His Majesty receives 'Nutan Yagyopavit'

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: On the occasion of Rishi Tarpani His Majesty the King received the "Nutan Yagyopavit" or a new sacred thread at the auspicious hour of 16:55 p.m. at the Narayanhity Royal Palace today.

On the occasion His Majesty the King was sprinkled with holy water amidst the chanting of vedic hymns. A 31 gun salute was also presented.

Likewise, His Majesty the King received the "Rakshya Sutra" (sacred amulet) from Bada Guruju Keshari Raj Pandey, Nayab Bada Gurujyu Dr. Madhav Bhattarai, Mul Purohit Ramesh Prasad Pandey and other gurus and Purohits as per Hindu rituals.

Her Majesty the Queen also received the "Rakshy Sutra" on the occasion.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess and other members of the Royal Family also received the Rakshya Sutra.

SAARC Ministers stress to strengthen economic cooperation, curb terrorism
SAARC Summit in Jan : SAPTA negotiations Sept 2-4

By Narayan Upadhyay

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: The 23rd meeting of the SAARC Council of Ministers concluded here today with accent on accelerating regional economic cooperation, fixing a set date for all regional summits, implementing poverty alleviation programmes and suppressing terrorism.

"Out of these, two big achievements of the present session were the ministers' acceptance to fix a date for the SAARC summits and speeding up regional economic cooperation," Chairperson for the 23rd Session Sharat Singh Bhandari said at the conclusion of the two-day session.

"Every successive year, a fixed date for the SAARC summit will be decided for the month of January. It will end all confusion regarding when the summits will be held, besides giving momentum to the SAARC process," Bhandari said. "The 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad will take place between January 5 and 20 next year."

"The next achievement is in the area of economic cooperation among the member states, for which a time-bound goal and target has been fixed. Also the finalisation of the SAPTA within a time-bound framework will enhance cooperation in this area," he said. The fourth round of the SAPTA negotiations will be held in Kathmandu September 2-4.

During the meeting, the ministers gave high priority to the issue of poverty alleviation. The Secretary General has been preparing a regional poverty profile as directed by the 11th Summit. For this a meeting of the SAARC Finance and Planning Ministers will be held in Colombo.

On the issue of terrorism, Bhandari said that all the member states reiterated their commitment to suppressing terrorism. Senior officials, assisted by legal advisors, will meet to come up with recommendations or protocols. A ministerial level meeting, to be hosted by Bangladesh, will ratify these protocols to implement ways to suppress terrorism.

The meeting has endorsed Nepal's proposal to establish a SAARC award of US$ 8,000 and a citation to be presented by the incumbent chairperson. The recipient will be recommended to the Council of Ministers by a selection committee.

Apart from a concept paper on the SAARC Award, Nepal also presented two other concept papers on rationalising institutional issues relating to the SAARC and forming an autonomous advocacy group of women personalities. The council approved all three papers.

The Council of Ministers, before parting, undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in implementing the decisions taken by the leaders of the SAARC nations during the 11th Summit. At the end, said Bhandari, the ministers were able to adopt a report in which they renewed their commitment to carry forward the spirit of cooperation by providing further impetus to the SAARC process.

Sinha says no to bilateral issues

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: India will not allow any bilateral issue to cloud the SAARC process, Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha said today.

Sinha, at a press conference at the conclusion of the 23rd session of the Council of Ministers, said that he had no plans to hold a meeting with his Pakistani counterpart during his Kathmandu sojourn.
"I will not misuse the host's hospitality by holding talks with my Pakistani counterpart on bilateral issues."

On the question of the Maoists allegedly using Indian soil, he said that he would take up the issue of the Maoists with Nepalese officials during his stay here.

"We have made it clear that SAPTA and SAFTA should be pushed forward quickly because they will form largely the basis of our economic cooperation. We have also decided that we will try and involve in a common position regarding the SAARC at the World Trade Organisation."

Regarding the next SAARC summit, a great deal of confusion has been deliberately created. The date of the 12th Islamabad Summit coincides with India's budget session. From mid February to mid-May it is very difficult for the Prime Minister to take leave for three or four days because of the budget session, he said.

Other countries have also made similar pleas that their budget sessions begin after the 15th of May. So India has asked Pakistan to hold the Summit in January. It has also requested that a date be set in January for the regional summit.

