NAC INTERNAL FLIGHTS RESUME MONDAY

Kathmandu, 27Dec.: Internal flights of Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) resume Monday after 12-day disruption by employees protesting fifth freedom rights for Air Arabia of UAE between Kathmandu and Kuala Lumpur.
Ailing NAC enjoyed a monopoly on the sector.
Striking employees withdrew the strike after written assurance from tourism ministry their demands will be addressed.
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INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST ON HOSPITAL

Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: Kathmandu district administration office (DAO) Sunday summoned doctors of Om Hospital and Research Center, renowned senior gynecologist including Dr Bhola Rijal.
A case was filed at DAO by relatives of an infant born at the hospital with a stitched stomach.
Doctors K.P. Devkota, Rita Manandhar, Ananda Prasad Shrestha, Abhusan Tuladhar, Pratima Shrestha and Amrit Shrestha were also asked to present themselves at DAO within seven days.
The doctors are expected to appear at the DAO Monday.
Relatives of the infant have demanded an inquiry and Rs 6.5 million in compensation.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“The Maoist party cannot lead the government as the party is hostile towards the peace process. The state will become dysfunctional if the dissidents get to lead the government. We should not help the Maoists make their revolt successful.”

(Government Spokesman Shanker Pokhrel, The Himalaya Times, 27 Dec.)
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PM WARNS LAW MINISTER

Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal warned Law Minister Prem Bahadur Singh not to get into a dispute with Chief Justice Ram Prasad Shrestha, Nagarik reports.
According to a top source, Nepal alerted Singh at a cabinet meeting Sunday.
Nepal said it wasn’t proper for a minister representing government in the judicial council to speak publicly against the chief justice.
An impeachment in parliament has been recommended against supreme court justice Rana Bahadur Bam; the process was opposed by Singh.
As a minister, you’re siding with a corrupt,” Nepal asked Singh at the cabinet meeting.
Singh replied;” I didn’t say such a thing. I only said there’s been injustice when no business was allocated [for the judge] before proving charges.”
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SHOWDOWN IN OFFING
Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: The issue of appointing an executive director at Bharatpur-based BP Memorial Cancer Hospital has taken a confrontational turn as the UCPN (Maoist)-backed candidate is allegedly trying to intimidate the hospital’s management committee members, Narayan Sharma and Dipendra Baduwal write in The Kathmandu Post from Chitwan.

Hospital staff allege that acting executive director Dr. Bhaktaman Shrestha invoked the support of the activists of the Maoist youth wing YCL to scare the hospital management committee into letting him keep the post he is currently holding.

A crowd of YCL activists was mobilised at the hospital on Saturday while the management committee meeting, which ended inconclusively, was underway for the selection of a new executive director. Police were deployed in full strength.

Although there was no tension in the hospital, tension erupted outside when a group attacked Mahesh hospital management committee member Mahesh Prasad Dahal’s car. Dahal, also director general of the Department of Revenue Investigation, was headed for the airport after the meeting. The group vandalised his car and pushed it nearly 30 feet off the road.

“They had malafide intentions,” Dahal told the Post over telephone. “I’ve informed the CDO.” Driver Indra Bahadur Thapa said the assailants pushed the car off the road accusing Dahal of not being supportive.

The incident has further complicated the selection process.

“There is no headway on any of the issues and the date for the next meeting is not fixed,” said Prem Rimal, hospital management committee member.

Sources said that

Dr. Shrestha, who hit

headlines after his abduction a couple of months ago, is trying to forcibly don the mantle of hospital executive director. Besides Dr. Shrestha, C.B. Pun of CPN-UML and L.N. Singh of Nepali Congress are in the race.
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SPECIAL COMMITTEE REACHES OUT TO PLA
Kathmandu, 27 Dec.: : A 12-member team from the Special Committee Secretariat, which is tasked with managing PLA combatants, today visited the Shaktikhor (Chitwan)-based cantonment and interacted with its commanders, The Himalaya Times reports from Shaktikhor.

According to division spokesperson Kuber, secretariat coordinator Balananda Sharma talked to PLA commanders about life in cantonments and their wishes.

“The delegation also sought our suggestions on the committee-prepared directive on the integration, monitoring, control and rehabilitation of PLAs. We expressed readiness to make sacrifices, provided the whole process is fair.”

“We came here to know about the combatants’ wishes and life in the cantonment,” Sharma said, adding that the interaction between PLAs and the committee has brought the two parties closer.

“The visit is a part of a regular process to build a close rapport between the combatants and the committee,” Sharma informed.

Dipak Bhatta, a member of the delegation, said the team had informed the commanders of the code of conduct on military integration, which is to be finalised at the political level. According to him, PLA commanders expressed willingness to contribute to the peace process.

“Apart from making fresh agreements, we should also honour past commitments,” PLA deputy commander and a member of the committee Chandra Prasad Khanal ‘Baldev’ said. “Though we are in favour of extending UNMIN’s stay, the government is against it. The issue is yet to be settled,” Baldev noted. Further on, he blamed the government for delaying the integration process.

A combatant identifying himself as Brigade VC said PLA is ready to move ahead as per the spirit of the constitution if that guarantees peace and political consensus. Battalion commander Mikhail said it makes no difference whether UNMIN monitors them or the special committee.

Brigadier General of the Nepali Army Mahesh Karki, DIG of the Nepal Police Keshar Bahadur Shahi, DIG of the Armed Police Force Singha Bahadur Shrestha, Nepali Congress representative Shambhu Simkhada, UML representative Gopal Singh Bohara and Ramananda Mishra of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum were in the delegation, which also inspected the arms containers.
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