Rayamajhi urges sincere works in education

RSS

KATHMANDU, Jan. 19: Raj Parishad Standing Committee Chairman Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi has said that as the development of the nation is not possible without education, everyone should work sincerely to enhance the educational sector of the country.

Dr. Rayamajhi was speaking at a programme organised here today to mark the 21st anniversary of V. S. Niketan Higher Secondary School.

At the programme Chairman Rayamajhi gave away prizes to the talented students securing highest marks in the examinations conducted last year and also to those winners of the various competitions organised under the extra curricular activities.

Chairman of the school governing body Dr. Hari Bhakta Neupane presided over the programme.

Long-term policy on Myanglung reconstruction soon

RSS

MYANGLUNG, Tehrathum, Jan. 19: Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun inspected the fire affected area of Myanglung today.

On the occasion, Minister Pun said in accordance with the directives of His Majesty the King His Majesty's Government has decided to formulate a policy for the long-term development and the reconstruction of Myanglung Bazaar.

He informed that a technical team of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works will prepare a detail project for the reconstruction of Myanglung and other necessary arrangement will be made through concerned ministries.

The loan repayment duration will be extended for five years and the government and the bank will bear the interests during that period, he said.

Minister Pun informed that the government would provide Rs. 25,000 housing loan of ten years in two instalments to each family of the fire victims.

He also informed that the affected families would be given service loan of Rs. 10,000 to 25,000 to start agriculture, cottage industry and other small business according to their needs.

Myanglung Bazaar is also going to be developed as a model town of the hilly districts of Nepal, he said.

Minister Pun also gave Rs. 500,000 from his personal fund to the fire victims of Myanglung.
Chief District Officer Hari Lochan Sharma shed light on the activities being done so far for the welfare of the fire victims.

Govind Dhungana presented a list of demands on bahalf of the fire victims.

A total of 86 houses were gutted in the fire in Myanglung Bazaar and there was a loss of Rs. Two billion.

Four terrorists killed in separate encounters

RSS

KATHMANDU, Jan. 19: The Defence Ministry has stated that four terrorists were killed in course of separate encounters between the joint security forces and the terrorists and in retaliatory action against terrorists involved in laying booby traps on the security forces patrol in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Salyan districts on Saturday.

Eight-year-old Pema Raksal Lama of Chandannath VDC and 12-year-old Sukaram Rawat of Kumchor VDC who had gone to graze horses in the fields at Acharya Badagaon in Jumla district, died when a socket bomb, which they found there and struck it on a stone in their curiosity, exploded, the ministry, in a statement here today.The security forces have defused the remaining four socket bombs, it is learnt.

The security forces made a haul of pressure cooker bombs, pipe bombs, plastic grenades, explosives, socket bombs, petrol bombs, various medicines, combat uniforms and terrorist documents from the sites of the incidents in Sankhuwasabha, Taplejung and Salyan.

Likewise, the security forces have taken a Tata mobile vehicle carrying steel furniture and goods worth approximately Rs 400,000 brought by evading customs under their control at the Nagdhunga Check Point on Saturday and handed it over to the Thankot Customs Office.

Similarly, the revenue patrol team of the security forces on patrol at the Sunauli customs seized various goods worth Rs 3 million being smuggled into the country and handed over the seized goods to the Sunauli Customs Office.

CIAA to probe into RNAC scam

By Kishore K. C.

KATHMANDU, Jan. 19: The Commission for Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is in its final stage of probing into the deals involving 272 air tickets struck between the then management of Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and its two Europe-based agents.

According to a commission official, extensive investigations are being made into the irregularities based on the complaints filed at the commission. "The probe is being conducted in line with the wishes of the airline's employees," the official said.

Two-and-a-half-years ago (Bhadra 6, 2057 B. S.), the then RNAC management had provided 140 tickets as incentive for the Paris-Kathmandu-Paris route to a Paris-based Teres D'Adventure, and 132 tickets for the London-Kathmandu-London route to London-based Bright Sun Travels.

