Portfolio

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Mahesh Lal Pradhan will, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, look after the water resources portfolio also during the absence of Water Resources Minister Deepak Gyawali who left today for Japan to take part in the Third World Water Forum to be held there.This is stated in a notice issued today by the Press Secretariat of His Majesty the King.

Puja offered

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JANAKPURDHAM, March 14: Her Royal Highness Princess Shobha Shahi offered puja at the Ram Mahayagya (grand religious ceremony) held at Janakpurdham today.HRH the Princess offered puja at the Janaki and Ram temples of Janakpurdham today.Likewise, HRH the Princess offered puja at the historical Jaleshwornath temple at Jaleshwor of Mahottari district.Kumar Mohan Bahadur Shahi was also present on the occasion.

Development of country gradual process: Sharma

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RAJBIRAJ, March 14: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Kuber Prasad Sharma said that development of the country can not be completed instantly but it is a gradual process.Minister Sharma was inagugurating a newly constructed pond in the compound of Chhinnamasta Bhagawati temple situated at Chhinamasta VDC of Saptari district amid a function.The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had provided Rs 500,000 for the construction of the pond.The function was presided over by former Chhinnamasta VDC chairman Satya Narayan Yadav.

Unity for repatriation stressed

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March.14: Representatives of Bhutanese refugees, leaders of various political parties and foreign relations experts today stressed on unity among the refugees so that they can be repatriated as early as possible. It is high time that our efforts, irrespective of political ideology, are directed towards repatriation, they said at an interaction programme today.

The categorisation process puts even members of a family of being divided into different groups…All are genuine Bhutanese, and their rights to repatriation should not be curtailed, they said. They were speaking at an interaction organised by the Bhutanese Refugees Repatriation Support Group (BRRSG) in the capital today. They expressed hope that the 13th Ministerial Joint Committee(MJC) meeting would be crucial in deciding their future. The 13th round of the MJC meet is scheduled for March 24 in Thimphu.

Bhutan doesn't have any right to brand its exiled citizens as criminals. It must repatriate them first and then take action if they are criminals, said Shailendra Kumar Upadyaya, former Minister of Foreign Affairs. "Repatriation is the fundamental right of refugees, and the Bhutanese government should take back its citizens without condition," said Hiranya Lal Shrestha, a foreign policy expert.
"Repatriation must be accompanied by monitoring of human rights," said Pradeep Pokhrel, chief of Amnesty International Nepal. Amnesty has been closely monitoring refugee activities and is ready to monitor rehabilitation and repatriation as well if necessary, he added.

"Bhutan's intention shows that it wants to take back only a small number of refugees. All refugees sheltered in Nepal are bonafide Bhutanese," said S.B. Subba, coordinator of the Bhutanese Refugees Repatriation Representative Group (BRRRG). Not allowing them to return is a serious violation of their fundamental human rights, he added. Subba said Nepal should not try to integrate the refugees with the Nepalese. "All must be allowed to return." If it agrees to integrate those Bhutanese refugees who cannot return, it will only invite social and political problems in Nepal, he added.

Most of the representatives from the refugee camps in eastern Nepal expressed fear that the Druk regime was settling other Bhutanese on the refugees' land in southern Bhutan. They demanded that these Bhutanese must be resettled elsewhere before the refugees are repatriated and rehabilitated.
"The Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1985 started the refugee crises in Nepal," Subba said. The act must be annulled before we can return home, and the UNHCR and other human rights organizations should monitor the human rights situation while being rehabilitated, he added.

Pramod Kafle of the BRRSG, R.B. Basnet, president of the Bhutanese National Democratic Party, Balaram Poudel, coordinator of the National Front for Democracy, Thinley Penjore, president of Druk National Congress, and Ghanashyam Sharma of Janamorcha Nepal also spoke on the occasion.

INSEC welcomes code of conduct

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KATHMANDU, March 14: The Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) expressed its thanks to both the government and the Maoists over the agreement on the code of conduct signed yesterday in the context of ceasefire and peace talks to resolve the problem peacefully.

Both the sides should present themselves in a flexible manner in favour of permanent peace considering the intention of all the Nepalese people as dialogue is the first step for solving the problem permanently, it is stated in a press release issued by the INSEC here today.

The provisions mentioned in the code of conduct are to be fully implemented during the period of ceasefire, sincerity should be shown by both the sides and processes should be followed in a disciplined manner, the release stated.

