UML CENTRAL COMMITTEE ENDORSING AMENDED 7-POINT AGREEMENT; OTHER DETAILS

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Central committee of the UML, heading the government, began meeting later Tuesday to endorse an amended 7-point secret and controversial secret agreement between chairmen of two largest parties- UML and UCPN (Maoist).
A politburo meeting Monday agreed to amend the agreement after referral to it by the standing committee with a majority decision; a four-point amendment is being discussed for adoption.
A faction headed by former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and KP Oli oppose the deal that propelled Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal to Singha Durbar with majority Maoist support.
Khanal pushed for its full implementation also awarding the home ministry described as a ‘security-related ministry’ to Maoists.
But a moderate faction in the UML Monday attempted to reconcile difference between the two extreme positions in the party.
“The main basic spirit and purpose of the 7-point is to push our party’s belief to complete the peace process and promulgate a loktantrik [democratic] constitution within the deadline,” a resolution approved by the politburo said.
In a face-saving resolution acceptable to both sides in the UML, the resolution added: “ Because the clarification signed by the chairmen of the two parties issued 15 February on the points mentioned in the agreement rests on these proposes and spirit, there’s be no obstacles to institutionalize and reinforce federal loktantrik republic.”
The resolution adds: “Completion of the peace process and promulgation of a constitution aren’t possible without the agreement of all major parties. We want to make clear the seven-point agreement won’t be an obstacle for peace and constitution drafting on questions of responsible and constitutional use of official institutions abiding by duties.”
Khanal was elected 3 February but hasn’t succeeded in expanding his four-member cabinet with members only.
UML opposes awarding the home ministry to Maoists until the integration and resettlement of 19,000 plus former combatants in cantonments and satellite camps.
Khanal is pushing government expansion by bringing Maoists onboard; he may take charge of the home portfolio for the present.
“The country won’t be take towards polarization. We’ll move by also taking along other parties,” Publicity department chief Pradip Geayali said.
A proposal has been prepared to push the integration of combatants through the regular special committee, he added.
In the 7-point agreement, Prachanda and Khanal had agreed to form a separate state security agency with former fighters opposed in the UML and other parties.
Prachanda charged Indian, unidentified foreign forces and local reactionaries are obstructing the constitution drafting and completion of the peace process by stopping the gates to Singha Durbar.
Maoists oppose the amendment of the 7-point agreement and are demanding the home ministry portfolio as pre-conditions to join government.
The Maoist chief also assured one million rupees as government dole to compensate families of missing persons,
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PRESIDENT VISITING KUWAIT

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: President Dr Ram Baran Yadaav will fly to Kuwait Friday.
He’ll participate in the 2oth anniversary of the liberation of the state from Iraq.
His visit will be his third foreign trip after India and China.
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TRAP FOR WILD ANIMALS KILLS ONE PERSON

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: One person was killed in a trap laid by hunters at Indrapur-5 a community forest in Morang Tuesday.
Jet Bahadur Bishwakarma, 50, was killed
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DOCTORS’ MEET IN NEPALGUNJ

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: The three-day 25th meeting of the Nepal Medical Association is being held in Nepalgunj Thursday.
The president will inaugurate the conference.
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FORMER MINISTER EXPELLED

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Former UML minister Rabindra Shrestha was expelled from the UML politburo Monday.
Shrestha recently re-married.
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SIHARA RESIDENTS PROTEST UNILATERAL DAM CONSTRUCTION BY INDIA

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Residents of Auhari, Siraha, have protested the unilateral construction of a dam across Ganga river by India.
Residents said 2,000 bighas of agricultural land will be inundated and thousands of people from five VDCs will be displaced by the construction.
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ELDERLY SHOT AND INJURED IN BANKE

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: An elderly person shot and injured at Bethani, 5 in Banke by a group operating in the south.
Nir Bahadur Adhikari, 60, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in the district.
Violence continues unabated in the terai.
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15 GOVT. OFFICIALS TO ATTEMPT MT. EVEREST

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: A team of 15 government officials, including secretaries and joint secretaries, will attempt to set foot atop the 8848 meters high Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, this spring in May.
This was announced by Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimere Tuesday.
Government has set aside Rs 30 million for the unique effort of government officials.
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6 KILLED, 16 INJURED IN VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Six persons were killed overnight and Tuesday while 16 were injured in vehicular accidents in various districts.
Two students were killed in a motorcycle/ truck accident in Bara.
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6.3MM RAINFLL RECORDED IN CAPITAL

Kathmandu, 22 Feb. Altogether 6.3mm rainfall was recorded in the capital Monday.
The rain was the second of spring after a relatively dry winter.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘We’re not in the opposition against the peace process and constitution drafting.”

(NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel, Annapurna Post, 22 Feb.)


‘Who gave the right to go for the 7-point agreement? This is an attempt to run government on rotational basis.”


(MJF Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar, Kantipur, 22 Feb.)
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BRAZIL OPENING EMBASSY, FINLAND, CANADA UPGRADING MISSIONS

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Brazil is preparing to open an embassy in Kathmandu as final preparations have been made, Naya Patrika reports.
Finland and Canada are upgrading their missions.
There are now embassies of 24 countries in Nepal.
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INDIAN OPPOSITION LEADER INVITES PRACHANDA

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda” has been invited to India by a senior opposition leader, Kantipur reports from New Delhi.
He could visit India in one month, according to an indication given by the Maoist Chairman to Janala Dal (United) Secretary KC Tyagi who last carried party Chairman Sharad Vadav’s invitation for the visit.
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CHAUDHARY GROUP EXPANDING INDUSTRY IN INDIA

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Nepal’s Chaudhary Group is investing Rs 5 billion for producing chowchow and other food products in India, Mahesh Acharya reports in Kantipur from New Delhi/
Group Chairman Binod Chaudhary said industries are being established at various places in India.
According to him, a Rs400 million plant is being established in Gujarat A plant is being established to capture 25 percent of the chowchow market in India.
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PARTIES URGED TO SOLVE CRISIS





Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: - Constituent Assembly Chairman Subash Nembang Monday appealed to the political parties to resolve the present crisis and pave a path for a timely promulgation of the constitution and a logical conclusion to the peace process, The Risng Nepal reports.
Addressing a national meeting of indigenous groups organized by National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, Nembang pointed out the need of ending the grudges being nursed by political parties.
"Our country has been run by ministers without portfolios for the past 17 days. If such a situation remains for a few more days, then the state will move backward to the bleak days," said Nembang.
Nembang said that the issue raised by the indigenous groups to pressurise the political parties for timely promulgation of the constitution was noteworthy.
He assured that the issues raised by the indigenous groups would be taken up in the constitution drafting process.
UCPN-Maoist vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai blamed internal problems among members of CPN-UML as hindering the formation of the Council of Ministers.
"Jhala Nath Khanal has been appointed as the Prime Minister with the support from Maoists and the reluctance shown by the party over who will hold the Home Ministry has halted the expansion of the cabinet," said Bhattarai.
He accused that the unwillingness shown by CPN-UML in handing over the Home Ministry was against democratic values.
"A Federal Democratic Constitution should be drafted through the Constituent Assembly and autonomous federal states should be made according to case, area and cultural identity," said Bhattari.
He added that the Maoists party and indigenous groups were correlated with each other.
Pasnag Sherpa, a Constituent Assembly member, stressed the need of implementing ILO 169 and preserving the achievements made by the indigenous people so far.
Jitendra Dev Yadav, general secretary of Madeshi Janaadhiakar Forum, said that conspiracies were being hatched to abort the constitutional process and pointed out the need of speaking against such actions.
The indigenous groups have demanded a constitution based on cultural, racial and historical identities and implementation of ILO 169. They have warned of strong agitation if the constitution failed to guarantee the basic rights of the indigenous groups.

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GIVE FREE EDUCATION WILL PLUS TWO: SC

Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: In a remarkable decision today, the Supreme Court asked the government to provide free education up to secondary level, Ananta Raj Luitel/Kokila KC report in The Himalayan Times.
A division bench of Justices Bala Ram KC and Bharat Bahadur Karki issued the verdict directing the government to ensure free education up to secondary level in all the government and community schools as per the constitution and promulgate a separate Act if necessary. The apex court issued the verdict responding to a public interest litigation filed by Lekhnath Neupane, former chairman of All Nepal National Independent Student Union-Revolutionary, demanding an apex court order to ensure free education to all.