46 feared dead in bus accident

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: It was a bad day for Nepal, with three bus accidents taking place close on the heel of a plane crash early in the morning that killed 18 people.

All 46 people were feared dead as a passenger bus plunged 200 metres into the Trishuli river near Munglin on the Prithvi Highway, about 100 kilometres west of here, Thursday afternoon. The ill-fated bus, with registration No. Ga 1 Kha 1806, was heading for Baglung in mid-west Nepal from Kathmandu when it skidded off the road and plunged into the flooding river at a place called Nagali Khola on the highway in Chitwan district, police said.

According to police, a rescue team had recovered one dead body from the site till late evening. Armed police personnel from nearby Kurintar and Bharatpur, who have reached the area, are mounting a search and rescue operation. The Home Ministry source said that the accident occurred when a boulder rolled down a hill on the scenic highway and hit the moving bus, throwing it off balance.
The driver, Kedar Thapaliya, died on the spot. The bus is under water, and rescue operations have been hampered by murky water and strong river currents.

Certain portions of the highway are prone to landslides which are caused by torrential rains. The central part of the country has been receiving heavy monsoon rains in recent weeks, triggering mudslides and flashfloods.

In another incident, one person died and two were injured when a passenger bus heading for Birgunj from Kathmandu met with an accident at Krishnabhir on the Naubise-Mungling sector of the Prithvi Highway. Krishnabhir is notorious for mudslides, resulting in traffic jams.

In yet another incident, some people died and 14 others were injured when a bus met with an accident at Bhalu Khola of Jhapa in eastern Nepal at 5 p.m. on the Mahendra Highway. The passenger bus of Bhabana Travels was heading west from Kakadbhitta.

Service for the neglected

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Students of Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) of St. Xavier's College celebrated the National Children's Day today with 60 street children they had picked up from different parts of Kathmandu.

The girl students trimmed the children's hair and nails, cleaned their bodies and fed them. The students had set up a free health camp at the college. The students wanted to create the awareness that street children deserve the same love as family members. Then, there was matinee idol Rajesh Hamal to entertain the children.

"The food and medicines were provided by sponsors like Deurali Janata, Marawari Sewa Samiti," said Sharmila Subedi, a BSW student.

Added another student Anu Shrestha, "It took us two weeks to bring these children together. We picked them up from 'Khate junctions' such as Thamel, Jawalakhel, King's Way, Putalisadak, Kalimati and New Road." Khate is the name given by the street children to themselves, which means 'they must do whatever they can to make a living'

Initially, the children did not know why we were inviting them to the college. But when they found out that it was for food and fun, they all enjoyed, she said.

They were taken to the college by bus in the morning and dropped in their respective places in the evening. The college had organised a similar programme last year on children's day. But the children came from orphanages and children's homes run by the NGOs.

The children today were aged between 8 and 16 years, most of whom came from outside the valley. They all said they wanted to read and write. Some even expressed the desire to return home.

One of them, Bhola Thapa, who claimed to be a member of 'Rajesh Hamal' gang, said that he wanted to return to Lamjung during Dashain, but had no money do so. He came to Kathmandu about five years ago and has spent the entire period in the streets.

St. Xavier's College offers BSW courses in Nepal.

18 killed in Shangri-La Air crash

By Krishna Sharma

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: A Shangri-La Air Twin Otter aircraft crashed just one minute before it was due to land in the mid-Western resort town of Pokhara Thursday, killing all 18 people abroad, including three crew members. All the passengers who were killed in the crash were foreigners - 13 Germans, one American, and one British national. This is the first time that a domestic private airliner has crashed with all foreign nationals, excluding the crew.

The ill-fated Canadian built 9N-AFR (Alpha Foxer Romeo) had taken off from Jomsom, one of the most popular trekking destinations, at 9:41 this morning and was due to land in the western regional headquarters of Pokhara at 10:00. But one minute before the plane was due to land, it lost control and crashed into a tree covered hill at Dopahare of Kisti Village Development Committee, five kilometres southeast of Pokhara Airport. Poor visibility due to foggy weather and three days of nonstop rain have been blamed for the crash.

However, an air traffic engineer, on condition of anonymity, hinted that the malfunctioning of the altimeter could have led to the crash. "The crash site is at a comparatively low place where planes normally do not fly. The altimeter, which shows the height of a flying plane from sea level, must not be functioning well," he said.The captain had enquired about the weather condition in Bhairawa along the Indo-Nepalese border. But the tower lost contact immediately.

