No. of ministries reduced to 21
PM initiates reform in govt.

By A Staff Reporter

His Majesty the King on Tuesday reshuffled the cabinet on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. This may be taken as the first step by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to reform the government for good governance as he had promised at the time of taking over the government’s leadership. The number of the  ministries has been reduced to 21 and the portfolios of several ministers have been revised giving them additional portfolios.

Several of the ministries, such as the Ministries of Supplies, Transport, Culture, Sports and Works have been merged with other ministries. Meanwhile, the strength of the cabinet has remained the same. However the Prime Minister still holding some ministries such as labour, agriculture and transport indicate about the possibility of the expansion of the cabinet.

Meanwhile, the reduction of the ministries may not be popular decision among the Congressmen, but it is likely that the donor countries and agencies, which have been speaking about the necessity of reforms in the government, may take it positively. This may be a message to them that Prime Minister is serious about his promise of good governance and reforms in the governance.

Can other parties outdo UML in corruption control?

By A Staff Reporter

The CPN-UML’s attempt to open the Pandora’s Box of corruption has boomeranged on its leaders and the whole party itself.

No sooner than had the UML, at a rally in Tundikhel the previous Saturday, made public the first list of the most corrupt persons in the country, reprisals against the UML leaders themselves were quick and harsh.

The first such counter offensive came from Keshav Sthapit, the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan city and a former UML man. Sthapit immediately organised a press conference and accused the UML’s top leader Madhav Kumar Nepal of taking Rs. 30 million from Prakash Tibedewala to save the UML’s nine-month old government in 1995. He even accused Pradeep Nepal, who had made the announcement at Tundikhel, of coming to him just before the announcement and demanding Rs. 1 million to erase his name from the list.

Both Madhav Nepal and Pradeep Nepal have yet to deny the accusation publicly.

Similarly, some newspapers, obviously not leaning towards the UML, have also begun washing the UML leaders’ dirty linen in public. The persons they have accused include majority of the UML’s top and even middle rank leaders. They have even dared that they are willing to furnish further proof of the wrong-doings of the UML leaders.

The fact that the counter-accusations have come from those, who were on the same side till only a little more than two years ago, and that they must know the inside out of each other indicate that the accusations stand until the UML leaders can prove them wrong. So, the UML calling only its men as clean and pure is nothing but empty boast.

Meanwhile, for persons who have been watching this trading of charges, it is surprising the UML has selected only those names of its each enemies like Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka and ML leader Bam Dev Gautam and forgotten about others such as Govinda Raj Joshi, Bijaya Kumar Gachhadhar whom the UML itself had been of being among the most corrupt. And even Girija Prasad Koirala was targeted by the party for initiating the Dhamija scandal. So is it some kind of a vendetta against Khadka and Gautam for them being instrumental in splitting the UML?

 Considering who are or were corrupt in the last ten years have shown that virtually no one, who have sat on powerful positions, has escaped allegations of indulging in corruption  — be it the Pajero and the medical facility or the Dhamija scandal, or the LC scandal or the import of chemical fertilizer or leasing of planes or even making appointments and contracts or even in the change over of the governments.

The palatial houses, Pajeros and the high flying lifestyle of those, who were virtually paupers or living on only two square meals a day, just ten years ago, are some of the indications of the corruption that has ravaged the country.

The UML was probably aware of the retaliation it would get by making the accusations public. Whatever its motif was, still it dared and went ahead. This process should not be stopped. If they can, other parties should also follow suit and expose the corrupt.

The Pandora’s Box should be opened fully and emptied, even if it may create some bad blood among the political parties. Only then there is ‘hope’ of cleaning up the mess and finding a solution to the malaise.

RNAC: Once more in turbulent skies

By A Staff Reporter

Every time RNAC goes for leasing an aircraft, there are controversies. However, this time it was different. Earlier, it was the press and the public who used to suspect the fishy business going on. This time it was the government, moreover, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which accused the RNAC management of wrong doing.