The management had taken the decision on the basis of "wrong" recommendations made by a team of RNAC staff who had toured Europe at that time. They were Ram Raj Upadhyaya, Binaya Upadhyaya, Bishnu Prasad Basyal and advocate Ram Krishna Nirala.

The then chief at the legal section of RNAC Tej Bahadur Thapa had submitted a proposal to the then General Manager requesting not to provide the incentives to the agents. D. P. Sharma, the then Director at the Commerce Department, had also concluded that the letters exchanged between the corporation management and agents were illegal and detrimental to the airline's interests.

Sharma, on May 28, 1997, dispatched a letter to the agents informing them that the 'incentives' claimed by them during the period from April 7, 1995 to July 15, 1996 could not be given.

Evidences unearthed during the course of the CIAA's investigations showed that Bright Sun Travels had sent a letter to the corporation, expressing its sadness over the revoke of the incentives. However, accepting the corporation's decision, the agent requested the corporation to calculate its incentive after July 15, 1996.

Employees at the corporation said that those involved in the irregularity might have manipulated the case, as the commission failed to complete its probe within a year.

The commission has found that the corporation suffered a loss of millions of rupees because of the ticket scam. According to another official at the accounts section, the corporation incurred losses of Rs. 7,663,680 and Rs. 6,731,410 in separate deals with Bright Sun Travels and Teres D'Adventure respectively.

The employees demand that the irregularities be investigated as early as possible so as to save the corporation from additional liabilities that the corporation had agreed to pay between January 1, 1996 and July 15, 1996.

Many high level officials of the corporation suggest that the CIAA should go through the proposal made by Thapa, chief of the legal department, and Sharma's letters to the agents and the internal audit report of the corporation of July 6, 2001.

Meanwhile, members of the recently formed committee to look into the past irregularities in RNAC and its employees have pointed out the need to make public all irregularities that have taken place within the corporation. Corruption and irregularities are believed to have been the major factors that have brought the national carrier to near collapse.

NCHR chief seeks body on citizenship

RSS

LALITPUR, Jan. 19: Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Nayan Bahadur Khatri has expressed the view that a high level commission should be constituted in order to settling controversies and problems regarding distribution of citizenship.

Inaugurating a symposium on the topic 'management of citizenship: present and future structures' organised by the Tanka Prasad Acharya Memorial Foundation here today, chairman Khatri said amendment of the Constitution is the only alternative that remained for a permanent way out of this the citizenship problem.

Chairman of the foundation Ram Hari Sharma on the occasion said a team including governmental and non-government representatives should be constituted for visiting local villages to distribute citizenship certificates.

General secretary of the foundation Dr Meena Acharya said provisions should be made in the Constitution to provide citizenship certificates not only through the father's name but also that of the mother.

Vice-chairman of the foundation Sri Bhadra Sharma mentioned the fact that more than 4 million Terai people are affected by the problem of citizenship and said all the concerned bodies should be serious about solving the problem.

Senior lawyer Biswo Kanta Mainali and lawyer Chhatra Kumari Gurung presented separate work reports on the solution of the citizenship problem.

'Even villagers worried over politics of murder'

RSS

DAMAULI, Jan. 19: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma has said that not only His Majesty's Government but also the people living in the villages have also been worried over the politics of murder and violence unleashed by the Maoists.

Minister Sharma was speaking to the representatives of various political parties, office heads, officials of the security agencies, representatives of other institutions and organisations and the journalists at the meeting hall of the District Development Committee (DDC) here today.

The felicitation programme of the eastern region had shown how deep is the faith reposed by the Nepalese people on the monarchy, His Majesty the King has been providing patronage to the Constitution and was in favour of Constitutional Monarchy and multi-party democracy, he added.
Stating that the Maoists' movement was a storm which would disappear after causing damages, Minister Sharma emphasised the need to safeguard monarchy to wage the war of conscience.
After the programme, Minister Sharma gave directives to the office chiefs to perform efficiently and quickly.

