PRACHANDA-LED SUB-COMMITTEE MEETS

PRACHANDA-LED SUB-COMMITTEE ON DISPUTE REOLUTION MEETS

Kathmandu, 31 July: Bodies attempting to promulgate a constitution in the remaining one month suddenly spurt into action Sunday morning.
They were in a deep one-month slumber.
The Prachanda-led sub-committee discussed state restructuring.
It decided to hold discussions with the five-party United Democratic Madesh Front to discuss its demands for a new state structure, NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, who is sub-committee member said.
The meeting will beheld later Sunday.
Meanwhile, the main constitution draftingheaded by NilanbarAcharya will also be held Monday.
Nnnn


NC CALLS SUNSARI BANDH


Kathmandu, 31 July: NC Sunday called a Sunsari bandh charging police for excesses when its student activist Sanu Yadav died while while undergoing treatment at Itahari Saturday while undergoing treatment for wounds sustained in a firing
The party demanded action and compensation for victims of the firing.
nnnn.

MEDIA GOOGLE

“It’s a fact the problem seen in Maoists has obstructed the peace process, That’s why they are holding discussions to resolve the differences and come forward.”

(PM Khanal, Kantipur, 31 July)

“The main basis [formation of government of understanding] is the five-point agreement. But the prime minister neither efforts formation of a national government nor resigns How can an environment becreated?”

(NC General Secretary Prakash Man Singh, Kantipur, 31 July)

“With only month remaining for the tenure to end, demand to reconstitute the government is like marriage before death.”

(Madhav Kumar Nepal, Gorkhapatra, 31 July)
nnnn


COLLAPSE FEAR CLOUDS PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE

Kathmandu, 31 July: Lord Shiva forbid, if disaster fell upon the temple of Pashupatinath, will the holy Hindu shrine be able to save itself from collapse?,Ankit Adhikari writes in The Kathmandu Post.

At a time when speculations are rife that the Valley is in danger of natural calamities like land subsidence and earthquake, experts claim the abode of lord Shiva, which is already on the verge of collapse, could crumple if a disaster hammers it.

If the potential collapse occurs before the temple sees any renovation, the biggest tragedy that experts fear is that the sanctuary will never be able to see the revival of its original structure.

As there are no inventories of what the temple actually looks like from inside, the original inner structure of the temple will remain a mystery forever if the temple collapses.

Since none except the senior priests are allowed into the main temple, the inventory formation of the inner structure and documentation of temple’s make-up from inside have been impossible so far.

Nevertheless, a committee formed to look into the problems of Pashupatinath has proposed to the Ministry of Culture (MoC) that the work of documentation and inventory keeping of the temple’s minute inner structures be carried out at the earliest. The committee—Shree Pashupati Adhyayan Byawasthapan Swatantra Adhikar Sampanna Samiti—was formed under the MoC as per a Supreme Court ruling last year.

The preliminary report submitted by it on July 21, which puts prime emphasis on “elaborate” renovation of the temple, also states that the inventory keeping of the temple’s internal structure should be conducted before starting renovation.

“There is neither any photograph nor drawing or structural inventory of the temple’s inner structures,” said committee Spokesman Ram Prasad Dahal. “If the temple collapses in the near future, nothing will be left to us to erect it again. Documentation of the structure can largely help in preserving the existence of temple.”

According to Dahal, the collapse of the temple, if it occurs, is also likely to damage priceless objects that are said to be inside the temple. The report proposes that highly expensive materials inside the temple including idols and jewellery of pearls, gold and diamonds be put on exhibition by setting up a separate museum on the Pashupati premises.

The proposal also includes the exhibition of other “priceless” objects like Nagmani, Gajmani, Naramani (jewellery worn by serpentine gods) and the one-faceted Rudraksha among others that are reported to be inside the main temple since times immemorial.

