Maoist leader Shambu Yadav murdered

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Maoist leader Shambhu Yadav of Bhojbura Rajya Samiti was killed by an unidentified group overnight in Rautahat.
He was hacked to death by a group while returning home.
Yadav was killed with a sharp weapon as assailants waited by the roadside..
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Committee to investigate Jamin Shah murder yet to start work

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: A five-member committee headed by retired supreme court justice Gobinda Parajuli hasn’t started work even one week after it was formed by the government Sunday.
The committee was to submit a report seven days.
The committee can begin work only after being sworn in by the chief justice.
Saturday and Sunday are public holidays; it’s unlikely the committee will begin work before Tuesday.
Media tycoon Shah was gunned down by two assailants Sunday in the heart of the capital at Lazimpat where the Indian, French and Japanese embassies are located.
There was heavy police deployment Sunday when Vice-president was scheduled to take his oath of office administered by the president.
Two other committees are also investigating the murder.
Meanwhile, publisher and editors of The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur have received death threats for their coverage of Shah’s murder, the newspapers said.
Kailash Sirohiya, chairman and managing director of Kantipur Publications that publishes the widely circulated newspapers, was threatened by email Friday.
Post editor Akilesh Upaddhaya and Kantipur editor Sudheer Sharma were telephonically threatened Thursday and Friday.
“Stop immediately the kind of news coverage you have been giving to Jamin’s killing, or else you will face serious consequences within 15 days,” a caller told Sharma, according to The Kathmandu Post.
The caller used both English and Hindi.
Upadhaya was asked to ‘shut up or we will make you shut up’.
The email sent to Sirohiya asks him to stop the coverage on Shah or face consequences within 15 days.
Kantipur published an article how the Indian underworld was involved in
multiple killings in Nepal.
An article by its reporter details how Nepali police has sent even innocent people, mostly Muslims, wanted by India in Nepal without completing extradition proceedings.
Some have even been cleared by an Indian court.
“Find the killers and the reason for the murder without declaration of compensation or a martyr,” Jamin’s father Dr Mohin Shah told Kantipur.
Police investigation concludes the killers flew back to India by Indian Airlines flight the day of the murder says 7 February, Nepal Samacharpatra reports.
A police report says the assassins came to Kathmandu from New Delhi via Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Sunauli.
The hatched the murder plot from hotels in Sundhara, Kamaladi and the airport.
They used forged passports and tickets to fly out of the country.
The report said the pistol used by the killers was handed over to a Nepali agent of a Canadian sim card group.
They changed dresses at a airport hotel before boarding a flight for Delhi.
They arrived in Kathmandu one week before the murder. Babloo Singh was the main hatcher of the plot.
The plot was hatched for six months.
The first plan was to kill Yunis Ansari in Hanuman Dhoka police cell.
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HLPM meet inconclusive

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: A meeting of high level political mechanism (HLPM) met Saturday morning was inconclusive.
The mechanism met after two postponements following after NC President Koirala who is the mechanism’s coordinator fell sick.
Maoists insisted Saturday only with end of political impasse other issues like
Maoist integration in army and society can be discussed.
Maoists are demanding a common parliamentary resolution to address Maoist demand for legislative discussion of what the main opposition calls an unconstitutional presidential act to retain sacked Army Chief Gen Rukmangud Katawal.
They rejected the Congress and UML request to discuss integration and rehabilitation.
Maoists demanded a government change as well.
Ruling parties oppose discussion of presidential action in parliament saying a ceremonial president can’t do any wrong.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has expressed displeasure with the HPLM’s functioning following calls in the body for change in government.
Nepal has been boycotting meetings of the mechanism of which he only an invited member.
But Nepal attended Saturday’s meeting.
Maoist Vice-president Dr Baburam Bhattarai Friday asked the mechanism
to integrate 19,000 Maoist combatants in Nepal Army.
“Its [HLPM] main duty is to integrate the combatants in the Nepal
Army,” adding it should create an environment to end a prolonged
political impasse.
“The HLPM will be redundant if it can’t pull down the government which has proved useless,” Bhattarai said in Biratnagar.
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Maoists commemorate people’s was anniversary

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Maoists Saturday are commemorating the 15th
anniversary of the launch of the people’s war which they abandoned to enter the political mainstream.
Chairman Prachanda is launching celebrations from the Dashrath Rangashala in the capital.
All seven divisions of the PLA are organizing sports programmes to celebrate the occasion.
Kathmandu-based diplomats have been invited.
Maoists Saturday also launched a two-month door-to-door fifth phase of their anti-government and anti-president prioritizing what they call national sovereignty without strikes.
They are emphasizing national sovereignty and civilian supremacy.
The fourth phase of their campaign was directed against India who the main opposition claims was interfering in Nepal’s internal affairs.
UCPN (Maoist) has launched anti-government and anti-president immediately eight months ago after their ouster from government by a 22-party coalition; they ruled a coalition government only for nine months.
Communists haven’t been in power for more then nine months.
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Sushil Koirala charges UML running govt. unilaterally

