HM getting better

By a staff reporter

His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is getting better after suffering from high fever. According to a medical bulletin published by the Royal Palace on Monday, the fever has subsided, but the attending doctors have advised His Majesty to take rest for a few more days.

His Majesty the King had suffered from high fever last week and was advised to take some days’ rest.

Meanwhile, His Majesty is scheduled to visit England for a regular medical check-up on coming Wednesday.

Volatile regional politics: setback for SAARC

By a staff reporter

The proponents of SAARC (South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation) in the mid-80s, were wise enough in trying to keep the volatile politics of the region out of the regional body and to maintain it strictly as a socio-economic and developmental cooperation organisation.

The Charter of the regional body contains such provisions  as no bilateral issues to be discussed in the regional forum. The Charter also says that all the member countries are equal, meaning each of the member country has a ‘veto’ on whether to hold the SAARC’s Summit meeting of the heads of state or the government or not.

VOICE AGAINST THE MAOIST WAR : People from the Maoist affected areas took out a procession in Kathmandu demanding an early resolution of the problem.

But politics has won over in disturbing the regional body’s routine summits, and it has been proved that some countries are more equal than others.

There is still no sign of the holding of the postponed 11th SAARC Summit, that was scheduled to be held in Kathmandu in November last year. It was postponed on India’s request because of the Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan in the Spring of 1999.

“The holding of the 11th SAARC Summit will depend on the normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, and it is mainly upto India what happens,” SAARC Secretary General Nihal Rodrigues said at the Interface programme organised by the Reporters’ Club in Kathmandu on Monday.

In spite of the Secretary General’s opinion that the regional process has been going on, there is no doubt that the postponement of the Summit meeting has stalled several important works of SAARC, such as the convention on Child and women trafficking and the SAFTA, the South Asian Free Trade Agreement.

The Kathmandu summit was expected to take important steps on child and women trafficking in the region. Similarly, SAFTA was considered an important step in having a common voice of the region in the World Trade regime. The continuing stalemate over the SAARC summit meeting and forwarding other processes have even cast a dark shadow over the future of SAARC itself.

With no signs of thawing of the relations between India and Pakistan in the immediate future, the fate of SAARC now hangs in balance.

SAARC was envisioned about 15 years back to bring together all the seven countries of the South Asian region in fighting the common scourges faced by the countries here, mainly poverty, through cooperation in economic and social sectors.

For 15 years, the countries, mainly India and Pakistan, even succeeded in keeping their enmity outside the regional cooperation agenda. However, the differences, between those two countries, finally overwhelmed SAARC.

The failure of the summit meeting indicates that SAARC is in a regressive phase, and there are even fears that the row between India and Pakistan may finally dampen the spirit of cooperation in one of the most backward regions of the world.

It is now clear that if SAARC needs to move ahead there is an urgent need to improve the relations between India and Pakistan countries and increase the confidence and trust between the other nations as well. Even bilateral problems among the member countries, such as Nepal and India, Nepal and Bhutan have hampered the cooperation among the countries.

The countries of this region have to learn from other global blocs and set aside their political differences to move ahead economically. Like mentioned above, the main objective of Saarc after all, is to eradicate poverty in the region. If nations in neighbouring ASEAN can forge ahead economically, there is no reason why saarc can’t do so.

It would be a tragedy if the South Asian region can not find an sustain a common platform when regional cooperations in other areas of the world are booming and blossoming. 

Rough weather bogs down RJ 100 purchase

By a staff reporter

The Public Accounts Committee of the parliament will make a decision today (Wednesday) on whether it would be appropriate for the Royal Nepal Army to buy a jet aircraft.

The coalition government of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, headed by Girija Prasad Koirala last year had given permission to the Royal Nepalese Army to buy one RJ 100 from the British Aerospace Company, as had been demanded by the Army.

But that time the decision was shelved for lack of funds and questions were raised about the utility and economic viability of such an aircraft for the army. The issue has been raised again, but last week the parliamentary committee instructed the Ministry of Finance has issued an order saying not to open the Letter of Credit (LC) for the plane.