Among the crewmembers who lost their lives in the crash are Captain Bipin Mishra, co-pilot Sunil. S. Rajbanshi and cabin attendant Madhu Amatya.

The German passengers who died are Alios Kraft, Alexender Paul Ostermann, Ms. Andrea Ostermann, Rainer Rockstroh, Helmut Spatz, Ms. Annemerie Haeuser, Ms. Eva Helia Tichvsky, Ms. Marlith L. Bettermann, Mario Ullrich, Ms. Cormelia Ullrich, Karal H. Schmatz and Ms. S. S. Enz. "They had arrived in Nepal on August 3 and were returning to Kathmandu after completing their trekking expedition," Shankar Travel and Tours, the official agent of the German trekking group, told The Rising Nepal. The German nationals are aged between 35 to 38 years.

Along with the German team, one American citizen John Lawson Short and a British national David James Black had also boarded the plane, which was originally scheduled to fly from Jomsom on Wednesday.

The mortal remains of all the victims have been airlifted to Kathmandu. A press release issued this evening by the Civil Aviation Office of Tribhuvan International Airport stated that the dead bodies had been sent to TU Teaching Hospital for post mortem.

The local people of Dopahare had informed the police within half an hour of the crash and a helicopter of the Royal Nepalese Army had spotted the crash site within an hour of the accident. "Since the crash site was a hill with dense woods, it was very difficult for the rescue team to reach and start work in time," our Pokhara correspondent said.

Shangri- La Air begun operations from November 1999 with the ill-fated plane, which it had bought from a Malaysian airlines. Within three years of its service, Shangri-La Air had earned good customers. The airline now has only two small planes left, one on lease from an American company and one it had bought from Lumbini Airways.

With the most recent accident, there have been seven air crashes in the last eight months, killing 32 people. It was only over a month ago that a Skyline Twin Otter plane had crashed in Dailekh, killing four people aboard. However, the whereabouts of 10 passengers of an Asian Airlines chopper that went missing some four months ago is still unknown. So far, more than 570 people (both Nepalese and foreigners) have died in 57 air crashes since 1956.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed shock over the sad demise of the foreign nationals and the crewmembers in the Shangri-La Air plane crash. "I express my heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family and pray for eternal peace to the departed souls," the Prime Minister's condolence message stated.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press quoting the German Foreign Ministry said experts from Germany's air accident investigation office will travel to the crash site.

Rescue efforts hampered, 41 confirmed dead in landslide

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Rescue efforts in Thapra in Ramechhap, where a massive landslide killed dozens Wednesday, were hampered today after Maoist terrorists attacked a joint team of the security personnel. The rescue team on foot was delayed after the Maoists attacked them when they were just half an hour's walk away from the village. There has so far been no report of any casualties. The Maoist attack also delayed the rescue helicopter carrying relief materials from reaching the place on time. Bad weather had prevented the rescue yesterday.

Chief District Officer (CDO) Trilok Prasad Shrestha said another rescue team of 50 members had reached the village yesterday. "The team of 80 members, which came under Maoist attacks, is expected to reach the village this evening," he said.

The entire village located in Bamti Village Development Committee (VDC) was swept away after land slipped from above in the remote hills. The landslide washed away 19 houses, while 24 others were damaged. "The whole village has only two houses standing," CDO Shrestha said.

The Home Ministry today confirmed the deaths of 41 people belonging to seven Basnet families. As many as 100 people were feared buried in the mound of mud.

Shanti Bahadur Basnet, 47, a local from Thapra but living in Kathmandu, said he had never known even a boulder to roll down on the village. The village lies in between a sloping hill on one side and forests on the other, with the settlement extending all the way down to the Likhu river, a tributary of the Koshi River, below.

More deaths due to landslides have been reported elsewhere. Two persons, 65-year-old Nanda Kishore Parajuli and his 7-year-old son Sabin Parajuli of Masa VDC of Sindhupalchowk, died when a landslide caused by incessant rains in the last six days buried their house. Four other members of the family were injured

Police said property and cattle worth Rs. 600,000 were destroyed by the landslide. The landslide also damaged eight houses of other families.

The Trishuli-Dhunchhe road, linking Kathmandu with adjoining Rasuwa, has been damaged badly by the rains. Police said pilgrims going to Gosainkunda had to walk from Mulkharka along the road. Bhadra (August-September) is the month when pilgrims throng Gosainkunda to take a dip in the lake on the lap of Ganesh Himal.

