Govt. performance on economic front dismal

Kathmandu, 11 July: The revised GDP growth for the fiscal year 2066/67 was only 3.5 percent even as the government set an ambitious goal to achieve a 5.5 percent growth.
This was stated in an economic survey report for the period presented by Finance Minister Surendra Pandey to parliament Sunday.
Growth of agriculture, the mainstay of the economy was only 1.2 percent in the current fiscal year, the report said.
Growth in non-agricultural sector was only 5.1 percent.
Government admitted in the report economic performance wasn’t dismal.
Amid a government and political crisis, Pandey presents a special budget at the legislature Monday to run the government for the first four months of the fiscal year 2067/68 beginning Saturday 17 July.
The special budget—the second time in two years—will be approved as three major parties have greed to support it despite the political crisis and failure to form a national unity government demanded by Maoists.
nnnn

NC’s official view of Maoist concept paper Tuesday; no to UNMIN

Kathmandu, 11 July: Ruling party Nepali Congress (NC) will announce its official reaction to Saturday’s Maoist concept paper of integration/ resettlement of its fighters and other issues Tuesday to end a prolonged political stalemate.
The party central committee Sunday appointed a seven-member team headed by Vice-chairman and parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Paudel to prepare the position paper after a brief discussion.
Paudel is candidate for prime minister to succeed incumbent government chief Madhav Kumar Nepal.
Ruling parties, NC and UML, have already rejected the concept paper.
The NC is announcing its official position one day after the second presidential deadline to cobble up a national unity government expires Monday.
Ruling parties have said formation of such a government by Monday is unlikely.
Maoist Vice-chairman Narayan Kazi Shrestha said Sunday his party was ready to the paper’s contents following rejection by two ruling parties.
Spokesman Dinanath Sharma, probably had an inkling the concepts would be rejected when he said Saturday the document wasn’t final and was subject to discussion hours before it was made public.
Speakers at the NC central committee said Maoists were pushing a ‘wrong interpretation’ of the peace agreement and said the main opposition concept paper for concluding peace and drafting the constitution won’t create an atmosphere for confidence between parties.
The central committee also decided not to extend UNMIN contract that ends the last week of September charging the UN body for facilitating Maoists.
nnnn


Foreign ministry officials summoned by public accounts committee

Kathmandu, 11 July, Foreign secretary, chief of protocol and concerned officials of the foreign ministry have been summoned by parliament’s public accounts committee for deposition Monday to further probe a government contract to a French firm to print machine readable passports (MRPs)..
The committee is investigating the contract awarded by the ministry to a French company Overthru to print MRPs this week; four companies, including the French, had put in bids to print the passports in an international tender.
The French company was awarded the contract for its lowest bid at 3.59 dollars per passport.
nnnn


Following dispute between officials, NSC vice-chairman sacked

Kathmandu, 11 July: National Security Council (NSC) Vice-chairman Pitambar Timalsinha of UML was sacked Sunday by the Education Minister Ganesh Tiwari for indiscipline following a brawl between office bearers at the office of Member Secretary Hari Babu Chaudhary last week.
Tiwari and Chaudhary are supporters of a terai party controlling the education ministry.
Money set aside for the construction of a stadium in the eastern region was frozen after it couldn’t be spent on stadium construction.
Lobbyists couldn’t agree on a site for the sporting complex.
Chaudhary charged Talimshina for mobilizing a group and vandalism at his office.

Sarita Giri expelled

Kathmandu, 11 July: Sarita Giri was expelled from NSP Sunday for six years anti-party and anti-Madesh activities.
She was expelled by Chairperson Ananda Debi while her ordinary party membership was revoked.
Nnnn



16 VDC secretaries resign

Kathmandu, 11 July: Sixteen VDC secretaries from Mustang and Kali submitted their collective resignations to senior district officials Sunday amid threats from Samyukta Jatiya Morcha.
Threats have triggered fear forcing secretaries to resign.
Secretaries have resigned from districts north to south and east to west.
Nnnn

Landslides kill 10 members of three families

Kathmandu, 11 July: Landslides triggered by incessant rains overnight and Sunday morning killed 10 persons of three families in Kaski and Syangha districts.
Five members of a family were buried at one settlement and two sons and a daughter of Maili Damai were smothered at another village in Kaski.
Landslide buried a mother and infant son in neighbouring Syangjha.
Eight family members survived the landslips
Nnnn

UML to mourn Chabilal Karki’s murder for eight days

Kathmandu, 11 July: UML decided to hold public meetings to protest and expose Maoists for the murder of Okhalgungha district leader Chabilal Karki Thursday for eight days from Monday the party said Sunday.
Memorial meetings will be held nation-wide coinciding with the 13th day of his killing.
Party Chairman Jhalanath Khanal said Sunday Maoist leadership of government won’t be acceptable until such criminal activities continue.
Khanal said this as Maoists are seeking support for a national unity government under its leadership.
nnnn



MEDIA GOOGLE

“The army should be mobilized firstly on the basis of a formal cabinet decision that the whims and fancies of a single person [probably referring to Girija Prasad Koirala]. Great criticism is directed at the NA for not supporting the police during the infamous rebels attack in Dunai, but the simple fact is that at the time the cabinet had not taken any decision to deploy the army to fight….”

(Brig.Gen. Dipak Gurung, Republica, 11 July)
nnnn