However, according to reports, the government is also thinking of canceling the decision. Meanwhile there were speculations that individual interests were there for a big amount to be taken as commission from the multi-million deal. It is said that the plane, whose market price is about US$ 25 million, is being bought at US$ 33 million.

Newspaper reports, citing a study done by the army itself, have said that the plane was unsuitable for the army.

Although the Army has said that it needs an aircraft for VIP and VVIP flights and for relief works, the sheer cost of operating the four engined plane makes it economically not feasible, the study has been quoted as saying.

Complex, chronic problems ails Nepal police

By Dhana Thapa

The police have suffered heavy casualties in the fight against the Maoists. Not only have many policemen lost their lives in the battle with the insurgents who seem to have the backing of villagers, but they have also lost arms, ammunition and most of all the moral courage to do their duty properly.

But who is to blame for this sorry state of the Police Force, which was feared and respected till just over a decade back? Many would jump the gun and blame the present unstable political situation and they may be right to a certain extent. But we would have to look more deeper to get an inkling of an answer on the sorry state of the Nepal Police, that we see at present.

Going back in history, it can be said that the growing corruption within the country took the first toll. And this happened right at the dictatorial Panchayat period. Political leaders and also some backroom players during that time, started turning very, very greedy. Instead of promoting and nurturing able and good officers, men were picked up for what they could offer. Others were favoured if they happened to be cousins or hovering yes men.

Otherwise, how could a sitting IGP have been involved in gold and drug smuggling? How was such a man promoted? Why did he risk his neck to get involved in such nefarious activities, when he should have been the chief protector of the law?

But at least at that time, even if it was because of an internal conflict within the powers that be, the corrupt IGP and his cronies were arrested and jailed for their misdeeds.

People expected things to get better after that and specially after the re-ushering in of democracy in the country. And why not, when now the true people’s representatives ruled the nation.

However, that did not happen. In fact things got worse with corruption increasing even further and politics also slowly tainting what should have been strictly professional organisations. The top brass of the police gladly played into the hands of the conniving politicians and like in many other sectors, the police force too became politicised.

Sources claim that money had to be paid to get into the force and the same was demanded for posting in lucrative areas such as TIA or some border areas. The source of politicians started to play havoc in the recruitment of lower ranked officers. And those with political clout, started to call the shots, a thing unimaginable in what should have been a disciplined professional outfit.

Even now, after the killing of Inspector Navaraj Poudel in Panchkataiya village in Jajarkot, allegations have been made that he was sent to the dangerous area because he was out of favour with the present top brass. How can you expect any good policing, when people are sent on duty to challenging places, as a punishment?

It may be recalled that even the present IGP was involved in a political fracas, which first saw him being ousted after barely a month in office and then again him being reinstated when the nations saw a change in the political coalition. furthermore much publicity and media hype had followed his ouster.

Can such an officer remain aloof from politics or partisanism?.

The recent lot of Home Ministers have not helped either. They have not bothered to listen to the voice of either the media or the experts in the field. Being a Ministry that has much power and also a huge budget, ministers have mostly been swayed into taking wrong decisions, even now, when innocent people and the police are dying.

So the poor showing of the police in front of the Maoists, has complex and chronic reasons. It will take much visionary decisions from the present leadership and also competent home ministers and police officials to reverse what is happening to the Nepal Police. It is questionable whether Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has the political will and wisdom to bring about such changes.

Recounting could help Dr. Lohani

By a staff reporter

The chances of RPP’s Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani making a comeback to the parliament has brightened after the Supreme Court upheld the Special Election Court’s decision ordering the recounting of the votes of the Nuwakot’s No. 1 constituency.

Dr. Lohani had lost by a whisker of 15 votes in the last general election, and he had appealed at the court citing fraud by the UML’s winning candidate and the chief election officer. In the recounting of votes of three booths, Dr. Lohani had make up 8 of the 15 votes.