Local businessmen said they had expected about 20,000 pilgrims this year but the rains have kept them back. Last year, 12,000 pilgrims had visited Gosainkunda.

Similarly, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that he was shocked to learn of the massive loss of live and property caused by landslilde at Thapra village of Bamti VDC in Ramechhap district.
Praying to the almighty to provide enough strength to the bereaved families of those killed in the disaster to bear the grief, Mr. Deuba has also wished eternal peace to the departed souls.

'Non-economic issues should not affect SAARC'

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDu, Aug. 22: The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) today jointly hosted a luncheon in honour of the SAARC foreign ministers, who are in Kathmandu to attend the 23rd SAARC Ministerial meeting.
Officials of the SCCI and FNCCI also presented momentoes to the SARRC foreign ministers.

Speaking at the function, SCCI president Padma Jyoti said that economic cooperation was the seed through which SAARC could truly blossom. "We have to accelerate our efforts and show by example that SAARC will not be bogged down by non-economic issues," added Jyoti.

He said that the SAARC Chamber had proposed to set up a Government Industry Partnership during the 11th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu with the objective of identifying areas in which the private sector could complement the efforts of the governments, and engage in poverty alleviation measures. It also aims at holding consultations with governments on development issues to create an enabling environment for productive activities, he said.

Referring to SAPTA, the SCCI chief said, "The SAARC Chamber has been working in a number of areas to facilitate trade while we all are waiting for the opening of the regional market."

FNCCI President Rabi Bhakta Shrestha said partnership was the key to facing the global challenges. Stating that there have been talks about freer trade within the region for quite some time, Shrestha said that it was not only the tariff wall that has acted as a barrier to the growth of trade, but also non-tariff barriers that have posed even greater hurdles. "It is high time we put our heads together to deliberate on non-tariff issues."

Shrestha further said that trade facilitation and liberalisation efforts should cover both industrial products, and infrastructure and services such as hydroelectricity, tourism, finance, health, education, transport and transit facilities.

For Science, lure of TU Campuses diminishes

By Bhuwaneshor Sharma

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: The craze for science education has not diminished in Nepal, but the number of students wanting to join the intermediate level in government colleges this year dropped by as much as 66 per cent.

The declining quality of education in the government colleges and the allure of private +2 institutions are responsible for this, says Ashok Kumar Koirala, assistant dean at Tribhuwan University. The sudden decline in the number of applicants in the campuses started about three years ago.
Only six colleges in the Kathmandu Valley conduct intermediate level studies in science. Amrit Science College, which used to be a prestige symbol in the past, saw the number of applicants go down by 80 per cent this year compared to previous years.

"We had 1,038 students applying for I.Sc. this year. This figure used to be around 5,000 in the past," said the Campus Chief, Madan Shakya. Last year, the campus received 1,300 applicantions.
In the past, more than 90 of the students comprised residents of Kathmandu. Today they have been replaced by students from government schools of the rural areas, said Shakya.

The number of applicants may have decreased in government colleges, but this does not mean that the number of students taking up science has gone down in any way. "Majority of the students join private colleges because of the better educational environment," says Dr. Siddhi Bir Karmacharya, campus chief of Trichandra College.

The campus has also seen the number of applicants drop by two thirds in the past two years.
"Frequent political disturbances in the government colleges and a commitment to quality education in the private colleges are major factors behind this. Lack of job opportunities after graduating in science could be another reason," he said.

Karmacharya agrees that private colleges do better when it comes to providing quality education and instilling discipline among the students. " But the students in government colleges are hard working and highly competent. They do comparatively better in engineering and medical science examinations and in other free competitions than students of private colleges."

Besides Trichandra and Amrit Science Campus, four other colleges - Padmakanya, Patan Multiple College, Mahendra Ratna College and Bhaktapur College - have also received far less applications than it used to previously, said Koirala. Although Mahendra Ratna Campus can take in 120 students, only 18 students applied for the intermediate level this year. Of them, only 12 appeared for the entrance examination. This was the case with the other campuses also except for Trichandra and Amrit Science College.

Padma Kanya Campus received only 64 applications in science this year which is less than half the available seats. "Lack of infrastructure in government colleges and limited facilities for the teachers are shooing away students," Campus Chief Chirika Shova Tuladhar said.