MAOIST PLENUM CONCLUDES

Kathmandu, 27 Nov. The week-long Maoist plenum concluded in Gorkha Saturday without adopting a work schedule for the next six months as announced earlier.
The central committee which will meet in the capital has been entrusted the responsibility.
The plenum was to end last Thursday but was extended by two days.
Party leaders are addressing a public meeting in Palungtar at the end of the plenum.
The plenum adopted a political report prepared by Chairman Prachanda incorporating suggestions of Vice-chairmen Dr Baburam Bhattarai and Moan Baidya.
Prachanda’s report warns of a popular revolt if a peace process isn’t completed and a constitution drafted to institutionalize a federal, democratic republican state,
Prachanda fighting foreign interference. [More]
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JUSTICE BAM UNDER CLOUD
Kathmandu, 27 Nov.: Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha on Friday apparently hinted to Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam to resign his post, following the report of high-level probe committee that found Bam and two other judges taking controversial decisions, Bimal Gautam reports in Republica.

Shrestha informed Justice Bam that the former would not assign him any cases from next week.
A meeting of the Judicial Council (JC) has decided to implement the committee report. "We have decided to implement the report", Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha told Republica.

"I did not receive any good report about you from the probe committee. So I won´t assign you a bench from next week, on moral grounds," a source quoted CJ Shrestha as telling Justice Bam.

According to the source, Justice Bam has been indirectly advised to resign rather than face impeachment by parliament. The JC cannot take any action against a permanent SC justice. Bam, who was found taking controversial decisions to release murderers and kidnappers on very low bail, is a permanent SC justice.

The probe committee headed by SC Justice Bala Ram KC had submitted its report to the JC on Thursday, concluding that the three incumbent judges including Bam were found releasing on a low bail culprits who were arrested many times for serious crimes.

The KC-led committee concluded that Justice Bam, Biratnagar Appellate Court Judge Hari Bahadur Basnet and Hetauda Appellate Court Judge Tej Bahadur Karki had released notorious offenders on many occasions.

Sanjay Shrestha, Rohit Paliwan Agrawal and Bhimsen Pandit, who were repeatedly arrested on kidnap and murder charges, were freed on bail under controversial orders issued by the three judges at different times.

Shrestha, Agrawal and Pandit have also been accused of kidnapping Dr Bhaktaman Shrestha a few months ago.

One of the JC members informed Republica that the council will first ask Justice Bam to resign from his post.

"Though we did not take any decision, we have tentatively agreed that the JC should first ask Bam to resign from his post to avoid impeachment by parliament," the source added.

The source also said that the JC would recommend to parliament to take action against Bam if he does not resign at the earliest.

"CJ is likely to not assign him any cases from Sunday onwards," the source said, adding, "either he should resign from his post or be ready to face impeachment by parliament."

According to the source, the KC-led committee has recommended to the JC to sack judges Basnet and Karki for their rulings releasing notorious offenders.

"Evidence shows that the judges released the culprits, overruling the decisions of quasi-judicial bodies that had convicted them," reads the committee report submitted to the JC, adding: "The judges should have upheld the sentences instead of releasing them on such low bail."

The JC had initiated investigations against Justices Bam, Basnet and Karki following the arrest of Shrestha, Agrawal and Pandit on the charge of kidnapping Dr Shrestha. The three have claimed that they had bribed the judges many times in the past.

Police have filed cases against the three on many occasions on charges of murder and kidnap in different parts of the country. But they were freed on bail every time.

Based on the initial evidence, the JC suspended Judge Karki two months ago.
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SECRETARIES DOUBT BUDGET WILL BE UTILIZED
Kathmandu, 27 Nov.: Secretaries of all the 26 ministries and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, who doubt that the budget will be implemented on time, gathered today at the Ministry of Finance to prepare a road map before December 6 for the effective enforcement of budget and programmes.

Their main concern was that delay in approval of the budget would adversely affect the development programmes throughout the country. The budget was passed on Saturday through ordinance four months into the fiscal year.

A participant wondered: “How can the budget, meant to be implemented in 12 months, be spent in about seven months?”

Last year also the budget was delayed. The government had approved it from the parliament on November 25. Only about 80-90 per cent of the total budget was used in the last fiscal year, said government sources. “The percentage will not exceed that even this time. Inability to utilise budget for the allocated heads will only lead to irregularities. Some of the development programmes are likely to be prepared on paper only and the budget might be misused,” he explained.

The secretaries dwelt on what may hinder the implementation of the budget. They pointed to lack of adequate number of employees, delay in release and transfer of budget and redtapism, disclosed a secretary.

The secretary informed that the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Finance expressed commitment to facilitating and helping timely and effective execution of the programmes.

“However, we doubt that the budget allocated for the development programmes will be used on time,” he added.

The government has allocated about 46 per cent of the total budget on infrastructure development.
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