Their Majesties to visit India

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Their Majesties King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah will be in India from March 20 to 30 in connection with visiting various pilgrimage sites.

This is stated in a notice issued today by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King.

Wedding

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Their Majesties King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah graced the wedding of the son of former prime minister Marich Man Singh Shrestha at Dhapasi heights today.

Similarly, Their Majesties King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah graced the wedding of the son of acting head of the office of master of ceremonies Deputy Chief of the Royal Household Chiran Shumsher Thapa at Naxal today.

Envoy to China

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KATHMANDU, March l4: His Majesty the King has, in accordance with the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal l990, appointed Narendra Raj Pandey as Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the People's Republic of China.This is stated in a notice issued today by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King.

'Laws being amended to increase women's involvement'

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Laws and regulations in Nepal contain l56 provisions that discriminate against women.The discriminations occur in the areas of property, employment, court procedure, marriage and family, sexual harassment, citizenship forms, etc.

This was disclosed at an interaction programme on the topic "Laws that discriminate against women and the impact on women" organised here jointly by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, UNDP and the programme for mainstreaming gender equality. Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Information and Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey said the civil service act is being amended to increase women's involvement in this service and give them priority.

Minister Pandey who is also Chairman of the Administrative Reform Commission, said once there is wide ranging reform in the law it will be easier to end discrimination against women. Remarking that if discriminatory laws are reformed in a such a manner that society will be able to adjust to them, these laws will become more effective, he said the media sector has made notable gains in bringing about such reform.

He also remarked that the media sector has played a significant role in controlling the trafficking in girls and doing away with superstition concerning witches. Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Bijaya Raj Bhattarai said all sectors should embrace the policy of gender equality.

Judicial Council Secretary Kashi Raj Dahal, Press Council Chairman Harihar Birahi, Federation of Nepalese Journalists chairman Taranath Dahal, Press Chautrari chairman Shambhu Shrestha and gender equality mainstreaming programme national manager Indu Pant also expressed their views on the occasion.

'Tenth Plan gives priority to poverty reduction goal'

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KATHMANDU, March 14: Vice-Chairman of National Planning Commission Dr Shankar Sharma released a book entitled 'Decent Work for Poverty Reduction in Nepal' published by International Labour Organisation (ILO).Dr Sharma speaking on the occasion said the tenth five-year plan has given its priority to poverty alleviation in the country and the assistance provided by the ILO in the field is praiseworthy.

The book stressed the need of basic rights, strategies regarding to the neutralisation of poverty, promotion of economic efficiency, skill development training, opportunities for employment etc for the poverty alleviation.The book also encompasses the themes like child labour, Kamaiya system, gender discrimination and conditions of the workers working abroad.

Speaking on the occasion Leyla Tegmo-Reddy, director of ILO Nepal, said ILO in collaboration with Nepal government has been working for the poverty alleviation and creating employment opportunities.

UNICEF Deputy hails code of conduct

By Kedar Bhattarai

KATHMANDU, March 14: United Nations Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF Kul Chandra Gautam has welcomed the code of conduct for the peace talks signed by the Government and the Maoists and made public Thursday and says all sides must pay attention to implementing it to the full.

Although everything cannot be included in the code of conduct, the 22-point code will benefit the innocent people directly, said Gautam while talking to the Gorkhapatra Friday. Gautam is currently in Nepal in the course of UNICEF's South Asian Management Programme. During his earlier visit, he had presented suggestions for a cease-fire and code of conduct to both the Government and the Maoists on behalf of UNICEF.

These suggestions, presented before the cease-fire was announced have been incorporated in the code of conduct, he said. A few months back, UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, while addressing the UN General Assembly, had expressed sadness at the loss of lives and property by the violent activities in Nepal. The General Secretary had said that the United Nations would be ready to mediate to end the conflict should Nepal make such a request.

However, Nepal has not made such a request, and according to the charter of the United Nations, it cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation without a formal request, said Gautam. However, since the United Nations can take the initiative on development construction and social development, it had presented the suggestions for a cease-fire and code of conduct from this perspective.

