Pun opens Magar Association convention

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KIRTIPUR, Feb. 8: Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun has said that he is making all out efforts for the success of the talks between the government and the Maoists.

Inaugurating the third general convention of Nepal Magar Association at Kirtipur today, Minister Pun said that as the environment conducive to hold talks had just begun, he was alert of the forces seeking to thwart it.

Both the parties had opted for dialogue after realising that it was the only option to resolve the conflict.
Minister Pun gave away certificates to the persons from Magar community doing Ph. D. and scholarships to the deserving students. Association president Ram Bahadur Magar presided over the programme.

'Truce provides big relief'

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RAJBIRAJ, Feb. 8: National Assembly Vice-Chairman Ramprit Paswan has said that the people have heaved a sigh of relief at the ceasefire between the government and the Maoists and the effort for peace made by them.

Inaugurating the third Saptari district level convention of the Nepal Auto-Mechanics Trade Union at Rajbiraj today, he said that the role of mechanics is vital in the development of the country.
Central president of union Balaram Khatri said that the automechanics should rise above politics and unite for the sake of their rights and interest.

On the occasion National Assembly vice-chairman, felicitated senior mechanics Gulab Ram Rungta.
President of Saptari District Committee of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Govind Singh and a host of other speakers expressed their views at the programme chaired by president of Saptari district branch of the Union Raj Kishor Sharma.

'Corruption to blame for poor economy'

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POKHARA, Feb. 8: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Mahesh Lal Pradhan has said that the country could not develop much because of the rampant corruption and pointed out the need for the government and the private sector to work jointly for the development of the industrial and trading sectors in the country.

Speaking at an interaction programme concerning the present situation of the educational, health and tourism sectors organised here today by Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark its entry into the 49th year, he said that as infrastructure of tourism was being developed, there is good prospect of education, health and tourism there.

He said that the present government mandated with restoring law and order, prevent corruption and hold elections was making effort to fulfil the objectives with the cooperation of everyone including the political parties.

Acting president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries Vinod Bahadur Shrestha said that there should be no collection of donation by force when dialogue was taking place between the government and the Maoists.

On the occasion, Minister Pradhan initiated the website of B2B E-commerce Services Nepal operated with the cooperation of village-town partnership programme under the UNDP. The address of the website is www.b2b.com.np.On the occasion, Dr. Balgopal Baidya, Dean of Manipal College Pokhara Dr. J.S. Nagra and Dr. Harka Gurung presented separate working papers.

President of Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ramesh Karmacharya presided over the programme.

Meanwhile, Minister Pradhan, speaking at a meet the press programme hosted by Kaski district branch of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), said that in the present age, it is for the private sector and not the government to run industries and study was being undertaken on whether to sell the sick industries to run them or for the same of money. FNJ district branch president Punya Paudel presided over the programme.

Awareness must to check muscular dystrophy

By Indra Adhikari

KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: Karuna Pokharel's 12-year-old son has been suffering from muscular dystrophy since the last four years. Hers is not the only child suffering from this debilitating disease.

There are 60 families, who have come in contact with the Parents Project Muscular Dystrophy. The project is started by families who have cases of muscular dystrophy in their families.

It is estimated that there are many other patients with muscular dystrophy in Nepal, but no official records are available.

Muscular dystrophy is a hereditary disease caused by a recessive gene in the X chromosome - that makes females the carrier and males the victim. Because it is in the X-chromosome only the males are affected.

In muscular dystrophy, the muscles get gradually weaker with symptoms similar to polio. Even medical personnel find it difficult to distinguish between them. That could be a reason why awareness about muscular dystrophy is less than the number of cases prevalent.

The symptoms usually start when the baby reaches the age of two and begins walking or is in the advanced stage of crawling. "There are also cases when they started after the babies has reached five years," said the President of the project Anil Kumar Upadhaya, whose son is also affected by the disease.

Babies with muscular dystrophy usually take longer time walking. They cannot stand up promptly without support. They also need support while climbing stairs. The muscles of the calf, thigh, arms and the pelvic region get weakened and witness cramps and convulsions making standing up, walking and raising hands difficult. In advanced stages, the neck and head remain immovable.

"The disease is caused by the lack of dystrophic protein in the chromosome," Upadhaya said. If enough protein is supplied in food, the effect of the disease can be reduced, he said.

According to Upadhaya, with proper regular exercise and balanced diet the life expectancy of the victims can be lengthened. But he said dystrophy patients in Nepal normally do not live beyond the age of 20, but in Western countries there are examples of patients with the disease living up to 40 years. Two other treatments to prolong life are physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. There are also medicines available, but steroids have side effects after extended use.

