Nepal, India to review 1950 treaty

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: A foreign-secretary level task force will be formed to review the1950 treaty of peace and friendship between Nepal and India.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda presented a draft of a new treaty during his visit to India this week.
The prime minister leaves for Bangalore later Wednesday after discussions with Indian leaders in New Delhi and is scheduled to return home Thursday.
A joint statement is being issued Wednesday at the end of his New Delhi visit.
India announced a Rs 200 million relief package coinciding with the visit.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been extended an invitation to visit Nepal.
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NHRC request to political parties

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked political parties not to break law by creating fighting forces.
NHRC said CPN (Maoist) had formed the YCL, CPN-UML Youth Force, Nepali Congress Tarun Dasta and MJF Madesh Bahini.
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Strong Congress, CPN-UML objections

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have raised strong objections to the seizure of land in Siraha by an armed group led by Land Reforms Minister Matrika Prasad Yadav
The Maoist team recaptured land it had seized from a MJF activist.
Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam had ordered the forcible eviction of landless from the land seized during Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s tenure; then Home Minister Krishna Prasad Shitaula admitted in an interview this week the Koirala government had tolerated the Maoist excesses.
Congress and CPN-UML demanded action against Minister Yadav for making mockery of the rule of law by taking law into hand.
Yadav threatened to resign from government and party if Prime Minister Prachanda intervened.
Yadav’s action cannot be condoned.
But Congress and CPN-UML objections also come after they illegally seized private property of former King Gyanendra when they were in government.
Congress and CPN-UML also made mockery of the rule of law and justice when they were in government.
The seizure will be taken up by the CPN-UML with the Maoists when Premier Prachanda returns home from India Thursday.
The unacceptable behaviour of Minister Yadav is also a challenge to Home Minister Gautam’s commitment to restore law and order within six months.
Night club workers and owners have also threatened to come out on the streets if government doesn’t rescind an order to close down establishments by 11 PM in the capital.
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Unauthorized entry of Indian troops in Sunsari

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: In the name of inspected damage caused by the Kosi flood, a contingent of Indian troops entered Nepal in combat dress without permission, Debraj Paudel and Khim Ghale report in Kantipur.
The 20-member contingent inspected the flooded areas Monday.
The center and district had no prior information of their entry during the prime minister’s India visit.
The contingent came in two jeeps and one truck.
“They were not permitted to enter Nepal,” a defence ministry source said.
Defence ministry made inquiries with army headquarters which said it had no information.
Indian embassy spokesman Gopal Wagle said the technical team came after consultations with technicians of the two countries; the visit was coordinated with district officials.
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Buddha Air puts two ATRs into service

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Buddha Air Wednesday pressed two French-built ATR 42/320 into service on Dhangadi, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Bhadrapur sectors.
The 47-seater was bought with a $10 million load from the IFC—an affiliate of the World Bank.
The IFC for the first time invested in the aviation sector in Nepal.
Buddha Air now has a fleet of nine aircraft.
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Dollar crosses Rs 75 mark

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: The dollar crossed the Rs 75 mark Wednesday.
Nepal Rashtra Bank fixed the selling rate Wednesday at Rs75.45.
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GDP growth 5.6 percent

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Nepal’s GDP growth in 2008 will be 5.6 percent.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) revised the earlier projection of 3.8 percent annual growth in its Asian Development Outlook 2008 report.
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Sudip Pathak re-elected

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Sudip Pathak has been re-elected unanimously president of Nepal Human Rights Organization for another three-year term.
Pathak was re-elected by the Organization’s 11th assembly Monday.
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Asian Mountain Bike Championship 6 Nov

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Asian Mountain Bike Championship will be held in the capital from 6 to 8 November by Nepal Cycling Associaion.
Nepal is hosting an international cycling event for the first time.
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Army chief presents four alternatives for Maoist combatants

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Chief of the Nepal Army (NA) Gen Rukmangud Katawal presented four alternatives for Maoist combatants after Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ said PLA will be integrated in the NA in six months, Janaastha reports.
The alternatives were presented before Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and ministers at a briefing at army headquarters Friday.
According to a source, the first alternative is to send Maoists abroad for employment and the second alternative is to impart university education to those unwilling to go abroad for work.
The third alternative is incorporate combatants in an unnamed security force and the last and forth option is to integrate remaining Maoists who meet the NA’s minimum qualification in the state army.
The alternatives were given after Katawal presented a written ‘vision statement’.
The prime minister and ministers left the headquarters immediately after the presentation and without comment even as officers said they were prepared to discuss the statement.
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China giving recognition to PLA?

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 17 Sept: Is China giving official recognition to the rebel PLA? asks Janaastha inits Wednesday editions.
China, which previously provided one seat, has now set aside four seats for the National Defence College.
NA has chosen candidates for the nine-month course compulsory for promotion to major general; Prem Prakash Thapa and Yagya Bikram Rana have been selected; but surprisingly Kathmandu CDO Jaya Mukunda Khanal has also been elected for the course.
One candidate is yet to be selected. Defence ministry is attempting to include one person from PLA even as the former combatants haven’t been integrated in NA.
Defence ministry is attempting to find ways to include the PLA in the course.
Nanda Kishore Pun ‘Pasang’ could be a candidate; but there’s a problem.
How do you send a person who has assumed leadership of PLA from Premier Prachanda for a course meant for brigadier generals?
He will have to be away for nine months while it has been said PLA will be integrated in NA within six months.
It’s not known how China will react to the nomination of a PLA combatant for the course.
Name of Umesh Bhattarai, chief of the PLA military barrah at Charali is also being mentioned for the course.
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Rush to marry Bhutanese refugees

Damak, 16 Sept: This is not the marriage season.
But there’s a rush at refugee camps in Jhapa to marry Bhutanese refugees who were previously looked down on.
The trend to marry refugees in camps at Morang and Jhapa started after displaced persons received permits to resettle in third countries.
“The trend has started with the hope of going to USA,” said Menaka Nepal, secretary at the Sanischare camp.
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Note: I am resending this as I notice it was not posted on the blog Wednesday.
Tnks n regards
bhola rana