Koirala, Bhattarai meet to resolve dispute in NC

Lalitpur, June 12 (RSS): President of the Nepali Congress (NC) Girija Prasad Koirala and founder leader of the party Krishna Prasad Bhattarai held serious discussions at the latter’s residence at Bhaisepati this afternoon on rivalry management within the ruling party.

During the course of discussions, the two top leaders of the party expressed commitment not to allow the success of elements seeking to weaken the party and create uncertainty and instability in the country, NC spokesman Arjun Narsingh K.C. said.

On the occasion, NC president Koirala told Bhattarai that he was willing to save the dignity of the party, and make it effective and dynamic, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, five Nepali Congress central committee members, in a press communique issued today, called on party president Koirala to take the initiative towards credible, durable and effective measures for party unity and to immediately withdraw the disciplinary action taken against Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The communique issued by central committee members Chiranjibi Wagle, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhedar, Prakash Man Singh and Bimalendra Nidhi said it is the duty of everyone to end the violence, murder and terrorism in the country and bring about peace and order.

Pointing out that it is natural for all colleagues and well-wishers to be concerned and anxious over the dispute that has arisen in the Nepali Congress at such a critical time, they said that at a time when things are moving towards elections to seek a fresh mandate from the people, it is indispensable for the Nepali Congress to advance in unity.

Similarly, 17 former MPs of the Nepali Congress have published a statement here today heartily appealing to party president Koirala and founder leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai for immediate withdrawal of the disciplinary action against Prime Minister Deuba and creation of a conducive atmosphere for unity in the party.

In the statement, the former MPs have appealed to Prime Minister Deuba to also play a role to create a congenial environment to maintain unity in the party.

Stating that because of the dispute that had arisen in the party for some time, hundreds of thousands of NC activists dedicated to nationalism, democracy and socialism had been hurt. They have demanded that a meeting of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress be called as early as possible to resolve the dispute and ensure unity.

The former MPs signing the statement are Dilli Prasad Sitaula, Jivan Prem Shrestha, Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Anirudra Sharma, Prem Raj Angdambe, Bishwanath Agrawal, Hari Prasad Nepal, Dwarika Prasad Pradhan, Devraj Joshi, Ratna Bahadur Bishwakarma, Susheela Sharma, Homraj Dahal, Akbar Bahadur Singh, Bramha Narayan Chaudhari, Bhakta Bahadur Rokaya, Krishna Kumar Joshi and Keshav Bahadur Chand.

Staff blame govt, NRB for worsening RBB’s plight

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 12: Employees of Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) - the country’s largest commercial bank, have accused the government and Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) for the worsening performance of the bank. They also charged the NRB for creating obstacles in granting loans as well as the career development of the employees for the last couple of years.

The employees of the RBB said, "Instead of introducing reforms to improve the bank’s performance, the NRB and the government have only helped worsen the problem by deciding to transfer the management to foreigners."

Talking to the media, Narayan Prasad Subedi, general secretary of RBB Employees Association, said that the central bank had created uncertainties. He said privatisation of the RBB was not essential. There are other possibilities for improving the financial situtation from within the RBB itself, he added.

There are many options to improving the RBB, said Subedi adding "formation of a high level commission to control corruption, political intervention, and irregularities would improve the bank’s performance."

He also charged the NRB and the government for the RBB’s poor performance. "How can a banking institution operate if it is not allowed to invest deposits?" he questioned.

General secretary Subedi also cautioned the management that the employees would act against the anomalies if the NRB and the government kept on lingering over how to deal with the RBB. "It is not fair", he asserted.

A senior official at the Banking Department of the NRB said that Deloite Tours Tamatsu (DMT) would take over the management of the RBB within a month and that once this is done, everything would go smoothly.

Regarding a query about the obstacle created by the NRB for granting loans’ he said that an organisation whose management is going to be transferred to another party, should not be allowed to hand out loans. He said that the problem would be solved after privatisation.

A senior official at the RBB management affirmed that there would be no problem while transferring the management of the RBB.

The RBB has a deposit of Rs 40 billion, while loans worth 27 billion rupees have been disbursed. Cummulative loss is said to be around 12 billion rupees until January this year. Bank sources say around six billion rupees lent to the big industrial houses in almost irrecoverable.