An attempt by Rajendra Lohani, the UML’s candidate who was declared as the winner, had tried to block the recounting by making an appeal to the Supreme Court. Similarly, it had also tried to create another hitch saying the ballot boxes, containing the ballot papers, of some booths were missing. But when the Special Court said it had the ballot safely with it, there was no way for Rajendra Lohani than to accept the court’s verdict.

With that, Dr. Lohani’s chance of overturning the earlier result has brightened. If that happens it will be the first time in the three general election that a candidate will win the election by a recount.

But, how will Rajendra Lohani, the UML’s candidate and the whole UML party will take? There should be no reason for the UML to defer with the result of the recounting. If Dr. Lohani can overturn the result, it will be a small, but important, step towards making the elections fairer.

KVMP to conduct socio-economic survey

By a staff reporter

Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme (KVMP), a joint effort of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and European Commission (EC), is conducting a massive socio-economic survey of the residents of the Kathmandu urban area. In its bid to strengthen KMC in service delivery and effective urban management, the Programme targets to cover almost twelve thousand households for the survey.

Besides the survey, the Programme is also planning to implement Addressing System from the coming fiscal year in all wards of the Kathmandu Metropolitaion City. For this a detail work plan has already been prepared and is in the process of obtaining approval from KMC and Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction.

This was informed at the Project Co-ordination Committee meeting of the KVMP on Monday, a press release said. Mayor of Kathmandu Municipal City (KMC) Mr. Keshav Sthapit chaired the meeting.

The Programme started since May 1999 targets at enhancing the planning and implementation capabilities of the KMC and improving the effectiveness of urban planning and service delivery.

While informing about the progress made by the Programme, National Co-Director Mr. P. S. Joshi highlighted on various aspects of the Project. “Besides enhancing the capabilities of the KMC, the Programme also expects to promote the reduction in gender inequality and support opportunities for disadvantaged groups and the urban poor by carrying out specially focused activities,” Mr. Joshi pointed out.

He also apprised the Committee members of the detailed work plan that is to be carried out in the coming year. “The Programme has already initiated discussions with the major stakeholders of the Programme’s Mapping and GIS component and local consultants are preparing reports on them,” Joshi said. Tenders for necessary mapping and audio-visual equipments, computers and other instruments were also called and they are in the process of evaluation, he informed.

Addressing the meeting Mayor Sthapit highlighted on the need of joint effort between the KMC and the KVMP to address the emerging problems due to the rapid urbanization of the Kathmandu Valley.

All department heads of the KMC, KVMP’s European Co-Director Dr. V. E Pareto and other officials of the Programme also participated at the meeting.

When doctors forget their oath

By a staff reporter

The Summer season, specially when the rain starts, is the time when different diseases strike in many parts of the country. For those living in the urban areas, such epidemics may be troublesome, but at least they can go to some reputable hospital or doctors to get cured.

But in different remote areas of the country, many people lose their lives even when simple and curable diseases ail them. Poverty and lack of awareness contribute in the simple rural folks not being able to prevent many of the ailments. However, there should have been medical care available once they start suffering from different viral attacks.

The story of hospitals and health posts not having doctors and other medical hands is a much repeated story. The newspapers are constantly reporting of how even peons have been forced to work as trained medical hands when no one else is around. But when suffering from different diseases, a poor, illiterate and desperate villager either takes a chance with whoever is at hand or perish.

But now, it is encouraging that the government has decided to crack down on erring doctors and health workers. In a notice published on Monday, the Ministry of Health has said that the medicos posted at different districts, must be present at their postings or face departmental action. The Ministry has also said that no one will be transferred until further notice.

The practice till now had been for doctors to take up their posting orders and then not go to where they have been sent, specially so if the posting happened to be in remote areas.

It is not for nothing that the medicos don’t want to go to such places. Once they are in the far off districts, they not only lose out from earning money through private practice, but they are forgotten by the authorities at the centre as well.

The Health Ministry, must evaluate the performance of doctors who have served in difficult places. They must be given attractive benefits and also opportunity to go for further studies after completing a certain stint at remote outposts.

However, in spite of such regulations, what happens is, the doctors in the urban areas or in the capital, are always going abroad for conferences and seminars and those in the remote areas are completely forgotten.

