Govt, NGOs lack data on juvenile delinquents in jail

By A Staff Reporter

BHAKTAPUR, Aug. 21: The government as well as NGOs working for children has no specific data about the number of juvenile delinquents in jails across the country.

The Underprivileged Child Education Project (UCEP) has records of only seven children under 16 who were put in jail for delinquency.

On the occasion of the National Children's Day, a one-day workshop on 'Present and Future of Child Prisoners Accused of Criminal Allegation in Nepal' was organised by UCEP and the Child NGO Federation Nepal.

During the workshop, they said delinquents were no longer sent to jail, but put under the care of UCEP, where they are given education.

The seven children who were present at the workshop said they wanted access to vocational and technical education so that they could be self-reliant after they came out from the reform centres.

The workshop was aimed at improving the situation of juvenile delinquency, child rights as mentioned by the Geneva Convention, Children's Act 2048 and the Nepalese Constitution.

A number of suggestions were proposed for inclusion in the upcoming amendment of the Act, which include raising the age bar of children from 16 to 18 and seeing that their criminal record did not affect their future prospects.

Chief guest Minister for Women and Social Welfare Shushila Swanr assured that the suggestions would be incorporated in the bill.

Speakers at the programme analysed the causes, which force children to involve themselves in criminal activities. They suggested that delinquents be rehabilitated in correction centres to assure their future.

Nepal fails to act on promises: SEJ forum

RSS

LALITPUR, Aug. 21: Nepal has failed to act on the promises and determination that it had shown in the international treaties and sanctions pertaining to sustainable development, environmentalists have pointed out.

Nepal remains mum on the matters of mountain development in the Johannesburg World Summit on sustainable development that starts this August 26 despite the fact that it observed 2002 as International Mountain Year and is often used as synonym for Mt Everest, the highest peak, they say.
This is pointed by the participants of a national symposium on 'World Summit and Nepal for Sustainable Development' organised by Society for Environmental Journalists (SEJ) here today.

No concrete steps on enforcement have been taken so far although Nepal has signed more than 20 conventions related to sustainable development and 16 of them have been ratified, the participants grumbled.

Speaking at the programme vice chairman of National Planning Commission Dr. Narayan Khadka said the government has laid priority on poverty alleviation and sustainable development in the 10th plan and added that sustainable development remains only hypothetical as long as poverty prevails.

National Planning Commission has prepared a draft of national status in the context of country's economic development and conservation of environmental sector to be included in the 10th plan, avoiding the defects and loopholes that were seen in the past years.

From the chair, president of Nepalese Network for Sustainable development Surya Man Shakya stressed the need for government to be determined in conserving environment.

Sustainable development becomes only a fantasy unless natural resources are properly conserved and exploited, said tourism expert Karna Shakya.

On the occasion SEJ General Secretary Mohan Bista, programme coordinator Rajesh Ghimire and senior journo Bhairab Rijal also had expressed their respective views.

Campaign against AIDS urged

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 21: Minister of Health Sharat Singh Bhandari has said that all the citizens should be engaged in the campaign against HIV/ AIDS as it has been a complex problem of the country.

Addressing the meeting on HIV /AIDS organised by FNCCI Tuesday, he said it is not a minor thing to have 58, 000 people affected by AIDS and sought private sector help.

FNCCI president Rabi Bhakta Shrestha stressed on programmes for awareness of the workers in various industries and private sector.

A agreement was signed on awareness and private sector efforts for the control of HIV/AIDS between FNCCI and UN-VIP Group.

Also speaking on the occasion were Suraj Vaidya of FNCCI, un-vip group chairman bill mussok, UN-AIDS programme officer Jackline Brild and Nepali Times editor Kunda Dixit also expressed their views.

Meanwhile, Kabhre Public Health Office, Kabhre has started a public health campaign to familiarise adolescents aged between 10 to 19 with physical changes like the menses, sexually transmitted disease, family planning, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.

Nepal Family Planning Association, Kabhre has been running youth information centres in the district with a view to acquainting the youths about complexities arising out of marriage at early age and pregnancy, STD, drug abuse, accidents, violence and unsafe abortion.

Counselling and rehabilitation centres also have been established in Banepa, Panauti and Dhulikhel to impart knowledge about STD and reproductive health taking into account the alarming rate of AIDS and STD cases, chief public health officer Bal Krishna Bhusal said.

Participation of all classes sought

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug. 21: Member of the National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr. Shankar Sharma released a book in both Nepali and english "People in the Good Governance Plan' published from the conclusions of interactions conducted by SAP-Nepal in various levels for the promotion of good governance in the country.

