INDIAN TROUBLESHOOTER MINISTER PRANAB MUKHERJEE ARRIVING

DRIVE TO FIGHT JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS

Kathmandu, 15 June: Nearly 1.3 million above one year will be inoculated against Japanese encephalitis during a week-long campaign from Wednesday conducted by Kathmandu district health office.
The campaign is being launched as a precaution this year after 24 cases of the disease were reported last year.
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SLT RESULTS BY 24 JUNE

Kathmandu, 15 June: Results of this year’s SLA examinations will be published by 24 June, an official of the controller of examinations said.
Marks of students who appeared for the test are being computerized and will be completed in a day or two, said Ambika Regmi, Deputy Controller.
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PEACE PROCESS BACK ON TRACK
Kathmandu, 15 June:One of the preconditions in the five-point deal that breathed new life into the Constituent Assembly in the wee hours of May 29 was an agreement that the parties would sort out fundamental issues related to integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants, a major component of peace process, Lekhnath Pandey writes in The Himalayan Times..

Since the deal, the major parties and their joint peace mechanism have been able to give impetus to stalled peace process, as they have acquired a calendar to accomplish some ‘major issues’ prior to August 31, the day when the extended term of CA expires.

The calendar demands management of Maoist arms and armies by August 27. The Special Committee (for supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants) has to conclude handing over of Maoist arms and categorisation of all combatants into two groups — combatants to be integrated or combatants to be rehabilitated.

A major success of SC of late has been deployment of monitors at all the satellite camps. However, some prickly issues still remain. Parties have yet to strike a deal regarding rehabilitation package, number of combatants to be integrated and rank harmonisation for them and most importantly, the modality.

But, interlocutors claim that there is no confusion among top leaders regarding the issues. “They will agree to integrate Maoist combatants into the Nepali Army, and the number will be between 6,000 and 7,000,” said a source. Even Defence Minister Bishnu Paudel says parties are clear on tentative number. “The difference will be somewhere in hundreds, not in thousands,” says Paudel.SC on its part has already started formal discussion on possible rehabilitation package.

The Secretariat under SC has unveiled a lump-sum gratuity package of Rs 444,000 to 700,000 to each combatant. Though the non-Maoist members in SC have agreed to the Secretariat proposal, Maoist members are demanding more. The Maoists are saying the minimum threshold should be Rs 700,000.

Sources claimed that the Maoists would ultimately give up their bargain, considering the mood of donor agencies, which don’t seem keen on funding billions of rupees. So, the government is irresolute about managing the funds. Even if the money is withdrawn from state coffers, the Maoists know that it could trigger social resentment.

Amid all these, SC has set June 19 deadline for finalising all the outstanding issues. But all is not well. Maoist members today chose to skip SC meeting.

Barsha Man Pun, a Maoist member in SC, said he had to skip today’s meeting because he had to attend an ‘important programme’. But, a non-Maoist member in SC told this daily that Maoist members were absent in the wake of deepening intra-party rift. The Cabinet, after hemming and hawing, has given the green signal to form a 120-member survey team, which will categorise Maoist combatants. The team is expected to begin survey, profiling and categorisation of the combatants from June 28 with the target of finishing the job in two months.

Secretariat Coordinator Balananda Sharma, however, expressed cautious optimism. “Parties’ sincerity is a must if they really wish to achieve tangible progress in peace process within next two and a half months,” said Sharma.
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INDIAN TROUBLESHOOTER MINISTER MUKHERJEE ARRIVING
Kathmandu, 15 June: Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, a senior member of the Indian Cabinet who is often seen as the de facto Prime Minister and an old Nepal hand, is arriving on Saturday on a two-day visit to Nepal, Anil Gri reports in The Kathmandu Post.
This will be the first such high-level visit from India in a long time and Mukherjee’s first since taking over the finance portfolio in 2009.
At the political level, Mukherjee was among the first to begin engagement with the Maoist leadership that led to the 12-point agreement between the then Seven-Party Alliance (SPA) and the Maoists in 2005—culminating into the November 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) after former king Gyanendra was forced to retreat.
Mukherjee’s last visit to Nepal was in November 2008 in the capacity of the minister for external affairs. He was here in Kathmandu in March 2010 to attend Girija Prasad Koirala’s funeral.
During Mukherjee’s 2008 visit, the Maoists were at the helm, coincidentally, even this time, the party is a senior partner in the government.
Mukherjee is likely to meet senior UCPN (Maoist) leaders, but no formal announcement has been made in this regard.
“He has played and can play a constructive role in bolstering the relations between Kathmandu and New Delhi,” said a government official keeping tabs on the bilateral relations.
Mukherjee’s visit is likely to jumpstart a series of
high-level exchanges between the two countries—paving the way for Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal’s visit to India and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s likely visit to Kathmandu this year.
Singh has already accepted Khanal’s invitation. Mukherjee is here at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari. Besides holding bilateral talks with his counterpart Adhikari on economic, trade, commerce and other issues, he will also be meeting leaders across the political spectrum.
Both the Government of Nepal and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu refused to release the details of Mukherjee’s itinerary, but they have confirmed the dates. However, according to Nepali officials, Mukherjee will hold a series of political meetings, including those with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, PM Khanal and his counterpart Adhikari, Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav, who was also the foreign minister in 2008, and senior leaders of major political parties.
Officials here see Murkerjee’s visit as an opportunity to improve India-Nepal ties—given his stature within the Indian establishment and his grasp of issues in Nepal.
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MINISTER BISTA ASSURES POWER CUTS WILL END SOON