Meanwhile, in Pokhara, Minister Sharma has said that we should not change our social culture of understanding and the feelings of tolerance with the change in the society.

Speaking at a programme on the role of proposed Anandjyoti Higher Secondary School in the development of Begnas here today he said the civil society should be active for the preservation of lakes, forest and natural gifts.

He said the local people could generate income if the lakes and the places of natural beauty are developed as the tourist attraction centres.

On the occasion, a host of speakers including the former mayor Shaligram Paudyal, Anil Subedi, Chetendra Jung Himali of Hariyali Party and Ramesh Adhikari also spoke.

The function was held under the chairmanship of the chairman of the school management committee Krishna Adhikari.

Half of UML convention delegates already elected

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Jan 19: The question of whether or not to introduce the presidential slot in the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) has triggered a heated debate among its cadres, even as the party today elected about fifty per cent of its representatives for its convention scheduled to be held in Janakpur next month.

"The party has elected almost fifty per cent of its convention delegates across the country till this evening," Ishwor Pokharel, party standing committee member, told The Rising Nepal this evening. About 1,000 representatives will take part in the convention.

As the election of the delegates draws to a close on Tuesday, the two warring factions - the establishment led by party general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and another led by its standing committee member K. P. Sharma Oli - claim most of the convention delegates are on their sides.
Oli has vowed to float the proposal to reintroduce the post of party president during the convention. He says he is raising the issue to make the party truly democratic.

"Having just the post of general secretary is not in line with the spirit of the new century. Adding the post of president makes the party more democratic and devolves power," says Oli.

The party had scrapped the post of president after the demise of late Manmohan Adhikari for whom the post was created as a mark of respect.

"Almost all the delegates, so far, are against politics in the party," said Pokharel, considered near to the party establishment. "Convention representatives are mature cadres and do not believe in the politics of power and are against any unnecessary disputes."

Oli claims otherwise.

"The election of the convention delegates shows that my ideology will gain ground in the convention," he said.

The convention, a supreme body of the party, will elect the party's new leadership for the next five years and may make necessary changes in the party statute.

Pokharel said that preparation for the convention is in full swing in Janakpur.

The party will collect suggestions on the party's organisational and political report as well as on amendments to the party statute report by January 24. They have been sent to the party workers for study.

The reports will be presented at the convention by incorporating the suggestions into them.

Deuba blames Koirala for present crisis

RSS

TANAHU, Jan. 19: Former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the reason behind the present crisis is the unstable character and expressions of Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala.

Addressing a programme organised after the unveiling of the statue of Supreme Commander of the People's Movement late Ganesh Man Singh, here today, he said the mistakes would not be corrected unless the government formed as per the Constitution is restored and all the parties put pressure for the correction of the mistake. Deuba also wrapped shawl around senior mason Ram Bahadur Verma who devoted himself in the construction. The statue was constructed at cost of Rs. 222,000. Central member of NC-D Pradip Giri said the October 4 move was the outcome of Govind Raj Joshi manipulating Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel changing the camp.

Also speaking at the programme presided over by statue construction committee chairman Moti Kumar Shrestha were ex-minister Prakash Man Singh, Gopalman Shrestha, ex-minister of state Amar Raj Kaini who shed light on the sacrifices made by late Ganeshman.

High-level team to visit refugee camps next month

By Bhuwaneshor Sharma

KATHMANDU, Jan.19: A high-level delegation comprising envoys and representatives from foreign missions based in Kathmandu will be visiting various Bhutanese refugee camps in the first week of February. The delegation will also include representative from the European Union, a high-level diplomatic source said. The initiative is being taken by the United Nation's High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) in Nepal. A similar European Union delegation had visited the camps in eastern Nepal in June last year.

This visit is aimed at resolving the 13-year-old Bhutanese refugee crisis, the source said.

