Delegations meet PM

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: A 19-member delegation from Doti district led by Narayan Datta Bhatta met with Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand today. During the meeting, the delegation demanded that regional offices should be based in Doti Dipayal itself, Kathmandu-Doti air services operated once a week, rural electrification carried out in the district, assistance given to secondary schools and alleged corruption in the drinking water and irrigation projects investigated properly.

Similarly, the delegation called for construction of a bridge over the Dwarikhola river, completion of the under-construction Sahajpur-Bogatan-Dipayal road as per the previous survey, prompt completion of the Budar-Jorayal road, construction of the Dipayal-Mallek Sakarlek bio-engineering road and investigation into alleged corruption in development projects and the Doti Khaptad Tourism Development Scheme.

Likewise, a joint delegation led by president of All Nepal Women’s Association Mrs Bidya Devi Bhandari called on Prime Minister Chand today and handed in an eight-point memorandum.
The memorandum, among other things, calls for sending people on foreign employment only after signing bilateral agreements, making the manpower supply system systematic and well-planned, making provisions for providing compulsory training to such manpower, making reforms in the foreign employment regulations, making arrangements for transfer of foreign remittances through banks and making provisions for stationing labour attaches in countries where significant numbers of Nepalis are employed.

Japanese envoy meets Pandey

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: The Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Zenji Kaminaga paid a courtesy call on Minister for Information and Communications and General Administration Ramesh Nath Pandey at his office Wednesday afternoon.At the meeting, the Japanese Ambassador talked about the harmonious and traditional relations between Japan and Nepal and assured Minister Pandey of the continued support of the Japanese government in the development efforts of Nepal.He further expressed his government’s full support to the present government in the difficult situation.Ambassador Kaminaga also congratulated Minister Pandey on his appointment as the spokesperson of His Majesty’s Government.Minister Pandey recalled the longstanding relations between the two countries and thanked the Japanese government and the people for always supporting Nepal, specially now when this country is going through a difficult period.Minister Pandey also mentioned the high regards Nepal has for Japan and how Nepal can learn from the achievements of that country.

Courtesy call

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: Ambassador of Germany to Nepal Rudiger Lemp paid a courtesy call on Minister for Home and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dharma Bahadur Thapa at the latter’s office at the Home Ministry today.Matters of mutual interest and bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting.

Most S. Asian youth unaware of AIDS

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: The majority of young South Asians are unaware of HIV/AIDS. Only 37 per cent of women between 15 and 24 years in India and 45 per cent in Nepal have heard of AIDS.
A four-day meeting of the South Asia Regional Forum for Young People on HIV/AIDS, jointly organised by UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) and South and Central Asia Regional Office of Save the Children, concluded with sound recommendations here today. More than a million young people between ages 15 and 24 in South Asia are infected with HIV/AIDS. The number represents 9 per cent of the nearly 12 million young people living with HIV/AIDS globally. About 62 per cent of them are girls, according to UNICEF.

"Children's and Young Peoples' participation in influencing policy formulation and political commitments can help disseminate valuable information to young people, and their ideas can help reduce stigma and discrimination, and multiply the effects on HIV/AIDS prevention works", a press statement issued today by the Young Peoples' Media Committee said.

Demanding that their governments commit themselves to involve children and young people in developing and implementing policies, they also urged their respective governments to form a network of professionals, religious persons and local bodies to gear up the spirit of youths in promoting the awareness activities against the epidemic. According to the press statement, the government should be responsible for including standardised sex and HIV education in the school curricula.

"Governments should provide financial and material assistance to children and young people to run their own magazines, newspapers, TV programmes and door-to-door campaigns to make available easily accessible testing and counselling services," reads the statement. Focussing on the training programmes for parents, teachers, community and religious leaders to eliminate shyness, and to speak and teach openly about sex education with children, they have emphasised the need to educate young commercial sex workers and ban production of pornographic movies and literature.
"We have learnt a lot and exchanged our experiences in the meeting, which we will try to implement the theory in practice for the welfare of mankind as we return to our countries" the Young Peoples' Media Committee said.

The meeting gave special mention to their friends Ekta Mahat from Nepal, Emmen Saeed from Pakistan and Fathimath Rishta from the Maldives, who facilitated the forum and to Ravi Karkara, the only adult from Save the Children, who led the facilitation process that enabled them to sail through the very successful event.

The forum had the participation of 48 children and young people aged 13-19 from South Asia. They came from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka from South Asia and from Fiji, Macedonia, Malawi and Kenya.

TU results

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: The Tribhuvan University Institute of Engineering today published the results of the Bachelor Level second year, second part, regular and re-examinations in Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering; the Masters Level (2056 batch) second year, second part examinations in Structural Engineering; and the 2057 batch second year, second part Water Resources Engineering and 2057 batch Structural Engineering first year second part and regular examinations, as well as the Diploma Level third year first part re-examinations under programmes conducted in 2059 Asoj.

