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Their Majesties perform kanyadan RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah performed the Kanyadan rites (or giving away of the bride) at the auspicious hour of 9:17 pm today in connection with the auspicious wedding of Her Royal Highness Princess Shitashma Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, the second daughter of Her late Royal Highness Princess Prekshya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and late Dhirendra Shah with Avinesh Shah, the eldest son of Arjun Jung Shah and Mrs Asha Rajya Laxmi Shah at Jeevan Kunj, Maharajgunj.As part of the rites, Their Majesties the King and Queen, on the occasion, performed the "Goddhuwa" ritual of the bride and groom. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and other members of the Royal Family also performed the "Goddhuwa" of the bride and groom.Earlier, the "Barani" rites was solemnised at the specially built marriage Mandap. Earlier, His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev welcomed as per Vedic traditions the procession of the marriage of HRH Princess Shitashma Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, the second daughter of Her late Royal Highness Princess Prekshya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and late Dhirendra Shah with Avinesh Shah, the eldest son of Arjun Jung Shah and Mrs Asha Rajya Laxmi Shah when it arrived at Jeevan Kunj, Maharajgunj this afternoon.His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev and other members of the Royal Family were also present on the occasion. Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand was also present.Also present were the Speaker, the Chairman of National Assembly, former prime ministers, ministers, political party leaders, heads and representatives of diplomatic mission, heads of constitutional bodies, Royal relatives and other distinguished personalities. Appointments RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, the Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, at the recommendation of the Vice Chancellor, has appointed Prof. Dr. Mahendra Singh to the vacant post of Rector and reader Gitabhakta Joshi to the post of Registrar.This is stated in a notice issued by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King today. Portfolio RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma will, on recommendation of the Prime Minister, look after the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies also in absence of Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mahesh Lal Pradhan who left here today for Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka to take part in the Fourth BIMST-EC Trade/Economic Ministerial Meeting.This is stated in a notice issued today by the principal press secretariat of His Majesty the King. Govt to take action against defying doctors RSS ITAHARI, Mar. 5: The 21st national general convention of Nepal Medical Association began at the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences here from today.One thousand physicians and health specialists from India, Bangladesh, America, Pakistan, China, Japan, Israel, Egypt, Uzbekistan and other countries as well as Nepal are taking part in the four-day conference. A message of best wishes from His Majesty the King wishing for the success of the general convention was read out at the inaugural session.Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has also sent a message wishing for the success of the general convention. In the message, Prime Minister Chand has said that the slogan 'Misfortune, Prevention and Care' adopted for the convention is very relevant. He has said that the general convention has an important role
in adopting appropriate measures for identifying problems and ways of preventing natural
disasters like earthquake, floods and landslides. The government is making relevant changes in the existing acts and regulations to enhance the dignity of doctors and to make them service-oriented, he added. Health Minister Devkota also disclosed that the government was promoting a large number of doctors in the near future on the basis of their performance. He added that extensive changes were also being made in the medical council. Inaugurating the general convention, former minister Dr. Nageshwar Prasad Singh called upon the physicians to stay away from politics and concentrate on the care of the sick. Others speaking on the occasion were Vice-Chancellor of the B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Prof. (Dr.) Shekhar Koirala, representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Dr. Claus Wagner, representative of the India Medical Council Dr. Keshav Bhat and representative from Switzerland Dr. Bakhara Brochts. At the programme presided over by Dr. Chandra Shekhar Agrawal, Dr. Kalyan Raj Pandey and Dr. Manohar Prasad Gupta also expressed their views. Dr. Manindra Ranjan Baral and Prof. Anjani Kumar Sharma were honoured on the occasion. Meanwhile in Biratnagar, Minister Devkota has said that the doctors should provide standard and accessible health services to the people. Inaugurating the oxygen concentration plant at the premises of the B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences here today, Minister Devkota said that the Health Ministry will not carry out anything against the interest of the doctors. The plant set up at a cost of Rs. 10 million will produce 300 litres of oxygen and provision has been made to supply it through pipes in the treatment services of the BPKIHS. Minister Devkota inspected the various wards of the BPKIHS and acquired