Last week, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation sacked RNAC’s Executive Chairman Bharat Bahadur Karki, for disobeying the Ministry’s instruction not to extend the lease of the China South West aircraft, and even for being stubborn in public.

Earlier, a notice, bearing the name of Karki and citing its versions was published in all the dailies and major weekly newspapers saying the decision of the RA management to extend the lease of the aircraft was correct and according to the authority given to the RA management by the previous government.

Meanwhile, the cabinet on Monday appointed joint secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation Haribhakta Shrestha to look after the management of RNAC, until new arrangements are made. Similarly, the cabinet has also decided to the lease the China Southwest Airlines plane for three weeks only, until RA’s own plane returns back from the C-check it is undergoing now.

However, the media has raised questions about the Ministry’s decision, and backed Karki in his decision to extend the lease  of the China Southwest Airlines plane by three months.

RNAC had extended the lease of the CSA plane on March 19, one week before the contract was to expire, after it two bids to find a replacement of the aircraft failed.

The decision was taken so as not to disrupt RNAC’s flight schedules in the international sector and as a stop-gap means until it leases another plane.

The decision has been taken as being in the interest of RNAC because had it waited for another sealed tender, the Airline would have been short of one plane for its international flights.

Moreover, RA’s own Boeing 757 is going for a major check and it would be away for three weeks. This would leave left RNAC with only one plane, completely disrupting its international flights.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation,  Tarini Dutt Chataut, thought otherwise. He had instructed RNAC, only two days after he became the minister, not to go ahead with the deal, which Karki did not abide by. And the Ministry has refused to release the US $ 200,000 required to pay the Chinese company.

Chataut even accused Karki and the RA management of being involved in a commission deal. But the RA management says, the extension was done at the same rate as before, and thus there is no room for any under the table dealing.

With the Ministry refusing to budge, there is now every possibility that the deal will be scrapped. That means RNAC will have to operate its international flights with only one aircraft.

What would have happened if the Ministry had reprimanded the RA management for disobeying, but had allowed the lease to remain intact?

An RA insider says if RNAC goes searching for another plane, then there could be another round of commission deals.

There can be no denying that RNAC has in the last several months shown some good performance. Its flights have been on time, and also its debt has been reduced by almost Rs. 200 million.

Meanwhile, others point out the whole drama has been enacted as a background for the commission on the lease of a 767-300 ER, and also for the plane RNAC intends to buy within the next two years.

The present controversy points that RNAC is again falling into the cycle of commissioning and power play. Meanwhile with the Employees Union of the Corporation announcing a strike from Monday, the crisis for the National Flag carrier has become even more severe.

Free girls from our mental jails first

By Sushma Amatya

An educated daughter-in-law of a rich family who is under pressure to have a boy child gets pregnant for the fourth time. After three daughters, she no longer wants another child but decides to take this as a last chance to try for a boy child. She does not let anybody in her household know she is pregnant and carries her pregnancy till the eighth week; after which she goes to a city in India and gets the sex of the foetus determined. When she discovers that it is a girl foetus again, she gets it aborted and flies back home the next day after the short ‘holiday’.

This cost the young lady a lot emotionally, but she was forced to take this extreme step unable to bear the constant pressure from her family to bear a boy child. Though cases like these are kept under wraps in our society, it does not mean that they do not exist. After this last aborted attempt, the woman takes courage to refuse to get pregnant anymore. That does not prevent her in - laws and other relatives to throw barbs at her whenever they get the opportunity for not “being able to bear a son”.

Through cases of foeticide, a girl child is not given a chance to see the world. Girls born especially in low-income bracket,  face discrimination from birth to death. There is a marked preference for boys over girls in the Nepalese society, with a few exceptions. Girls are discriminated against in various ways in varying degrees depending on the socio - economic conditions they are born into. They are not only short changed of what they rightfully deserve, but are denied the basic human rights and  are also made victims of exploitation and violence.

