Govt committed to restoring peace: DPM

By Narayan Aryal

SYANGJA, Apr. 18: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Badri Prasad Mandal travelled to Syangja in west Nepal today and presented a cheque of Rs. 500,000 to the father of student Devi Lal Paudel, who was killed in police firing in nearby Butwal last week.

Speaking at a function, Mandal said that the Butwal incident had shocked the country. "Human beings can only discharge humanitarian duty. No one can compensate the loss of lives. The nation has lost a rising genius in the demise of Devi Lal Paudel," he said.

The government will take necessary action in this regard as per the recommendations of a probe body, which has been formed to look into the incident, Mandal assured.

On the occasion, Mandal, who is also coordinator of the government negotiating team with the CPN-Maoist, said that the government was committeed to restoring permanent peace in the country.
Stating that there has been no violence and murder in the last few months, he said that the Maoists, too, had expressed their commitment to a lasting peace in the country.

Accusing the major political parties of hankering after power, he said that they had misinterpreted the Royal move, which His Majesty the King had taken to establish good governance in the country.
"They are at fault to term the government, formed to establish good governance, a corruption-free society and permanent peace, as unconstitutional by overlooking bad governance during the 12 years of their rule. They are fueling the students' agitation to gain power," he added.

He said that the political parties, common people and civil society had equal responsibility in building nation.Home Secretary Tika Dutta Niraula said that the government was effortful to maintain law and order in the country. Inspector General of Police Shyam Bhakta Thapa, Chief District Officer of Syangja Durga Prasad Pokharel, Deputy Inspector General of Police Gyanendra Mahat and member of the National Women Commission Amrita Agrahari also expressed their views at the function.
Talking to the press at a separate programme here today, deputy PM said that the second round of talks between the government and the CPN-Maoist would be held within a week.

"Former coordinator of the government side Narayan Singh Pun has already held an interaction with them," he said.To a query about the success of the talks, he said that since the basis of the talks were the people and the nation, it would be successful.

Vitamin A being administered from today

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 18: Vitamin 'A' capsule is being administered to about 3.3 million children between the age of six months to 5 years under the national Vitamin 'A' Programme tomorrow and the day after.

About 42 thousand woman volunteers are taking part to accomplish the task organised by the Health Ministry.

The programme is conducted regularly by the Ministry with the objective of decreasing the child mortality rate, prevention of eye related diseases including night blindness, and not allowing the deficiency of Vitamin 'A' to remain as a public health concern.

It is also the objective of the programme to see to it that Vitamin 'A' capsule is administered to each and every child.

University professors condemn vandalism

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 18: University professors and intellectuals have condemned the on-going vandalism and destructive activities perpetrated by the student unions affiliated to the different political parties, both inside and outside the capital, over an issue concerning the postponement of the student election.

"We are very concerned by the on-going agitation and its consequences," Khagendra Prasad Bhattarai, President of the Nepal University Teachers' Association (NUTA), told The Rising Nepal today.

The NUTA has appealed to the students as well as the universities to settle the problem through peaceful dialogue. "We urge the students to give up their acts of arson and destruction and carry out their protests in a peaceful manner."

Tribhuvan University at Kirtipur and its affiliated campuses were tense from early morning Friday as students resorted to arson, vandalism and destruction of both public and private property.
Early in the morning, student unions set fire to the office of the principal of the university campus of TU and to the storehouse.

Students had gathered in front of Kanti Boys Hostel and stormed the office situated a few hundred metres away and set it on fire. They then pelted stones to stop the fire brigade and the police from entering the premises.

The police lobbed tear gas cells in a bid to chase the students out of the hostel and to bring the situation under control. Five students were arrested from Kanti Hostel.

Bhesh Raj Shrestha, Police Inspector of Kirtipur Police Office, said that more than 50 per cent of the property of the Principal's Office has been destroyed in the fire. Students had set fire to the building yesterday too, but it was quickly brought under control.

Important documents, papers and examination papers for distribution on April 25 have been destroyed in the fire at the store house.

Two motorcycles were destroyed in Kirtipur. One of them, a government-owned two-wheeler with registration Number Ba. A. Ba. 4806, was destroyed in front of Kanti Boys Hostel.

The students also smashed the window panes of a school bus belonging to Modern Indian school. The students offloaded the children travelling in the bus to school before vandalising it.

The situation in Kirtipur was tense till about one in the afternoon. The police arrested dozens of students trying to obstruct traffic and engaging in throwing stones at the police.

