PROGRESS RECORDED IN SPECIAL COMMITTEE

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Progress was recorded in the special committee on army integration, rehabilitation and supervision headed by the prime minister Saturday with Maoists agreeing to provide names, addresses age and photographs of combatants in 28 cantonments and satellite camps under UNMIN watch.
Originally, of 19,000 plus combatants were verified in the camps amid suspicions many have deserted.
UNMIN refused a government request for an updated list to distribute monthly allowances to the former fighters,
A three-member sub-committee was also formed to finalize a schedule for integration and resettlement of combatants; sub-committee members are Barsha Man Pun (Maoist), Dr Ram Sharan Mahat (NC) and Ishwar Pokhrel (UML), who is coordinator.
The sub-committee is expected to finalize the schedule in four days for presentation to the special committee.
The special committee decided to activate an expanded 12-member special committee secretariat that will include one member each from Nepal Army Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Maoists.
The secretariat will be located at the ministry of peace and reconstruction.
and it will bring former combatants under command and control of the special committee snapping its with the Maoist party.
A code of conduct is also being prepared for former fighters.
The meeting was convened by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal discuss integration and resettlement of Maoists in state security agencies before the 15 January 2011 deadline for UNMIN to withdraw from Nepal.
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PRESIDENT BOYCOTT’S PEACE FESTIVAL

Kathmandu, 3 Oct. Amid controversy, President Dr Ram Baran Yadsv Saturday cancelled plans at the last moment to inaugurate the Global Peace Festival South Asia 2010 Nepal attended by thousands at Dashrath Gangashala.
Officials at the presidential place charged organizers misused the national flag and mobilized children for the event.
The national flag was inappropriately displayed at a programme organized by an NGO.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal who was special invitee also diddn;t attend.
Peace Minister Rakam Chemjung launched the event.
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PM NEPAL SUPPORTS PAUDEL

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal opposing the UML establishment line urged NC Vice-chairman Ram Chandra Paudel not to withdraw his candidacy for prime minister.
‘A vacuum will be created by withdrawing the candidacy without a clear understanding.
“Leadership of government by Maoists won’t be acceptable to UML without abandoning army, weapons and YCL,” Nepal told a public meeting hi Hetauda Saturday.
The establishment of Nepal’s party, UML, led by Chairman Jhalanath Khanal is demanding NC withdraw from the race to begin a new process.
Tenth round voting for prime minister is being held 6 October.
The protracted process will continue until Paudel withdraws from the race
Speaker Subash Nemwang he doesn’t have special privilege to intervene.
“Parliament should either elect or defeat me. There’s no provision to terminate the ongoing process,” Paudel, who is also leader of the parliamentary party, said Saturday.
Paidel also lambasted UML and Maoists
“The agreement between the two chairmen is mysterious and has to be scrutinized as it is not conducive for national consensus. Light has yet to be shed on the hidden aspects of the recent special agreement between Maoists and UML chairmen, forged by isolating the Congress and others, including Madesh-based parties,” Paudel added.
“Congress is ignoring our appeal for a government of understanding on the prodding of foreigners. Former monarchists and foreigners are attempting to create political instability.” Maoist Vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai charged in Gorkha Saturday.
“The country is in transition. Another Jung Bahadur may rise,” Bhattarai warned.
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DEUBA’S TEA RECEPTION

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Three-time Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, defeated by Sushil Koirala in elections for the NC presidency, last month at the party’s 12th general convention, is holding a tea reception for newly elected office bearers and central working committee (CWC0 members Sunday at his residence.
The newly elected CWC hasn’t met after the election.
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CHAIRMAN CONVENES MEET

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Chairman Subash Nemwang of constituent assembly (CA) has convened a meeting Sunday of top leaders of political parties to discuss the delayed constitution drafting process.
Nemwang is to handover to the leaders a list of 200 differences on the proposed constitution.
Only eight of 11 subject committees have submitted their recommendations to the main constitution drafting committee.
No work has been recorded in the CA since its tenure was extended for one year 28 May.
Major parties are only engaged in retaining or grabbing power in the last four months.
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16 INDIANS, NEPALIS ARRESTED

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Sixteen persons—five Indians and 11 Nepalis—were arrested in a raid at a house in Maitidevi Friday night allegedly attempting to leak MBBS entrance examinations that began at TU teaching Hospital Saturday.
Two American pistols and nine rounds of bullets were also recovered.
Police also seized a computer.
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MAOIST SECRETARY MISSING

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Office secretary pf UCPN (Maoist) Devendra Paudel has been missing since last Thursday, RSS reports from Lamjung.
The party registered application in the district police office for the search since Paudel, who had left for Dumre of Tanahu in course of official work, did not return home as of Saturday.
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HRW ATTEMPTS TO MAR ATMOSPHERE ON ARMY CHIEF’S UK VISIT