Only laws cannot stop the perpetrators of these acts of discrimination, exploitation and violence. As we are well aware, there are innumerable loopholes through which the criminals of our society escape. It is important to instill awareness in each and every strata of society and to create a sense of responsibility in the public that will make them sit up and take notice of what goes on around them, react to it and ostracise the criminals.

No amount of  sloganeering, debates, interactions, policies and other interventions can help, till we break free the innocent girls from the jails that exist deeply ingrained in the mentality of our society.

 It is also important to remember that examples of visible individual success stories have not changed the fundamental gender inequities that exist among the population of South Asia, as Nigel Fisher, Regional Director of UNICEF  pointed out.

Inaugurating the one day consultation workshop on “Rights of the Girl Child: Review of a Decade of Programming” organised by the South Asia partnership International on 17 April, Nigel said that those in position of power and influence in South Asia must be made to confront the huge gender disparities and they be made to acknowledge the consequences for girls of their policy choices - their action or their inaction. He added that there should be no escape from accountability and public revulsion has to be there against those who commit crimes on girls and women. 

Chief guest Kamala Pant, Minister of State for Women and Social Welfare, condemned the traditional views that does not encourage girl child education, the responsibility to help in household, early marriage and social values as major constraints for girl child development and empowerment.

 Other speakers in the inaugural session were Bushra Gohar, Vice Chairperson, SAP - international board; Rohit K. Nepali, Executive Director, SAP, Nepal; Dr. James Arputharaj, Executive Director, SAP- International Board, Thinly Dorji, Director, SAARC Secretariat; and Dr. S.M.Parija, Secretary, SAP - International Board.

 “Although discrimination against girls and women is found on every continent of the world, for the sheer scale of its population and the cultural structures against gender and class, few regions compare with South Asia, where every year millions of girls are born into poverty birth castes” - The State of the World’s Children 2000, UNICEF.

Platinum anniversary of Arya Samaj

By A Staff Reporter

During the 75th anniversary of the Arya Samaj, celebrated from Chaitra 24-26 in Raxaul (border area of India and Nepal), the memory of late Shri. Ganesh Man Singh was recalled and his virtues extolled upon.

Nandu Babu (L.) with P.L. Singh

In 2007 BS, the leader of Nepali Congress had stayed in the Arya Samaj Bhawan and conducted his plans and preparations during the struggle for democracy, from the same premises. Many other prominent fighters of freedom took shelter of the Bhawan during their days of struggle.

Food and shelter for all the political refugees in Arya Samaj was provided thanks to the courtesy of Nand Kishor Sikaria, fondly known as Nandu Babu to his friends and family. The honour of being the chief guest of the Kaustuv Mahotsav celebration was bestowed on the Nepali guest P.L. Singh, a parliamentarian from Kathmandu. Addressing the gathering, he said that the Arya Samaj Bhawan in Raxual and Nandu Babu has contributed a great deal to the freedom fighters and all three share a strong emotional bond.

Eighty-five-year-old Nandu Babu recalled the period of fifty years ago when he got the opportunity to serve his friends in need. A philanthropist first and a businessman secondly, Nandu Babu calls himself a true friend of Nepal and the Nepalis.

U.S. embassy responds to allegations

By A Staff Reporter

In its edition of April 11 and April 17, The Kathmandu Post carried articles which made several allegations regarding Thomas Furey, the nominated Ambassador of the United States to the Kingdom of Nepal. Furey was nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Nepal on March 3, 2000.

According to an American Embassy press release here April 17, The Kathmandu Post articles contained a number of allegations said to be contained in a letter from an individual to the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The committee has jurisdiction over the department of state and is currently considering Furey’s nomination.

Of the assertions of fact in the article, only one is true; in July 1982 an adoption agency run by the Government of Nepal placed a Nepali child in the foster care of Mr. And Mrs. Furey. The child was in their home for a period of four (not six) months in late 1982. No documents were signed when they took the child into their foster care. They subsequently decided not to proceed to finalisation of the adoption process. The child was then placed in the foster care of another family.

