5th national games begins

Kathmandu, 11 Nov: The weeklong 5th national games begins in the capital 24 6 April 2009.
Board meeting of the National Sports Council, the country’s apex sports body, took the decision Tuesday.
Nnnn

Agreement between CPN (Maoist), NC

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 11 Nov: The constituent assembly (CA) session progressed smoothly after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda Tuesday assured the assembly the government will meet the all nine-point demands of Nepali Congress.
The main opposition which had threatened to launch protests called it off after public commitment of the prime minister in the CA.
The CA also approved the annual budget 2008/09 amid Congress threats to block its passage.
Prachanda said the Maoist-led government will implement past agreements and return seized assents and will compensate people whose assets aren’t returned by 25 Mahsnhit.
Prachanda also assured the organization of the controversial YCL will be improved and assets seized by it returned,
Dual security for political leaders will be withdrawn, Prachanda assured.
The prime minister also said government will end culture of impunity.
Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel welcomed the assurance and the agreement between NC and CPN (Maoist).
“He [Prachanda] gave a commitment to implement agreements and implementation of the assurance needs to be watched,” NC General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi said.
Prachanda said government will act against murders of Kathmandu businessman Raamhari Shrestha.
Nnnn


Agreement between CPN (Maoist), CPN-UML

Kathmandu, 11 Nov: A high-level coordination committee of CPN (Maoist) and CPN-UML Tuesday agreed to give final shape to the terms of reference of a special committee for the integration of PLA and Nepal Army.
The reference was prepared by three parties- Maoists, CPN-UML and MJF.
On urging of CPN-UML, Maoists agreed not to make political appointments lightly, former CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said after the meeting.
Political appoints of proposed commissions should be made soonest, he parties agreed.
CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal said NC opposition to oppose integration of Maoists and Maoist proposal for en block integration were both extreme positions.
Khanal hinted Congress is now ready to join a special committee on integration after boycotting it initially.
Nnnn


Nationalization of education sector opposed

Kathmandu, 11 Nov: Maoist threat to nationalize the education sector at secondary level has been opposed by schools.
“We’ll tax private schools so that public schools in remote areas benefit,” Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai said calling the tax mobilization a ‘new concept’.
PABSON President Bhoj Bahadur Shah charged the budget speech made no mention of the threatened nationalization.
Bhattarai said government is contemplating nationalization of schools and asked management to explore other sectors for investment.
Shah said proposed five percent education service tax tobe paid management was double taxation.
“Institutional schools already pay 25 percent of their profit to the government..” Shah said.
Nepal Students’Union, a student wing of main opposition NC,has lent moral support to school management and threatened to come out on the streets against the government.
Nnnn