How the peace talks will proceed is a matter of concern for both the Nepali people and the international community. Should the talks break down, UN General Secretary Annan has expressed the intent that the United Nations could intervene, said Gautam. In the present situation, all should accept schools and health centres as peace zones so that children and innocent people don't fall victim to violence, he added.

Women's involvement in decision making approved

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KATHMANDU, March l4: As per a ministerial level decision of His Majesty's Government taken on March l0, the matter of involving women at decision making levels as far as available in corporations and other units under the Communications Ministry has been duly approved.

Eight policy related points contained in a communiqué presented to Minister for Information and Communications Ramesh Nath Pandey on behalf of the Sancharika Samuha Nepal have been approved, the press and information co-ordination section at the ministry stated today. Emphasis has accordingly been placed on providing training to communications workers to produce programming as per a policy of projecting a positive image of women through the mass media, gender sensitivity and alertness about women's empowerment are to be inculcated in communications workers, and gender equality made a part of information policy.

Publicity for programmes in women's empowerment, scholarships in mass media and journalism, gender sensitivity when formulating annual programmes at government mass communications media and fostering a positive image of women in private sector media are also among the points approved.

Support to peace process main agenda: UK representative

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 14: Newly appointed United Kingdom special representative for Nepal Sir Jeffrey James says his main agenda is to support the peace process in Nepal. However, he made it clear that neither he nor the United Kingdom was seeking to mediate in the peace process in Nepal. "My role as special representative has two main aspects - to provide a focal point in London for coordination of UK Government support for peace, stability and development in Nepal and to take forward consultations with Nepal's other international partners on how best to support the Himalayan Kingdom," Jeffrey said at a press conference here this afternoon.

Sir Jeffrey, who was appointed to the post on February 24, said that yesterday's agreement on the cease-fire code of conduct between the state and the warring Maoists was a welcome step and that both the sides should take credit for this positive and constructive development. "It is an encouraging sign of progress and gives good reason to hope that the foundations for a secure and lasting peace can be put in place," said the retired diplomat who has already served as leader of UK's diplomatic mission in countries like Iran, Afghanistan and India.

Calling on both the parties to transform the present cease-fire into a permanent peace, he said there was no military solution to the problem. The special representative, however, made it clear that Britain and the international community remained ready to provide training and non-lethal equipment and training to the security forces to enhance their ability to counter any resumption of hostilities. He said that he would be working with the Nepalese government and others on a package of assistance designed to make a quick impact in areas worst affected by the insurgency. "Our support could include support for incomes, basic services and the rehabilitation of physical infrastructure at the village level," he said.

He, however, declined to specify the modality of support to rehabilitate the people who have been displaced by the seven-year-long insurgency. "It is too early to be specific about it. But if there is a peaceful solution to the conflict, Britain and the international community will be pleased to provide every support to the displaced people," he maintained. In longer terms, they would be assisting Nepal in tackling the deep-seated problems of poverty, underdevelopment and inequality, he said. "This will include good governance, human rights and democratic development."

Apart from meeting leaders from a cross section of the society during the last week, the special representative for the Himalayan Kingdom, who will be based in London but be making visits to Nepal regularly, also toured western Nepal to inspect the development activities carried out by UK's Department for International Development (DFID). "I met the chief commissioner of the constitutional anti-corruption body and the president of the National Human Rights Commission to take notes on the latest progress in the anti-corruption and human rights movement in the country," said he.

Sir Jeffrey is scheduled to receive an audience with His Majesty the King before leaving for New Delhi after some days. "Promotion of good governance, guaranteeing human rights, control over rampant corruption are a must for safeguarding the young democracy and monarchical culture in Nepal," he said.

Code of conduct positive sign, says UML leader

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KAPILVASTU, March 14: General Secretary of the CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal has said either the restoration of parliament or the formation of an all party government has become essential to give new direction to the country at a time when chaos, instability and terror has prevailed.