According to a press release issued by the RBB Employees’ Association, the NRB has imposed "economic blockade" on the RBB, causing heavy loss to the bank.

The RBB has 205 branches spread across the country. Over 5, 700 people are employed in the RBB.

The RBB accounts for over 45 per cent of the total banking transaction in the country.

First Nepali woman to get driving licence

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 12: It was a celebration for a different purpose. The beaming 73-year-old grandmother was surrounded by her six daughters, grandchildren and in-laws, all of whom had gathered to celebrate the 50th year of her receiving a driving license. Cakes were cut and she was presented with bouquets, and the children congratulated the grandma and wished for her longevity.

Born in 1988 B.S. and brought up in Yatkha of Kathmandu, Macheri Chitrakar was the first Nepali woman to receive a driving license.

People were shocked to see a woman driving a Willis Jeep when women were even prohibited from venturing out of their homes alone.

She was married to Chudamani Chitrakar when she was only 13. Macheri had to wait for ten years to convince her husband, who owned a motor garage, and her in-laws that she was really serious about driving lessons. "My husband and in-laws gave me all the support to learn driving. He taught me driving in the open grounds (the Tudikhel)," Chitrakar said reminiscing her old days.

"When I went to Hanumandhoka for a driving trial, people of Kathmandu looked at me with surprise and awe. They could not believe that a woman could actually sit behind a steering wheel," she told a group of journalists who attended the golden jubilee ceremony. Even the policemen who took the trial could not believe their eyes.

"After receiving the driving license, we used to go Bhaktapur, Banepa and other places", she said. Chitrakar recalls her days on the wheel. Once she took her mother to Tripureshwor from Putalisadak, and her vehicle got stuck. When she tried to back the vehicle, the two back wheels came off. Either the jeep was too battered or the road was bad, or it was both," said Chitrakar showing her vintage driving license issued by the then Kathmandu’s Driving License Department on 29th of Jestha, 2009. The license bears the signatures of General Nar Shumsher and former IGP Gyanodaya Bahadur Yakthumba.

Though she gave up driving some 20 years ago due to her age, Chitrakar rued that no government authority or the government’s traffic department recognised her record.

‘Child labour remains serious problem’

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, June 12: The first World Day Against Child Labour was observed today throughout the world. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) formally launched this global day amid an event at its headquarters in Geneva as well as through its area offices and its special partners.

The ILO said that World Day Against Child Labour is expected to see an array of activities globally ranging from gatherings of child workers and their supporters to school events, children’s art shows and drama performances. Other activities include child-adult information workshops, activities organised by worker and employer representatives and media events.

In Nepal, the day was observed jointly by ILO and its partner organisations. The events included inter-school essay and oratory contests, drama, and cultural programmes, all on the theme of child labour and all performed by children themselves.

"This first World Day Against Child Labour is intended to help spread the message that child labour remains a serious problem and that we must do more to combat it," said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia in a statement for the Day.

"We are asking everyone to join together in working towards a world where no children will be deprived of a normal, healthy childhood, where parents can find decent jobs and children can go to school. Our goal is a world free from child labour."

The World Day Against Child Labour will be held annually to intensify support for the global campaign against child labour. The Day will also serve as a catalyst for enhancing the growing world-wide movement against child labour, as reflected in the steadily mounting ratification of ILO Conventions Nos. 182 (on its worst forms) and 138 (on minimum age), as well as the work of the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

According to the recently released report ‘A Future Without Child Labour’, 246 million children –one in every six children aged 5 to 17 – are involved in child labour. Among its startling findings, the report also revealed for the first time that some 179 million children aged 5-17 – one in every eight children in the world – is still exposed to the worst forms of child labour which endanger the child’s physical, mental or moral well-being. Nepal is a pilot country which is on the verge of launching a ‘Time Bound Programme’ to tackle such worst forms of child labour.

The recent UN General Assembly Special Session on Children decided to devote an entire section of its final report to combating child labour, illustrating how far the world has gone in raising the visibility of this critical issue since the last global gathering of this type, the Children’s Summit of 1990.

The event also featured the launch of SCREAM (Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media) a community-based educational and social mobilisation project aimed at drawing children and their teachers into the campaign against child labour.