information on the services received by the people there. On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of the BPKIHS Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Director of the hospital Dr. Narayan Kumar apprised of the various services provided by the hospital and said that the it was committed to provide maximum possible health services to the people. Myanglung fire victims to get loan for houses RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal presided over the a high level committee constituted by His Majesty's Government with the objective of providing relief to the victims of fire of Myanglung Bazaar, the headquarters of Terhathum district. The meeting decided to provide land ownership certificates immediately after setting land aside for road to make the Myanglung Bazaar planned. The meeting has issued directives to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works to provide the designs of the houses immediately. The meeting also decided to provide credit through the agriculture development bank to build houses and conduct trade, and request the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation to provide necessary timber to the fire victims. The meeting also held discussions on how to provide jobs to the unemployed. Talks were being held with the donor agencies for the blacktopping of the 26 kilometres road from Basantapur to Myanglung Bazaar. The meeting also decided to send team under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Mandal to Myanglung Bazaar on Sunday to acquire first hand information on the progress made so far in the rehabilitation there. Minister for Information and Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey, Minister for Finance Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Shankar Sharma and Chief Secretary Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala and secretaries at the Ministry of Home, Ministry of Finance, and Physical Planning and Works also attended the meeting. RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: A delegation of industrialists and businessmen led by chairperson of the National Marwari Council Shanker Lal Kedia met Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand at the latter's office today and apprised him of the socio-economic, business and citizenship problem faced by industrialists and businessmen. Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal, Finance Minister Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha and Home Minister Dharma Bahadur Thapa were also present on the occasion. The delegation comprised Mohan Gopal Khetan, Binod Chaudhary, Hulash Chand Golcha, Banwarilal Mittal, Tolaram Dugad, Chiranjibi Agrawal and Diwakar Golchha. Climate change threatens hydro projects RSS LALITPUR, Mar. 5: Experts concerned have pointed out that glaciers retreating fast and the decreasing snow cover due to rise in temperature as a result of climate change since the past few years might have direct impact on the implementation of hydroelectricity projects in Nepal. This was pointed out by the participants of a consultative workshop on 'Climate change impacts and adaptation options in Nepal's hydropower sector' which began here today. The workshop is jointly organised by Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC), Thailand. The participants stressed that Nepal should adopt appropriate policies from now for facing the challenge posed by this global phenomenon. It was disclosed on the occasion that the temperature in Nepal is increasing by 0.06 degree Celsius per year whereas it is 0.12 degree Celsius in the case of the Himalayan frontier. Minister for Water Resources Deepak Gyawali, inaugurating the two-day workshop, said that His Majesty's Government was, at present, developing a 'Water Plan' based on recently developed Water Resources Strategy-Nepal. One of the major outputs of the strategy includes 'Security from water-induced impacts and security of water supply', he added. The minister also expressed the view that the Water-Plan will develop a modality for the establishment of the 'Himalayan Climate Change Study Centre' under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology as described in the Water Resources Startegy-Nepal, 2002. Pointing out like several South Asian countries the annual water cycle in Nepal is also heavily influenced by monsoon, he stressed that some coping mechanism should be developed to adapt with the present trend of climate change. On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST) Prof. (Dr.) Dayananda Bajracharya said it is high time that attention is paid to reduce the impact of climatic changes on hydropower development. Director-General of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology Adarsha P. Pokhrel, Shardul Agrawal of the Environment Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Vivian Raksakulthai of the ADPC and Deputy Director General of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology Dr. Madan Lal Shrestha also shed light on the challenges posed by the climatic change. 