Speaking at a press-meet organised by Press Chautari, Kapilvastu at district headquarters today, General-Secretary Nepal said the 22-point code of conduct signed by the government and the Maoists is positive although scepticism lies on its proper implementation.

A joint peaceful movement of mojor parties has been initiated for promoting and safeguarding democracy as peace and democracy in the country is in crisis.

Denmark okays grant for education programme

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KATHMANDU, March 14: The government of the Kingdom of Denmark has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Danish Kroner 265.0 million (approximately Rs. 3,026.3 million) for the implementation of Secondary Education Support Programme.

A grant assistance agreement to this effect was concluded between His Majesty's Government and the government of Denmark at the Ministry of Finance today. The programme aims at improving the quality of public secondary education and increasing equitable access, especially for educationaly disadvantaged groups and ethnic minorities and girls through increased coverage of teacher training, institutional capacity building and improved curriculum and instruction materials.

The Asian Development Bank has already agreed to provide a loan assistance of US $ 30 million for the implementation of this programme. The loan agreement between His Majesty's Government and the Asian Development Bank was concluded on 17 January.

The Danish grant assistance agreement was signed by Finance Secretary Bhanu Prasad Acharya and Charge d' Affaires Gert Meinecke of the Royal Danish Embassy on behalf of His Majesty's Government and the government of Denmark, respectively. His Majesty's Government has expressed sincere thanks to the government of Denmark for its continued support in the socio-economic development of Nepal.

CIAA files case against customs official

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KATHMANDU, March l4: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a charge sheet at the Special Court Kathmandu against Mechi Customs Office Chief Keshar Jung Khadka on the charge of illegally amassing wealth totalling Rs l4,562,l74. Khadka and his family had total assets of Rs 2l,676,324 out of which sources could be shown for only Rs 7,ll4,l50, the CIAA states.

As it had been confirmed that Khadka has kept illegally amassed assets in the names of his wife and sons also, the latter have also been named defendants in the case.

Britain withdraws appeal against Gurkhas

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 14: Britain's Defense Ministry Thursday withdrew its appeal against the decision of the London High Court regarding compensation for Gurkha war captives taken by the Japanese during World War II.

"The Defense Ministry's secretary decided to withdraw its appeal after he asserted that the British government would definitely lose the case in the court on the basis of new evidence presented by the lawyers on behalf of the ex-Gurkhas," Padam Bahadur Gurung, president of Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation (GAESO) said at a press conference here today.

The new evidence was based on the statement of David Omissi, senior lecturer in Imperial History at the University of Hull and UK's leading academic historian on the Indian Army. Omissi had approved the decision of the High Court in favour of the ex-Gurkha soldiers by saying that it would be an inappropriate step to deny compensation to the Gurkha soldiers on the basis of 19th century's colonial racial discrimination. His statement served to evidence that the British government had maintained racial discrimination while providing compensation to the British ex-armymen compared to their European counterparts, Gurung said.

With this step on the part of the British government, more than 343 ex-Gurkha war captives, including Pahalman Gurung, Hukum Sing Pun and Gaurishwor Thapa and their widows, have gained equal legal status equivalent to their British counterparts. They are now eligible to obtain 10,000 pounds in compensation as per the verdict of Justice McCombe of the High Court last November.

"I am very happy with the decision of the British government. Now we have won equal rights. Britain has done good work and paid the debt of Gurkha soldiers for using them for 200 years," said Pahalman Gurung, 82, who is one of the claimants in this case. "With this step, Britain has recognised the Gurkha soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the British monarchy during Second World War," said Phil Shiner, the GAESO lawyer in England. "I hope this decision will work as precedence in other cases too," he said.

The Defence Ministry secretary said that he would soon review the court's verdict of November 2000 on the compensation for British Gurkha soldiers, the GAESO statement read. This historic victory will help win other cases on discrimination filed in the courts by Rangprasad Purja, Chandar Bahadur Pun and Gopiraj Lama, said Gopal Siwakoti Chintan, the GAESO legal advisor.

