Security strengthened in Valley

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Late night revelers in all three districts of the Valley were taken by surprise Friday night when they were forced to return home early from bars, restaurants and night clubs after local administrations imposed unannounced restrictions on hours of operation.
Establishments will now close at 11 PM in Kathmandu, 10 PM at Lalitpur and 8 PM in Bhaktapur.
Security has been reinforced in the Valley with police patrols and regular vehicular checks immediately after Bamdeb Gautam took over as home minister promising to immediately improve the law and order situation.
Noted neurosurgeon Upendra Debkota last month paid a Rs10 million ransom to kidnappers to secure the freedom of his teenage daughter after abduction from home.
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More details of govt. transfers

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Kulratna Bhurtel has been appointed law secretary while Abhinanda Kumar Shrestha has been appointed the first secretary of cantonment management committee at the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring .
Shrestha’s appointment demonstrates the top priority of the Prachanda government to the management of the camps which house nearly 16,000 former Maoist combatants watched by UNMIN.
The cabinet also reshuffled the combatants’ supervision and management committee which will now be headed by Maoist Peace and reconstruction Minister Janardhan Sharma.
The cabinet Saturday transferred six secretaries amid reports a search has been launched for a new chief secretary to replace Dr Bhojraj Ghimere.
Published reports Sunday said new Home Secretary Gobinda Kusum is brother-in-law of CPN-UML senior leader Ishwor Pokhrel.
The home ministry is under CPN-UML charge.
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Haliyas freed

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Haliyas or bonded ploughmen in the far-West were freed by a government decree Saturday.
Nearly 20,000 bonded labourers were protesting pushing 11 demands.
A government led by then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba earlier freed kamaiyas or bonded labourers of the region though their plight still continues.
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Another killed in tarai where violence continues unabated

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Riyaz Musalman was shot dead by an armed group overnight in Kapilvasthu overnight as violence continues unabated in the tarai
Another person was seriously injured in the shooting.
The assailants weren’t captured.
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Congress general convention by August 2009; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Nepali Congress, now the main opposition in the CA which is also parliament, will hold its general convention by August 2009 and a firm date will be fixed by the next meeting of its central committee which took the decision Saturday.
There were demands within the committee to set a firm date.
Congress has concluded Maoists, who now look at the main opposition as their main enemy, have dictatorial tendencies.
The central committee concluded Maoists have also abandoned a policy of cooperation and understanding and said the Congress will lend critical support to the Maoist-led government while acting as a responsible opposition.
The party also decided to fight what it called dictatorial tendencies in and outside the CA.
Spokesman Arjun Narsingh KC said the committee decided to work with all parties in the CA to draft a new constitution and take the peace process to a conclusion.
Among seven party committees formed, constitution drafting and state drafting committees with submit reports within three months after consultations at the popular level.
Former ailing prime minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala didn’t regularly attend the extended central committee meetings.
Meanwhile, on-going CPN-UML central committee meeting has decided to consolidate the party by forming separate wings of sports personalities, landless, physically disabled and lawyers.
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Embassies request govt. to call ambassadors

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 7 Sept: Some embassies based in the capital have asked the foreign ministry to request ambassadors or heads of missions to be present at the airport only to see off either the president or the prime minister, Surendra Paudel reports in Nepal Samacharpatra.
Nepal Government hasn’t taken a decision on the request as discussions continued at the foreign ministry Saturday as well.
Earlier, ambassadors went to the airport to see off or receive the head of state and head of government.
The request comes after the government summoned ambassadors to the airport when Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda flew for Beijing and returned after attending the closing ceremony of the summer Olympics.
Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood and US Ambassador Nancy J.Powell didn’t to go the airport.
The foreign ministry has conveyed the request of embassies to the government; the foreign ministry recommended ambassadors shouldn’t have been called to see off the premier to China.
Then foreign minister Chakra Prasad Bastola ended the tradition to summon ambassadors to the airport when the foreign minister was traveling abroad.
An unnamed foreign ministry official was quoted as saying the army guard of honour for the heads of state and government was also not right.
“The Nepal Army has to be paid Rs 75,000 on each occasion,” the official was quoted as saying.
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