Their Majesties visit Minakchi temple in India

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KATHMANDU, March 24: Their Majesties King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah visited the Minakchi Sundereshwar temple at Madurai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu today and offered worship.Constructed some 2,000 years ago, the temple is among the ancient temples of India.The temple complex spread over an area of 65,000 square meters has separate temples of Lord Shiva in his form as Sundereshwar and of his spouse Minakchi.Considered an open museum of ancient times, the temple complex contains l85 pillars and walls carved with innumerable images from the Hindu religion.

HM extends best wishes

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KATHMANDU, March 25: His Majesty the King has extended cordial felicitation to Mr. Constantinos Stephanopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic of Greece, on the occasion of the Independence Day of Greece.

In a message, His Majesty has expressed best wishes for the President's personal health and happiness and for the progress and prosperity of the people of Greece.

Additional portfolio

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KATHMANDU, March 24: Chairman of Royal Council of Royal Representatives His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, designated Finance Minister Dr Badri Prasad Shrestha to look after the Foreign Ministry also in absence of Foreign Minister Narendra Bikram Shah who left here today for Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan to take part in the 13th meeting of the joint ministerial committee on the Bhutanese refugees problem.This is stated in a notice issued today by the press secretariat of His Majesty the King.

Congratulation

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KATHMANDU, March 25: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has extended sincere congratulations to Mr. Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic of Greece, on the occasion of the Independence Day of Greece.

In a message, Mr. Chand has wished for Simitis' good health and happiness as well as for the progress and prosperity of the people of Greece.

Govt firm to prevail peace, says Pandey

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NEPALGUNJ, March 24: Minister for Information and Communications Rameshnath Pandey has said that the government and the Maoists are fully committed to transform the cease-fire into permanent peace in the country.Speaking at a programme organised by Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Banke branch here today he said the peace talks will not be held in haste and at Tundikhel but it should be held being very serious. Stating that the present government is committed to maintain an environment of peace and create an environment of good governance, he said people were in search of liberation and that has been achieved and now all should co-operate the government to establish permanent peace in the country.The King and the people have commitment to the multiparty democracy, therefore, there is no need to be suspicious about democracy in the country, he said.Political parties should be guided by the wishes and needs of the people, he said adding that the government is effortful to involve the political parties in the peace process. Minister Pandey said the government is preparing to make amendment in the Civil Servants Act for good governance and increase the participation of women and Dalits in the administration.The minister also informed that the government is preparing to form an advertisement authority in the country.The government has made appropriate arrangement for the security of the Nepalese working in the gulf countries if need be the government will bring them back to the country by Royal Nepal Airlines, he said.The function was chaired by FNJ Banke district Niraj Gautam.Minister Pandey inspected the National News Agency (RSS) regional office at Nepalgunj today.

UK agrees to fund APP

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Kathmandu, March 24: The government of the United Kingdom (HMGUK) has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Sterling Pounds 12,597,500 (about Rs 1,529.97 million) to His Majesty Government for the implementation of two separate programmes, namely, support for implementation of the Agricultural Perspective Plan (APP) and Community Based Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (CBRWSS).Under the support for implementation of APP, sterling pound 3,963,500 has been set aside for Technical Cooperation (TC) and Sterling Pound 5,910,000 for Financial Aid (FA).The TC fund will be utilised to cover expenses relating to professional staff, consultancies, study visits, training and logistics while the FA will be utilised to cover programme costs.The main purpose of implementing the APP programme is to deliver appropriate agricultural support services to the rural poor through improved policy and institutional arrangements.It aims to improve agricultural growth that benefits poor producers and consumers in improving their livelihoods.It also helps strengthen national institutional capacity to ensure APP implementation.The programme will be executed for a period of five years under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative.

Memorandum submitted

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KATHMANDU, March 24: A delegation led by central member of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Jog Mehar Shrestha called on Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and submitted a memorandum with the names and other particulars of the 117 RPP activists who were killed, disabled, robbed, displaced or have suffered severely in one way or the other and are living wretched lives due to violence, murder and terror in the course of the people's war waged over the last seven years.

