Tiger census begins

Kathmandu, 16 Nov: An extended four-month census of the endangered and threatened royal Bengal tiger begun Saturday in the Chitwan National Park and Bardiya and other areas where the cats are found.
The last census was conducted 2001/02.
A force of 170 personnel attached with 25 teams has been deployed.
Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation, Save the Tiger Fund, World Wildlife Fund and National Trust for Nature Conservation are involved.
Tiger population is estimated at 370.
Poaching and smuggling of body parts to China through Tibet has made the population vulnerable in Nepal. A sizeable population was killed during the Maoist insurgency when army personnel deployed to protect the tiger was withdrawn.
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RPP-Nepal also to launch youth force considered illegal

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 16 Nov: Conservative RPP-Nepal fighting for the restoration of monarchy deposed in 2008, will also launch a youth force like other parties.
Party Chairman Kamal Thapa said the force will be named Patriotic Youth Force; the party central committee in Hetauda decided to launch the force Saturday.
Maoists have the YCL, the CPN-UML their Youth Force and other parties have also formed similar fighting groups that have fought bloody battles on the streets soured relations between major parties.
UML Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam says these groups are illegal and he’ll disband them.
But the former CPN-UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar said their dissolution is conditional.
“YCL has been misusing power. Its operation is illegal. The UML and NC will follow if the CPN-Maoist dissolves the quasi-military organization,” Nepal said.
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China opens Tibet from Nepal after closure before Beijing Olympics

Kathmandu, 16 Nov: China has opened Tibet from Nepal through Rasuwa district, northwest of the capital, Annapurna Post reports.
China closed the border one year ago.
Nepalis along the border can cross to Tibet and visit Kerung with ID cards.
The opening has facilitated the movement of goods across the border.
The border was closed after the outbreak of bloody violence in Tibet before the Beijing Olympics.
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Congress unity drive a failure

Kathmandu, 16 Nov: A campaign initiated by Nepali Congress for the emotional unity between two opposing factions in the party has failed, Bal Krishna Adhikari reports in Naya Patrika.
The party had decided to send study teams to all 75 districts and collect reports before a general convention; only teams sent to five districts have reported back to the party.
Teams didn’t visit many districts.
The party had decided to send teams to all districts concluding that after unity, the party was still psychologically divided and emotional unity was required.
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Has further details of Congress jihad against CPN (Maoist)

By Bhola B Rana


Kathmandu, 16 Nov: Maoist communism isn’t acceptable to main opposition Nepali Congress which charged Saturday in Birgunj the CPN (Maoist) is attempting to impose a people’s republic on 24 million people in Nepal sand-witched between India and China, Asia’s and the world’s most populous nations.
Party President Girija Prasad Koirala declared this while launching a national awareness campaign which is essentially a jihad against Maoist rule.
Koirala brought the CPN(Maoist) into the political mainstream from their hideouts in the jungle and India in April 2005 to end a bloody 11-year people’s war that claimed 13,000 lives on both sides of the conflict.
Koirala said if a constitution isn’t drafted in time it will lead to instability in Nepal affecting neighbouring India and China.
Prachanda’s communism is not needed for Nepal, Koirala fumed.
“I will fight until my dying day against it even though I am sick.”
“Maoists are preparing a constitution that does not meet the desires of the people; I’ll stop that.
“I declare a struggle against the drafting of a constitution against the people’s interest.
‘Congress will never support a people’s republic. The country will be a republic with the rights of the people secured in the new constitution.” Koirala said.
Koirala opposed the integration of the Maoist PLA and Nepal Army.
,”There was an agreement on integration in security forces .But as Maoists claim, the agreement doesn’t say the PLA will not be integrated in the Nepal Army,” Koirala argued.
Koirala is now paying for a vague agreement he signed with Maoists; Nepal Army is a security unit like Nepal Police and Armed Police Force.
Koirala and Congress are now full of praise for the Nepal Army which came under attack from the Congress during the royal regime before 2005.
It was charged for being the king’s force; times have changed.
The constituent assembly (CA) begins work on drafting the constitution later Sunday after a prolonged delay; the deadline is to complete the task in 18 months.
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India restricts recruitment of Nepali Gurkhas: Ambassador Rakesh Sood

Kathmandu, 16 Nov: India has stopped recruiting Nepali youth in its army abandoning a 200-year tradition, Khim Ghale reports in Kantipur.
Concerned people said a recruitment center in Gorakhpur as been closed down for one year.
Nepali youth were recruited there in India.
Non-commissioned officer Jas Bahadur Gurung said,” Our youth aren’t being recruited in Gorakhpur. No official word has been received. This will adversely impact our economy.”
Gurung sought a statement from government in the constituent assembly Friday.
“Recruitment hasn’t stopped. Because there are limited vacancies, level of recruitment of Nepali youth has only been cut,” Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood said.
Sood said a trilateral agreement between Nepal, India and Great Britain hasn’t been amended.
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Free health service at primary health centers

Kathmandu, 16Nov; The Health Ministry is providing free health service at primary health centers in the country from Sunday [today] with free check-up and medicine, Rajdhani reports.
The ministry has issued a directive to 214 centers nation-wide.
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Free medicine and free ckhekc-up

MEDIA GOOGLE

“When the country is a republic with the end of monarchy, there’s no need to keep the statues of former kings at public places; they’ll be removed to museums.”

(Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam, Annapurna Post, 16 Nov.)

“I can only ask the Maoists not to dream of appointing Pasang as the Chief of Army Staff. The Maoists are dreaming of making People’s Liberation Army commander Nanda Kishore Pun Pasang chief of the national army. This is nothing but a pipedream,”

(CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal, The Himalayan Times, 16 Nov.)

“Bhattarai [Finance Minister] said its intellectual bankruptcy to think only fair-skinned people can reform the bank [Nepal Bank Ltd.].”

(Naya Patrika report, [World Bank funded foreign management of the bank management which has since withdrawn, 16 Nov.)


“Government will investigate past corrupt practices and is committed to bringing back assets hidden abroad.”

(Finance Minister Dr Bhattarai, Kantipur, 16 Nov.)

“If it is the case that the government compensates for Maoist-seized properties, then who should do it for the confiscation of the properties by other rebellious groups?”

(National Human Rights Commission member Ram Angina Singh, The Kathmandu Post, 16 Nov.)

‘Ask the party leading the government for its longevity.”

“Foreign Minister and MJF Chairman Upendra Yadav, Deshantar, 16 Nov.)