitivities and called on the people to fight against terrorism. It also wished for the speedy recovery of former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who is currently undergoing treatment in Bangkok.

Nepal to raise voice on land degradation

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: Land degradation and desertification have been recognised as Nepal’s second most urgent environmental issue, says the draft country report to be presented to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. But the report has failed to mention specifically how much area is threatened by land degradation and desertification.

"In Nepal, areas showing desertification have not been mapped. About 10,000 hectares of land in the trans-Himalayan region have desert-like conditions with little rain and poor soil, and the area seems to expand," says the report presented at a national seminar today. The seminar was organised by the Ministry of Population and Environment to give a final shape to the report.

Commentators on the draft report at the workshop pointed out discrepancies. "The report has used many wrong and old data. They need to be revised," said Dr. Mohan Prasad Wagle, Director General of the Department of Soil and Watershed Conservation.

For example, the report says that out of the total watershed in the country, about 0.4 per cent is in very poor, 1.5 per cent in poor and 11.7 per cent are in fair conditions. These figures date back to 1997.

What is lacking in the report is the comprehensive analysis and description of the condition of land degradation and desertification. Only one out of the 42 pages has been allotted to the state of land degradation and desertification.

Nepal has to submit the second country report for the review of the implementation of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification by April. The convention came into effect in Nepal on January 13, 1997.

Since then, activities related to natural resource management have been started to curtail land degradation and desertification. Most of these activities are closely linked with the poverty alleviation programmes.

But they have failed to cover the whole country. Only 55 of the 75 districts are served by soil conservation and watershed management activities. "They have not covered areas where they are needed the most such as those affected by land degradation, natural resource depletion, desertification and drought," the report says.

The report accepts that there is no separate policy on desertification and the national plan of action focuses on maintaining and/or increasing land productivity and restore degraded land.

The national action plan mentioned in the report has nine action plans on restoring the productivity of the land and eight on soil conservation and watershed management to rehabilitate the degraded land.

"The goal of the national action plan is to mitigate land degradation, desertification and the effects of drought through improved land use and sustained land management," the draft mentions. For that it has identified main and supportive programmes in 16 areas with 24 programmes and 88 actions prioritised first, second and third and categorised into short, medium and long-term.

The main programmes include forest management, soil and water conservation in degraded lands, pasture management, special programme for mountains, food security and poverty alleviation, early warning and disaster relief systems and cross-sectoral programmes.

These programmes will be supported by policy development, legal instruments, institutional strengthening, studies and research, indigenous knowledge and practices, public awareness, media campaigning and capacity building.

The draft says US$ 97 million will be needed to start the programmes recommended in the national action plans. The government will spend Rs. 82.16 billion in agriculture, irrigation and forestry in the 10th plan period. The figure is 12.8 per cent of the total budget.

One weakness, as pointed out by Dr. Devendra Chapagain, agriculture economist and former member of the National Planning Commission and one of the four commentators, is that the plans and programmes have failed to find a definite target. "The draft has failed to propose concrete actions," he said.

The credibility of the report was put to doubt when Batukrishna Upreti, ecologist at the Environmental Effects Environmental Section of the Ministry of Population and Environment, who presented the report, said there could be repetitions and inadequacies.

Power sector reform could reduce tariffs

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka so far have had positive results by separating power generation, transmission and distribution into three companies, officials and experts of these South Asian nations said here today.

"After the implementation of the reform, the lowest tariff obtained was 2.79 cents per unit," said AM Rizwan, Managing Director of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Limited. The power supplied by the Nepal Electricity Authority – which does the generation, transmission and distribution itself – costs Rs 9.5 cents per unit, one of the highest in the world.

Bangladesh, which has an installed capacity of 4,230 MW catering to 30 per cent of its population, began reforming in the power sector in 2000, according to Rizwan. "The main change we had was segregation of power generation, transmission, and distribution into separate services. The idea was to corporatise and commercialise power sector entities."

His country also created a regulatory commission and encouraged private sector participation in power generation and distribution.

Such reforms, said S.C. Mahalik, former chairman of Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission in India, are needed for efficient and cost effective infrastructure services for sustainable development and international competitiveness.

Advocating the unbundling of generation, transmission and distribution to pave the way for private operators, he highlighted the role of an independent regulator to keep things right in the power sector "For attracting private investment in infrastructure, it is necessary to mitigate investors’ perception of risk by establishing an independent and autonomous regulator against political interference."

A vigorous market is the real regulator, but there is no market competition in the infrastructure sector, he said. "An independent regulator acts as a surrogate for the market in simulating competition by facilitating entry of new players."