“A directive is hereby issued in the name of the defendant, the government authorities, to ensure free education through all the schools except those operating under private investment and under private management, as per Article 17 (2) of the constitution and Article 13 (2) (b) of International Covenant of Educational Social and Cultural Right, 1966,” the bench observed.

As per the School Sector Reform Plan that came into force in 2009, school education has been divided into two categories — basic education (grade I to VIII) and secondary education (grade VIII to XII).

As per SSRP, the new secondary education programme will be implemented from 2013, as education up to Grade X only is currently identified as the secondary level education. However, the government has been providing incentives to girl students of public and government schools up to Class X.

Additionally, Dalits, marginalised and people in Karnali zone are also getting free education up to Class XII.

Stating that the government authorities did not promulgate the Act as required by the constitution even years after the promulgation of the interim constitution, the writ petitioner had sought an apex court intervention.

The petitioner had also accused the political parties of not translating their promises — to provide free education to all — into action. Lekhnath Paudel, Assistant Spokesperson at the Ministry of Education, termed the SC verdict praiseworthy. However, Paudel said the ministry was planning to implement free education, but it had not been able to do so due to the financial crunch.

“If National Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance allocate sufficient budget, we will implement the verdict from the next academic session,” said Paudel. But he said the ministry was not in a position to estimate the budget to execute the verdict right now. “It depends on number of students. Currently, the government has allocated Rs 57.67 billion to MoE. We are also planning to distribute secondary level textbooks free of cost,” said Paudel. As per MoE’s last year June statistics, 790,348 students had enrolled in 4,715 community secondary schools.

Educationist Bidhyanath Koirala welcomed the verdict but with the caveat how the government will find resources. “Without adequate resources such plans cannot be materialised,” said Koirala.
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FREEZE ON WORK PERMITS FOR LIBYA, BAHRAIN
Kathmandu, 22 Feb.:: The Department of Foreign Employment has temporarily halted issuing work permit to Bahrain and Libya in the wake of mounting turmoil in the Middle East, but it has yet to begin efforts to rescue Nepali workers who are already there, The Himalayan Times reports.

DoFE Director Kashi Ram Marasini said, “We will not issue permits for these countries until calm returns there.”

According to Marasini, the department is closely watching political developments in Africa and the Gulf.

Bahrain and Libya host over 40,000 and 2,500 Nepali migrant workers, respectively. Up to 600 Nepali migrant workers are in extremely difficult condition following an attack by locals on their shelter in Derna, Libya. The Nepalis have been working in Derna Project of a South Korean company. “Our difficulties have multiplied with anti-government protests growing in the country against the 41-year long regime of Moammar Gadhafi,” said a Nepali worker demanding immediate rescue effort.

“Though, there are no reports of injury to Nepalis, 15 Bangladeshi nationals working in South Korean construction companies were hurt today after they were trapped in protests,” he informed, adding, the situation in Derna was volatile. Following the protests, South Korea has barred its citizens from visiting Libya, reported the Korea Times and is planning to rescue its citizens. British Petroleum has closed its office located near Benghazi, the epicentre of the protests.

None of the Nepali embassies in the regions has alerted the government about the situation there. And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs too have kept mum. “We have not received any information from our missions in the respective countries. Nor have we given any directives to them,” said an official at MoFA’s Middle-East division.

Dhananjya Jha, Middle-East Division Chief at MoFA, confirmed that his office has got no information from the Nepali missions. MoFA’s Deputy Spokesperson Harish Chandra Ghimire, however, said Nepali people working in Middle East are not the primary target of the protests. Under Secretary of the Middle-East division Arjun Panta said the ministry even does not have proper data about Nepalis working in the Arab region.