On the occasion, he said the women, nationalities and Dalits related commissions and organisations have instead of running proper programmes to bring them into the mainstream, demanded hefty economic assistance for other purposes.

Dr. Mohan Man Sainju who was on the chair said the reasons for failure to bring the women, Dalits and nationalities is because of the programmes not reaching to the target groups and unless the political process does not take it, it will not be successful.

SAP-Nepal executive director Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepali presented study report and sought legal provisions for the participation of all classes and mobilisation of local resources.

Political expert Krishna Khanal said a big gap exists between the private sector schools and government schools and the productions from the latter will not be able to compete with the former in the future.

Sociologist Bihari Krishna Shrestha said it is sad that the dalits have access to worship in the temple only through the priest.

Professor Dr. Chandra Kala Bhadra satirically said that Nepal had sustainable development in increasing poverty.

Transportation resumes in Kathmandu-Trisuli road

RSS

NUWAKOT, Aug. 21: Vehicular traffic along the 27-kilometer portion of the Kathmandu-Trisuli road on the Pasang Lhamu Highway in Kakani resumed Tuesday following a 24 hour obstruction due to landslides triggered by incessant rainfall.

Two-way traffic was made possible on the road following a six-hour arduous effort made by Nepal police and the local residents, it is learnt.

Hundreds of devotees on their way to Gosaikunda for the "Janai Purnima" festival were stranded for around five hours as road equipment like loader and dozer were not available on time.

Citing insecurity reasons, the division road office, Ranipauwa said that devotees had been stranded dor about five hours as the heavy equipment sent to the capital had not arrived on time.

Meanwhile, transport services have been disrupted on Barhabise-Tatopani portion of Arniko Highway because of landslide triggered by incessant rainfalls.

Landslides in Taklang of Phulpingkatti VDC and Chaku bazaar of Marming VDC have blocked the 26-km portion of the highway which witnesses the problem every year in rainy season.

One has to walk for an hour from Hindi to the new bridge at Marming VDC after the road collapsed at several points because of incessant rainfall, Tatopani VDC secretary Dambar Bahadur Shrestha said.
Some vehicles loaded with goods have been stranded midway, causing impediments to business activities there.

Similarly, transport services on the road from Zero Kilo to Melamchi have also came to a standstill after a culvert over cha rivulet was swept away by floods.

Surkhet, traffic on the Ratna Highway has come to a halt as a result of incessant rainfall since Monday night.

Transport services on the highway were disrupted after the road collapsed at several point on an approximately 26 km portion from Kohalpur to Harre Danda.

Day buses plying from Surkhet to Kathmandu have been turning around at Harre Danda.

Two bulldozers are being mobilised to clear debris on the highway, it is learnt.

Swollen river damages paddy

RSS

CHAUTARA, Aug. 21: The swollen Dhankhola or river has damaged paddy cultivated on some 600 ropanis of land in Kavre and Sindhupalchowk districts.

The river ran through some 300 ropani of paddy cultivated land at ward Nos. 1, 3 and 5 of Bisauna VDC of Kavre and ward Nos. 5, 8 and 9 of Fataksheela VDC of Sindhupalchowk.

An additional around 700 ropani of land was also affected by the flood that swept away four irrigation canals.

Likewise, the Indrawati River has inundated paddy cultivated on 300 ropani of land at ward Nos. 2 and 5 of Simale Bagar and ward No. 8 of Situwa Bagar.

Four houses at ward Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 8 collapsed as a result of the continuous downpour, VDC secretary Krishna Prasad Ghorasaini said.

The new and old market in Sipaghat were also affected by the swollen Dhand river.

In Bajura, about 30 bigas of land have been inundated and additional 15 bigas have been washed away at Sera Gaon of Brahma Tole-7 because of flooding in Guingad river.

Due to the floods, health and livestock services, trading and commercial activities have been hampered at Sera village which is regarded as a focal point of some 11 VDCs of western part of the district.

About 35 households are learnt to have been badly affected by the floods.

Neither HMG nor any social organisation shows sympathy to their plight while asking for relief for the displaced families and a solution to the inundation problem in the long run.

Meanwhile, the Punyamati stream has claimed the life of Rajesh Khatri, 14, of Panauti Municipality ward No. 1.

As per the information provided by the ilaka police office Tuesday, the body of Rajesh reported missing since august 17 was found at the bank of the Roshikhola stream.

The death toll caused by the recent heavy downpour in Kavre district has risen to 26 while Ronit Sharma of Banepa Municipality ward No. 11 missing since August 17 has not yet been traced and vigorous search is on to find him, the ilaka police office, Banepa has stated.