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) Friday attempted to mar the five-day visit of Army Chief Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung to the UK at the invitation of his British counterpart Gen. Sir David Julian Richards.
Gen Gurung begins his visit UK Monday.
The rights watchdog, in a statement, asked British officials to press Nepal Army to handover Maj, Niranjan Basnet to a civilian court to face murder charge.
‘In particular, the UK government should press General Gurung to order the immediate transfer of Maj. Niranjan Basnet, charged with the 2004 murder of 15-year-old Maina Sunwar into police custody into ensure that he is held accountable through civil criminal proceedings.
‘The Nepal Army has a deplorable human rights record and has consistently failed to allow perpetrators of abuse to be prosecuted.
‘If the UK wants to help Nepal’s army to be professional and rights-respecting, then British officials should press the army to rein in impunity and show that commitment by handing over Major Basnet to the civilian authorities,’ said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director of HRW.
Major Basnet has been cleared by a military court for murder charge.
He only arrested the teenage girl during the 10-year Maoist insurgency.
She cautioned Britain not to provide military assistance to Nepal.
“More military assistance without progress I accountability will simply erode the rule of law and strengthen impunity,” she said.
The statement won’t have the intended impact.
Relations between the two armies are good; Gen Gurung is returning a visit made by Gen Richards reflecting the friendly ties between the armies of the two countries.
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TRADE, COMMERCE, ECONOMY

TOURIST ARRIVALS UP

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Tourist arrivals went up 20.6 percent in September compare to the same month the previous year, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) said.
Arrivals totaled 41,331.
South Asian arrivals upped 49.1 percent although arrivals from Sri Lanka dipped.
Arrivals from Malaysia and South Korea jumped 68.5 and 52.1 percent respectively as arrivals from Japan fell 7.7 percent.
Altogether 36,921 foreigners departed TIA while 55,936 Nepalis arrived and 58, 190 departed.
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LOSS FROM BARAUNI IMPORT RS 218m

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Employees of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) have strongly objected to the NOC management’s decision to resume imports of petroleum products from Barauni despite huge losses incurred by the state-owned petroleum monopolist, Republica reports.
Internal investigations by employees showed that NOC suffered a loss of Rs 218.2 million a year in the imports from Bahauni due to leakage, high transport and higher transportation cost when compared to other alterntie routes.
NOC had decided to close fuel import from Bahauni after its high-lvel technical probe team confirmed wrong calibration in tankers. Due to the faulty calibration, the fuel received in the NOC was incommensurate with the payments in had made to the Indian supplier.
The corporation had withdraw the decision on September 27, following a strong of protests by petrol tanker operators.
Devi Neupane, president of NOC employee union, said the board meeting of NOC held this week was marred by a heated exchange of debates between employees’ representatives and NOC management with the former protesting the latter’s decision.
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SPORTS

ARJUN DHAKAL, KRINESHWOR SINTAKALA LIFT LIFT4th KAATHMANDU REAL MARATHON

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Arjun Dhakal and Krishneshwor Sintakala of Armed Police Force (APF) lifted the 4th Real Kathmandu Marathon in the capital Saturday.
Dhakal clocked 2 hours, 32 minutes and 27 seconds to complete the 42.195 km race while Krineshwor Sintakala completed the race in 3 hours 31 minutes and 42 seconds in the women’s section.
Dhakal and Sintakala bagged Rs 100,000 each.
Arjun Basnet and Amar Shahi came second and third in the men’s section.
Runners from 21 countries participated in the grueling race.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“The royal declaration of 24 April 2008 drafted at the residence of then Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koiraka. The parties and the palace had agreed to draft a new constitution with multiparty democracy and constitutional monarchy as its basic tenets, but the parties forgot the deal once they were in power.”
“RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa, The Himalayan Times, 3 Oct.)
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Foreign factor in Nepali jails on rise

Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: News reports of Nepalis serving time in foreign countries have become almost regular but stories about foreign population in our jails rarely come to the light. The data at the Department of Prison Management (DoPM) shows 587 foreign citizens are behind bars in 24 districts across the country. A large number of them are imprisoned for drug smuggling, report Binod Ghimere, Niranjan Sharma in The Kathmandu Post. .

Of the total, 199 such criminals languishing in three prisons of Kathmandu Valley, the highest number-around half of them-are serving sentences for drug trafficking. Whereas other offenses fraud, duplicate passport and possession and trafficking of fake currency constitute second, third and fourth respectively.

Central Jail at Tripureswor alone sees 145 prisoners-129 males and 16 females-of which 72 are sentenced for drug smuggling. Similar is the case in Nakkhu Jail Lalitpur. The prison has 29 foreign inmates of whom 15 are narcotic drugs traffickers. The scenario is no different

at Dillibazaar Sadar Khor. Presently, 25 foreign jailbirds are serving time there and 11 of them on drug smuggling charges. The number of foreign drug traffickers that constitutes the largest chunk of such jail inmates is on the rise in recent years, say jailors.