This matter was known to the U.S. Government during the process of considering Furey’s nomination. The circumstances were carefully and thoroughly investigated. American officials and others who were in Nepal at the time were consulted, and there was no suggestion that Furey acted illegally or on any basis other than personal concerns, which included the welfare of the child.

In particular, there is no basis for charges that Furey’s actions in this matter were based on “racism.” In our view, the use of that word in the headline of the article is thoroughly unfair and completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated, since it is nowhere mentioned in association with Furey’s name in the text of the article. The false allegations regarding Furey’s family members are particularly egregious, since the individuals accused are deceased and unable to defend themselves against these allegations.

What is also true is that the decision was a fundamentally personal one for the Fureys. Some Americans and others who were in Nepal at the time had strong opinions about the matter. Many supported the Fureys; others considered what they did, to be mistaken. But neither the Nepalese government nor Furey’s superiors at the time raised any questions about the actions he took. Eighteen years later, this matter should be put to rest. Furey is eminently qualified to be the U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. He has enjoyed a successful career as an officer of the U.S. Government and, most importantly, loves Nepal and its people. If confirmed by the Senate, he will be an excellent representative of the United States Government and people to the Kingdom of Nepal.

Norvic-Escorts introduces new technology in Cardiac Treatment

By A Staff Reporter

The Norvic-Escorts Health Care & Research Centre has completed two years of operations and these two years have been a glorious period in providing speciality health care in cardiac-related treatments.

To mark this occasion, Norvic-Escorts organised a special TEE (Transoesophageal Echo Cardiography) check up session on April 16 to mark its entry into the third year of operation.

This special session of TEE was conducted by a group of consultant cardiologists headed by Dr. Ravi Kasliwal, Senior Consultant Cardiologist and chief of Non Invasive Cardiac Dept, Escorts Heart Insitute Research Centre, New Delhi.

The TEE is the latest  and the most advanced technology available for accurate diagnosis of the heart’s condition. It is a highly sophisticated echo test conducted for identifying a range of cardiac anomalies including clots in the large arteries (aorta) and to diagnose heart diseases of children who carry some abnormalities from their birth. TEE is also done on patients who have had a replacement of artificial valves in the heart.

The TEE test session organised by Norvic-Escorts Health Care & Research Centre is the first ever in the medical history of Nepal and carried out on 20 patients of Norvic - Escorts.

In the process of bringing new technology in treating cardiac anomalies, Norvic-Escorts has already introduced peripheral Angiography, Dual Chamber Pacemaker and MBV (Balloon Mitral Valvotomy) in the past years.

Bookrack
Good governance and NGOs

Book: Development Governance, Agenda for Action, Written by: Bishwa Keshar Maskey. Published by: Centre for Development and Governance. Published in: January, 2000. No. of Pages: 146. Price: Rs 200 (soft cover). R. 500 (Hard cover), Irs. 300 in India and US $ 15 another countries. Printed at: Modern Printing Press, Kathmandu.

The presented book deals basically with some aspects of development that have relevance to Nepal. It projects two ideas — good governance and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — that brings about development to a country.

The development challenges for twenty-first century will continue to revolve around the issue of governance. To address those challenges in the present situation, it requires reinventing of governance with innovative and non-bureaucratic modes of governing. Thus, good governance revolves around social development, sustainable development and corporation.

Various aspects discussed in this book include the role of government, commercialisation of state enterprises, social development, sustainable development and the NGOs. The author explores each of these aspects with an extensive survey of literature of their framework and contending views.

With relevant observation, the author, a well-known economist and professor of Economics at T.U., has linked the discussions forwarded in this book with the Nepalese context. It has highlighted the development governance in Nepal - a paradigm shift from the overpowering role of the state in governance and development to an alternative vision and strategy.

Ansal Chaudhary flat scheme:
Your housing dream could come true

By A Staff Reporter

It is everyone’s dream to own a house. But for many Kathmanduites it looks a far-fetched dream, not only because the land is becoming scarcer but also the cost of buying land and building a house on it is beyond the capacity of majority of those who still live on rented rooms.