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Nepali Congress Acting President Sushil Koirala charged Friday UML was dominating the coalition government saying the matter will be discussed with Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The UML is leading the 22-party alliance.
“The UML is monopolizing the government. I’ll talk to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal about this soon..
But he told reporters in the capital the second largest party in government will continue its support for the Nepal government.
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Prachanda says Hindu ritual is scientific

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Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Chairman Prachanda, an agnostic, Friday performed a Hindu ritual called graha shanti.
The ritual for personal peace is performed to ward off evil.
The Maoist chief participated in the ritual while inaugurating a 10-day yoga camp in Chatara, Sunsari.
“I believed graha shanti was superstitious. But there’s science hidden in it. Finally I’ve realized it,” he said after performing the ritual in the presence of top party leaders.
Some Maoists were dazzled.
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Snow kills three, five injured

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Two persons were buried alive and five were injured by a snow slide this week in Humla.
They were returning home with merchandise from Bajura in the far-West.
A snow avalanche also killed a shepherd and 40 yaks in Mustang across the Himalaya.
The hills and mountain region experienced heavy snowfall following a winter shower this week after a long dry spell.
Farmers welcomed the rain.
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Bird flu contained in Pokhara

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Bird flu has been contained in the resort town of Pokhara, Dr Prabhakar Pathak, Director General of Livestock Department said Friday.
Government will make an official announcement, he added.
Pokhara was placed on high alert since 4 February following the outbreak of the most virulent form of the epidemic so far in Nepal.
Government compensated farmers with Rs 100 per chicken, 50 paisa for an egg and Rs 5 for one kg for barn.
Altogether 10,500 chickens and ducks were culled and eggs destroyed along with feed.
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Vice-president Jha attends Army Day function in national dress

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Vice-president Parmananda Jha Friday attended an Army Day function at Tundikhel coinciding with Mahashibaratri attired in national dress.
He sat next to President Dr Ram Baran Yadav at the Army Pavilion.
Earlier, Jha took his oath of office in Nepali and Maithali following the 7th amendment to the constitution.
The vice-presidency was inactive after the supreme court ruled his first oath in Hindi was unconstitutional.
Jha first refused to take a second oath in Nepali.
Jha took his oath for the second time ahead of the president’s first India and foreign trip after assuming office.
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Leadership change in NBA

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: A democratic panel led by Prem Bahadur Khadka supported by Nepali Congress took over leadership of Nepal Bar Association (NBA) for the next three years Saturday.
Bishwakant Mainali of the progressive panel supported by UML handed over leadership of the umbrella organization of lawyers to Khadka.
Maoist lawyers fared badly in elections held last month.
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Govt. launches anti-filaria Campaign in 19 districts


Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Government Saturday launched
a two-day campaign to eradicate filaria in 19 of 75 districts
Health workers distributed free medicines to people in a door-to-door campaign in the terai and hills ,
The second phase of the campaign will cover 11 districts seven districts 20,21 February, including the Valley.
There’s an effort to eradicate the disease I 83 countries.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

ADBL records Rs 615.8 million profit

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Agriculture Development Bank Ltd (ADBL) recorded
a Rs 615.8 million met profit in the Q2 of the current fiscal year ending
14 January.
The bank profit came down this quarter compared to the corresponding period last year.
The bank in which government has a majority stake earned a Rs Rs773.7 million net profit in the corresponding previous year quarter.
NIC Bank Ltd earned a Rs 202.3 million net profit in Q2 of the current fiscal while it earned Rs 177.7 net profit the corresponding previous quarter.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“If the Maoist combatants are integrated in the Nepal Army, the militia of different Terai armed group should be also integrated in group in the national army in near future.”

(Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar, The Rising Nepal, 13 Feb.)

“Rest assured that there will be a national unity government in our party leadership. I have already envisioned the picture of such a
government. No power can prevent the formation of a new government now.”

(Chairman Prachanda, The Rising Nepal, 13 Feb.)

‘A new constitution can’t be declared until the management of
combatants and disbandment of Maoist paramilitary wing YCL, return
of seized assets and commitment to multi-party system.”

(Sher Bahadur Deuba, Annapurna Post, 13 Feb.)

“A new constitution won’t be drafted. The country is being
Sikkimized and Bhutanized. How can the constitution be drafted
without a country?”

(Maoist Vice-president Mohan Baidya Kiran, Nagarik, 13 Feb.)

‘Acting President of Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala today [Friday] said party President Girija Prasad Koirala could not be he prime minister again owing to his health and age.”

(Report in The Himalayan Times, 13 Feb.)
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