Sri Lanka has a proposed structure of a bulk-power trading and transmission company which would be the single buyer of the generated power before it is transmitted and distributed, said Dr. Priyantha D C Wijayatunga of Centre for Energy Studies of Sri Lanka "For distribution, there would be four companies both in the rural and urban areas."

The presentation of Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka on the power sector reform came today following the debate on whether or not the NEA should be unbundled into separate entities on Wednesday. The two-day meeting on the power sector reform was organised by the United States Agency for International Development and was hosted by Nexant.

Restructuring and unbundling of NEA is recommended to reduce the interference by political bodies and enhance association of private sectors in many aspects, said Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission. "An ordinary customer pays more than five per cent of his income for electricity. This needs looking at."

Before the reforms, there should be more liaison bearing in mind a balanced gender representation, said Dr. Mohan Man Sainju, former Vice Chairman of the National Planning Commission. "We should go beyond technical aspects. The roles of sociology, anthropology and culture need to be recognised."

Speakers like Tara Bahadur Pradhananga, Chairman of the Tariff Fixation Commission and S.B. Pun, former Chairman of Nepal Electricity Authority, had on Wednesday suggested that the process of unbundling should not be dealt in haste.

CIAA files cases against 55 in NBL scam

Kathmandu, Apr. 19 (RSS): The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) today filed cases against 55 individuals at the Appellate Court Patan after completing investigations into disbursement of loans from Nepal Bank Limited, Kathmandu office, to the Mohan Sahani Group and firms and companies affiliated to the group.

A statement issued today by the CIAA says that the action has been taken against the bank office-bearers and individuals under clauses 7(1), 7(2), 8, 16 (a) and 29 of the prevention of Corruption Act—2017 and claims have also been made under clauses 18 and 34 of the CIAA Act—2048.

The CIAA statement claims that the bank officials and other persons had, through mutual collaboration, issued hypothication loans, T.R. Loans, pre-export loans, collateral loans and A.O.C.as well as other forms of loans from Nepal Bank Limited’s Kathmandu office to the Mohan Sahani Group and firms/industries/companies affiliated to it, illegally and with ill-intention for hypothetical business transactions.

The accused over-valued the low-cost collateral with the ill intention of defaulting on the loans. It also intentionally defied and breached the related Nepal acts by not paying or making the parties pay amounts which were, as per the law, to be paid continuously in time, the statement alleges.

The CIAA has implicated bank employees Sher Bahadur Thapa, Uttam Kumar Nepal, Purushottam Prasad Shrestha, Bishnu Ram Shrestha, Lok Bahadur Shrestha, Tirtha Ram Shrestha, Krishna Bahadur Karanjit, Sashi Kiran Shrestha, Indira Gurung, Rajanilochan Prasad Tandukar, Narendra Meher Shrestha, Pradip Neupane, Rabi Shrestha, Roshan Man Joshi, Purnaram Sharma Dawadi, Prakash Manandhar, Dhruba Ram Pradhan, Ishwar Man Joshi and Tirtha Narayan Maharjan.

They have been implicated for sanctioning loans on direct instructions, sanctioning loans without the endorsement of the collateral on the basis of simple application and commitment deeds, issuing loans on top of existing loans without taking any moves for recovering the latter and with big amounts outstanding, making unrealistic and inflated evaluation of collateral and commiting corruption by releasing loans wantonly without even inspecting the goods in collateral.

Likewise, the CIAA has accused four persons, namely engineers Keshav Lal Shrestha, Narendra Raj Bhattarai and Madan Prasad Dhungel and collateral evaluator Prof. Dr. Haribansha Jha of making unrealistic and inflated evaluation of land as collateral including land with cliffs, steep gradients, streambeds or high-tension line passing overhead. They had even recommended as collateral in a hasty manner some land which the government had acquired in 2025 B.S. For Budhanilkantha Secondary School, without even inspecting the land.

The CIAA has also demanded action against Mohan Sahani, Binod Sahi, Durga Datta Pandey, Shanti Shrestha, Prakash Rana, Bal Kanta Chaudhari, Shankar Prasad Joshi, Ajaya Kumar Chaudhari, Pradip Ratna Tuladhar, Sarbagya Ratna Tuladhar, Amar Raj Tamrakar, Bidya Pariyar, Prasasti Thapa, Raj Kumar Thapa, Rishi Ram Ghimire, Manoj Kumar Pandit, Karna Birsingh Uparkoti, Basudev Joshi and Bhupal Prasad Banstola, who took the loans, as the main accused, and against Hema Joshi for being a party to the scam.

