PARLIAMENT APPROVES TO DISCUSS FINANCE BILLS; OTHER DETAILS

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: Parliament Monday unanimously approved a resolution presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari to discuss four finance bills related to an ordinance om a budge for the remaining five months of the current financial year.
Parliament will have to approve the budget Tuesday in a hasty and shortened discussion.
Copies were distributed to lawmakers Saturday.
Maoists decided to support the replacement bills to an ordinance bill of November 2010 that was presented by then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s government after Maoists obstructed presentation of a normal budget.
Maoists said they’ll support the replacement bills after Sunday’s meeting between Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and Chairman Prachanda.
NC is also expected to support the bills to prevent a financial crisis.
The bills have to be approved by Tuesday.
If the bills aren’t approved Tuesday, government will be paralyzed creating an economic crisis.
Maoists agreed Sunday to help passage of the bills without agreement with the UML on a controversial seven-point agreement.
.Fourteen parties, along with NC, Sunday built-up an alliance against the newly formed government with a four-point agreement.
‘The seven-point agreement attempts to push left polarization against
the principles of democratic to monopolize power though
rotational sharing of government leadership,” a statement after a meeting sponsored by NC said.
The parties also said agreement to create a separate force only with Maoists was “ an attempt to usurp the responsibility of the special committee’.

“We’re in a final struggle to make the peace process successful and draft a constitution,” the Maoist chief said in Thawang, Rolpa, Sunday charging NC and UML for obstruction.
“There’s no alternative for a people’s struggle if there’s a conspiracy.”
Prachanda repeated there’s possibility Maoists will join the Khanal government which it helped to propel to power 11 days ago even at the party standing committee asked the premier’s UML to make clear its policy position on a seven-point agreement between the chairmen of the country’s two biggest communist parties.
Last week the UCPN (Maoist) said it would decide whether or not to join the government after it’s satisfied with the official position of the party that’s heading the government

Probably expecting a constitution won’t be drafted by the second deadline of 28 May, Prachanda called Sunday for a two-month extension of the constituent assembly tenure.
“The first deadline was extended with public pressure. People are still ready for a two-month extension if the 28 May deadline isn’t met,” the Maoist leader told a public meeting in Rolpa.
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FIVE POLICEMEN INJURED IN ATTACK ON POLICE OUTPOST

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: Five policemen were injured in an attack on a police outpost at Madhuban, Parsa, Monday.
Locals attacked the outpost after villager was battered at the outpost
after arrest Sunday.
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ONE DEAD, THREE INJURED IN JEEP ACCIDENT

Kathmandu, 14feb. One person was killed and three were injured when a jeep plunged Monday morning into Trisuli river at Darechowk in Chitwan at 10 in the morning.
The jeep was heading south from the capital.
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US SUPPORTS NEPAL POLICE BUILD-UP COMMUNICATION NETWORK

Kathmandu, 14 Feb. Visiting United States Under Secretary for Global Affairs Maria Otero Monday held discussions on the delayed peace process and constitution drafting with Prime Minster Jhalanath Khanal Monday.
She Sunday jointly dedicated the Nepal Police Command Center, along with Chief of the Nepal Police, Inspector General Ramesh Thakuri and senior Police staff, the US embassy said.
The event marks the culmination of an $850,000 information technology improvement project that began as a joint effort between the US and the Nepal Elections Commission to improve communication around the country leading up the 2008 elections.
The Command Center’s communications capabilities will help the police respond more quickly and more professionally to citizens around the country and, along with related information technology projects, will also improve the police’s ability to serve as an information and coordination leader in the event of a natural disaster in Nepal.
“The U.S. Government has a robust partnership with the Nepal Police, because we understand that improving law and order in Nepal and protecting Nepalis’ security are essential tasks for a country coming out of the insecurity of a long conflict. A strong and professional police force can be an immeasurable benefit to Nepal,.” Otero noted
In addition to the Command Center and similar communication improvement projects around the country, the United States is funding the reconstruction of police posts that were destroyed during the conflict and offers a range of training programs to the Nepal Police, including airport security, natural resource protection, counter-terrorism, international peace keeping, stopping human trafficking, and respecting human rights.
In the coming years, the United States looks forward to working with Nepal Police authorities to identify areas of further collaboration, the
embassy said.
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SENIOR POLICE OFFICER ESCAPES ASSASSINATION BID