Again, Kathmandu being a valley without any further extension of the city is virtually impossible. So, the only way to house the growing number of people is to depart from the traditional way of living that is having a house on one’s own land.

What 'Kathmandu Residency' will look after it is completed.

The only alternate left is to have a system of apartment blocks, or group housing or having small townships.

Till now the system of apartment blocks has been virtually unheard of in Kathmandu because of several problems, such as appropriate rules and regulations regarding its ownership and others and secondly because of the cost.

Kathmandu is already short of about 300,000 units of houses and the number is expected to rise by 7 per cent every year. So, there may be no way other than apartment complexes to remove the back log of the shortage of housing.

The Chaudhary Group of Nepal and Ansal Buildwell Limited of India have come together for a joint venture company for construction, housing and real estate development in Kathmandu valley.

The joint venture company, Ansal Chaudhary Developers Pvt. Ltd., was formally launched in Kathmandu on Monday, and it also announced its first housing project in Kathmandu.

The Company plans to build an integrated, self-contained residential complex on 1.76 acres of land at Baghdol in Lalitpur by the banks of the Bagmati river.

Speaking at the launching of the Company, Binod  Chaudhary, president of the Chaudhary Group said, “Time has come in Nepal to do away with the concept of living only on landed property. This housing complex changes the style of living in Kathmandu and also a step in integrating the Nepalese society, he said.

He also called the government to assist the private sector in improving the housing condition of the people as a facilitating agency such as by formulating appropriate legislation.

Speaking from chair, Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel said it is a welcome step to build affordable houses for the people. Saying this kind of project will lessen the burden of the government and manage urbanisation in the country, he also said the government is committed to promote and facilitate the initiatives taken by the private sector

The complex will have 143 units consisting of studio apartment, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments with all the required amenities like abundant water supply, sufficient electricity and power back-up, an efficient drainage system, private parking, 24-hour security, in-house club, creche, convenient shopping and enough open spaces and greeneries.

The price, too, is relatively cheap ranging from about Rs. 400,000 for a studio apartment and Rs. 9,28,000 for one bed-room apartment to 1.829 million for a three-bedroom one.

They also have a flexible payment plan of giving 15 per cent rebate on down payment to 36 months interest free instalment plan to a construction linked payment plan spanning over 13 installments. The total cost of the project is Rs. 300 million and it is expected to be completed in three years. The company will provide consultancy and expert advice to the occupants for one year after the completion of the project.

One of the features of the complexes is that the complex will have two or three storeys and it will retain the basic characters of the local architecture and use local materials as far as possible.

At the inauguration programme, Gopal Ansal, Chairman and Managing Director of the Ansal Group said the Kathmandu Residency will be a stepping stone in creating a new Kathmandu. He called the Chaudhary  Group as a very resourceful and solid partner.

Chaudhary Group, the US$ 100 million industrial and business conglomerate with 40 different companies, is Nepal’s one of the biggest business houses.

Jaswal Singh Sawhney, Managing Director of the Ansal Chaudhary Developers Pvt. Ltd. delivered the vote of thanks and earlier Rajesh Katyal had shed light on the project.

Spiritual renaissance camp at Pokhara

“To give maximum happiness to the maximum number for the maximum time is our religion.”

— Chinmaya Mission

By A Staff Reporter

The picturesque lake town of Pokhara and the kingdom’s second largest tourist destination is all geared up to host the week-long Chinmaya International Family Camp, from April 24-30. This will be Chinmaya Mission’s first ever International Camp in the world’s only surviving Hindu Kingdom. The Mission hosts such camps once in every two years and Nepal was given the nod to host the camp coinciding with the new millennium.

Chinmaya Mission.......And The Smiling Crusade Continues : Pujya Gurudev H.H. Chinmayananda (r.) with Swami Tejomayananda.