Elsewhere too, students and the police trying to enforce law and order clashed at different places of the capital.

Traffic came to a standstill when police and the students came face to face and engaged in brickbats at Saraswati Campus, Amrit Science Campus, Tri-Chandra Campus, Pashupati Campus, R.R. Campus and at Min Bhavan Campus.

Around 10.30 in the morning, a group of students vandalised the office of Mahendra Sanskrit University at Basantapur. And in the afternoon at 14:20, students set fire to the chair of the chief of Patan Multiple Campus.

Police baton-charged to control the students of Padma Kanya College of Bagbazaar.

The Kathmandu Valley Police Office said that about 35 students were rounded up from different places of the capital.

Traffic was obstructed several times till late evening at Lekhnath Marga (Thamel), Exhibition Road and Min Bhavan roads. The police worked all day to keep the roads open.

Dozens of students have been arrested while a few sustained injuries in scuffles with the police.
According to the Valley Police Office, students destroyed three government and two private vehicles in different parts of Kathmandu Valley Friday.

The students are taking to the streets to protest the TU's decision on Thursday to postpone the free students' union election in its campuses after the ANNFSU (Revolutionary), the student union affiliated to the CPN (Maoist), created obstructions demanding that the elections be rescheduled. The election was scheduled for April 23.

In response, the student unions affiliated to the other major political parties have resorted to vandalism and destruction in the campuses.

A press statement issued by NUTA today said that problems of any sort in the universities can be solved through talks among the teachers, employees and students.

Universities and campuses affiliated to them are national assets. Any destruction of infrastructure of these educational institutions meant to produce the future captains of the nation can benefit no one, it read.

NSP welcomes formation of talks team

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr 18: The meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) met here under the chairmanship of party's National President Badri Prasad Mandal at the party's central office Shantinagar, today.

Present on the occasion were party NWC officials and members, party parliamentary committee president and members, secretaries of disciplinary committee and members and central presidents of class forums and district working committee presidents.

The meeting welcomed the formation of the six-member talks team under the convernorship of NSP president and Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal and forwarding of the talks after the cease-fire is positive and in the interest of the nation and the people.

The meeting also called on all the political parties, civil society, and intellectuals to extend positive cooperation in the talks from their respective fields in the greater good of the nation and people by rising above personal jealousy and partisan interest.

The major political parties are the main factors behind the present state of the country, it said, adding that it can not be denied that the complex problems were the results of the activities of the political parties and accused that the political parties are not cooperating directly or indirectly in an attempt to detract the talks rather than resolving the problems.

The phasewise movements and declaration of the Nepal bandhs are such examples, it said and added that it will not be in the interest of the country and people.

The party also decided to send necessary programmes to the districts from the central office.

Govt requests students to stay away from violence

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Apr.18: The Home Ministry today requested the agitating students to stay away from the destructive and violent activities they have been perpetrating since the last few days.

"They are engaged in violent activities such as setting fire to the colleges and vandalising private and public property. It is a matter of regret that this is taking place at a time when the nation is bracing for the peace talks," said a Ministry statement issued Friday.

It said that destruction, violence and arson would not solve the existing problems. "Such violent and destructive activities benifit no one."

The ministry said it had mobilised security personnel, besides instructing the local administrations, to take stern action against those involved in such destructive activities as per the existing laws and bring normalcy in the society.

It is the government's responsibility to protect people's lives and property and maintain law and order, the notice reads.

Chariot festival of Red Machindranath to be held

RSS

LALITPUR, Apr. l8. A three day festival is to be organised in Bungamati from Baisakh l9 to mark the l2 yearly chariot festival of the Red Machindranath deity.

During the festival a large exhibition will be held to showcase the woodcraft, sculpture and other activities for which Bungamati and Khokana are well known.

A committee has been formed under the convenorship of Lalitpur Sub Municipal Corporation executive officer Komal Prasad Kafle with representation from the Cottage and Small Industries Office, Lalitpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GTZ and Bungamati and Khokana VDCs.

The Red Machindranath chariot festival is one of the main festivals observed by both the Buddhist and Hindu communities of Kathmandu valley. It celebrates a deity who is also known as Karunamaya, Avalokiteshwara, Loknath and Bungadeo and who is credited with saving this land from a pronged drought in ancient times.