'Peace should receive greater priority' By A Staff Reporter KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Peace is the overriding concern of all at present, and it should receive greater priority than the formation of an all-party government or the reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representative, Bamdev Gautam, politburo member of the CPN (UML), has said. He, however, believed that an all-party government would make the task of settling the Maoist problem easier. Speaking on Nepal Television's Disha Nirdesh programme Monday, Gautam said that faults in the political leadership and wrong planning on the part of the political parties were responsible for the present political crisis. These parties must resort to self-criticism and take moral responsibility for the present turmoil. They should move ahead only after correcting their actions, Gautam said. Gautam said that the future of the nation was bright only if the current cease-fire between the government and the Maoists could be transformed into a lasting peace and if the political parties corrected themselves. Gautam criticized reports that said the Maoists and the government should not reach a peace agreement. He said that it would more effective if the government, political parties and the Maoists sat together and reached an agreement to restore peace. He said that inability of the working class to take up the leadership and inability of the political leaders to fulfill the commitments they make were responsible for the weakening of the present national politics. The UML leader said, changes were noticed only in the political sector after the Popular Movement of 1990. He stressed on the need to bring changes and reforms in the economic and social fronts as well. "At a time when the Maoists are ready to hold peace talks and are eager for a safelanding, all the political parties should play a positive role to create an atmosphere for peace," Gautam said. The Maoists themselves are on the lookout for a constitutional exit, so everybody should actively participate in finding a solution to the present crisis. By A Staff Reporter KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Bamdev Gautam, standing committee member of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) has defended his statement saying that he supported the constituency assembly in line with the decisions taken in the recently held party's convention in Jankapur. Gautam was asked verbal clarification by the party's disciplinary committee on Tuesday for his remarks on the constituent assembly. In a talk programme with Disha Nirdesh programme of Nepal Television and in other dailies, Gautam had said that his party, during its recent 7th convention, had accepted the Maoist's demand for constituent assembly. "The country had already entered into the constituent assembly," Gautam had said. But Yuv Raj Karki, a central committee member of the party,
said the convention had rejected the demand of the constituency assembly but kept open it
for discussion. The party will take a strong step against him if he violates the party's
discipline again, said Karki. In his interview to NTV, Gautam had also criticised all political parties for their stances against the present government's initiative to hold talks with the CPN-Maoist. "The parties should not get entangled in technical issues rather they should cooperate with the government to find a way for peace," Gautam had said in the programme. A few days back, Gautam supported the Maoist's demand for an interim government, roundtable meet and constituency assembly, which Karki said, was also against the party line. RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Ambassador of Ukraine Dr. Oleh E Semenets paid a courtesy call on Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma at the latter's office today. Matters relating to running of air services and enhancement of trade between the two countries were discussed during the meeting. Departure RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mahesh Lal Pradhan left here for Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka today to take part in the fourth BIMST-EC trade/economic ministerial meeting to be held there on March 6 and 7.Minister Pradhan is accompanied by joint secretary at the ministry Purusottam Ojha. Nepal ranks 78th in water quality By A Staff Reporter KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: Faced with "inertia at the leadership
level", the global water crisis will reach unprecedented levels in the years ahead
with "growing per capita scarcity of water in many parts of the developing
world", according to a United Nations report made public today worldwide. Water
resources will steadily decline because of population growth, pollution and expected
climate change. Many countries and territories are already in a state of crisis. The report ranks over 180 countries and territories in terms of the amount of renewable water resources available per capita, meaning all the water circulating on the surface, in the soil or deeper underground. The poorest in terms of water availability is Kuwait followed by the Gaza Strip, United Arab Emirates, Bahamas, Qatar, the Maldives, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Malta and Singapore. The top 10 water-rich countries (with the exception of Greenland and Alaska) are French Guiana, Iceland, Guyana, Suriname, Congo, Papua New Guinea, Gabon, the Solomon Islands, Canada and New Zealand. In terms of water quality, Finland ranks first, followed by Canada, New Zealand, UK and Japan. In South Asia, Nepal ranks 78 in terms of water quality - ahead of Pakistan (80), Bhutan (96) and India (120), while Bangladesh (40) and Sri Lanka (64) are ahead of Nepal in South Asia. The report says by the middle of this century, at worst seven billion people in 60 countries will face water scarcity, at best two billion in 48 countries, depending on factors like population growth and policy-making. Climate change will account for an estimated 20 per cent of this increase in global water scarcity, according to the report. Humid areas will probably see more rain, while it is expected to decrease and become more erratic in many