Gorkhapatra book binder Baskota retires

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March. 14: Bhagawati Baskota, senior book binder at the Gorkhapatra Corporation, retired today after 28 years of service.The corporation organised a programme to bid farewell to Baskota, 58, here today. On the occasion, the corporation wished her progress and prosperity in the many years to come.

Medical camps at Kailali, Jumla provides treatment

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Medical Treatment Camps organised jointly by the security forces, the local administration and the district hospital at various places in Kailali district and the Gajyang area of Jumla district provided treatment to 2,9l4 local residents.

According to the Defence Ministry, a medical team from the security forces set up temporary camps at and provided treatment to 97 men, women and children in Gorkha district and l03 others in the Kharkot and Siku areas of Kalikot district yesterday.

Similarly, an army patrol on duty at the Royal Bardiya National Park arrested one individual involved in poaching and trafficking of rhino horn and turned him over to the warden's office at the park.

Home Ministry notice on Phagu Purnima

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KATHMANDU, March l4: The Home Ministry issued a notice here today calling on the general public not to put colour or red power on people against their wishes, throw water-filled balloons or dirty water or show indecent behaviour, on the occasion of Phagu Purnima which is traditionally observed as a festival for expressing mutual goodwill and best wishes.Those contravening this notice will be subjected to legal action, it is stated.

Courtesy call

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KATHMANDU, March l4: United Kingdom special representative for Nepal Sir Jeffrey James and British Ambassador Keith George Bloomfield paid a courtesy call on chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumsher JBR at the latter's residence at Maharajgunj today. On the occasion, the age-old friendly relations between the two countries, long term peace in Nepal and the overall good of the country were discussed.

Extensive discussions were also held on Nepal's Maoist problem, the situation after the ceasefire and peace talks.

Part time teachers stage protests

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March. 14: More than 50,000 part-time teachers working in public schools throughout the country since 2047 B.S., submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Education and Sports here today, demanding that they be appointed permanently. The delegation was led by Buddhi Prasad Sharma, President of Part Time Teachers Action committee.

The government should appoint these part-time teachers as permanent teachers through interviews, he said. Earlier, thousands of part time teachers had gathered from different parts of the country and marched through the city, demanding their appointment as permanent teachers without delay. Since the government in 2047 had recruited these teachers by interviewing them, why can't the same process be adopted this time to recruit them on a permanent basis, questioned Sharma. Sharma warned that if the government does not take their problem seriously, they would take to the streets to create pressure.

On Wednesday morning, the team had met Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and informed him about their problem. During the meet, PM Chand had said that the government would take the problem seriously, Sharma said. Immediately after the restoration of multi-party democracy in the country in 1990, the then interim government had decided to appoint part-time teachers, who had taught for more than a year, on a permanent basis.

The then government had decided to recruit about 14,000 teachers at different levels in 2052 B.S. However, more than 80,000 teachers passed in the written exams taken by the Teachers Service Commission in 2052, although only about 14,000 teachers can be recruited. Candidates have even sat for interviews in many districts. The results of the interview have not been made public even years after the candidates sat for it. The different teachers' organisations have been demanding that the results not be made public, citing unfair practices took place.

In 2054, a high-level commission was formed under the convenorship of former justice Mahesh Rambhakta to investigate into the irregularities. In 2056 again, the government of then Premier Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had decided to appoint all part time teachers to permanent posts. This failed to materialise due to change in political leadership.

One more digit added in telephone numbers

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KATHMANDU, March l4: Nepal Telecommunications Corporation is bringing into use new telephones numbers throughout the Kingdom starting tomorrow.Under the new arrangement, the six digit telephone numbers in use in Kathmandu Valley will have one digit added at the beginning to make them seven digit, while the five digit numbers used outside the Valley will be similarly increased to six digits with the addition of a digit at the begging.The new number system will apply to V-SAT, marts and VHF telephones also.The new digits to be added in the Valley are 4 for Kathmandu district, 5 for Lalitpur and 6 for Bhaktapur.Telephone numbers in 22 districts will have the digit 4 added in the beginning. These districts are Taplejung, Terhathum, Bhojpur, Udayapur, Khotang, Dolakha, Syangja, Gorkha, Manang, Parbat, Mustang, Arghakhanchi, Bardiya, Dailekh, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Kalikot, Mugu, Bajhang, Doti, Darchula and Dadeldhura.Seven districts, Solukhumbu, Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Jajarkot, Rukum , Humla and Achham, will have 6 added.The remaining 43 districts will have 5 added. STD, area code and mobile phone numbers will remain unchanged.