The public announcement of the Ministry of Health should awaken the doctors who seem to have forgotten their Hippocratic oath and are now interested in only selfish gains. However, the authorities must back what they have said with tough action against any erring medical hand. Taking care of such individual problems of the nation, could go a long way in solving what we now call national problem.

Blueprint to clean up Bagmati

By a staff reporter

Exactly a month after Binod Chaudhary’s open letter to the Prime Minister, famous industrialist Chaudhary brought forward a short-term ‘blueprint’ to clean the Aryaghat area in Pashupati and the holy Bagmati river.

Binod Chaudhary, President of Chaudhary Group, while in mourning wrote the letter to the Prime Minister appealing to the government to urgently take necessary action towards saving Bagmati River and cleaning the Aryaghat area. In the letter, which was published in a local vernacular daily on 16th May 2000, he even said that he is willing to do the job from his own resources if the government says it cannot do the same.

While many people believe that the issue is now in the government’s court, Chaudhary, with the help of a technical team, has already developed a scheme to clean the Aryaghat area and now he is waiting for the government’s go-ahead to kick off the task.

At a discussion programme targeted at informing about the Aryaghat Renovation Project organized by the Chaudhary Group, industrialist Chaudhary informed that various working committees are also in the process of being formed to carry out the task.

“We came up with this plan in the shortest possible time,” Chaudhary said, and added, “if the plan works successfully, then clean water will run through the Aryaghat in all weather, allowing the remains from the cremated bodies to be washed away.”

Chaudhary also informed that the blueprint was prepared after a feasibility study carried out by a team of Indian technicians. The technical team is still carrying out further studies on various aspects of the project. “The overall cost for the Project can be estimated only after the confirmation of the date of construction and other further studies,” Chaudhary said.

“All we need now is approval from the government,” he said. “The government must first give approval for any work that will be carried out in a public place,” Chaudhary further clarified.

This is the first time any individual has offered to undertake such a huge task. Even the government body, Pashupati Development Trust (PDT), which is largely responsible for cleaning of the Aryaghat area, has failed to improve the level of pollution in the Bagmati river and the central Aryaghat region.

“After more than four years of promising much and spending about 300 million rupees, we have lost patience,” Chaudhary commented. “However, we don’t have any prejudice to a particular project,” he said and added, “our main issue is to clean the Aryaghat area within a fixed time and it should be carried out immediately.”

Maoists rattle industrialists, investors

By Neeraj Vajracharya

When the country is looking forward to attract more Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), a section of Nepalese people have made a series of violent attacks on foreign joint venture companies in the country.

Though nobody has claimed their involvement in these attacks, many people believe the attackers to be linked with the Maoists insurgency, which started in the country almost five years ago.

According to sources, the business community began to panic last Wednesday night when some unidentified, armed people bombed two main go-downs of Surya Tobacco Company in Simara. The bomb attack had caused a loss of more than Rs. 10 million to the Company.

The following night, a similar group of armed, unidentified people attacked a manufacturing unit of Colgate Palmolive Ltd. in Hetauda Industrial Estate with powerful explosives. The bomb attack caused an irreparable damage to the plant. Preliminary estimate shows that the damage cost a loss of more than Rs. 80 million to the company. 

Similarly, on the same night, in the capital city, a group of people attacked Sita Ram Gokul Milks Ltd., a Kedia Organization company in Kirtipur with a similar but less powerful bomb. Though the value of damage caused to this factory is still not known, business communities have feared that even the capital city is not secure for them.

As the series of violent attacks targeted mainly at multinational companies intensified last week, foreign as well as Nepalese investors raised serious concern over the deteriorating situation of law and order in the country. They have also flayed the government for keeping mum while one of the most important sections of the country is being attacked by armed people.

In the present context, when the government seems to be clueless in starting talks with the Maoists, many critics have blamed the government for being sluggish in protecting the industries. Since industries are the backbone of the country’s economy, the entrepreneurs also point out that a severe economic crisis will seize the country if the government does not take timely steps to address these problems.