Embassies of South Asian nations, including India, could also be represented in the delegation, the source said.

The visit is being organised at a time when Bhutanese refugees in Khudunabari refugee camp, one of seven UNHCR-managed camps, who were verified by a joint Nepal-Bhutan team are undergoing an indefinite hunger strike demanding early repatriation. They are also demanding that verification be carried out in the other camps too. Although nearly 12,000 refugees were verified last year, the results have not been published yet.

Meanwhile, an independent group supporting the repatriation of Bhutanese refugees will be visiting the refugee camps in eastern Nepal this week from Wednesday. The 4-member Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Support Group (BRRSG) will express its solidarity with the refugees.

The delegation includes former foreign ministers Shailendra Kumar Upadhaya and Chakra Prasad Banstola. It also includes foreign relations expert Hiranya Lal Shrestha and human rights activist Pramod Kafle.

The team recently began backdoor diplomacy to resolve the refugee crisis. Over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been living in the different refugee camps in Nepal for more than a decade now.

The team last week visited New Delhi to meet ambassadors of Bhutan's donor countries based in the Indian capital to put pressure on Bhutan to resolve the problem. The delegation had also met Bhutanese Ambassador to Nepal Lempo Dabo Tschering during his recent Nepal visit.

Following the Delhi visit, the team has been visiting envoys of Bhutan's donors in Nepal. It has already met the ambassadors of Britain and the United States.

The BRRSG, which includes nine Nepalese diplomats and foreign relation's experts, has initiated a campaign to withdraw aid to Bhutan if it continues with its delaying tactics, said Shrestha. A meeting of Bhutan's donors will take place in February in Geneva.

A high-level team representing the UNHCR from its headquarters in Geneva has arrived in Kathmandu to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the refugees, it has been learnt.

Experts demand clear energy vision

By Raj Kumar K.C.

KATHMANDU, Jan 19: Nepalese water resource experts and the civil society have demanded that Nepal spell out its vision on 'regional greed, energy trading and rights of upper riparian' during the third summit of the World Water Forum to be held in Kyoto, Japan from March 16 to 23 this year.

They have also asked the government to do the necessary homework to prepare the theme paper to be presented at the summit. Sources at the Ministry of Water Resources said that the government has not begun consultations with the experts.

The Kyoto summit, to be attended by senior officials and the Water Resources Minister, is attaching great importance to Nepal's hydropower potential, according to water resource experts.

Ministers from Nepal, Brazil and Iran are scheduled to present their views during the summit. According to a senior official at the Ministry of Water Resources, Nepal will present its views on water sharing.

"But Nepal should be able to spell out its views particularly on regional greed, energy trading and provision of water sharing," says Surya Nath Upadhya, Chief of the Commission for Investigation of the Abuse of Authority (CIAA). Upadhya, who had served as Secretary at the Ministry of Water Resources, says sharing of water should be dealt with a broad vision for economic development. Debate over sharing of water could trigger unnecessary obstacles in good neighbourly relations, he says, adding "but we should be clear about our rights as an upper riparian sovereign country.
"At a time when the focus is on equitable sharing of natural resources, the meaning of upper riparian should be clear."

In a bid to meet the needs of the growing population, both India and China are building high dams. India is introducing the 'Garland Canal' mega project to overcome the problem of water scarcity. If India constructs its grand canal, obviously it will use Nepal's big rivers such as the Mahakali, Karnali, Koshi and Gandaki and cause massive flood during the monsoon in the lowlands in Nepal, say experts.

"What will Nepal, as an upper riparian country, do if India constructs big canals out of Nepalese rivers?" questions Dr. Janak L. Karmacharya. "That is why Nepal should raise this issue during the Kyoto Summit." But he thinks the 'link canal' concept will make India more inter-dependent and Nepal can take some advantage from value addition.

Nepal's availability of fresh water per unit area is higher than the world average. Annual average runoff is 225 billion cubic meters and theoretical hydropower potential is more than 83,000 MW. However, Nepal has been successful to harness only 0.4 per cent out of its total potentiality.

