Nepali Congress lobbies tenure extension of brigadiers; Badal had extended the service of brigadiers

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 18 March: Nepali Congress and its President Girija Prasad Koirala, to pressurize the Maoist-led government, invited leaders of political parties Wednesday at the Koirala residence to urge government to extend the tenure of eight brigadier generals that ended Monday night.
All party representatives attended the meeting boycotted by the MJF—the third largest coalition partner; CPN-UML attended the meeting.
The refusal of the defence ministry to extend the tenure at the request of Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal has taken a political turn with major parties criticizing the defence ministry decision.
The eight brigadiers Tuesday attended office even after their service period ended in a clear show of defiance against the government.
The defence ministry is under Maoist control.
The Army earlier disobeyed ministry order to fill in 3,100 vacancies as a direct conflict brews between the state army and the defence ministry.
Gen Katawal lobbied for the second consecutive day Tuesday with President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Nepal Army Dr Ram Baran Yadav to extend the service of the brigadiers.
Nepali Congress leaders Tuesday also asked the president to intervene on behalf of Nepal Army.
PLA has supported the government move.
Meanwhile, it has come to light Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal has signed a note extending the service of the generals by another three years, a newspaper report said.
Chief Secretary Bhojraj Ghimere has been telling his close circles Defence Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal has already signed a proposal to extend the service of eight brigadiers requested by the army chief 24 February, Janaastha reports.
“The Minister signed the proposal on the morning of 13 March in our presence; he carried the file himself,” a source told Janaastha quoting Ghimere.
But after the proposal was signed cabinet secretary Pratap Kumar took the file to the prime minister where the file remains.
The source said,” The defence minister has signed the proposal. The file can be asked for.”
The file hasn’t reached the army headquarters as yet—four days after it was signed,
A newspaper close to Maoists Tuesday reported the chief secretary, secretary Pathak and the defence secretary pressurized Badal to sign the file.
Nnnn

Nepal asks Beijing, Lhasa rail link extension to Lumbini

Kathmandu, 18 March; Prime Minister Prachanda Tuesday asked visiting Chinese Assistant Minister for Commerce Chen Jian to extend the Beijing, Lhasa rail link to Lumbini, the birthplace of The Buddha.
Lumbini lies on the Nepal, India border.
The proposal may irk New Delhi.
Chen is in Nepal to prepare the coming meeting of the China-Nepal inter-governmental economic and trade committee.
Nnnn


2066 to have 12 months

Kathmandu, 18 March: After a long controversy whether to keep 11 or 12 months in the year 2066 BA, astrologers have agreed to keep 12 months in the year, RSS reports.
Astrologers are now busy preparing the calendar of the year 2066 after the government’s bid to remove the month of Chaitra in 2066 failed.
The Ministry of Culture has also directed the Calendar Fixing Committee to prepare the calendar of 12 months for the next year.
The festival reforms task force formed by the government had recommended for 11 months in 2066 to adjust with the earth’s rotation in its axis vis-à-vis solar movement. The cabinet has also decided to adjust the calendar.
Nnnn







MEDIA GOOGLE

“Am I wrong when I say loot as much as you can [private schools],but give us at least 5 percent from the pie [in education service tax].”

(Dr Babauram Bhattarai, The Kathmandu Post, 18 March)
Nnnn