The disease is divided into three stages. Usually the first six years of the child is the initial stage, the transitional stage is until the child reaches 12 years of age, and the period till the death of the patient is called the end stage.

According to Karuna Pokhrel, patients do not die of the disease but of other factors. "The major cause of deaths is constipation," she said. But the children's intellectual capacity is normal like in other children.

As there is no cure the only way to avoid the disease is not to beget a child with the defective gene. Doctors advise DNA testing of the foetus after three or four week of pregnancy if the mother is a carrier or it runs in the family. If the foetus bears the defective gene, they advise termination of the pregnancy. But the facility for DNA testing is not available in Nepal. "For that one has to go to Vellore in India," said Pokhrel.

But it is not certain that all children born from carrier mother will suffer from the disease. There are equal chances that daughters born from such mothers will not become carriers or sons sufferers. Sometimes, the disease can also be seen after a certain gap in the generation.

Upadhyay said muscular dystrophy, like HIV/AIDS or cancer has no cure. Upadhaya said that if effective measures to control the disease are not taken it is no less a threat than HIV/AIDS.
Upadhaya said that if their parents are given counseling and advice, the number of cases could be decreased. The project is launching a one-week awareness campaign against the disease starting from Sunday. Dr. J. P. Agrawal and Dr. Rohit Pokhrel of the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital are working voluntarily counseling the parents and advising them what to do.

Making peace talks a success emphasised

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: Former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana has welcomed the ceasefire for peace talks announced by the government and the Maoists both sides.

Speaking at a seminar 'Identification of the point of common consensus' organised by the National Democratic Party in the capital today, he said the problems could be solved only by the people, the constitution formulated by the people and the parliament of the people.

He said how to make the peace talks to be held between the Maoists and the government successful was the main national concern at present.

President of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nationalist) Rajeshwar Devkota said monarchy within the feeling of patriotism, the nation and sense of responsibility to the people should be the point of convergence for resolving the problems.

He alleged that the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML were trying to throw a spanner in the permanent peace talks being held between the government and the Maoists.

Facilitators in the government-Maoist peace talks Dr. Birendra Jhapali and D.R. Lamichhane said that the government and the Maoists both sides have told them to go ahead in creating a conducive environment for peace.

They expressed the fear that the lust for power, post and arrogance of the CPN-UML and the congress might distract the talks process.

Tanka Rai of the CPN-ML expressed the view that solution to national problems should be sought with the achievements of the 1990 People's Movement as the point of convergence.

At the programme presided over by president of the National Democratic Party Amar Kumar K.C., Former minister Din Bandhu Aryal and Dr. Shastra Datta Panta opined that national problems should be resolved by making the institution of the Crown as the point of convergence.

Khopasi-Taldhunga road works resume

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KAVREPALANCHOK, Feb. 8: The 60 km road from Khopasi to Taladhunga, work on which has been suspended since the past two years, is to become operational again come March .

The Rural Infrastructure Development Programme under the Ministry of Local Development had started work on construction of rural roads in Baglung, Tanahun and Kavrepalanchok districts with loan assistance from the Asian Development Bank.

Construction of 25l km of road in the three districts is expected to cost l6,l00 US dollars including 72 per cent to be put up by the Asian Development Bank, 23 per cent by HMG and 5 per cent by local people.

A 22 km portion from Khopasi to Kamidanda in Kavrepalanchowk was already open to vehicular traffic but because of lack of proper maintenance vehicular movement upto Kamidanda is not now possible.

Ex-employees service council meet held

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LALITPUR, Feb. 8: The ninth annual general meeting of the Ex-Employees Service Council, an organisation of retired employees, was held here today.

On the occasion, council general secretary Ishwari Prasad Rajbhandari presented the annual report of the council.

Rajbhandari disclosed that the council has provided health services and established a quiet retreat, formed the development service group, publications committee, spiritual awareness raising committee and a get-together programme sub-committee and also set up a welfare fund for the ex-employees.
Treasurer of the council Bhim Bahadur Adhikari presented the estimated income and expenditure accounts of Rs. 626,000 for Fiscal Year 2003/2004.

So far an amount of Rs. 136,612 has been deposited in the ex-employees welfare fund established with the objective of providing assistance to the retired employees living in difficult condition.
The objective is to upgrade the fund with deposits of Rs. 250,000 by Fiscal Year 2003/2004.
At the programme presided over by council president Gorakshya Bahadur Nuchhe Pradhan, vice-president Dr. Prabha Basnet, Gopal Man Shrestha, Govinda Das Shrestha, Ghana Nath Ojha, Narendra Bhattarai, Sachchidananda Sribastav, Bir Bahadur Shahi and others also expressed their views.