MoC Secretary Mod Raj Dotel, meanwhile, said the ministry is preparing to immediately form an administrative body under the ministry itself to study the report in detail. “Renovation of the temple and minute inventory formation of the inner architecture of the temple are important issues of public concern mentioned in the report,” Dotel said. “Once the administrative wing completes its study, we will move forth with what should be implemented. The committee that is due to be formed at the earliest will first differentiate issues that are to be immediately addressed against those that can be looked into later.”
nnnn
v
»
TIA RUNWAY FALLS APARTFIFTH TIME IN TWO MONTHS

Kathmandu, 31 July: Once again, the runway of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) has fallen apart, forcing domestic and international flights to circle over the airport for more than two hours.

A TIA source said the runway was affected two times on Saturday morning. The runway, which was repaired early in the morning, was again dented at 9 am and 10:10 am. The problem occurred at the runway’s Inter Sections 5, The Kathmandu Post reports.

According to Ratish Chandra Lal Suman, TIA’s general manager, the problem occurred when an aircraft landed on the section where a chemical called ‘premix’ was applied for repair. The chemical was applied at around 5 am. “However, before the chemical dried, the aircraft landed on the section at around 9 am, damaging it. The section was again repaired,” said Suman.

According to the TIA source, the problem forced four international flights to divert, while two domestic aircraft scheduled for Janakpur and Biratnagar sector were delayed. Suman admitted that some flights were not allowed to land and that they circled over the airport, but international flights were not diverted. The runway came to full operation at 11:30 am.

This is the fifth time that the TIA runway has disintegrated in two months. Following repeated problems, the parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on June 29 had summoned the director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), the tourism secretary, TIA general manager and consultants and contractors. PAC members even inspected the runway and the helipad amid growing concern over the status of the country’s only international airport.

On June 21, flights at TIA were halted for more than three hours after a portion of the runway caved in at Intersections 3 and 4. With repeated occurrence of potholes in the TIA, four different committees-high level prove committee of the government, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Independent investigation committee and a committee formed by the CAAN-have been formed to probe the issues.

PAC took up the issue after the runway caved in following which the international flights had to be cancelled. “However, none of the committees have submitted their reports until now,” said a CAAN source. The 3,048 m long runway was repaired in February this year after 13 years at a cost of Rs 240 million.
Nnnn

AML DEPT.STARTS OPERATIONS



Kathmandu, 31 July: Starting from yesterday [Friday], newly established Anti-Money Laundering Department has initiated investigation of at least 131 cases related to money laundering in the first phase, The Himalayan Times reports.

The cases like Unity Life Assurance and bank balance without clear source of income and property owned by don will also come under the Anti-Money Laundering Department, according to director general at Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) Shanta Bahadur Shrestha. These cases were being investigated by the Department of Revenue Investigation after Finance Ministry formed two separate divisions — Anti Money Laundering Division and Revenue Investigation Division — under the department.

However, the Anti Money Laundering Division has been upgraded to a separate department to look after the money laundering cases taking the Anti Money Laundering cases seriously by the government according to its international commitment.

“Department of Revenue Investigation has forwarded cases related to money laundering to the newly established department that got its chief yesterday,” he added.

The government on Friday has appointed Khum Raj Punjali as the director general in the Anti-Money Laundering Department. After the appointment of new director general, the department will take all the responsibilities as mandated by the Anti Money Laundering Act.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Money Laundering Department is preparing to launch public awareness campaign.

“The public awareness activities are essential since the

department is new and public has yet to be informed on its

duties and responsibilities,” Punjali said, adding that the department will carry out its activities officially within a week, though the department was formed more than a month

ago on June 15.

The government has also appointed three directors, four section officers and some supporting staff in the department that will gradually take shape.

Earlier, the finance ministry aiming at curbing money laundering activities decided to rename Department of Revenue Investigation to Revenue Investigation and Money Laundering Control Department after the Legislature Parliament had unanimously endorsed the Anti-Money Laundering Act (First amendment) on May 24.

The amended Anti-Money Laundering Act has widened the definition of money laundering and terrorist financing. It has also strengthened the

national coordination committee on Anti Money Laundering, Financial Information Unit (FIU) under central bank and other regulatory bodies giving them more teeth.
Nnnn

v