Many critics have also pointed out that following the government’s announcement of increment of budget to fight against Maoists; the insurgents’ have intensified their attacks in many areas. It was only in the last week when Maoists attacked a police station and killed more than twenty-four innocent local citizens and police personnel.

Since the Maoists insurgency problem is linked to the economic problems of the backward societies of the country, many people had pointed out the need of some solid economic development programmes before the announcement of the budget last month. However, the government failed to give any such programme.

In the meantime, investors and the business community have demanded the government to take serious steps to restore confidence of the business community in general and foreign investors in particular. If the same deteriorating situation continues, no foreign investors would invest in Nepal, they warned.

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), in a press statement, on Sunday demanded for immediate steps for making arrangements for police personnel in the industrial estates to provide the investors a feeling of security.

It also raised a question mark on the law and order situation of the country as the armed groups had forcibly entered the industrial estates, which are supposed to be very safe places. “Such incidents would have negative impact on the local and foreign investors and it also affects the employment generation in the country,” the press statement said.

Govt must have clear stance on 'talks'

By a staff reporter

The incident in the Jajarkot district, where the Maoists killed 12 policemen and 7 civilian, including five children, their attacks in more than a dozen of other places, including industrial units, and their latest overtures for talks may well be a turning point in the six-year-old Maoist problem.

By these killings the Maoists’ have done the very thing what they have been accusing the government of - killing the unarmed and innocent civilian and a captured ‘enemy’ soldier. These attacks, however, indicate that the Maoists are not willing to stop their violent campaigns even when the prospect of talks is getting brighter.

These attacks have come, after a lull of about two months, amidst reports of rifts within the Maoists ranks, especially the sending of one of its top ranked cadres to the labour camp. These attacks are also taken as the Maoists’ attempt to divert the attention of the party workers and others away from the brewing differences within the party.

However, the possibility of talks between the government and Maoists is also thick in the air.

Recently, the Maoists General Secretary Prachanda through the media said that he has assigned three of their top leaders - Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai, military commander Ram Bahadur Thapa and western regional in-charge Krishna Bahadur Mahara - for talks.

But with the Maoists continuing with the killings and kidnappings (they have recently kidnapped four school children possibly to recruit them), it is not yet clear how serious they are.                 Meanwhile, the government, too, does not seem to be certain on how to answer the Maoists’ overture. The government, the party and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba do not seem to be getting their acts together.

Last week Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s demanded for an agenda from the Maoists before the talks begin. Speaking to the media in Biratnagar on Saturday, Koirala said that the Maoist should formally put forward their agenda and name the people who will be participating before the talks.

He had also said that there would be no talks  with the media playing the mediator’s role.

But Koirala’s statement, mainly his demand for the agenda, has been contradicted by Deuba.

Speaking at a programme on ‘Prospect of Talks between the Government and the Maoist — problem and possibilities’, organised by the Civil Concern Society, Deuba refuted Koirala’s demand for a formal agenda.

He said everybody knows what the Maoists demands are, and if Koirala wants he would get the agenda formally from Prachanda, the Maoist General Secretary. He also added that the government must also prepare its own agenda before the talks. By saying this Deuba may be pointing that the government has not been doing its home work. Deuba and some others think they need to get the Maoist to the negotiating table first.

Earlier, Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi had also said that the government did not know anything about the Maoists’ demands.

These differing opinions indicate the government is not clear about its stance and how it will handle the situation if the Maoists really come forward for dialogue.

Meanwhile, there are doubts expressed that some sections within the Nepali Congress are being suspicious that Deuba may get all the kudos if the talks take place and the problem is resolved.

Similarly, there are also suspicions that the Maoists may be making the pretext of talks only as a means to further their campaign. So, unless both the sides make themselves clear, it is unlikely that the problem will be resolved soon.

Presenting itself clearly and sincerely for the resolution of the problem will give the government a plus point. Then if the Maoists do not come for talks or want a peaceful resolution of the problem, the government can take whatever action it deems necessary to quell them and the public will fully support the government.