Pashupatinath dispute moves towards resolution

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: Pashupatinath temple dispute moved towards a resolution after Prime Minister Prachanda asked three old Indian bhattas or priests to conduct puja at the most revered temple of Hindus until a new arrangement.
PM Prachanda took the decision as patron of Pashupatinath Area Development Trust (PADT) while revoking a Trust decision to appoint two Nepali priests to replace three Indian bhattas who had resigned.
The supreme court earlier issued an interim order asking defendants to continue with the old puja system until a final verdict.
Nepali assistants to the Indian priests and devotees protested a decision of the PADT whose members were nominated by Maoists after coming to power.
Bur the prime minister told the CA Wednesday he has accepted the resignations of the three Indian priests even while asking them to resume daily puja that have been disrupted after daily protests at the temple.
Prachanda also asked the Trust to recommend new names for appointment of temple priests.
Meanwhile, Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood noted PM Prachanda said would honour the supreme court order.
Protests have flowed from India as well.
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Special integration committee formed under PM; other details

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: A eight-member special army integration committee chaired by the prime minister has been formed by the cabinet Wednesday.
Main opposition Nepali Congress boycotted the first committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Bamdeb Gautam from CPN-UML demanding two seats in the committee.
Government agreed to set aside two seats for the Congress at match Maoist representation.
Two seats have also been allotted for CPN-UML and MJF to meet Congress demands.
Integration of former Maoist combatants in the state army agencies have been delayed by the dispute.
Major coalition partners of Maoists in government and Congress still oppose blanket integration of PLA in Nepal Army.
PM Prachanda said Wednesday reported government call for the resignation of Chief of Army Gen Rukmangud Katawal were only ‘baseless rumours’.
Gen Katawal was summoned to the defence ministry Wednesday by Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Babal who ordered Nepal Army to stop recruitment to fill in vacancies.
Badal also accused the army chief for making political statements against end to recruitment.
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CA session meets after three-week disruption

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: The CA met Wednesday after proceedings were disrupted for three weeks by main opposition Nepali Congress and fringe parties after behind-the- scene concessions between Maoists and protestors.
PM Prachanda made a commitment to the assembly government would return seized assets to owners within three months and YCL would be disbanded within three weeks while vacating government properties.
Prachanda said a nine-point agreement with Nepali Congress will be honoured—a demand of the Congress; he also said local peace committees will be formed after consulting all parties in the CA.
A parliamentary panel will be formed to monitor the implementation of the nine-point demand.
Prachanda, while making concessions to opposition demand, said the need of the hour was to draft a constitution.
“We are all in the same boat; all of us will sink with it, if it capsizes,” he warned CA members.
The government has also agreed to meet the demand of fringe parties who demanded 15 percent scholarships be set aside for Dalits and disadvantaged communities, instead of the nine percent set aside by government.
A two-man bench of the supreme court Wednesday issued an order to government to return seized assets to rightful owners within three months at the request of 44 petitioners.
A court decision was immediately welcomed by Nepali Congress and CPN-UML; the order came the day PM Prachanda pledged in CA the government would honour nine-point demand of Nepali Congress.
The court decision is a legal pressure on the government.
The court ordered government to form local bodies with representation of political parties and lawyers to identify rightful owners to ensure assets are returned to rightful owners.
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Host Nepal in group A of cricket competition

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: Host Nepal is in group A along with Singapore, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) U-17 Elite Cup 2009 tournament.
Nepal will host the tournament from 3 to 13 February.
Nepal meets Qatar is the opening fixture 4 February.
The matches will be conducted at three grounds n Kirtipur, Pulchowk and Bhaktapur.
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Mt Everest on wonder list

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: The Grand Canyon, Mount Everest and Loch Ness will vie with more than 200 other spectacular places in the next phase of the global competition for the New 7 Wonders of Nature, organizers said Wednesday, according to a AP report from Geneva.
The 261 nominees from 222 countries include some of the most famous mountains peaks, lakes and other attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Niagara Falls.
Over a billion people are expected to join in Internet voting that will nominate 77 semifinalists for the top natural wonders, which will share the glory already enjoyed by the seven man-made wonders chosen 18 months ago.
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SLC exams from 12 Chaitra

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: SLC examinations for this year will be conducted for nine days from 25 March.
This was announced by the Office of the Controller of Examinations.
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Nepali killed in Texas

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: Jash Bahadur Rai, 49, died on stab wounds while being treated at a hospital in Texas, agency reports said.
Rai, who hailed from Solokhumbu, had migrated to the US with his wife and two children 12 years ago.
Rai was stabbed at a store in which he was working.
A suspect has been arrested.
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18,000 Bhutanese being repatriated to West

Kathmandu, 8 Jan: An additional 18,000 Bhutanese refugees of Nepali ethnicity will be repatriated to the West from UNHCR-administered camps in east Nepal in 2009, the UN agency said.
Altogether 103,000 refugees remain in the camps where they have been living for more than 17 years after eviction from their homeland; the evictions from the Buddhist kingdom of Hindus of Nepali ethnicity hasn’t been condemned by the UN or the international community.
Altogether 8,000 refugees were resettled in USA in 2008; of them 7,547 persons were resettled in USA.
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