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: Senior SSP Rana Bahadur Chand Sunday night escaped an assassination bid by his own security guard at Baluwatar in the capital.
Chand dozed when Constable Karan Singh, reportedly drunk,. shot Chand with the officer’s pistol.
Singh has been arrested.
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PRABAL GURUNG ATTRACTS FASHION CONSCIOUS IN NEW YORK
Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: As the first days of Autumn-Winter 2011 collections got under way at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, Prabal Gurung, born in
Singapore and raised in Nepal, came up with a show stopper at New
York Fashion Week, AFP reports from New York.
Gurung wowed by fashionistas with a glamorous, richly crated collection that combined complex techniques and cuts.
Far from thee buttoned –down simplicity long promoted by American
creators, he mixed the racy accents of the1930s with the luxury of the
19th century, bringing put a flamboyant femininity.
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TERAI GROUP LEADERS SURRNDER
Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: Former Coordinator of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha Kautilya Sherma surendered to police at Birtamodh, Mohottari, Sunday with seven associates.
Others who surrendered are: Ashik Ali, Bishwojeet, Rajeev, Arjun, Akbar, Bikram Yadav and Sukdev.
The surrender comes as violence continues unabated in the terai along the Indian border.
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NSP (ANANDA DEBI) LEADERS QUIT PARTY

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: Lawmaker Shyam Sundar Gupta of NSP (Ananda Debi) quit the party Sunday after the supreme court ruled his membership of
parliament be annulled.
Gupta was nominated by then Prime Minister Girija Prasak Koirala—an appointment challenged by the party.
NSP is divided in several groups.
Through a joint statement, Joint Secretary Mahammad Saphik Ansari and central leaders Dashrath Prasad Kumhal, Bhulan Singh, Kisun Prasad
Yadav and Sayara Rano also quit.
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FOREIGN MINISRY DIRECTIVE TO EMBASSIES

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: The foreign ministry Sunday directed UN, its agencies and foreign embassies to replace glazed glasses from vehicles after a supreme court order that only the prime minister and the president can drive with such vehicles.
Police are enforcing the order to curb crimes.
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NHRC BEGINS SECOND HUMATION

Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Sunday began week-long exhumation along the bank of Kamala river in
Dhanusha to dig out possible remains of four bodies allegedly buried there by security forces during the people’s war at the request of dear ones.
The first exhumation was conducted for more than one week last year.
Remains have beet sent to laboratoriesin Finland and in the country for
tests.
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RECOMMENDATION TO SHUT DOWN EIGHT CASINOS
Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: A recommendation to shutdown eight casinos in the capital and the resort town of Pokhara that have failed pay Rs 355 million dues to government was sent by the finance to the tourism ministry Sunday.
The Department of Revenue Investigation suggested the closure of
Casino Nepal, Casino, Casino Venus, Casino Grand, Casino Royale,
Casino Anna, Casino Shangri-la and Fulbari Casino.
Only Casino Rana and Casino cleared their dues after pressure and suggestion of parliament’s public accounts committee.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“I never dreamt of becoming prime minister. A person pursues fulfilling a dream at any cost. When I became premier, I never even thought of it; I didn’t even made any commitments with anybody.”

(Madhav Kumar Nepal, Naya Patrika, 14 Feb.)
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ESCAPED CONVICT ARRESED WITH BROWN SUGAR AND
MILLIONS OF RUPEES IN CASH
Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: A special police unit arrested Tashi Lama from Sahid Gate with two million rupees in cash and brown sugar Sunday after he got out of central jail, Annapurna Post reports.
He got out of the prison with the help of security force deployed at
the prison.
Lama was serving a 1-year jail sentence after he was arrested in
2065 for involvement in a Rs..7 million robbery case at Jamal.
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SUSHIL KOIRALA WOOING DEUBA