Siwakoti said that within two weeks the GAESO would appeal on the High Court decision last month on salaries and pensions as it is not satisfied with the decision of the High Court. On February 12, the High Court after a five days hearing had ruled against the case of discrimination brought by seven Gurkha ex-servicemen against the British army.

No sign of improvement in food adulteration

By Indra Adhikari

KATHMANDU, March 14: In absence of close monitoring and consumers' awareness, adulteration on consumer items has not shown any sign of improvement. As food quality offenders continue to get away with their foul tricks, public health is at risk.

President of Consumers' Forum Nepal Harendra Bahadur Shrestha said that the Consumer's Protection Council constituted four years ago, has not been working effectively. He said that the council has failed even to hold its regular meetings. Since it was constituted in 1999, it has met only three times. The government constituted the council four years ago under the chairmanship of the Minister for Industries, Commerce and Supplies.

Lack of awareness is one of the problems. Although there is the Consumers Protection Act and quality monitoring offices in every district. However, their delivery has been neglible for the lack of consumer's awareness in the rural areas, says Kedar Khadka, president of Pro Public. This is so because the Nepalese consumers are not organised. But in recent times, people in the urban areas have started to read the labels of products before they purchase them, he said. "Manipulated food impurity can be controlled only if the culprits are legally punished for which a separate Consumer's Court is necessary," said Shrestha. No consumer who has filed complaints about adulteration has ever been compensated.

A few organizations are now working to protect the rights of consumers. Since the movement to protect consumer's rights began in 1990, people's awareness has been rising, says Khadka. However, it will take time before people in the remote areas know about their rights. Krishna Hari Baskota, Director at the Department of Commerce said that the main function of the council is to monitor the market to check adulteration besides making plans for the protection of the rights of consumers and oversee the demand and supply of goods.

The clauses in the Consumers' Rights Protection Act 2054 stipulate that consumer products and services should, in no way affect their health, consumers should have freedom of choice and the right to information about the composition of goods and their side affects. The act also says that consumers have the right to compensation if the service and goods they use causes harm to their health or are fake. It says consumers should have access to education on consumer's rights and the concern authority should hear their grievances. According to advocate M. K. Thakur, any organisation or industry or individual can be fined upto Rs. 500,000 or sentenced to 14 years in jail if their products are found adulterated. However, the act has not been implemented effectively.

Baskota says that every industrial product must now have a label that gives the producer's description, date of manufacturing and expiry, warranty, instructions on the ways of using the goods, Nepal Standard mark and lot number. If these are duly not mentioned, the council may send a warning letter to the manufacturer. If the warning is defied, the production of such items could be banned.

The council works through its branch offices in every district. They monitor the market in the respective districts, organise awareness programmes and control malpractices. As part of the campaign to create awareness, the government has included topics on adulteration in the secondary school curriculim. A similar curriculum awaits to be included in the Higher Secondary School level as well.

According to Baskota, kerosene mixed with petrol and diesel, soyabean oil degraded with mustard oil, pure ghee with vegetable ghee, the use of saccharin and inedible colouring and flavouring agents in sweets are the common instances of adulteration seen in the Nepalese market. Saccharin, which is widely used in ice cream, is 20 times sweeter than sugar. Its consumption badly affects the lungs.
Selling the meat of she goat as that of he goat; she buffalo falsifying as that of he buffalo, mixing flour in Khuwa (condensed milk product) and using green colour on vegetables and peas are other kinds of adulteration seen.

Since the council sprung into action about six months back, it has taken leagal actions against 1,170 offending traders. About 38 sacks of adulterated lentil and 160 kg of degraded ghee were seized in Bhairahawa. Actions were also taken against 124 meat sellers and 215 milkmen in the last six months. Two cases have been filed against adulteration at the Kathmandu District Court and a few in the Morang District Court.