To make matters worse for the Nepali migrant workers, there is no coordination mechanism among Ministry of Labour and Transport Management, MoFA and diplomatic missions in the respective countries. Reports from Bahrain have it that despite protests Bahrain is safe for Nepali workers.
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NRB MOVES TO CHECK DEVELOPMENT BANKS’ EXPANSION OF OPERATNG AREA
Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: Nepal Rastra Bank is getting tough against expansion of the operating area by B and C class financial institutions as their uncontrolled spread has posed a threat to the financial system amid the central bank’s limited supervisory capacity, The Kathmandu Post reports.
NRB has divided the operation areas of development banks into four categories. It generally allows development banks to operate in one district, three districts, 10 districts or all 75 districts.
As per the new directive issued on Monday, development banks and finance companies can upgrade their working area by just one level at a time. This means development banks (B class FIs) having permission to operate in three districts can expand their working area to 10 districts at a time. Likewise, development banks operating in 10 districts can expand their working area to the national level at a time.
Finance companies (C class FIs) operating outside the Kathmandu Valley can expand their working area only after three years of establishment or expansion of working area. Moreover, they can expand their working area by just one level at a time, the new directive said.
However, the central bank has said that it would encourage the expansion of the working area on the basis of mergers. “FIs operating in 10 districts will be encouraged to expand nationwide through mergers until another provision is made,” the directive stated. A senior NRB official also confirmed that the move was taken to encourage merger and discourage haphazard expansion of working area. “We put in place the new measure to discourage FIs form deviating from the localisation concept that was introduced to expand financial access in local areas,” said the NRB official. In case of D class financial institutions (cooperatives and micro finance institutions), the directive said regional level D class FIs or FIs operating in 15 districts can apply for national level expansion. Those operating in just one district can expand their operating area only after three years of establishment. They can expand the area to four-10 districts or the regional level, the directive said.
The central bank added that the new provisions regarding expansion of the working area had been created due to inadequate provisions in the licensing policy to address the challenges posed by expanding financial institutions.
As per the licensing policy, FIs fulfiling their paid-up capital requirements, suffering no cumulative losses for three consecutive years and maintaining non-performing loans below 5 percent can expand their working area. They should also have an adequate capital adequacy ratio and have their auditing completed each year.
The new directive has made additional provisions regarding expansion of the working area. Those applying to enlarge their working area should have established branches in each district of the existing operation area.
FIs wishing to expand their working area should also submit evidence that they can implement the new capital adequacy framework. This framework is based on Basel-II norms which have been implemented in B and C class FIs since the current fiscal year. They have to maintain the capital adequacy ratio at 10 percent as per the new capital adequacy framework.
In case of D class financial institutions, they can expand their operating area even though they are not incurring cumulative losses for a year against the existing provision that FIs should not have cumulative losses for three successive years.
If the chairman, directors and chief executive of any FI have faced action from NRB for misdeeds, such FIs can expand their operating area only three years after the penalty has been lifted.
The capacity of FIs to collect financial resources including deposits is another criterion to get approval for expansion of their working area. Only those FIs who have been able to collect 60 percent of the permitted financial resources during each of the two half-yearly periods can get approval to expand their operating area.
NRB will seek details of the promoters and directors, financial plans for the next five years, physical infrastructure at the corporate office and other infrastructure and qualifications of the chief executive officer. The FIs also have to produce their deposit, credit and investment policy, internal auditing policy, non-banking asset policy and asset liabilities management policy, information technology and know your customer policy.
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GOVT. BRACES FOR MEGA DOLLAR SMART CARD BIDDING
Kathmandu, 22 Feb.: The government is gearing up for a multimillion dollar international bidding for its ambitious project to distribute biometric national ID cards to citizens of 16 years or above, Kamal Raj Sigdel writes in The Kathmandu Post. .
The National ID Management Centre under the Home Ministry has finalised the hiring of an international consultant to prepare, among others, the detailed project report (DPR) of the national ID cards project. The hiring was confirmed last week after one of the four international bidders picked by the government accepted the project award.
The international smart card consultant Ardaman Singh Kohli is arriving here on Wednesday to start work. The government has agreed to pay a lump sum US$ 163,550 to the consultant.
Officials said the consultant was hired following the nod from donor organisation Asian Development Bank. He will provide consultancy service, at periodic intervals, for the next 20 months during which the government expects to start issuing ID cards.
“The consultant, who is based in Canada, will arrive here on Wednesday and start work,” said ID Card Centre’s Executive Director Narendra Dahal. “He sent a confirmation to that effect last week only.”
As per the government plan, the DPR is expected to be ready within the next three months after which it will issue an international bidding by July or August. Officials said the ID card project would help strengthen national security as it would resolve the problem of fake citizenship, crimes emanating from that and provide a more reliable identity to Nepali citizens. The digitalised biometric smart card will contain a micro chip containing individual personal information and fingerprints.
The ID card project, according to officials, is a mega project as it will involve all citizens of 16 years or above and that will require huge infrastructure and money. According to the draft legislation on ID cards, those under 16 years of age will not get ID cards but will be provided unique ID numbers based on which their cards will be issued later when they come of age. “Non-Nepalis working or living in Nepal will also get cards mentioning their status,” said a Home Ministry official.
Dahal said individual IDs would be issued using the latest database transferred from the Election Commission (EC). EC has a plan to complete its first digital electoral roll with photos by mid-June. “The EC database will help us cut costs. Since EC is now preparing voters’ list based on citizenship, we can trust its database,” he said. Earlier, the government was planning to prepare its own database as the EC, under pressure from Madhesh-based parties, had started issuing voter ID cards based on other identification documents as well.
Officials said unlike MRPs, biometric smart cards are likely to be costlier as they will have more security options, including a chip and a machine readable zone. The government is paying US$ 3.59 per plain copy of MRP.
The legislation on ID cards, however, is pending at the Home Ministry due to the delay in Cabinet formation. The draft bill needs to be forwarded to the Parliament Secretariat through the law minister, who has not been appointed yet.
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NO PROGRESS IN TARA AIR CRASH PROBE