Besides, this Nepal has failed to claim its rights over its water, say Nepalese water experts. One way or the other, water has been a bone of contention between Nepal and India, they say.

Santa Bahadur Pun, a well-known water expert, thinks Nepal should go for value addition to reap more benefits from its water. Besides, the issue of the country's rights should be raised at the Kyoto summit.

Speaking at a programme organised by Nepal Water Partnership (NWP), Pun also underlined the need to observe water from the security point of view.

Upendra Gautam, general secretary of the NWP, says that harnessing water resources should be linked to economic transformation of the country. "It can easily contribute to poverty alleviation if it is given adequate focus."

Civil society role in talks with Maoists urged

RSS

KATHMANDU, Jan. 19: Leaders of political parties, journalists and human rights activists have pointed out to the need for the civil society to take initiative in bringing the Maoists to talks from their anarchist activities.

They were speaking at an interaction programme entitled 'supportive and hindering aspects of talks with the Maoist at present' organised by the Parliamentary Study and Development Institution (PSDI).
They called for dialogue by formulating agenda for resolution of the problems, political parties should give up their self interests, and the Maoists should not backtrack from the statements they have made frequently and obey the decision of the people.

They also said the mediation for the talks should not be done by foreign countries or institutions but by Nepalese themselves.

Participating in the interaction were institution chairman Daman Nath Dhungana, human rights leader Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Hiranyalal Shrestha, CPN-UML leader Jhalanath Khanal, Bhim Bahadur Tamang of Nepali Congress, senior journalists Bhairav Risal, Shyam Shrestha, Rajendra Dahal, Gokul Pokharel, institution general secretary Ganesh Pandit and senior member Narsingh Bahadur Shrestha.

Cold wave still hits Terai

RSS

KATHMANDU, Jan. l9: Reports about the cold wave in the Terai are still coming in.In Sarlahi district, six people have died so far in the cold wave that has continued since the past three weeks.

Among the dead were 25 year old Urmila Devi Shah of Malangawa-2 and her three day old baby.
Because of the thick fog and cold, schools have been closed indefinitely, according to the District Education Office.

The cold has brought an outbreak of pneumonia and cold diarrhoea among children while youths have started coming to the hospital with head pain and other complaints.

Pneumonia has affected the livestock also and crops like mustard, potato, pulses and tomatoes have rotted in the field.

The authorities have made arrangements for people to keep warm around fires lit at various places.
In Siraha district the death toll from the cold wave has gone up to l5 after the death of three more people including a minor.

Those who died are mostly the elderly and people with respiratory ailments.

The cold wave has resulted in an outbreak of respiratory ailment, diarrhoea, pheumoia, head pain and colds and coughs.

Meanwhile in Biratnagar, clothing was distributed to 40 orphanage children and l0 elderly people to help them stave off the cold at a function organised yesterday by lettang VDC.

At the same function, copy books and pencils were also distributed to the orphanage children.
Meanwhile, a report from Rajbiraj adds the renowned Koshi fair of eastern Nepal has been affected by the month-long cold wave.

The crowds at the fair have been markedly reduced and the devotees visiting the spot too are fewer this year compared to past years, says a local of Bhardaha VDC, Sita Ram Mahato.

It is believed that all the sins in life can be purged by offering Argha (sacred yoghurt) after having a sacred bath in the Saptakoshi on Paush Shukla Purnima (full moon day).

According to legends, the tradition continued following Valmiki who along with other Rhishies (holy saints) had a sacred bath on that day in Saptakoshi in the Satya Yug (or the age of truth).

The fair is visited annually by thousands of Hindu devotees from different districts of the Kingdom and Indian cities, but the numbers this year are substantially reduced, Mahato said.

Presence of people in the fair got affected also by the news of 11 persons who died in Saptari district alone due to the cold wave, says local social worker Vijaya Prasad Singh.