Nepal fully committed to sustainable development: PL

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: Minister for Population and Environment P. L. Singh has said that Nepal remains committed to reduce widespread poverty by promoting sustainable development.

Addressing the 5th SAARC Environment Ministers' Conference in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan today, Minister Singh said "at present, we are focusing to strengthen the environmental institutions, promote a balance between the overall economic development and the environment, and develop human resources so as to provide backstopping facilities to the people."

Singh said the Ministry of Population and Environment is currently engaged in inter alia, strengthening environmental administration, implementing environmental policies and laws and several programmes with the active participation of the local bodies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector.

Minister Singh said that Nepal has made remarkable progress in mobilising the community user groups for the conservation and management of forests, soil, water, and protected areas' buffer zones.
"We will be pleased to share such experiences with our partners in users mobilisation for natural resource management," he added.

"We have also recently established a national commission on sustainable development," he said, adding the commission, chaired by no less a person than the Prime Minister, will contribute to promote environment-friendly economic development.

The previous decision of the meetings of the SAARC environmental ministers, and technical committee on environment, meteorology and forestry have been instrumental in guiding our environmental actions, he remarked.

Minister Singh said the need for strengthening partnership with the environmental institutions of this region is of particular significance in dealing with problems of land degradation, environmental pollution-air and water, trans-boundary movement of hazardous wasters, invasive alien species, flood forecasting and disaster preparedness, etc.

Minister Singh suggested implementation of a project on strengthening environmental assessment and monitoring capabilities in South Asia (SEAMCAP) to prepare a national and South Asia state of the environment report, recommendations of the consultation meeting of the stakeholder and the governments on world summit in sustainable development, Male declaration on control and prevention of air pollution and its likely trans-boundary effects for South Asia, action for sustainable management of mountain environment, development of concrete action programmes for implementation of multilateral environment agreements and development of regional treaty on environment.

Minister Singh hoped that these issues and other important issues specified in the agenda will receive serious consideration during deliberations, and will be able to make fruitful recommendations, which will go a long way on helping to protect our environment for today and tomorrow.

RPP demands early local polls

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: A meeting of the RPP Central Working Committee today decided to hold the third general convention of the party within a month following the mid-term elections.

The meeting held under the chairmanship of RPP president Surya Bahadur Thapa drew the attention of the Election Commission towards the misuse of public media and government means and resources as well as local administration against the spirit of the Constitution and when the Election Code of Conduct has already been enforced following the declaration of the date of the elections.
A political proposal presented by RPP general secretary Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana was approved with amendment by the meeting.

Meanwhile, the meeting has also demanded that the government hold elections of the local bodies immediately and constitute an all party consultation committee, with approval from the Election Commission, to run the local bodies until election is held.

A committee has also been constituted under the convenorship of chief of the party's local bodies department Rabindranath Sharma to implement the policy of the party related to the local bodies. Jogmehar Shrestha, Krishna Charan Shrestha, Prem Bahadur Bhandari, Rambilas Yadav, Chandra Bahadur Gurung and Bhuvan Pathak are members of the committee.

The meeting also expressed profound sorrow over the huge damage caused to public life and property by floods and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall across the country and extended tributes to the deceased and condolences to the members of the bereaved families.

A demand was also made by the meeting for immediate relief assistance for the victims' families, medical treatment for the injured and rehabilitation of those displaced.

The meeting demanded immediate supply of foodgrains to the drought-hit areas and a serious response to the demands put forth by the medias.

The meeting has urged the medias to perform their role responsibly taking into consideration the existing complex situation in the country.

Heart patients increasing in Nepal

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: There has been a cent per cent increase in the number of heart patients in Nepal over the last five years.

This is stated in a study entitled "activities on heart diseases in Nepal" which cardiologist Dr. Prakash Raj Regmi presented at an interaction programme on the occasion of the fourth general meeting of Nepal Heart Club in Lalitpur today.

According to the study report, whereas heart patients comprised only 5 per cent of the total patients seeking treatment in hospitals in Nepal five years ago, the number has gone up to make 10 per cent at present.

At the programme Dr. Regmi gave out the information that the number of heart specialists has increased from 15 five years ago to 40 at present, the number of cardiac surgeons has increased from four to ten, the number of hospitals with cardiac intensive care units has increased from two to ten and the number of diagnostic centres with colour echo-cardiography facility has gone up from one to 25.

Similarly, he stated that whereas close heart surgery was performed only at three hospitals five years back, the service is now available at six hospitals and open heart surgery was performed at six hospitals at present as against one five years ago.

According to the study report, cath-lab service is going to be expanded to two more heart care units in the near future from two at present.

The same report says that the number of people going abroad for undergoing heart surgery has fallen by 25 per cent due to the availability of standard heart care services in the country.

It is learnt that cardiac services and physicians which were only limited to the capital five years back are now available in Pokhara, Bharatpur, Birgunj, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Dharan also, and that post heart failure emergency treatment facilities were available in all these towns.