Meanwhile, Mahendra Sanskrit University has published the result of Masters Level first and second part (Acharya) held in the month of August and September, according to the University. Likewise, the Tribhuvan University has published the results of Masters Level (old course) second year partial examination of the Mathematics held in the month of July/ August.

Music Nepal Award given away

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: Music Nepal Award 2058 were today awarded to Khemraj Gurung (album Jiban part II), Ashirbad (film), Kunti Moktan (Kusum), Nepathya (album Resham) as well as to Shambhujit Baskota, Shila Bahadur Moktan and Devi Bhakta Shrestha (best seller of MN cassettes).
Musician Amber Gurung handed over the awards at a function organised in the capital today to mark its 19th anniversary and 9th MN awards giving ceremony.

Music Nepal also felicitated lyricists and musicians contributing to the success of the above albums.
Khemraj Gurung, representing the awardees, said that there has been a significant change in the life of the artistes as they can now make a living out of the music profession. He also stressed that artistes were working to establish peace in the country through songs.

Chief guest of the programme Amber Gurung said that this profession should be industrialised, but not commercialised. "Our music should have an identity of its own despite influences from the West," Gurung said.

At the function, personalities associated with music called for the effective enforcement of the Copy Right Act to help promote the standard of music and ownership of the creations by the artistes.
Managing director of Music Nepal Santosh Sharma said that a policy in this sector was necessary to bring professionalism. He said such a policy would help promote Nepalese traditional songs, raags (classical) and hymns. And it would protect the interest of the artistes, he said.

Music Nepal is currently working on bringing out for the first time audio-cassettes of the famous book 'Gauri' written by Madhav Prasad Ghimire as well as folk songs from the West Nepal, the Sorathi.
Academician Madhav Prasad Ghimire stressed the need to address human interest in songs and music.

Programmes for land reform launched

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: In accordance with the directives of His Majesty's Government, the Ministry of Land Reform and Management has launched the 17 point short term and 15 points long term reform programmes for the effective implementation of the programme from the department and offices under the ministry.

The ministry has also designated joint secretary of the ministry Bharat Mani Sharma as the focal point and formed a follow up committee to monitor the programmes in an effective manner, the ministry said here today.

Joint secretary Sharma who is also the spokesman of the ministry said the ministry has already informed the offices to deliver the services of the people in an effective manner and the ministry has adopted a policy of reward and punishment depending the work performance of the employees under the ministry.

The ministry has also made regular surprise check in the offices of the Kathmandu valley, he told the press conference held at the ministry today. The ministry will effectively implement the programmes and deliver the services to the people in accordance with the directives of His Majesty's Government in an effective manner, Sharma said. The short and long term programmes of the ministry will help discharge the services effectively, he said.

On the occasion, under secretary Muktinath Sharma Ghimire stressed the need to preserve religious and archaeological important places, statues and public land and property under the Guthi Sansthan.

Tourists in Patan decline

RSS

LALITPUR, Dec. 18: The number of tourist arrival has decreased in the historical beautiful city of Patan due to the terrorist activities of the Maoists. About 500 tourists used to visit Patan every day until two years ago now the number of tourists visiting Patan is hardly 170 from the SAARC and other countries, according to Ashok Rai, in-charge of the Tourist Information and Ticket Centre.

More than Rs. 80,000 used to be collected every day until the end of December last year but now hardly about Rs. 15,000 is collected per day. Lalitpur Municipality had established tourism information and ticket centre to provide services to the tourists two years ago.

The centre collects Rs. 25 from the tourists of SAARC countries and Rs. 200 from the tourists outside the SAARC. A Chinese tourist visiting the area said we want to visit Nepal but due to the fear of terrorism we can not go outside the city and just go around the city and return China. Most of the tourists visiting Patan area are from China, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, India and France, it is said.

Press Council expresses gratitude

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18: The Press Council Nepal has expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Information and Communications for deciding to issue a postage stamp in honour of the late Gopal Das Shrestha, former chairman of the council and veteran journalist, in response to the council's request and the feelings of journalists.

In a communique issued today, the Press Council has stated that the decision is an inspiration to journalists to carry on along the path of professional and respectable journalism.

NHRC calls to end crisis in education

RSS

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18 : The National Human Rights Commission has called on His Majesty's Government to do away with the uncertainty and problems in the education sector and prepare an environment for safeguarding the 'right to education'. It has also called on the ANNFSU(R) to act as a responsible body by not infringing on the 'right to education' while pressing its demands. The commission has shown readiness to play a necessary role for removing the obstacle in the education sector and safeguarding the 'right to education'.

Meanwhile, a meeting of representatives of guardians, teachers and student unions held today at the initiative of National PABSON and the Guardians Association Nepal has expressed concern at the dark future faced by hundreds of thousands of students because of the indefinite closure of schools and said that those who called for the closure and the Ministry of Education and Sports would be responsible for this.

The meeting also decided to involve human rights organisations and other concerned groups at the next meeting and form a task force for the immediate and long term solution of the problem.