Kathmandu, 22 Feb. 22: A committee formed by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation to probe the Tara Air crash of December 15, 2010 that killed 22 people has made zero progress as the ministry and the airline operator are yet to agree on who will finance the investigation, Bikash Sangraula writes in Republica.

Owing to the dispute over financing, the committee is yet to send the ill-fated Canadian-built Twin Otter´s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) to Europe for extracting its transcript. The committee was formed on December 17 and was asked to submit its report within 90 days. It has less than a month to do so.

“The investigation cannot move ahead until we get information contained in the CVR,” said Medini Prasad Sharma, coordinator of the five-member probe committee and former Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

The CVR is source of almost 80 percent information on which a probe committee relies to pinpoint reasons behind a crash.

Going by Nepal´s standard practice, the concerned airline operator finances the committee formed to probe a crash involving its aircraft. The same practice was followed to probe last year´s Agni Air crash that left 14 dead.

“The ministerial decision says the airline operator should finance the committee. But the operator is saying that the government should finance it,” Sharma said.

The Twin Otter´s manufacturer has advised the ministry to send the CVR to France or Britain to extract the CVR transcript, according to Sharma. “The committee has no mandate to decide who should finance the investigation. It is up to the ministry and the airline operator to settle the issue,” he added.

Tara Air is a subsidiary of Yeti Airlines.

The ministry´s Joint-Secretary Suresh Acharya, who is also the member-secretary of the probe committee, said dialogue is underway with the Airline Operators Association of Nepal to resolve the dispute.

“In all the three dozen or so air crashes that Nepal has witnessed in its aviation history, the concerned airline operator has always financed probe committees. It makes sense too, as the recommendation made by a probe committee is for the safety of the operator´s aircraft, crew and passengers,” Acharya said.

A knowledgeable source in the aviation sector said Tara Air´s reluctance to finance the committee might have arisen from the fact that the committee is seeking to send the CVR to Europe, which makes the probe expensive.

“The CVR transcript can be extracted in Bangalore, and even in Nepal. Maybe the manufacturer is insisting on Europe as it wants to make sure that the report is foolproof,” the source said.

The Tara Air Twin Ottter 9N-AFX DHC-6/300 crashed into Manedanda hill at 8,900 feet in Sirichaur-9 of Okhaldhunga district killing all 22 on board, including 17 Bhutanese pilgrims who were on a pilgrimage to Haleshi Mahadev, known as Draphu Maratika among Buddhists.

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