Set in nearly 100 acres of landscaped gardens Fulbari Resort (Pokhara), an architectural masterpiece will be the site, providing both the tranquility and much desired ambience for such a family camp. The camp is fully ‘sold’ out according to the Mission’s local organiser Shri Chinmaya Adhyatmic Seva Sangh (Nepal). In fact the Resort is out of bounds to public during the camp period.

There will be about 300 delegates from all over the world including the host Nepal with the British forming the single largest group followed by the Americans according to the organiser. The week-long camp divided into three sessions (morning, late morning and evening) will conduct programmes from guided meditations to discourses on Gopika Geet, Karma Yoga, Satsang and Yogas. The camp will also offer group discussions, question and answer sessions, walk in the woods, cultural activities and video presentations. Special workshop and programmes for youths and children are also on the cards. In short the camp will come as close as possible in becoming truly an international family camp.

The camp will be conducted by a team of respected Swamis and Brahmacharis assigned by Chinmaya Mission and spearheaded by no other than the Supreme Head of the Chinmaya Mission worldwide H.H. Swami Tejomayananda who is not new to Nepal. The 49-year-old spiritual leader succeeded the illustrious founder of Chinmaya Mission, Swami Chinmayananda, after the Mahasamadhi of Pujya Gurudev in 1993.

The seed of Vedanta sown by Pujya Gurudev in 1990 gave birth to the Shri Chinmaya Adhyatmic Seva Sangh here. Besides the many Gyana Yagnas conducted by visiting Swamis and Brahmacharis the Sangh conducts regular study groups, Bala Vihars and Seva projects, such as rural health development programmes and free health camps. The main endeavour of the organisation is to share and revive the knowledge of Vedanta and to generate spiritual awareness, bringing about a harmonious blend of secular and sacred knowledge.

Disposable contact lenses

By Vipin Buckshey

Patients often ask “what is disposable contact lenses?” The answer is that all contact lenses are disposable; it is only a matter of the frequency of replacement. As compared to conventional soft contact lenses, which are worn for an average period of one and half to two years, disposable soft contact lenses as the name suggests are disposed off regularly at planned intervals.

In the market today we have four types of disposable lenses depending on the frequency of replacement — daily, weekly, fortnightly and monthly. To maintain optimal eye health, it is important that the wearing time, follow up visits and replacement schedules prescribed by the practitioner for disposable contact lennses are followed religiously

Since soft contact lenses were first approved for use in America in 1971, many soft contact lens associated complications have been reported. Disposable contact lenses were developed with the aim of reducing these problems.

All types of contact lens wear is associated with some risks of complications ranging from the common conjunctivitis to corneal ulcers. Studies indicate that disposable lenses have a lower overall prevalence of complications, lower rate of reported symptoms and lower rate of unscheduled visits due to problems than conventional lenses.

Research has demonstrated that the adherence of secretive fluids to the surface of hydrogen high water content, soft contact lenses can contribute to a variety of problems for the wearer including decreased visual acuity, ocular irritation and microbial infection. Protein coatings have been detected on soft contact lenses as early as 1 minute after insertion of the lens into the eye. The deposits become more complex and cover more of the lens surface as the period of daily wear increased from 1 day to 12 months. Daily cleaning of the lenses does not completely remove the bound protein deposits and new coatings accumulate on top of the old ones. In addition to the bacterial contamination, spoilage of daily wear lenses is associated with the use of contaminated solutions and lens cases, poor patient compliance in hygiene and poor disinfecting regimens. Cracks and crevices on the matrix of used lenses can shelter bacteria from the flushing action of blinks.

Many factors contribute to lens spoilage — soiled hands or fingers, cosmetics, dust, smoke and microbial invasion. Spoilage has been noted as early as after 48 hours of wear with an average between 1 and 6 months for daily wear lenses. Disposal of spoiled, used lenses and replacement with new sterile ones is the most prudent clinical approach. A disposable lens system especially helps those patients who have poor lens hygiene and who are slow to clean and replace worn lenses. Until the introduction of disposable lenses, most lenses were replaced very irregularly. Often the decision was left to the discretion of the patient — it typically came when a lens was lost or damaged necessitating unscheduled visits to the eye care practitioner.

