PM Prachanda invited to Bush reception

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda flies for New York Saturday to address the UN general assembly session 26 September and said he has received an invitation to attend a reception there hosted by US President George W. Bush.
“Today, I have received an invitation from US President George Bush for a reception,” the government chief told the CA Friday.
Prachanda is heading a 12-member delegation that includes Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav.
The prime minister will attend the Bush reception 22 September; the foreign ministry said Prachanda will hold talks with the US president.
Maoists are still on the US terrorist list; but Washington has opened direct links with the Prachanda government.
US Ambassador Nancy J. Powell met Prachanda after his appointment in the first direct contact between Americans and Maoists; Americans had shunned Maoists before the rise of Maoists.
Prachanda will address Nepali ambassadors based in Europe while transiting through Frankfurt Sunday.
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Govt. official shot dead in Parsa

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: Parsa district officer Mohan Mainali was shot dead in Birgunj by tarai rebels Friday as violence continues in the south.
United Janatantrik Tarai Liberation Front has claimed responsibility.
Imamudim Sheikh was shot dead by Madesh Virus Killers in Saptari Friday.
Pawan Yadav was shot dead by another rebel group in Siraha Thursday.
Three persons were abducted and shot dead in three days, including a government official of hill origin.
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Kumari chariot pull suspended, obstructed

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: The traditional pull of the Kumari chariot trough the streets of the capital was suspended Thursday evening after government annual allowance for animal sacrifice on the last day of Indrajatra.
Mostly women eagerly waited patiently along the narrow streets for hours to have a darshan of the Goddess.
Angry locals and trust managers obstructed the chariot pull.
The pull got off at midnight after the finance and home ministries issued separate statements claiming government allocation for the festival hadn’t been suspended.
The pull was obstructed one hour later at Kilagad Naradebi by protesting locals.
The Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring has sent letters to the Kaushitoshakhana,Guhi Sansthan and the Department of Archaeology asking them to stop sacrificing animals during the festival season, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The ministry has cited the Finance Ministry’s decision not to release any fund to purchase and sacrifice of animals, a tradition throughout the country for centuries, the newspaper said.
The Guthi Sansthan had spent nearly Rs 10.5 million on rituals and animal sacrifices during the festive season.
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Indian soldiers entered with govt. permission; other details

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: A 24-member Indian army contingent led by a colonel came to Nepal with the consent of the government, foreign ministry said Friday.
The entry of the troops created a controversy with first reports saying the team entered Nepal without permission.
The Indian army contingent returned Friday after surveying damage caused by flooded Kosi river in Sunsari.
Meanwhile, US/AID has released an additional $ 800,000 for Sunsari and Saptari flood victims.
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NBA to boycott courts for three consecutive days

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: Nepal Bar Association (NBA) will boycott courts for three consecutive days from Sunday with threats of more protests following a six-month suspension of NBA President Bishwakant Mainali.
The NBA has asked the ban on Mainali be immediately lifted.
Mainali publicly said corruption was rampant in the judiciary.
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Army, police put at par

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 Sept: The Maoist-led government put Nepal Army and police at par when Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai Friday announced a Rs 236.15 billion deficit budget for the remaining10 months of the current fiscal year 2008/09.
He set aside Rs 12.03 billion for Nepal Army and Rs 11.02 billion for police.
Altogether Rs 128.51 billion has been earmarked for regular expenditure, Rs 91.31 billion for capital expenditure and Rs 16.18 billion for debt payment.
Foreign grants and loans of Rs 65.79 billion will finance the deficit.
“The new budget is over-ambitious and there’s too much programming. The budget has also mentioned increasing foreign aid by 100 percent—a factor which would be certain to increase dependence on donors. It is a glaring example of over-programming,” said former National Planning Commission (NPC)Chairman Dr Shanker Sharma.
“In the case of Nepal, resource mobilization is difficult and foreign aid also cannot be utilized,” Dr Sharma added.
The Maoist-led government has reversed the privatization policy of the previous government by promising to revive Chinese-aided state industries that have either closed down or are ailing; the finance minister said government will guarantee purchase of two aircraft for Nepal Airlines.
“At a time when there is an urgent need to lure huge investment from private sector, the budget seems to be more inclined towards government agencies and cooperatives,” said President of Confederation of Nepalese Industries Binod Chaudhary.
The budget predicts a 7 percent GDP growth for the current fiscal year with plans to achieve double digit growth in the next two years while pledging to bring down inflation to 7.5 percent from 12 percent.
No significant tax increases were announced to popularize Maoists; taxes were hiked only on liquor and tobacco.
Debt of up to Rs 30,000 of farmers were also waived and sale of liquor from shops will be regulated to cover those under age.
Altogether 35,000 youth will be mobilized as local literacy volunteers at the cost of one billion rupees.
“The budget will face challenges in both raising revenue as well as in spending on development. Last year the government was able to spend only Rs 42 billion on development,” another NPC Chairman Dr Jagadish Pokhrel said.
To recall, government has set aside Rs 91.31 for development this year.
Role of state and political parties will be enhanced in development, Dr Pokhrel said.
“They [Maoists] don’t trust bureaucracy and believe that the political machinery must be engaged. This is what they mean by a break with tradition,” the former NPC Chairman said.
Predictably, former Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said: “I call it pork barrel budget. It’s blown up like a balloon…It is oriented towards consumption and distribution.”
Dr Bhattarai admitted the budget was ambitious.
“ Because the budget was republican Nepal’s first ,it has careful and cautious ambitions objective,” the finance minister said.
Civil servants of all grades received a flat Rs 2,000 monthly pay increment.
Nepal Tourism Year will be observed in 2011.
A Power Sector development Committee chaired by the prime minister will be established to produce 10,000 MW electricity in the next 10 years; no license will be required for projects to generate power up to 3 MW.
Education sector received a Rs 38.98 allocation—up 44.5 percent from the year; health sector received Rs 15.58 billion—a 53.92 percent increased contribution from the previous year.
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