It was also disclosed at the programme that arrangements were being made to introduce cath-lab and angiography services at the Medicare and B and B hospitals in the near future, that angioplasty services were being provided at the Sahid Ganga Lal Heart Centre, Medicare Hospital and B and B Hospital and that open heart and by-pass surgical services would be provided from the medicare hospital in the near future.

At the programme senior cardiologist and president of the Cardiac Society Dr. Mrigendra Raj Pandey released a book entitled "Samarpan Ko Jeevan" authored by Dr. Regmi. The programme was inaugurated by Madan Maharjan, an eight-year-old congenital heart patient.

On the occasion, Dr. Pandey underlined the need for launching public awareness programmes on treatment of cardiac ailments.

Central vice-president of heart foundation Nepal and senior cardiac surgeon Dr. Damodar Pokharel praised the working efficiency of the Heart Club.

At the programme chaired by Heart Club president Dr. Rana Krishna Jung, member of the Heart Club and general manager of Nepal Television Durga Nath Sharma and president of Nepal Heart Foundation Lalitpur branch Ram Prasad Joshi also expressed their views.

It was also disclosed on the occasion that the club was going to establish a counselling department for the benefit of heart patients and also setting its branches in some new districts.

Gupta expresses grief at Singh's demise

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: Minister for Information and Communications Jayapakash Prasad Gupta has expressed profound grief at the untimely demise of former president of Saptari district committee of the Nepali Congress Indradev Singh who had been associated in the fight for the sake of democracy for quite a long time.

In his condolence message, Minister Gupta has said that in the demise of Singh, he has lost a political leader, and the Terai region a senior leader of the democratic movement.

Paying tributes to the late Singh, Minister Gupta has also expressed his condolence to the bereaved family.

A democratic leader, Singh, 72, who was ailing for some time passed away at Kathmandu last night.
Late Singh had spent eight years in exile in India during the course of democratic movement and had faced frequent imprisonment.

After the restoration of democracy, he was elected Nepali congress MP from constituency No. 2 of Saptari district to the House of Representatives in the general elections of 2048 B.S.

he is survived by his wife and two sons.

CWC meet crucial to strengthen party

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug 10: The four-day-long central working committee (CWC) meeting of the Nepali Congress headed by former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala concluded today. The meeting passed the report of its General Secretary Sushil Koirala and approved, with amendments, the report of the high level committee headed by the General Secretary.

"The meeting was called to chalk out problems and prepare groundwork for strengthening the party at the grassroots level after the Supreme Court's decision of endorsing the dissolution of the parliament," a press statement issued after the meeting said. "It also discussed various issues facing the country." The meeting said it accepted the Supreme Court's verdict, although it was an unexpected one.

Concluding the meeting today former Prime Minister Koirala said that the meeting was fruitful in the sense that it helped realise the democratic norms, values and principals among its members. Koirala directed the party workers to remain united, dutiful and disciplined in order to strengthen and make the party democratic. The meeting also endorsed the distribution of party membership as a national campaign.

The meeting endorsed the party's proposal requesting all mainstream political parties to come to a common forum, so that, they could discuss and pave ways for safeguarding democracy gained through a great sacrifice of the people.

Refuting the ongoing violence and terror unleashed by the Maoists since the past seven years, the meeting appealed them to leave the path of violence and join a peaceful and legal way of life.
The meeting called the present government as a caretaker one, and asked it to be fair, impartial and stick to the election code of conduct in the forthcoming general elections. "The meeting has asked the government to hold the local body elections as soon as possible," the party's statement said.

Singer Fatteman solo performance

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: Senior singer and lyricist Fatteman Rajbhandari completed his first ever solo performance here this evening.

The 67-year-old Fattehman sang 25 folk, evergreen and national songs in the two and a half hour programme.

Fatteman who began his musical career as a member of the Bhajan Mandali at Pashupati sang in the Radio since 2018 B.S.

The proceeds from the programme organised by event Nepa-Laya is to be presented to youth vision, an organisation working for the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol addicts, it is learnt.

Three rebels gunned down in encounters

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 10: In their on-going operations against Maoist terrorists, security personnel gunned down at least three rebels in separate encounters. Two terrorists were killed in Accham district while one, who is known as Binod, was shot dead at Thapapur of Kailali district in counter attacks with the security forces in course of search and destroy operation on 8th August, says the press release from the Defense Ministry. The security forces seized pistol, socket bombs, explosives and objects of accommodation from the spots.

Two guns and socket bombs hidden by terrorists were found from Gamtha of Mugu district during the search operation yesterday.

According to the Defence Ministry, the army personnel also rescued people who were injured because of the heavy rain and landslide at Furungung, Hangdewa, Lingkhem and Samadin of Taplejung district. The rescued are undergoing treatment. Relief materials were also distributed to the affected families. A serious woman found at Bhimgattha of Baglung was taken by army helicopter to Baglung Hospital for treatment by the security forces, says the press release.