KHAS CHETRI SAMAJ STRIKE STRIKES DISRUPTS LIFT

KHAS CHETRI EKATA SAMAJ CLOSE DOWN VALLEY

Kathmandu, 22 May: A strike by Khash Chetri Ekata Samaj disrupted normal life completely in the Valley since Sunday morning even as the home ministry asked all not come out on the streets ahead of 28 May.
The appeal was directed especially at political parties and organizations.
The ministry asked groups to adopt other protest forms to express grievances.
“It’s obvious for people to express resentment for the constituent assembly’s failure to deliver the constitution,” the home ministry said in a conciliatory statement.
Chetris, Brahmins, Thahuris, Sarkis, Damais and others bracket themselves in the grouping and claim they are indigenous people along with Kirats.
Khas Chetris are demanding inclusion as an indigenous group.
Dangerous ethnic politics have surfaced after toppling monarchy with a republic that has yet to be institutionalized. through a constitution
Thamsaling Rajya Parisshad has also closed down neighbouring Makwanpur district.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘Whoever says the assembly tenure won’t be extended is a collaborator of Kamal Thapa. That’s why those who say the tenure won’t be extended should give a clear reply to the people.”

(UML leader Bamdeb Gautam, Kantipur,22 May)
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A GOVT. SPONSORED STUDY ON FUEL SITUATION CHALLENGED
Kathmandu, 22 May: Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ National Association today [Friday] challenged the report of High Level Committee formed by the government to study on Nepal Oil Corporation, The Himalayan Times reports.

“The report is populist,” association president Saroj Prasad Pande said, alleging the report to be ‘baseless and bias’.

Challenging the report today — after two weeks of the report submitted to the Prime Minister — dealers ruled out irregularities from the petroleum dealers.

The report blamed dealers of cheating Rs 5.4 billion every year.

“The dealers have been supplying five per cent less petroleum products compared to the price consumers pay,” the report has said quoting their representatives.

But Pandey asked the government to monitor petrol pumps and take actions, if found guilty.

The committee had submitted the report to Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal on May 6.

The Premier — after the cabinet’s endorsement — has handed over the report to Ministry of Commerce and Supplies to take immediate action according to its recommendations.

Nepal Oil Corporation has also started investigation on some petrol pumps — Kamakshya Oil Store, Sita Oil and The Modern Amenities — but it did not punish any of them.

Pandey — also alleging the committee for being influenced by Nepal Oil Corporation — blamed the report of ignoring private sectors concerns.

However, the committee had invited and discussed with not only government agencies but also private sector representatives of petroleum dealers, cooking gas companies, and all the stakeholders before finalising the report.

“The committee has recommended flat commission rate to the dealers,” he said, adding that the association will not agree on the flat commission rate. Currently, dealers get three per cent commission from Nepal Oil Corporation.

The report has also recommended replacement of mechanical pump with electronic pump, which, according to the association, is also not justifiable. “Irregularities cannot be stopped only by replacing technology,” he said, but did not suggest how to control irregularities, though he asked the government to make monitoring agency strong.

Pandey also criticised the report’s recommendation of operating petrol pumps by government entities like Salt Trading and National Trading.

The report has suggested the government to let Salt Trading and National Trading also to operate petrol pumps that could smoothen supply during strikes by the dealers and transporters.

Only Nepal Police and Nepal Army are suppling petroleum products, currently.
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Flouting of housing codes can invite disaster: experts





Kathmandu,22 May: blatant flouting of house construction code while erecting buildings of different sizes and a lack of land use plan could cause a massive loss of life and property in Kathmandu and in Nepal in case an earthquake of considerable magnitude hits, experts at an interaction said, The Rising Nepal reports from Lalitpur.
The lack of having a coordination among the different government organizations and local bodies such as municipalities and urban development authority have led to the haphazard growth of cities and town, the experts said at the interaction, entitled, " Earthquake and Nepal: Open Radio Interaction, where 45 participants representing different government and private organizations took part.
The interaction was held by the Radio Nepal and coordinated by Nepal Society for Earthquake Technology (N-SET). The outcome of the interaction would be broadcast on Radio Nepal on a phase-wise manner.
The participants also stated although the development of cities and town have gone on haphazardly, the government and local bodies are yet to implement the housing code an land use plan effectively.
The residents, especially in Kathmandu are adding more stories to their houses although they have taken to make smaller houses from the Municipalities. Such a violation of rules makes the houses a potent danger for the residents in the event of an earthquake, they added.
The concerned authorities, such as the municipalities and urban development authority, fail to coordinate in stopping people to flout the permission and housing codes.
Apart from curbing the residents in flouting the rules, it is high time that the government introduced new land use plan to save the settlements from the widespread disaster.
Meanwhile, addressing the interaction held at the N-SET premises, Amod Mani Dixit, N-SET Chief, stated that the government bodies and concerned authority must work together to make the task of mitigating the effects of earthquake disasters. The concerned bodies must make residents aware about the danger of flouting safety norms.
While the houses and apartments have been made by overlooking the safety norms, the houses that have already been constructed too are not earthquake resistant, he said.
The concerned bodies must work to aware the people about retro-fitting the houses that are non-earthquake resistant. Such a retro-fitting has become a must followed aspect especially for hospitals, health centres, schools and colleges which can become a major sites of disasters, Dixit added.
At the programme, Additional Inspector General of Armed Police Force Kosh Raj Onta said that the APF is very careful while constructing its buildings because these buildings house the security personnel who are mobilized during the time of disasters. AIG Onta said that about 13000 APF men are always kept stand-by in the event of a disaster such as earthquake, floods and so on.
Senior Superintendent of Police Madhu Prasad Pudasaini said that the Nepal Police has been mandated to carry out the task of rescuing and saving the life and property during the time of disaster. "We have capable and enough force which we keep stand-by to tackle any challenges."
Likwise, Pitambar Aryal of Nepal Red Cross Society said that his organization through its 75 branches all over the nation coordinate to provide rescue and relief works during the time of disasters.
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