'Civil Service Act to be amended'

Lalitpur, March 3 (RSS): His Majesty's Government is making necessary preparations for amending the Civil Services Act in order to make the administrative machinery more scientific, people-oriented, transparent and impartial.

Changes will be made in the existing Civil Service Act to encourage more women in the civil service, besides improving promotion procedures and checking politicisation in the offices.

Inaugurating a talk programme on, "Policy uncertainities in the civil service" organised by the Centre for Administrative Management and Development (CAMAD) and the 4th general meeting of CAMAD here today, Minister for General Administration Khemraj Bhatta Mayalu said that it is the need of the day to make the civil service impartial, transparent and free from corruption.

The Minister said that the administrative offices should have only one employees association.

Protesting against the practice of formulating and changing laws and regulations for selfish interests, MP Mahendra Bahadur Pandey stressed the need to make the administrative machinery more efficient, people-oriented and healthy.

Presenting a working paper, Dr. Madhunidhi Tiwari said that the government's policies on development, economic, social, administrative, decentralisation and local government were very unstable.

Dr. Tiwari said that political instability, lack of policy analysis, long term thinking, responsibilities and all party agreed national policy as well as vested interest, corruption, economic irregularities and pressure of donar countries have caused instability in government policies.

Dr. Tiwari stressed the need to formulate a long term effective policy, develop a system for analysis, involve professionals in administrative machinery, develop a system of apprising the civil servants of their duties and responsibilities, involve beneficial persons, train the policy makers on running the state and develop farsighted leadership.

President of CAMAD Umesh Mainali said CAMAD is actively involved in creative works.

Meena, an icon of women’s struggle in South Asia

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, March 3: The South Asian Region has the largest number of girls deprived of education. Only 37 per cent of the total women in the region are literate as against 67 per cent of men. About 60 per cent women suffer from malnutrition during childbearing.

According to a report of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Office for South Asia, the proportion of girls in the 15-19 years age-group is the highest in the world. The report also says that many girls and women suffer battering, rape, incest and even murder by men, frequently family members.

In South Asia, including Afghanistan, the number of children under 18 years stands at around 550 million. The East and South Asia is the only part of the world where men outnumber women because of sex selection and neglect.

In devising strategies to address the issues of girls, UNICEF has developed the Meena Communication Initiative (MCI) in which Meena, a courageous, proactive and humorous girl of nine, is the star. In a decade, Meena has become widely known as an icon representing the struggle for the fulfilment of girls’ human rights in South Asia.

Meena, as a heroine in many animated films, radio programmes and storybooks, is a role model to South Asian children as an advocate of their rights and activist in setting examples for improving their lives.

A press release issued by UNICEF says that Meena’s appeal has even spread to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in East Asia. She was also appointed "Official Ambassador" for the 1998 International Children’s Day of Broadcasting, an event involving more than 2,000 broadcasters worldwide.

Thirteen Meena films have been produced so far, addressing the right to education, right to adequate nourishment and healthcare and to grow emotionally and physically before marriage and the need to recognise a girl’s contribution to her family.

The press release says the latest film "Meena in the City" is about what Meena does when her family circumstances force her to leave the village and take a job as a domestic worker.

The success of MCI has extended to South Africa. A girl named Sara, like her Asian sister Meena, is a role model for girls and boys in 18 countries.

Quacks, chemists act doctors

By Our Correspondent

Charikot, March 3: Residents of Dolkha district are not receiving proper healthcare facilities in the district hospital and health posts due to lack of experienced doctors.

The number of hospitals and other health-related institutions in the district is 58. Out of them, there are 43 sub-health posts, 13 health posts and one each primary health service centre, district hospital and Ayurvedic centre.

The frequent complaints of the locals are that doctors and other health workers remain absent most of the time. According to them, Dr. Jhalak Gautam of primary health service centre is only one who has been present regularly.

Due to the absence of doctors, fake doctors and quacks are taking advantages of the situation. People are compelled to go to them to receive health services. The chemist druggists, who have undergone only a 72-hour training provided by the Department of Drug Administration, are not only seen selling medicines but also prescribing them.

The locals also say that such chemists even check up the patients.

Despite warning of the Department of Drug Administration, the chemists have not stopped involving themselves in acting doctors. Keeping in view the activities of the ‘fake’ doctors, the locals have sought help from the local administration and District Health Office.

Dr. Gautam also agrees with the issue raised by the locals about such a situation of the health sector in the district. Says he, "Only my presence will be insufficient for the treatment of the patients."

He emphasises that every sector should take initiative to control such practices.

Health Camp: In Kathmandu, the four-day free eye and general check-up camp organsied at the Ganesh Lower Secondary School in Lalitpur concluded here on Saturday.

The camp was organised jointly by the Himalaya Health and Education Society and Patan Eye Centre with coopeation of Nippon Goodwill Assocaition.

Altogether 850 persons received eye check up, 90 had their teeth examined while 940 underwent general check-up and received free medicines at the camp. Twenty-four persons underwent surgery for cataract.

Meanwhile, thirty-four persons donated blood at the blood donation programme organised by the Okhaldhunga Society, Kathmandu here on Saturday.

Third country export from Eastern Region down

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, March 3: The third country export from the eastern development region declined significantly during the first six months of the current fiscal year.

According to the figures of the Eastern Regional Export Promotion Centre (EREPC), the region’s export to the third countries amounted to Rs. 2.51 billion during the period, down from Rs. 3.2 billion during the same period in the previous fiscal year. The total export to the third countries during the fiscal year 2001/2002 amounted to Rs. 6.36 billion.

EREPC Chief Dilip Aryal said the export to the third countries may have declined due to slackness in trade.

The readymade garments top the list of exportable goods in the region. The total export value of the readymade garments during the six months amounted to Rs. 2.07 billion. The garment products were exported to France, South Africa, America, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Hungary, Chile, Australia and Canada.

The region exported Rs. 105.8 million worth of cotton towels to the United States and Germany. The export of orthodox tea stood at Rs. 12.8 million.

The region exported 5.8 million square feet of goat skin worth Rs. 48.2 million. Similarly, 5.6 million square feet of buffalo hide was exported from the region worth Rs. 26.8 million.

The region exported Rs. 62.2 million worth of pulses, 72 million worth of woollen carpet, 53.6 million worth of copper wire, 24.9 million worth of cardamom, and 13.5 million worth of synthetic yarn during the first six months of the current fiscal year.

Gorakhkali tyres, noodles, washing soaps, ball pens, generator parts and bags were other major exports.

According to EREPC, the region’s total import from the third countries during the first six months amounted to Rs. 3.51 billion.

Meanwhile, in Syangja, Syangja District Agriculture Development Office has fixed the coffee cultivation pocket areas in the district for the purpose of extending coffee cultivation in more areas. Coffee is coming up as the main cash crop of the district.

According to the District Agricultural Development Office, Putali Bazaar and Waling Municipality Areas, Phaparthum, Arjunchaupari and Daro VDCs have been selected as the main coffee production areas.

Coffee cultivation will be undertaken on a commercial scale in the selected areas, it is learnt from Syangja District Agriculture Development Office.