Soft lens wearers find cleaning and disinfecting lenses to be the single biggest bother followed by the inconvenience to having to visit their practitioner to replace a lost or damaged lens. With disposables the patient finds it extremely comforting to have his own supply of lenses on hand. And with the lower per lens cost, he does not hesitate to replace a lens when irritation occurs. Disposables have the winning combination of convenience, reduced risk of infection and far less cost.

The basic material of disposable soft contact lenses is three times more oxygen permeable than conventional soft contact lenses & the lens is much thinner. There is thus much less material in the eye and it interferes that much less with the breathing system of the eye. This provides a margin of safety for the patient who occasionally naps or inadvertently leaves lenses on overnight, both risk factors. In the case of conventional lenses the gradual build up of deposits formed by the tear secretions, the dust, eye make up and pollution contribute to blocking the pores of the lens through which the eye can breathe. With a frequent replacement lens system this problem never arises because the patient has a fresh sterile lens by the time the pores begin to get clogged.

The only maintenance required for disposable is that the patient removes the lenses at night, rinses and stores them in a case with solution. The following morning the lenses are placed directly on the eye. No enzymatic cleaning is required. Disposable gives the patient fresh vision, comfort and ocular hygiene with every replacement. The wearer does not have to clean & insert the same piece of plastic for more than thirty wears.

(The author is an optometrist & contact lens specialist and an optometrist to the President of India)

Natural warmth and comfort

By A Staff Reporter

British Wool Marketing Board (BWMB) received more than 70 inquiries from carpet and sweater manufacturers in Nepal during the trade exhibition (Himalayan Expo) held in Bhrikuti Mandap recently. Richard Poole, Product Development Manager of the Board said they would be willing to promote Nepali carpets and sweaters provided the products meet their required standards and if they use a certain percentage of British wool.

Established in 1950 and run by elected members who report to regional committees throughout the UK, BWMB represents more than 80,000 producers with an average clip weight of just a few hundred kilos. The BWMB is required to buy every clip, every year irrespective of size, quality or its geographical location and to pay the true market price; under the wool marketing scheme. The Board’s role is crucial, a fact acknowledged by both growers and users; considering the varied composition of the clip that comprises of small, individual amounts.

The only UK agricultural commodity board, the BWMB is a farmers’ organisation, funded by all UK producers, to handle, grade, sell and promote the clip centrally.

Britain is the largest wool producer in Europe, with an annual fleece wool clip of 45 - 50 million kilos. This includes many types and qualities from more than 60 pure breeds, and numerous cross and half breds.

Maintained as a mark of quality, the use of the British Wool shepherd’s crook symbol is licensed to manufacturers on products which meet the BWMB exacting criteria. Renowned for its quality, warmth and comfort, Nepalis now can hope to don quality winter wear in near future.

Are IMF, WB loosing trust of poor people?

By A Staff Reporter

The strident protest against the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, right in Washington DC, the City that houses the headquarters of these two international financial institutions, has pricked the interest of many observers worldwide.

It was no different in Nepal. There are many huge development projects that have soaked up money provided as loans by these two international agencies. So it is only natural that this country has also been “influenced” by decisions made in the boardrooms of the World Bank and the IMF.

The most unpopular decisions of the government, specially that deals with price hikes in electricity or those that are linked with market liberalisation, have been attributed as those that have been forced on by the lending agencies. Yes, that the World Bank and the IMF, should have a say so in how their money is being utilised can be understood.

But can the state of the hapless people of a poor country be ignored and even sacrificed for the security of the huge amount lent by such banks? It is specially ironic when the people are forced to cough up more of the money that they don’t have for different services, in the name of giving them more development and a better economy.

Observing the crippling strike in Washington DC and also the lack of trust of the people have in these two institutions in many developing countries, perhaps the time has come for the World Bank and the IMF to review their fiscal policies so that it does not look like they are killing poor people in the name of saving them.