“Initially, cases of fake notes smuggling and duplicate passport used to be higher which has been significantly dominated by drug smuggling cases in these days,” said Kosh Raj Bhattarai, assistant jailer at Dillibazaar Sadar Khor. “Foreigners behind bars in the country are from some 20 offence cases of which drug smugglers alone constitute around 50 percent.”

Prison records show the number of foreign criminals behind bars has been increasing. One of the biggest jumps in the number has been observed since 2007. In three years, the number has increased by 186-from 401 to 587.

Going by the data at three Valley jails, 43 jailbirds have increased within 68 days since the fiscal year 2010/11.

The increasing number of foreign prisoners dominated by narcotic drug smugglers gives credence to a claim that Nepal is growing as a transit point for the international drug traffickers.

But officials at the Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit (NDCLEU) have a different say. “The traffickers’ activities were equally prevalent in the past,” said Diwas Udash, Deputy Superintendent of Police at NDCLEU. “Only the number of arrestees is rising due to increasing efficiency of the intelligence.”

Udas said traffickers from the developed countries like Japan, France and Italy are on the rise these days while those from West Africa and India used to dominate the figure earlier. “This is due to the growing narcotic market worldwide,” Udas added. According to law, a drug trafficker can be charged a fine of up to Rs.500000 and imprisoned for 15 years.

DoPM data shows that Indian nationals constitute the largest number of foreign inmates in Nepali jails. There are around 450 Indian jail inmates in Nepal, followed by Bhutanese and Bangladeshis. Apart from, criminals from Tanzania, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Zambia, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Belgium, Japan, Italy, USA, France, Malaysia and Nigeria to are behind bars in Nepal.



The fact sheet

Central Jail Tripureswor 145

Dillibazaar Sadar Khor 25

Nakhkhu Jail 29

Jhapa Jail 80

Moranag Jail 36

Udaypur Jail 1

Saptari Jail 12

Siraha Jail 17

Mahottari Jail 19

Sarlahi Jail 3

Parsa Jail 115

Makwanpur Jail 3

Kaski Jail 3

Tanahu Jail 5

Gorkha Jail 1

Syanja Jail 2

Rupendehi Jail 18

Kapilvastu Jail 2

Nawalparasi Jail 6

Palpa Jail 10

Dang (Tulsipur) Jail 2

Banke Jail 32

Bardiya Jail 9

Kailai Jail 8

Kanchanpur Jail 4

Total 587
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Dashain meat demand up 7 times
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Kathmandu, 3 Oct.: Kathmanduites eat 1.2 million kg of mutton during Dashain between Saptami and Vijaya Dashami, a matter of four days. Mutton consumption per person per day during Dashain jumps seven times from average 28 gram to 212 gram, The Himalayan Times reports.

Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts need 50,000 to 60,000 goats in Dashain and livestock traders are busy importing goats for weeks now.

At least 50,000 goats will enter Kathmandu Dashain, said Giri Raj Basnet, secretary of Tukucha Goat Market. About 1,000 goats are killed to meet daily demand for mutton in Kathmandu. Mutton covers 34 per cent of total meat demand of the capital and remaining is fulfilled with buffalo, chicken and pork meat.

“More than 150 traders are importing goats,” he said. Traders are importing 40,000 to 45,000 goats from India and remaining from the Terai districts, he said. Currently, traders are busy in goat collection in Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj, Dang, Lahan and other areas and sell them at Kalanki, Bagbazar, Bhrikutimandap, Bijulibazar and Lagankhel in Kathmandu. Apart from private sector import, Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) is also selling goats in Kathmandu. NFC is selling 4,000 goats to control price manipulation, said Binaya Dhoj Thapa, Deputy General Manager at NFC.

But the price hike has already started as people are in a festive mood. Mutton price in Kathmandu has touched Rs 550 per kg from regular Rs 500 per kg. Similar hike of Rs 50 per kg was also noticed on the eve of Dashain last year as butchers use Dashain to raise meat price for the whole year. Mutton price is normally hiked during Dashain and the new price remains effective for till next Dashain.

According to United State’s Nutrition Department, South Asia is at the bottom of global meat consumption chart. “South Asian, South East Asian and African countries are at the bottom of global meat, fish and egg consumption,” said a report published by the department last year.

Among South Asian countries, Nepal ranked third in meat consumption at 10.3 kg per person per year, followed by Maldives at 8.5 kg, Sri Lanka at 4.8 kg, India at 4.6 kg and Bangladesh at 3.2 kg.

Afghan and Pakistani ranked first and second with meat consumption standing at 18.9 kg and 12.4 kg per person per year, respectively. Similarly, Nepalis eat 2 kg fish and 18 eggs in a year.

Latin American country Uruguay tops the global rank with an annual consumption of 126.5 kg meat per person and United States stands second with 124 kg meat consumed per person per year while global average is 37.9 kg.
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