Early mangoes pose health risks

By Our Correspondent

Sarlahi, June 12: Increasing consumption of artificially seasoned mangoes is posing a serious threat to public health in this eastern Terai district.

It is not yet time for mangoes, but farmers and traders are hastily ripening them by using chemicals. They say that by bringing the mangoes to the market ahead of time they are earning three times as much than at other times. They are, however, ignorant about the hazards the chemicals cause to human health.

Horticulturist Narayan Ghimire at the district agriculture office, Sarlahi, said several varieties of mangoes such as maldaha, amrapali, dasahari and calcuttia need some more time to ripen on the trees.

But, he said traders and farmers are unwilling to wait. Carbide is the most commonly used chemical for that purpose. The raw mangoes are plucked and are kept in a dry place with the chemicals. The colour and the texture do not look much different from the naturally ripened mangoes.

Biltu Shah, a trader, said that by getting the mangoes to the market earlier, they can fetch three times the usual price. He said he uses carbide to make the mangoes look ripe. Another trader, Ramsevak Chaudhary, said that carbide helps change the natural ripening process of the mangoes. But both of them said they did not know about the harmful effect of the chemical.

One consumer, Purnima Shrestha, said her children simply like mangoes, and when they come to the market, she cannot say "no" to them. "The look and the texture do not look different, but the taste is not as good as the naturally ripe ones."

Several consumers have been complaining about stomach aches, diarrhoea and indigestion after eating these mangoes.

Ghimire said that the main market of the mangoes produced in this district is Kathmandu, and the businessmen use carbide to make sure they look ripe when they reach Kathmandu. He said if mangoes are kept in airtight containers, they ripen slowly.

Public Health Inspector of Sarlahi Hospital Abhiram Jha said consuming the chemically treated mangoes may cause gastritics problems, diarrhoea, and can cause dizziness and nausea.

Dr. Purna Kumar Vaidya said carbide is a kind of poison and it affects the digestive system.

Medical officer at Sarlahi Hospital said carbide is not a banned chemical, though. This is also used to ripen bananas. Excessive carbide is soporific and can cause headache, diarrhoea and other problems in the digestive system.

VTPP scheme soon in all municipalities

Pokhara, June 12 (RSS): Member of National Planning Commission Jagadish Chandra Pokharel inaugurated the ninth consultative meeting of the chairmen and mayors under the Village Town Partnership Programme (VTPP) here today.

The mayors and deputy mayors of Pokhara and Biratnagar Sub-metropolises,Butwal, Nepalgunj, Dhankuta, Tansen, Vyas, Bharatpur, Tribhuwannagar, Tulsipur, Birendranagar and Hetauda municipalities, the chairmen of Dhikurpokhari, Bharatpokhari and Armala VDCs (Kaski) and Dulegaida (Tanahu) are taking part in the two-day meeting organised by Pokhara sub-metropolis.

In his inaugural address, member of the NPC Dr. Pokharel said Village Town Partnership Programme which seems instrumental for reducing poverty, will be implemented in the remaining 64 municipalities gradually.

Resident Representative of UNDP Dr. Henning Karcher while releasing a civil charter issued in the name of people of Pokhara Municipality noted that Village Town Partnership Programme has so far covered 98 per cent of the people living in 12 municipalities.

Kaski DDC chairman Punya Prasad Poudel called for equitable development of the village and towns.

Mayor of Biratnagar Sub-metropolis Ramesh Chandra Poudel said it is the need of the hour to implement programmes compatible with the principles of decentralisation.

Mayor of Birendranagar Municipality Balaram Sharma was on the chair.

Meanwhile, NPC member Dr. Jagadish Chandra Pokharel and UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Henning Karcher jointly inaugurated the Vegetable and Fruit Market Complex Private Limited at Sunder Marg Ward No. 8 of Pokhara Sub-metropolis today.

The vegetable and fruit market complex is being built with the objective of providing fresh vegetables, fruits, fishes and meat to local consumers and maintaining cleanliness in the Sub-metropolis.

The vegetable and fruit market complex with 82 shops is being built at a cost of Rs. 3.3 million including Rs 3 million loan assistance from Agricultural Development Bank and Rs 300,000 provided by Participatory Development Programme.

Sixty-six shutter shops have already been completed while 16 others are on the verge of completion.