Kathmandu, 15 June: Energy Minister Gokarna Bista Tuesday announced that power cuts would go away soon, The Rising Nepal reports.
Speaking at an interaction held in the capital, Bista claimed electricity leakage, which led to the present load-shedding, was being controlled effectively.
Giving an example, he said, seven per cent leakage was controlled in Bhaktapur in the last few days.
"Electricity leakage was almost halved in Bhaktapur," said the Minister.
According to him, NEA will make huge profits if leakage from across the country is reduced by six per cent.
He, however, said at the current pace of work, the nation would not have to see major power outage in three years.
He informed that the government was preparing to deploy security personnel at power houses under construction. "The decision will be taken by the next cabinet meeting," he said.
"The Energy Ministry has written the letter to the Defense Ministry for arranging security to power establishments," he said.
Minister Bista informed that discussions were underway regarding the construction of Upper Seti, Pashchim Seti, Upper Arun, and Budhi Gandaki, among others.
Meanwhile, he said major political parties should be honest and serious to conclude peace process and constitution drafting.
"The main parties should immediately decide whether or not to form a national consensus government," he said.
He added, peace process and constitution drafting could be completed within three months if main leaders displayed maximum flexibility and honesty.
Bista claimed that his party, CPN-UML, was not the reason for delay in the formation of a national consensus government.
Sadbhavana Praty’s co-chairman Laxman Lal Karna said that without addressing the Madeshi’s demands, the task of peace and constitution would not be completed.
He demanded resignation of Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal based on the five-point deal.
He also argued no national consensus could be forged only with the decision of three big parties.

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CONGO PEOPLE PIN HIGH HOPES ON NEPALI PEACEKEEPERS





Kathmandu, 15 June: At a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is preparing for a multiparty general election slated for November, 28, 2011, local government and general public in Eastern Congo are expecting higher degree of civilian protection and minimisation of election-related violence during the election time, Purusottam Khatri writes in The Rising Nepal from Beni, Congo
Mayor of Beni city and members of the general public have high expectation towards Nepalese peacekeepers stationed at Beni, Congo for holding the election in a free and fair manner.
Chances are higher for obstacles and hindrances in the conduct of elections by the armed groups and rebels sheltered in the Congo.
President of DR Congo Joseph Kabila declared the date of the general election for November 28, 2011. The earlier election was held in 2006, July.
Kisaka Paluku, city mayor of Beni in his interview with The Rising Nepal, told that Beni people have expected more security to general public and prevention of election-related violence.
"We are looking forward to further deployment and 24 hours of patrolling and operations in and around jungle areas of the city for controlling the possibility of civilian attacks and murder by rebel groups," Paluku said.
The eastern region of DR Congo is hit hard by three armed rebel groups namely -- Allied Democratic Front (ADF), Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and Mayi Mayi. They are especially activating their armed movements.
Kambale Sahukira, a student at a local school and resident of Beni city, said the presence of MONUSCO, especially Nepalese peacekeepers in Beni and other parts of the city, has been successful to ensure security and maintain peace compared to previous years.
"It was all because of immense deployment of peace keepers in the area when some armed groups surrendered themselves to Nepalese Battalion-XIV (NEPBATT)," Sahukira said.
When Srinath Battalion stabilised Beni in the past six months, a total of 32 armed rebel members self-surrendered to NEPBATT and later they were handed over to Congolese national army.
The national army of Congo in local tongue is known as Forces Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo (FARDC).
Srinath Battalion has currently come back to Nepal after completing its six months mission and now NEPBATT-XV has taken up the responsibility of Eastern Congo.
Lieutenant Colonel Jitendra Jung Karki, chief of the Sreenath Battalion, said in their regular interval of operation conducted in the given area of responsibility (AOR), 28 armed rebel members of Mayi Mayi group, two of FDLR and another two of ADF surrendered before the Sreenath Battalion.
United Nations Organisation Stabilising Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) has given mandate to Nepalese peacekeepers for carrying out search operations, and patrolling only in joint coordination with their national armies and National Congolese Police (PNC).
Anjan Rupakheti, Major and chief operation officer of NEPBATT-XIV, said they have been bringing a control over movement of the three armed groups in the area

following patrolling in day and night and long range patrol as well.
"We have given optimum priority to aerial view patrolling by UN helicopters to locate their shelters inside the jungles," Major Rupakheti said.
Giving an instance of previous attacks made by armed groups, Major and operation commander chief of NEPBATT-XIV Rupakheti said these armed rebellious groups had attacked national army posts of the Congolese army several times and looted weapons possessed by the national army.
Rupakheti said Congolese national army is less equipped with no advanced and functioning weapons than weapons possessed by the armed groups. Each of the armed groups possessed Kalashnikov Arms-47 (AK-47).
Nepal has been on the peace keeping mission in Congo since 1999 when it was known as MONUC.
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