Carlsberg rock rocks Pokharelis

By Our Correspondent

POKHARA, March.30: "The Carlsberg Rock Tour, 1974 AD in Concert" was a great success in Pokhara. The musical event entertained all pokhareli people irrespective of age and gender. All danced and enjoyed the programme concerted by the 1974 AD, a famous musical band of the country.
People were thronging to the concert to watch the musical programme staged at Basundhara Park in Pokhara. Thousands of music connoisseurs and commoners watched the programme.

Foreigners, who come to visit Pokhara, also enjoyed and danced with the rhythm of the music by the famous bands. This reminded that the music has no language. Music speaks the universal language.
Unexpected rain on Saturday neither could interrupt the enthusiasm of singers nor of the viewers. Singers continued giving concert despite the continuous rain. Rather, they sang a song entitled "Hamilai Panile Rokna Sakdain" meaning "raining cannot stop us."The musical programme was jointly organised by the Gurkha Brewery's product Carlsberg. The event was organised by Vogue Advertisement and Event Management.

'Talks would be successful'

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KATHMANDU: Government coordinator for the talks to be held between His Majesty's Government and CPN (Maoists) and Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun has expressed the confidence that the talks would be fully successful.

Inaugurating the Myagdi-Kathmandu Youth Club here Saturday, Minister Pun said following restoration of peace in the country the government has thought of mobilising the youth in development works of the nation.The youth, who are the future of the nation, are responsible for bringing about changes in the social structure of the country, Minister Pun said adding that they should become united for this.
Rajparishad member Rudra Bahadur KC said social institutions should be free from politics and committed to social service.Chairperson of Myagdi Chautari said social organisations should talk less and work more.Club president Khambir Garbuja presided.

In Ratnanagar, Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha has disclosed that the schoolteachers on official deputation due to the maoist problem will be sent back to their respective schools from the new academic year.Speaking at an interaction between chairpersons of school management committees, headmasters and officials of the education offices organised by the district education office, Chitwan here on Saturday, Minister Ojha said efforts are also being made to finalize at the earliest the result of the examinations taken by the Education Service Commission in 2052 B.S. for promotion and permanency of the teachers.

Stating that the government is working hard to enforce the 29-point education programme announced earlier, Minister Ojha disclosed that essential budget will be allocated in the new academic year for free education upto SLC for students from the backward communities and girl students.

On the occasion the chairpersons of the school management committees and headmasters apprised the Minister of the problems facing their respective schools.

Foreign investment in media hampers national interest: Nepal

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 30: A sovereign country should not allow foreign investment in its media as it is an affront to nationality and sovereignty of the country, said media experts and journalists speaking at an interaction programme in the capital today.

They stressed the role of the media in safeguarding national interest along with maintaining the ethics of journalism. The communication media with foreign investment would disseminate information against the national interest, the participants at the interaction on 'Foreign Investment in media' stressed.

Speaking on the occasion, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal said that foreign investment in the media would hamper national interest and even sovereignty. The media should speak in favour of the country and its people which those with foreign investment may not do.

He supported the peace process initiated by the government and the Maoists and asked both the sides to consider the views of political parties. He also asked the Maoists not to be steadfast on all their demands.

Presenting a concept paper on the theme, journalist Yubaraj Pandey said that there are no clear provisions in the laws regarding foreign investment in the media. He said that the media run under foreign investment would publish information in favour of other countries and hamper national interests.
Shiva Gaunley of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said that the government should investigate the income of investors in the media so that it would be clear whether they have foreign investment. He said that the foreign investment would be possible if it does not control the editorial freedom and management system.

Other participants at the programme also stressed banning foreign investment in the media.

Protection of natural resources sought

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KATHMANDU: Forest and soil conservation work in Nepal can be carried out with the help of local tools like spade, pick and the like and that one should not look for foreign assistance in this regard.
This was the conclusion of the third general meeting of the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SOCOS) held here on Saturday.

Inaugurating the meeting, senior member of the society Manmohandwaj Joshi said the society was constituted to bring together all professionals involved in the field in one forum and make collective and coordinated effort for protection of natural resources.

Kesarman Bajracharya of Nepal Forest Technicians Association said conservation work will become more effective if the work in carried out in coordination with local crops, social circumstances and political situation.

From the chair, president of SOCOS Kesarman Sthapith said the geological state of the country, excessive rainfall and high dependency on agriculture has disturbed natural resources and has had negative impact on soil and water.

Vice-president of the society Bhawani Prasad Kharel said soil and water have an important role in fulfilling the basic necessities of human life while general secretary Rajendra Khanal said the society is ready to forge partnership with technicians in the field of soil and watershed conservation.
Shyam Sundar Shrestha of the society pointed out the need for a study on the rate of soil erosion and inundation in the country.

Controllers' office at Gaur completed

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RAUTHAT: The construction of the treasury and accounts controller's office at Gaur, the headquarters of the district, has been completed at a cost of Rs 1.9 million.

Inaugurating the newly constructed building, treasury and accounts controller Narayan Prasad Silwal said that HMG aimed at building all the governmental offices of it own.

Officiating CDO Mukunda Prasad Dhakal, chief of the treasury and accounts controllers' office Ram Prasad Dhakal and a host of other speakers expressed their views on the occasion.

Man arrested

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BIRGUNJ: President of all Nepal Farmers Association (Revolutionary), Bara Min Prasad Apagain alias Manoj was arrested by police in possession of a large number of ammunition of shot gun from Gandak Chowk recently.

According to police inspector Jeevan Shrestha of Parsa District Police Office, a resident of Simara VDC-1 in Bara district Apagain was found carrying 275 round ammunition of a 12-bore L.G. shot gun while he was freaked on suspicion inside a tempo on its way to Simara from Birgunj at around 9:00 pm on Friday night.

Apagain confessed to police that the ammunition were brought into Nepal from near the Birgunj Customs Office and was handed over to him by a Maoist worker called Vijaya. Vijaya was to meet him at Jitpur.

Police have been searching for Vijaya while Apagain has been taken into police custody for necessary investigation and action, it is learnt.