drought-prone regions and even in some tropical and sub-tropical regions. Water quality will worsen with rising pollution levels and rising water temperatures. The water crisis "is set to worsen despite continuing debate over the very existence of such a crisis," says the report. About two million tons of waste are dumped every day into rivers, lakes and streams. One litre of wastewater pollutes about eight litres of freshwater. "The poor continue to be the worst affected, with 50 per cent of the population in developing countries exposed to polluted water sources," says the report. Asian rivers are the most polluted in the world, with three times as many bacteria from human waste as the global average. Moreover, these rivers have 20 times more lead than those of industrialized countries. "The future of many parts of the world looks bleak," says the report, in reference to projected population growth, which will continue to be a driving factor in the water crisis. Per capita water supply decreased by a third between 1970 and 1990, according to the report. Even though birth rates are slowing down, the world's population should still reach about 9.3 billion by 2050 (compared to 6.1 billion of 2001). "Water consumption has almost doubled in the last 50 years. A child born in the developed world consumes 30 to 50 times the water resources of one in the developing world. Meanwhile water quality continues to worsen. Every day, 6000 people, mostly children under the age of five, die from diarrhoeal diseases," says the report. The report will be formally presented to the international community on World Water Day, March 22nd during the World Water Forum in Kyoto. Belgium okays loan for telecom project RSS KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: The government of the Kingdom of Belgium has agreed to provide a loan assistance of 1,439,637 (about Rs. 129.3 million) to His Majesty's Government of Nepal as the fourth and final instalment of Belgian state to state loan under the sixth telecommunication project agreement signed in 1999 with a committed loan assistance of 8,496,977 Euros over a period of four years. Of the total committed loan, 7,057,340 Euros have already been received under three separate loan agreements concluded between 1999 and 2001, according to a press release issued by the Finance Ministry here today. The loan assistance is being utilised for the purchase and installation of telecommunications equipment for the extension of 150,000 lines under the sixth telecommunications project being implemented by the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation. The loan carries no interest with the repayment period of 30 years including a grace period of 10 years, the ministry said. An agreement to this effect was signed today between His Majesty's Government of Nepal and the government of the Kingdom of Belgium. Dr. Madhav Prasad Ghimire, joint secretary of the Finance Ministry and Guy Trouveroy, Ambassador of Belgium signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments. His Majesty's Government has expressed its sincere appreciation to the Government of Belgium for this loan assistance and for its continued support to the development of telecommunication sector of Nepal. Number of displaced higher than estimated By A Staff Reporter KATHMANDU, Mar. 5: The number of people displaced by the seven-year-long Maoist insurgency could be much higher than estimated by the donor agencies. According to a survey carried out by UNDP and other donor agencies in 25 districts, there are more than 10,000 displaced persons 'who have been forced to live like refugees within their own homeland'. But a source at the Home Ministry said that the number mentioned in the report could be a gross underestimate. The Home Ministry itself has put the number of displaced people by the insurgency at only 7,343. The source said that the record needed to be updated. "As there is no possibility of conducting a survey throughout the country due to the prevailing security condition, it is difficult to give the exact number of those people hit by the Maoist insurgency," the Home Ministry official told The Rising Nepal. The ministry is yet to receive data from at least eight districts. According to the source close to the National Human Rights
Commission, statistics are being collected from 65 districts through the district
administration offices to arrive at the exact figure. The workshop on the UN Guiding Principles and Conflict-induced Displacement in Nepal is being organised jointly by the Global IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Project of the Norwegian Refugees Council and National Human Rights Commission. It aims to discuss concrete institutional arrangements and activities favoring prevention, protection and assistance to internally displaced persons and to promote dialogue between government authorities, UN agencies, national and international NGOs and donor governments on the protection and assistance needs of the internally displaced persons in Nepal.According to our correspondent, donor representatives, government officials from the Defence and Home Ministries, Chief District Officers from the different districts and human rights activists are attending the workshop.Addressing the workshop, Nayan Bahadur Khatri, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission said, "Fear of being caught in the crossfire between the Maoists and the security forces, fear of abduction, looting, shortage of food supplies due to the conflict and unemployment are the main reasons behind the displacement." |
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