Speaking on the occasion, NPC member Dr. Pokharel stressed the need to develop good relations between the villages and towns by banishing geographical and social inequalities.

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Karcher said that coordination should be maintained between the private sector and other bodies of the society in order to reduce poverty and meet the requirements.

At the function chaired by chairman of Ward No. 8 of Pokhara Sub-metropolis Birendra Narayan Bijukchhe, Kaski DDC chairman Punya Prasad Poudel, director general of the Department of Agriculture Bhairav Kaini, joint secretary at the Ministry of Local Development Suryasharan Regmi, deputy mayor of Pokhara Sub-metropolis Maan Bahadur Gurung, managing director of the Vegetable and Fruit Market Complex Jhalak Lal Shrestha, Mrs. Sabita Shrestha and others expressed their views on the complex.

Platform demanded for women representatives

Kathmandu, June 12 (RSS): Women representatives of the local bodies should have a common platform in order to protect their rights and interests and involve themselves actively in the political and economic sectors.

Participants of the first national conference of women representatives of the local bodies organised here today pointed out that the state should adhere to a policy for raising women’s status in the society and involving them in the political mainstream.

Women represented in the local bodies are required to opt collectively for their rights and interests, they remarked.

Inaugurating the conference, Minister Without Portfolio Rishikesh Gautam said with the formulation of a bill concerning women’s equal rights to parental property and formation of the National Women’s Commission, it is apparent that the government is determined to protect the right and interests of the women.

Education is a key factor to improving the living standard of women and expediting development activities, he said, adding that every segment of the society should be attentive as to how more women can be educated.

Deputy Speaker Mrs. Chitralekha Yadav underlined the need for setting up a common forum of women representing various functionaries in the political arena in order to unite them.

Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Sushila Swnar said every woman should fight from her respective place to ensure a brighter future.

Ex-lawmaker Mina Pandey and RPP central member Roshan Karki demanded reservation of seats for women in the political field.

The inaugural function was chaired by conference organising committee chairperson Sapna Bhandari.

About 150 female representatives from the local bodies are taking part in the conference.

RSS reaches Banepa to expand network

Banepa, June 12 (RSS): Minister of State for Information and Communications Hari Narayan Chaudhari inaugurated the Kabhre office of the National News Agency RSS here today.

The three and a half storey building has been constructed at a total cost of Rs 526,598 with cooperation from Kabhre DDC, Dhulikhel, Banepa and Panauti municipalities and other organisations at a site provided by Banepa Municipality.

Addressing the inaugural function, Minister of State Chaudhari said that any one deprived of information and communications is similar to a blind person and the RSS office would play an important role in despatching news and providing information to the people.

Stating that RSS had been making endeavours to reach out to areas hitherto not reached by private sector journalism, he said that every aspect concerning human life is subject matter for journalism.

Briefly referring to the current political scenario, he said, "I feel that our party will not split and it is only coordination that is lacking. The mediators have been making all-out effort so that there is no split in the party."

Stating that food, shelter and clothing alone are not sufficient for people as they need the right to live fearlessly, he said that HMG is committed to providing an environment for people to live fearlessly.

Kabhre district is bestowed with various specialities which should not be damaged during the course of development, he added.

Chairman-cum-general manager of RSS Purushottam Dahal said that RSS, which has been working continuously to furnish credible news over the last four decades, will develop the Kabhre office as an important centre of the news network in the eastern part of the country.

RSS is neither a governmental nor a private news agency but a public sector communications organisation, he said and added that an RSS building was being built in Itahari also with cooperation from the local level.

Banepa mayor Dr. Surendra Bahadur Bade Shrestha said that the establishment of the RSS office will be helpful in the development of people and society in the area through the contributions of the news media.

Dhulikhel mayor Bel Prasad Shrestha said that the contributions of the RSS office will be important.

Executive director of Radio Nepal Shailendra Raj Sharma, Kabhre DDC member Ram Hari Subedi, journalist Dev Prakash Tripathi, RSS board member Govinda Adhikari and a host of other speakers also expressed their views at the function chaired by chairman of the building construction committee Hari Bhakta Bhochhibhoya.

On the occasion, the Minister of State for Information and Communications gave away commendation letters to institutions and organisations, donors and members of the construction committee for their contributions in the construction work.