POLIO DROPS BEING LADMINISTERED FOR THE SECOND DAY

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Polio drops are being administers to 4.4 million for the second consecutive day Sunday in a 13th national campaign to eradicate the disease.
Six cases were reported in 2010 in two central terai districts although Nepal has been declared polio free.
Health authorities hope to contain the crippling disease by 2012.
The task is challenging as polio persists south in India across the open 1,700 km open Indo-Nepal border.
Children who missed out on the campaign Saturday will be administered two drops in a door-to-door drive Sunday.
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FORMER NATIONAL SOCCER STAR RANJAN BISTA DEAD

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Former national football player Ranjan Bista, 57,died
Saturday.
He was suffering lung and bone cancer; he had only one kidney.
He left behind a wife and two sons.
A goalkeeper, he played in seven internationals.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘We are ready to provide any kind of help in the army integration and rehabilitation process.”

(EU Ambassador Alexander Spachis, Republica, 13 Feb.)

“The wish of the people that the constituent assembly will draft a constitution to stabilize the country’s situation had already been dashed.”

(Kishore Nepal, Republica, 13 Feb.)
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ENGLISH EDITON OF BIBEK SHAH’S BOOK ALSO COMING OUT‘

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: An English edition of the book ‘Mhailhe Dhekhako Durbar’ written by Bibek Kumar Shah is also coming out 1 June, the author told Annapurna Post.
The Nepali editor written by former Military Secretary Gen.Shah has sold thousands of copies of the Nepali edition and is a bestseller.
The book gives detailed accounts of his version of incidents at Narayanhiti Royal Palace, including the 1 June 2001Narayanhiti Royal Palace massacre .
He was dismissed by King Gyanendra, the last Shah king.
June 1 is the anniversary of the Narayanhiti royal palace massacre when Crown Prince Dipendra shot dead his entire family, including father King Birendra, mother Queen Aishwarya and sister Shruti Rana.
The author says Dipendra killed his family members and other relatives and then turned the gun on him.
“Positive reaction has also come from abroad. I didn’t expect the extent of the reaction. There is a lot of interest abroad on the working of Nepal’s monarchy, the process and its end. Seeing that, an English edition is coming” Shah told Annapurna Post.
The contents of the book are based on his diaries and briefings to
two kings.
Shah attempts to come out clean in the book.
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INDIA DIGGING TRENCHES ALONG BORDER

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: India is digging trenches along the border with Nepal on the no man’s s land under it, Shyam Bhatta and Bikram Giri
report in Nagarik from Laljhadi in Kanchanpur.
The digging started in the first week of Magh [beginning 15 Jan.]
against international practice not to construct structures along borders.
The move prevents the cross-border movement of wild animals and increases possibilities of inundation during monsoon.
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SOME 25 POLICE OFFICERS GRILLED IN SUDAN CASE

Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: A highly placed source at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Saturday informed Republica that the anti-graft body is all set to interrogate three former and serving inspectors general of Nepal Police (IGP) in connection with alleged irregularities in the armored personnel carrier (APC) procurement deal reached two years ago, Bimal Gautam writes in Republica .

Two investigation teams-- one led by lawmaker Pradip Gyawali and another by Home Ministry officials-- had concluded that around Rs 300 million was embezzled while procuring the APCs and other logistics for Nepali peacekeepers deployed in Darfur, Sudan.

The government and parliament had formed committees to probe the matter following media reports that Nepal Police had supplied obsolete, substandard and non-functional APCs to its peacekeepers.

“We have already grilled some 25 police officers including a deputy inspector general (DIG),” said the source, adding, “Those grilled by the commission have implicated senior police officers in the alleged irregularities in the deal.”

The source added that the decision to grill high-ranking police officers was taken following statements recorded by junior officers.

According to a CIAA source, former IGPs Om Bikram Rana and Hem Bahadur Gurung and incumbent IGP Ramesh Chand will record their statements at the commission shortly.
The anti-graft body recently summoned and grilled police officers working at the procurement section, finance section and legal unit at Nepal Police Headquarters.

Two different reports prepared by a joint team of home ministry officials and lawmakers had concluded that the lives of Nepali peacekeepers in Sudan are in danger as they are carrying out their duties without any APCs.

The UN had also drawn the attention of the Nepal government to the insecure conditions under which Nepal Police peacekeepers have been working. In addition, the government was cautioned that the mission could be declared non-functional if APCs are not supplied to them at the earliest.

The CIAA had begun its investigation following the findings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC had recommended to the government to investigate the alleged scam seriously. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (PMO) had forwarded the PAC´s recommendation to the CIAA for necessary investigations.

“We have been investigating the matter through three separate committees,” said the CIAA source, adding, “Our preliminary investigation has not found former home minister Krishna Situala and Home Secretary Umesh Mainali guilty.”

Asked whether they are also summoning Situala and Mainali for interrogation, the CIAA source said, “Summoning Sitaula and Mainali depends on the statements to be recorded by the former and serving IGPs.”

Following the UN letter, the Madhav Kumar Nepal government had decided nearly a month ago to procure the APCs through competitive bidding.

The erstwhile government had decided to ask the UN not to take any decision about repatriating the Nepali mission.
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60 FACTORIES SHUT DOWN WITHLOAD-SHEDDING
Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: Around five dozens big and small scale industries have been completely shut down in Birgunj-Pathaliya Corridor Area due to 98-hour weekly load shedding schedule of Nepal Electricity Authority, RSS reports from Parsa..
Since the government couldn't make an alternative arrangement to power outage, 60 industries of the area indefinitely downed their shutters, said President of Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ashok Temani. Labour problem also led to their closure, he said. "But load shedding is the main problem."
Even some of the industries in operation have slashed their production massively owing to load shedding, Timani said. Some of the reputed and big industries like Mahalaxmi Soap, Puja Soap and Annapurna Textiles are among the closed factories.
According to BCCI, around 20,000 workers have been without jobs due to closure of 60 factories. Entrepreneurs have been demanding a special arrangement for electricity and extension of 33 KVA transmission line.
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