The festival occurs every year but once every twelve years the chariot of the deity is brought all the way from Bungamati some five km south of Lalitpur and taken back after the customary annual journey around this city. It climaxes with the Bhoto or vest display which is witnessed by the King himself and which has a legend of its own.The Bungamati festival hopes to capitalise on the touristic interest that the festival of Machindranath evokes.

STC to increase sale of kerosene

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 18: The Salt Trading Corporation is to gradually increase the sale of kerosene to the public at Rs. 23 per litre by providing cards to them.

STC has made provision of selling kerosene at all the five municipalities in the valley and it is being taken to Biratnagar, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi.

Apart from the municipalities in the valley, it is being sold in the villages of Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts from today. It will be sold in Kabhre district from tomorrow.

STC has mobilised its dealers to provide kerosene of specified volume to every family on the basis of cards and it would be increased if and when necessary.

According to a STC press release, the process of sending kerosene to remote districts of Humla and Jumla has already been initiated and its selling will begin in the near future.

Kerosene will be sold to the local people on the basis of voters list while provision of cards have also been made for students and those staying on rented rooms.

'Cooperation of all necessary for success of peace talks'

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 18: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma has said the peace talks might land into trouble due to the uncooperative stance of the big political parties that ruled the country over the last 12 years.

Addressing a colloquium on 'What is responsible for the present political instability, the ideological deviation of the parties or the ideological complexity?' organised by the forum for intellectual debate here today, Minister Sharma said the present government was constituted as the successive governments in the past failed to resolve the people's problems.

He expressed the government's commitment to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to it within the stipulated time.

The holier-than-thou attitude of the big political parties and the tendency to project one's own ideologies and principles as just while rejecting other's ideology has complicated the situation of the country, he said, adding cooperation of all was necessary for the success of the peace talks.
Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel noted that his party was in favour of Constitutional Monarchy and multi-party democracy. He stressed that all the problems should be resolved from within the present Constitution.

He said he for one did not believe that all problems could be resolved through the medium of Constituent Assembly alone. He added that the form of the so-called new model democracy should be explained.

CPN-UML leader Shankar Pokharel pointed out that all the political parties should renounce their obstinacy and interests in order to make the peace talks fruitful.

President of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nationalist) Rajeshwar Devkota said that Constitutional Monarchy and multi-party democracy are necessary for the country. He said the October 4 Royal Proclamation precipitated because of the political parties.

President of the Nepal Janabadi Morcha Ram Raja Prasad Singh said that since the cease-fire has given out the message of peace, this opportunity should be utilised in building a new Nepal.
At the programme presided over by forum president Hemanta Raj Dahal, Professor Dr. Mohan Lohani also expressed his views.

South East Asian Health Ministers meeting

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 18: The three-day eights meeting of the health secretaries of Indonesia, North Korea, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Myanmar, Maldives and Sri Lanka, concluded here today.

The meeting for the South East Asian region was held under the auspices of the World Health Organisation.

It held discussions on the collective endeavour to be made for the development of health and reached an understanding on the role to be played by the nations of the region in the 56th who general meeting to be held in Geneva next month.

The main topics discussed were "healthy environment for the children", "convention on tobacco control" to be passed, consolidation of health system in these nations and who cooperation to achieve the set target, among other things.

Myanglung being reconstructed as planned model town

RSS

KATHMANDU, Apr. 18: The task of reconstruction of Myaglung Bazaar, the headquarters of Terhathum district has been started to develop it as a planned model town.

Informing of the activities performed so far in connection with the reconstruction of the Myaglung Bazaar, the department of Urban Development and Housing has stated that plot of land will be allotted and land ownership certificates provided to all the families of the fire victims by mid-May, an exhibition on low cost, safe housing held and improved technology held, and training imparted to the local artisans.

The department has specified 39 ropanis 10 annas, a paisa and a dhur of land as the area of the town including the temples, schools and governmental offices.

As per the thinking of developing it as a model town, 96 developed and improved plots will be prepared at an area of 15228.41 sq metres.

Training has been imparted to the local technicians to build houses that can be withstand natural disasters such as earthquakes and fire.

At a meet the press programme organised here today, Minister for Pphysical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun said that the government was carrying out town planning at various municipalities in the country including the capital to decrease the problem of increased urbanisation.

He disclosed that the 26 kilometer long road linking Myanglung will be black-topped at a cost of Rs. 250 million to be received from the donor agencies.

Director General of the Department Purna Kadariya said that the reconstruction works of Myanglung Bazaar was being carried out with the participation of the local people without foreign cooperation and the government was extending technical cooperation in this regard.