BOMB DEFUSED AS COMPLEX IN NAYA BANESHWOR

TERAI FRONT OPPOSES CONSTITUENTASSEMBLY EXTENSION

Kathmandu, 26April A three-party front of three Madesh parties Tuesday opposed an extension of a second 28 May deadline to promulgate a constitution—a deadline that will be missed.
This was announced by NSP Chairman Rajendra Mahoto.
He blamed the Big Three for the failure to promulgate a basic law and said Maoists. NC, and UML ignored terai demands.
The parties threatened a regional movement.
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10 RPP-NEPAL ACTIVISTS INJURED IN MAOIST ASSAULT

Kathmandu, 26 April: Ten RPP-Nepal were injured Tuesday in a Maoist YCL attack in Madi, Chitwan, party leader Khem Raj Pandit said.
YCL activists attacked a programme of the conservative party that supports a Hindu state and constitutional monarchy.
Nearly two dozen bus passengers were killed in a Maoist bomb blast in a passenger in the town during the Maoist insurgency;
Maoists have not compensated families of the victims, as promised and no inquiry has been conducted.
RPP-Nepal said the attack was carried out by activists of a ruling party.
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BOMB DEFUSED AT INDRENI COMPLEX IN NAYA BANESHWOR

Kathmandu, 26 April: A bomb was defused by an army bomb disposal unit at Indraeni Complex in Naya Baneshwor in the capital Tuesday.
A group over telephone demanded ransom.
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NEPAL, QATAR LABOUR AGREEMENT AMENDED

Kathmandu, 26 April: Nepal and Qatar Monday updated a labour agreement between the two countries.
Amendment letters were exchanged Monday.
Ambassador Surya Nath Mishra and Director of Qatar’s Ministry of Asian and African exchanged the letters.
A joint committee with representatives of the two countries has been envisaged in the updated agreement to resolve legal and practical hurdles.
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US AMBASSADOR INFORMS PM KHANAL PEACE CORPS TO RETURN AFTER SEVEN YEARS

Kathmandu, 26 April: US Ambassador Scott H. HeLisi told Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal at a meeting Monday a team is coming to Nepal to make arrangements for the return of US Peace Corps after withdrawing seven years ago during the Maoist insurgency when US personnel and facilities were targeted.
The return was agreed during the just concluded US visit of Deputy Prime Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari.
‘The process of reestablishment of Peace Corps in Nepal is making good progress. An assessment team will soon be here,” the envoy said after the meeting.
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HOTEL RESTAURANT CONGRESS IN DECEMBER

Kathmandu, 26 April: International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IHRA) President Dr. Ghassan Aidi informed Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal Monday a meeting of the Association will be held in the capital December.
They discussed arrangements to make the meet a success to promote tourism in Nepal.
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NEPAL SLIPS IN GLOBAL IT RANKING

Kathmandu, 26April: Nepal has slipped seven positions in a global information technology report of Switzerland- based World Economic Forum.
Nepal is ranked 131 with 2.97 points among 138 listed nations.
Nepal is behind India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh in South Asia.
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FUEL CRISIS AGGRAVATES

Kathmandu, 26 April: Even a s the fuel shortage is beginning to take a toll on normal life across the country, the government and Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) have failed to agree on a plan to address the root cause of the recurring problem. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Monday refused to release additional money to NOC to finance its import of petroleum products, The Kathmandu Post reports.

NOC has been asking the government to either allow it to revise the price in line with the international market or provide a temporary subsidy until the international market price sees a recovery. The NOC has even asked the government to waive taxes imposed on petroleum products for a limited period. But, MoF has ruled out further subsidies or tax waivers. The government is unwilling to allow readjustment of fuel prices to reflect the international market price fearing a political backlash.

“Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal is not in favour of a hike until the constitution drafting deadline ends,” Prakash Jwala, Chief Political Advisor to the PM said. “To address the ongoing fuel crisis, we will discuss and find a way out.” No discussion has been scheduled yet to address the issue. Though the situation demands quick decisive action on the part of the government, it appears to be dithering and aggravating a manageable crisis.

Meanwhile, the fuel shortage has adversely affected normal life in Tarai districts. With the NOC’s regional dealers curtailing supply by half, the crisis has crippled different Tarai districts.

Rupandehi, Nawalparasi, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Bara and Parsa are facing acute fuel shortage. The shortage has affected public transportation system and industrial areas. “Low supply of fuel has dramatically affected the market in Chitwan,” said Kashi Pathak, president of Chitwan Petroleum Dealers’ Association.

Black marketeering and hoarding of petroleum products is rampant in Birgunj. “NOC has been supplying five to seven tankers full of fuel to Birgunj,” said Nagendra Kurmi, NOC chief in Birgunj. According to a source traders are selling fuel charging an additional Rs seven per litre. Traders are supplying fuel to big industries, crusher and brick factories at big profits, the source claimed.

Tourist hotspot Pokhara and adjacent districts are also facing acute fuel shortage for the last few days. The supply in Pokhara has been slashed to 36,000 litres per day from the usual 50,000 litres. Reduced petroleum supply in the Far Western region has affected normal life aside from development projects. Construction and irrigation both are hit. The entire region has a monthly 4 million litres diesel consumption. However, for the last two weeks, the region has received only 800,000 litres.

Normal life in Nepalgunj, Gulariya, Surkhet and Dang in the Mid Western region has been affected by the fuel crunch ever since petroleum import from Gonda in India stopped last week.

The eastern region has been receiving only 150,000 litres of diesel a day against the usual 400,000 litres per day. Mechi, Koshi and Sagarmatha zones in the Eastern Development Region have 450 petroleum dealers. All refuelling stations under the dealers’ distribution have hung up ‘no fuel’ placards. Last week, Digambar Jha, Managing Director of NOC, warned that the supply could be further curtailed if the government does not address the issue immediately. At the current rate, the supply will be slashed by 40 percent in April and 20 percent each month thereafter.
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ANISU-R LAUNCHING STUDENT VOLUNTEER GROUP





Kathmandu, 26 April: All Nepal National Independent Students Union Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) chairman Himal Sharma said that his organization is all set to form student volunteer groups across the nation, The Rising Nepal reports from Bhimdattanagar in Kanchanpur.
The formation of such groups is aimed at helping conclude the peace and constitution writing processes and to pressurize the concerned authorities to raise the quality of education and the government schools.
Speaking at a press meet on Monday, chairman Sharma informed the formal announcement of the formation of such group will be made on the 14th and 15th March on the occasion of Student Day.
The ANNISU-R will form the student volunteer force by holding march passes of huge number of students across the nation.
The task of peace process and constitution promulgation are at a risky which have necessitated the formation of a student force to see the peace and constitution processes through, Sharma said. The force will be a part of the ANNISU-R and will different from the other volunteer groups formed by ANNISU-R’s parent party- the UCPN- Maoist, he added.
He claimed that the volunteers also work to tackle untoward happening taking place at education sector, besides helping in the ongoing peace and constitution preparation processes.
In addition, ANNISU-R is planning to launch a Visit Schools campaign to bring under control the education at private schools and to elevate the standard of education at government schools.
The campaign is being carried out to stop the monopoly of private school operators in the nation’s education. There is a need to bring about a police which would compel the leaders and bureaucrats and government employees to enroll their children at the government run schools. ANNISU-R will work in this direction, he added.
The quality of education in public schools has decreased as many older teachers have continued to teach as these schools. Sharma demanded that teachers who have already completed 20 years of teaching at government schools should be given retirement and new teachers should be appointed in all vacant posts so that the standard of education at government school could be raised.

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