ARMY CHIEF ATTENDING INSTALLATION CEREMONY OF HIS US COUNTERPART

SIX INJURED IN PYUTHAN FIRE

Kathmandu, 8 April: Six persons were injured overnight when
a fire spread from a nearby community forest and engulfed a village destroying 22 houses and sheds.
Domestic animals were killed, Radio Nepal said.
Firefighters Friday brought an overnight fire under control at Salleri under control Friday morning.
The fire destroyed eight houses.
Two dozen houses were gutted by a fire overnight at Puranthar VDC02 in Ilam.

ARMY CHIEF’S US VISIT EXTENDED

Kathmandu, 8 April: Army Chief Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung’s USA visit has been extended by about three days, Naya Patrika
reports.
He left for USA 26 March on the first invitation of the State Department by for the army leadership.
Gen. Gurung has been invited to attend the installation of the
new US army chief in the first such invitation for a Nepal Army chief.
A meeting of the two has been scheduled.
A meeting 4 April between Gen. Gurung and Chief of Staff of
The US Army Gen. George W Casey didn’t materialize because of family reasons of Gen. Casey.
“The meeting didn’t take place because of the death of his
granddaughter’s death,” a military source said. ‘Gen. Casey is retiring Friday and a new chief of staff is being installed. Talks will be
held three days later.”
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CHAKRE MILAN FACES FRESH CHARGES

Kathmandu, 8 April: Kathmandu district court Thursday remanded Milam Gurung to judicial custody as fresh murder charges are being filled against him.
He is currently lodged at Central Jail for attempted murder and
drugs trafficking charges.
Gurung has been sent to judicial custody for attempted murder
of Sanjib Oli, a promoter of a housing company, and setting ablaze a rented bulldozer.
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SPEAKER SAYS BUDGET NOT POSSIBLE ON 3 MAY

Kathmandu, 8 April: One day after Bharat Mohan Adhikari announced a complete budget would be announced 3 May, the deputy prime minister and finance
minister realized only after meeting the speaker the parliament meeting
currently was sitting for a winter session, Madhav Dangol writes in
Nagarik.
Adhikari went to meet speaker Subash Nemwang to him of the
cabinet decision and was told it was impossible to announce the budget that day because first the winter session has to be prorogued to announce a budget session.
‘He said a budget would be announced 3 May. I briefed him on all procedures that need to be completed for a budget,” Nemwang told Nagarik A budget is not possible on 3 May even if procedures are initiated immediately.
According to a source, Nemwang told Adhikari government’s policies and programmes can’t be announced in the current winter session.
The tradition is to call a budget session one week after the winter session s prorogued.
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DENI MOORE ‘NO CELEBRITY’ IN NEPAL

Kathmandu, 8 April: Hollywood actress Demi Moore was just a woman, a human being and not a celebrity, during her week-long stay in Nepal. The acclaimed actress of the “Ghost” fame said, “I am not here as a celebrity just visiting the place, but I am here as a human being concerned with sufferings and problems of other human beings.”

Talking to the Kathmandu Post, she also expressed concern over the human trafficking situation in Nepal and said Maiti Nepal is doing a “praiseworthy” job. She added that child slavery and trafficking issues are a global concern.

She also expressed happiness at being in Nepal to see the good work being done, while was all praises for CNN Hero-2010 Anuradha Koirala. “Koirala is a Nepali Lioness,” she said.

She also praised the Nepali media for being supportive to the cause which Maiti Nepal and its chairperson Koirala have been relentlessly working for—their efforts to stop slavery and women trafficking.

During her stay in Nepal, Moore visited Bhairahawa where she met four young girls who were rescued from India. She also visited Lumbini, the birth place of Lord Buddha. She also spent hours with women and children in Maiti Nepal and garnered information on the current situation of trafficking in Nepal and South Asia.

One of the highest paid actresses of the 1990s, Moore who has acted in films like ‘A few good men’ (1992), ‘Ghost’ (1990), ‘G.I. Jane’ (1997) and ‘Charlies’ Angels’ (2003), left Kathmandu by a Dragon Air flight to Hong Kong, but not without promising she will be back.
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NEPALI WORKERS STRANDED IN KUWAIT


Kathmandu, 8 April 8: Nearly one and a half dozen illegal Nepali workers in Kuwait, who were abandoned by their employer after they demanded legal status, are still stranded there, Om Astha Rai reports in Reporter.

Of the 59 Nepali workers marooned in the Min Allah desert of Kuwait, 34 have returned to Nepal, and an additional 10 are expected to fly back to Kathmandu by Friday, according to Pushpa Bhattarai, second secretary at the Nepali embassy in Kuwait. However, the remaining 15 workers do not know when they will be able to fly back. They are afraid of being caught by local police any time.

“As of now, no one has arranged our tickets,” said Nilkantha Bhattarai, one of the remaining workers, adding, “We get to eat a meal only once a day. We do not have money to buy our own food. We did not get last month´s salary. As we wait for our return tickets, we are fearful of the local police. They can arrest and deport us.”

A resident of Jante VDC-9 in Morang district, Bhattarai was persuaded by Ram Chandra Subedi, a Kuwait-based agent for Nepali workers, into entering the Arab country on a visit visa. Bhattarai was assured that he would get a work visa after landing in Kuwait. But, apart from not getting a work visa, he also did not get a driving license.

All 59 workers, including Bhattarai, ran the risk of driving heavy vehicles in Kuwait for several months without driving licenses or work visas. They later decided to not work any longer without first obtaining the required legal documents. However, the employer -- Regional Gate Company of Kuwait -- abandoned them.

Subedi, who had personally assured Nepali workers that he would help them get legal status in Kuwait, did not keep his promise. Three weeks ago, all the workers were left high and dry by the employer company, which was already blacklisted by the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) here for forgery.

According to Madhuban Paudel, Nepal´s ambassador to Kuwait, Regional Gate Company was blacklisted after forged documents surfaced some years ago. “This is not an authorized company,” Paudel said. “I came to know that the company is still employing Nepali workers only after this case surfaced.”

Paudel said he will lodge an official complaint against Regional Gate Company at a local labor court if it fails to send back all the workers by Sunday. Asked if the labor court will help the Nepali workers whose visit visas have already expired, Paudel said, “I am preparing for that. Let´s see what happens.”

As their visas have expired, each of stranded Nepali worker has to pay 2 Kuwait dinar for every day they over-stay. “My visa expired on February 27,” Nilkantha Bhattarai said. “I have overstayed for over one month. I have to pay over 80 Kuwaiti dinar so far. I have no money to pay the fine and I´m getting desperate.”

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