Ojha gives away JUSAN prizes

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KATHMANDU, March 24: Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha and Japanese Ambassador to Nepal Zenji Kaminaga gave away Sakai Lions Club and Imanishi Memorial Fellowship Award set up by Japan University Students Association, Nepal (JUSAN) to various persons.
Dharma Bahadur Kunwar received first prize for his article on Japanese Society and Development, Dr. Bamdev Sigdel second for his article on an analysis of Nepal and Japan Trade Relations and Nirmala Upreti third on imitable education system in Japan.

The first, second and third prize carries a purse of Rs. 30,000, 25,000 and 20,000 respectively. Likewise, five others received consolation prizes on the occasion. The prize is given every year.
The main objective of the trust is to promote Japanese Studies, understanding and friendship between the people of Nepal and Japan.

On the occasion Minister Ojha said the students who studied in Japan have made significant contributions in the development of Nepal.

Japanese Ambassador Kaminaga stressed the need of unity in the socio-economic development of the country. Stating that the unity and consensus helps develop the society he said the Asian Society is based on collective efforts and the promotion of that culture help develop the country.
Education is the backbone of development therefore Japan has increased co-operation in the development of education in Nepal the ambassador said. Lumbini can be developed as a world pilgrimage site that can be very fruitful for the promotion of tourism in Nepal, he said
The Japanese government started to provide scholarship to the Nepali students since 1958 and so far more than 200 Nepalese have received the scholarship for higher education in Japan.
Meanwhile in Birgunj, Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha has urged all the political parties to involve in the peace process in the country by giving up their petty party interests.
Talking to reporters here today he said the government is working honestly to make the peace process with the Maoists successful.

Bansbari Orphanage crumbles due to poor management

By Tanchoma Foembo

KATHMANDU, March 24: An orphanage that looked as if it was running reasonably well for the past five years has suddenly crumbled due to poor management and personal greed. Last year, there were 100 children aged between three and 13 years. This year, there are only 49.

The Nepal Orphan and Helpless Child Welfare Association (NOHCWA) was established in 1999 by one Prajapati Nepali at Shobha Bhagavati, but later it shifted to an impressive building at Hatti Gauda near Bansbari.

The condition of the orphanage has turned so bad that there is no food for the children. Ten-year-old Shaktiman Khatri said they at times must go to bed hungry.

People, who were helping the orphanage with cash and kind such as food and clothing, have stopped providing any help.

Actually, the sorry state of the orphanage came to light after one benefactor went to the orphanage to provide the children with food. But he was shocked by the way the orphanage was being run.
"Others will also stop providing help once they come to know what is going on in the orphanage," say the local people.

A local said many guardians or institutions, which kept the children in the orphanage, have pulled them out because they see no reason in keeping them there. Some children there were genuine orphans while others came from poor families, most of them from outside Kathmandu.

Nepali said the annual cost of running the orphanage was about Rs. 1 million, and he collected the fund from rich Nepalese. He claimed that he had not received any money or sponsorship from foreigners.

The orphanage was offered land from former minister Chiranjibi Wagle at two places - Sitapaila and Goldhunga. But Nepali refused the plots because they were located too far away.

Initially, Ms. Vidhya Gurung, the principal of Manjari Boarding School where most of the children were enrolled, said the orphanage had rented its building for Rs. 25,000 a month. She had even helped with the rent for three months.

Lack of funds in recent times has forced Nepali to shift to a cheaper accommodation. Officials of Mahakal VDC, just across the road, had pledged to provide some land for the orphanage, but the offer was cancelled after locals complained about Nepali's behaviour. They said that Nepali was a heavy drinker, the prime reason for the sorry state of the orphanage. The board members of the orphanage are no better, they reasoned.

"He drinks a lot," said a neighbour, on condition of anonymity. "He (Nepali) is little concerned about the well-being of the children … the orphanage is only a front to take undue advantage."
Nakhul Khadka, vice president of Mahakal V.D.C, said that Nepali had once told him that he had received Rs. 800,000 from Maiti Nepal, an NGO. He said the concerned authorities should see whether such social organisations are being run properly.

Khapangi stresses welfare of street children

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KATHMANDU, March 24: Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi gave away prizes and certificates to the winning street children of painting competition - 2003 amid a function organised here today.

Some 373 street children of 11 different organisations had participated in the painting competition on the theme, 'My family and my village' organised jointly by valley police office women and children service centre and international labour organisation.