Kathmandu.14 Feb.: NC President Sushil Koirala and parliamentary
party leader Ram Chandra Paudel have asked leader Sher Bahadur
Deuba to jointly strengthen the party, Naya Parika reports.
But Deuba reiterated he’ll counter attempts to crush him.
Koirala and Paudel visited Deuba at his residence at nine in the
morning Sunday.
They told Deuba internal differences weakened the party and suggested moving ahead jointly.
Deuba expressed dissatisfaction at not presenting an alternative to
Paudel in prime ministerial elections.
Koirala sought support by abandoning dissatisfactions.
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MUSLIM STUDENTS LEARN SANSKRIT IN KAPILBASTU





Kathmandu, 14 Feb.: More than 50 Muslim students of Kapilbastu are now learning Sanskrit despite attending a Madarasa, The Rising Nepal reports from Kapilvastu.
In Kapilbastu there are more than half a dozen Madarasas, however, Muslims are learning at Tauleswor Nath Sanskrit Secondary School.
In the only Sanskrit school of the district Muslim students are voluntarily attending classes, the school said.
More than 500 students are learning at the school. Due to the cheap service of school, students are continuing until they complete their secondary level education.
Muslim students are talented in Sanskrit. Safin Naaj, a Muslim student attained the highest Sanskrit marks in the eighth grade.
Naaj is supported by her family, who encourage her to learn Sanskrit.
Safin’s father Abdul Salam said, according to the interest of his daughter, they enrolled her at the Sanskrit school.

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UN ASKS DISQUALIFIED MAOIST FIGHTERS TO REGISTER

Kathmandu, 14 Feb. - Out of 4,008 Maoist combatants who were verified as Minors and Late Recruits (VMLRs) based on their age and recruitment time and discharged from seven Maoist army cantonments last year, only 2393 have so far contacted the United Nations Inter-agency Rehabilitation Programme (UNIRP), The Rising Nepal reports.
This was made public Sunday by UNIRP at a press meet.
There are only 37 days left for the VMLRs, discharged from the Seven Maoist cantonments last year to enroll in the UNIRP. The final date for enrolment in the programme is 22 March, 2011.
"As of 10 February 2011, 2393 VMLRs have contacted the programme and 1,989 VMLRs have received career counseling and have been referred to specifically designed livelihood opportunities from a wide range of choices in five regional offices, each supported by a programme office.
Out of the total referred, 1,341 either currently in or have already completed training/education opportunities. Among them, 578 trainees have completed training," a statement of UNIRP read
Of the total 339 participants who have completed trainings and who could be monitored, 138 graduates (80 male and 58 female) have already found employment or started their own business, the statement said.
Speaking at the press meet, Robert Piper, UN Resident Coordinator, said, "This is the final opportunity for those who have not already registered for the Rehabilitation Programme to do so and to seize the chance to be supported in their transition to a civilian life."
Mentioning that contact to the programme by more than 80 per cent of those who were present in the cantonments for the discharge ceremonies as an excellent achievement, Robert Piper said, "The rehabilitation package is the best opportunity available to VMLRs successful transition to a civilian life, and we don’t want anyone to miss out."
There are four rehabilitation packages available: Educational Assistance; Micro Enterprise Development Training; Vocational Skills Training; and Health Services Related Training.
The rehabilitation packages also include post-training support to link graduates of the trainings to employment opportunities and self-employment. All participants receive a monthly stipend during their training or education period.
Provision has been made for psychosocial support through a network of partner agencies. Over three hundred participants have received psychosocial support.
Gillian Mellsop, Country Representative of Unicef, Nepal, informed that special gender related support is provided to ensure that women, which make up more than 30 % of the 4008 caselad, have the opportunity to fully participate in the programme, including women participants with young children.
Further, provision is made for a nutritional diet for pregnanat women and lactating mothers during training and a child care grant for children under -5 years is provided for up to two children.
Highlighting the features of the assistance package, Desmond Molloy, Senior Rehabilitation Advisor, stated that the programme contains subsistence support, career counseling, gender specific support, psychosocial support, socio-economic mapping and post graduation assistance with job placement.
He said, "The programme is based on humanitarian assistance and critical to achieve the goal of peace process."
The United Nations Interagency Rehabilitation Programme (UNIRP) is a joint endeavor between UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and ILO.

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