Similarly, the CIAA has made claims against Bhakta Bahadur Thapa, Kanchhi Pradhan, Lal Bahadur Shrestha, Shyam Krishna Manandhar, Hari Bahadur Khadka, Bishnu Bahadur Khadka, Suku Lal Maharjan and Ratna Kaji Bajracharya, who used their land as ‘drishti bandhaki’ collateral after evaluation at unbelievably high rates in collusion with an organized criminal group which caused illegal losses to the bank by getting low-grade land over evaluated.

Likewise, claims have also been made against Ratna Maya Suwal, Akkal Bahadur Khatri, Kaji Bahadur Khatri and Pralhad Thapa, who gave their approval and were involved in sanctioning the loans to the Mohan Sahani Group without endorsing the written deeds.

The CIAA has demanded that the court impose the maximum of three years’ imprisonment, fines equivalent to the cost of the property in question and acquisition of property against the main accused and half of this against the colluders.

Nepal a cultural museum: K.C.

Kathmandu, Apr. 19 (RSS): Minister for Tourism and Culture and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K.C. has said that as a leader and an important intra-governmental body in tourism, the World Tourism Organisation (WTO) has always been playing an exemplary role in the development and promotion of tourism throughout the world.

Minister K.C. made this remark while addressing WTO/Satte seminar on marketing and promotion of intra-regional tourism in Asia held in New Delhi on Thursday

Referring to tourism as a tool for poverty reduction in many countries of the world including Nepal, he said it is through tourism that many countries of the world have been able to generate employment, and earn foreign currency which is highly needed for the overall development of their countries.

"In Nepal, we have attached very high importance to the overall development of the tourism sector," he said, adding that "the strength of Nepal as a travel destination is unbeatable, due to its landmark attractions like Mt. Everest- the highest mountain on the earth and thousands of other mountain peaks, Lumbini- the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Pashupatinath- the most sacred Hindu shrine and several other World Heritage sites, sub tropical jungles teeming with abundance of wildlife."

He described Nepal as a living cultural museum of more than 40 ethnic tribes with more than 70 spoken languages practised by its very hospitable and friendly people. His Majesty’s Government of Nepal is always committed to diversification of tourism destination with proper support of tourism infrastructure development, promotion of investment in tourism sector and other facilities as required, he added.

Public and private sectors have joined hands in Nepal for establishing Nepal as a premium destination in the world tourism map, the minister said.

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and its holds enormous potentiality for the future, Minister K.C. said, adding that with the support of WTO in transferring tourism know-how and launching projects on tourism development and promotion, the entire Asia region can benefit tremendously.

It is high time for Asia to come forward jointly, whereby all can facilitate the further growth of international as well as intra-regional travellers by simplifying travel entry formalities, improving accessibility and expanding air networks, improving and expanding tourism related infrastructures and enhancing the quality of tourism services in the region, he added.

NVAP targetting 3 M children

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 19: Children aged six months to five years received vitamin A capsules in 73 districts of the country today under the National Vitamin A Programme (NVAP) of the Ministry of Health. The capsules will be administered tomorrow as well.

The government has a target to administer Vitamin A capsules to about 3,151,000 children this time. The NVAP is going to start the programme in Rukum and Jajarkot districts from next year.

According to the NVAP, more than 40,000 Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs) have been mobilised for this purpose. The trained FCHVs conduct nutrition education programmes to promote consumption of Vitamin A rich food.

Launched in Nepal in 1993, the programme provides vitamin A capsules in April and October every year. The programme has been expanded to various districts on a phase-wise basis.

The NVAP, which has been receiving financial and technical support from USAID, UNICEF and AusAID, is a recognised model for successful multi-donor cooperation in Nepal.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Nepal Michael Malinowski today said that the vitamin A programme had become highly successful.

Malinowski commended the role played by the FCHVs in making the programme a success. "The important people in making the programme successful are the FCHVs," he said while initiating the distribution of Vitamin A capsules in Manmaiju Village Development Committee (VDC) in Kathmandu today.

Talking about US support for the programme, he said, "The US government started to support it after a survey report said that the administration of Vitamin A could help reduce child mortality."

Joanne Hale, Director of USAID, informed that the US government had provided US$ 1 million to Nepal for the programme.

Dr. Laxmi Raj Pathak, Director General of the Department of Health Services, Robert Kerr, Director of the American Center, and Ram Kumar Shrestha, Director of the NVAP, among others, were present on the occasion.

Dr. Pathak said that the programme had been running smoothly. He said that polio and vaccination programmes had also been launched to reduce the child mortality rate in Nepal.

Surveys show that the coverage of the Vitamin A programme is more than 90 per cent. Over the past five years, Vitamin A supplements have helped reduce the mortality rate of children under five years by 28 per cent. USAID estimates more than 30,000 child deaths are prevented every year through the intervention of the NVAP in Nepal.