SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETS FOR 1ST TIME UNDER PM KHANAL

SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME UNDER PM KHANAL

Kathmandu, 10 March: A special committee for the integration, resettlement and supervision for 19,000 plus former Maoist combatants meets Thursday for the first time under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal.
Prime minister is ex-officio chairman of the committee where representatives of major parties are included.
The special committee will discuss Maoist resettlement and prepare a schedule for integration.
NC has sad constitution drafting can’t be taken up until the combatants are integrated and resettled.
The party also said a formal handover the chain of command and control of Maoist PLA from the party to the special committee during the regime of Madhav Kumar Nepal hasn’t been effective or real.
A member of the secretariat under the committee also said its monitoring of
former fighters at 21 satellite camps hasn’t been effective with the handover 15 January of vehicles by departing UNMIN, a UN political arm, to the Indian embassy.
Government had asked UNMIN to assist the monitoring by donating logistics with it; UNMIN, instead, returned the vehicles to the Indian embassy.
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208 KG HASH RECOVERED FROM 14 TRFFICKERS

Kathmandu, 10 March: Drugs enforcement officials Wednesday arrested 14 traffickers recovering 208 kg refined marijuana from points in the capital with a market value of Rs 4.1 million, enforcement officials said.
Nakul Thapa was arrested from Thamel while attempting to fly out 4 kg hash to Netherlands.
Sitman Gurung and Chij Kumar Gurung were among the arrested.
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MAOISTS IN STRIKING MOOD

Kathmandu, 10 March: Maoist are in a striking mood.
A trade union affiliated with the largest communist party closed down 44 industries at the Hetauda Industrial Estate for the third consecutive day Thursday.
Industries of multi-national companies have shut down after Maoists padlocked the entrance to the estate demanding minimum Rs 400 daily wage for workers and flat Rs 10,000 monthly pay for office workers.
Management rejected the demand.
A teachers’ trade union affiliated with Maoists Wednesday shut down more than 8,000 private schools nation-wide demanding implementation of a teacher’s accord with government for increased salary and perks.
Industries have asked government for security and threatened closure.
Maoists are on a strike amid a vertical split in the trade union between two camps led by Chairman Prachanda and Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya Kiran.
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SURYA BAHADUR THAPA MEETS MANMOHAN SINGH

Kathmandu, 10 March: Surya Bahadur Thapa capped his India visit Wednesday by holding discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
The former prime minister and Chairman of Rashtriya Janaskahti Party (RJP) has gone to the Indian capital for ‘medical treatment’ but has been holding political discussions with top Indian political leaders and senior bureaucrats.
Thapa earlier held discussions with top Congress (I) leader Sonia Gandhi and man opposition leader LK Advani.
Reports from New Delhi quoting sources close to Thapa said Singh ’ expressed ‘deep concern’ at the slow process on completing the peace process and constitution drafting.
“Nepal has been unstable for such a long period and still the situation lingers on. The progress on constitution drafting has been slow,” a published report quoting Singh said.
Thapa is accompanied by his son, Sunil.
“Confusion should end soon. Nepali political actors should work together towards issuing a democratic constitution while addressing the governance of the people,” Singh reportedly told Thapa.
‘You have the example of 1991 when the parties were able to give the constitution to the country pm time. I hope this time too they will be able to do the same,” Singh reportedly told Thapa.
Only 79 days remain promulgate a constitution.
The former prime minister also held discussions Wednesday with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the point-man for Nepal during anti-king protests and transition to a republic.
Indian foreign ministry this month sponsored a seminar on Nepal in Varanasi to discuss the prolonged political stalemate—indicating Indian concern.
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U.S. AMBASSADOR LAUNCHES ENGLISH ACCESS MICROSCHOLARSHP PROGRAMME

Kathmandu, 10 March: US Scott H. DeLisi Wednesday launched the U.S. Government-funded English Access Microscholarship Program in Kathmandu, US embassy said.

Since its inception in 2004, approximately 55,000 students in more than 70 countries have participated in the English Access Microscholarship Program, popularly known as the Access Program, which provides a foundation of English language skills to talented, but economically or socially underprivileged 14- to 16- year-olds through after-school classes and intensive summer learning activities over a period of two years.
DeLisi encouraged the 40 Kathmandu-based students present to actively participate in the 360 hour-long course that is particularly unique due to its focus on leadership, extracurricular activities, and community service.

The Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) is responsible for implementing the Access Program in Nepal, initially for 120 students among four sites – two in Kathmandu, one in Bhairahawa, and one in Gorkha – with plans for additional students and sites, as funding becomes available.
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