PM Nepal flies to Jajarkot

Kathmandu, 20 July: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal flew to Jajarkot and five other mid-West hill districts where a cholera outbreak has killed more than 150prsons in three months.
Hundreds have fallen sick.
The epidemic continues.
Nepal heads a 11-member team.
Demands have been made to declare a regional emergency to fight the epidemic.
Nnnn

Cabinet hikes govt. employee salary

Kathmandu, 20 July: A graded salary hike of four to six percent for protesting government employees was announced by the cabinet Sunday evening with Rs 1,200 dearness allowance.
A peon will now collect Rs 8,146 and a secretary Rs 25,432 every months.
Government as forced to cave in to demands of employees as government liability increased by Rs 12.3 billion..
The ratio of salary difference between the lowest and highest paid employee was also reduced.
Nnnn

Defence minister Bidya Bhandari visiting India

Kathmandu, 20 July: Defence Minister Bidya Bhandari begins a four-day India visit Wednesday ahead of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s visit to the southern neighbour.
Bhandari is accompanied by foreign and defence ministry officials.
The visit is important as Bhandari is to discuss resumption of the supply of non-lethal weapons partially resumed before constituent assembly elections in April 2008.
A request for the resumption of weapons supplies is being made when the peace process with Maoists has been stalled.
India is Nepal’s major supplier of weapons to army and police.
Weapons supplies were suspended after the royal takeover.
nnnn

Four Nepalis killed in Afghan chopper crash

Kathmandu, 20 July: Four Nepali workers were killed and two others jumped to safety when a Russian MI-8 helicopter crashed over Kandhar Sunday, a Nepali worker said.
Sixteen persons were killed n the crash.
nnnn


Terai rebel shot dead

Kathmandu, 20 July: Ramnarayan Mahoto was shot dead by police in an encounter in Siraha Sunday.
Mahoto was chairman of Madesh Rashtra Janatantrik Party.
Police recovered and bullets from Mahoto.
Another person sped away on a motorcycle.
Nnnn

Diplomats and donors being briefed

Kathmandu, 20 July: Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala and Home Minister Bhim Rawal will brief diplomats and representatives of donors Monday on the political and security situation.
They have been summoned to the National Planning Commission hall for the meeting.
Nnnn

Remarkable Koirala turnaround

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 20 July: In a remarkable turnaround, Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala Sunday called Maoists murders who can’t be integrated in Nepal Army whom he now consistently praises.
Koirala signed a seven-point agreement with Maoists in 2006 even as they were declared terrorists; New Delhi, which has banned Naxalites [Indian Maoists] and rejected talks with the extreme communists brokered the peace agreement between seven parliamentary parties and Maoists in New Delhi.
Koirala now consistently praises the Nepal Army which he, other Nepali leaders, political parties and world capitals condemned before and after the royal takeover.
The latest Koirala outburst will enrage Maoists and jeopardize the peace process and drafting of the constitution.
Koirala himself negotiated to bring the Maoists into the peace process even as they were declared terrorists; more than 14,000 persons die in the 10-year people’s war.
Koirala is only to blame for signing a vague peace agreement subject to different interpretations and brokered by foreigners.
He has also called for the ‘democratization’ of Nepal in the peace agreement—whatever the word means.
“Nowhere has it been mentioned in the agreement Maoist combatants will be adjusted in Nepal Army What has been said they will be adjusted in society by improving their behaviour.
“The reputation of Nepal Army can’t be diluted by integrating combatants who haven’t been accepted by the people.
“An environment should be created for their integration in society as Maoist combatants are still called murders by society,” Koirala told reporters in Biratnagar.
Nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“It’s pointless to hold dialogue with the outfits that are committing crimes in the name of political struggle.”

(Peace Minister Rakan Chemjung, The Kathmandu Post, 20 July)
nnnn