DISQUALIFIEDD MAOIST FIGHTERS WITHDRAW NEPAL BANDH

DISQUALIFIED MAOIST FIGHTERS WITHDRAW INDEFINITE NEPAL BANDH

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: Former disqualified Maoist fighters who announced an indefinite Nepal bandh‘ from Saturday withdrew it because of government alertness’ a statement by them said,
The disqualified fighters held talks with Peace Minister Pampha Busal Friday.
The fighters had pressed for relief, compensation, employment, search of missing and other demands.
The fighters were disqualified by UNMIN, a political arm of UN ;it withdrew 15 January after a failed mission.
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CIAA INTERVENES TO STOP LEASING BHRIKUTI MANDAP

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: CIAA intervened Friday to stop entire leasing land and property of Bhrikuti Mandap in the heart of the city for 15years by Social Welfare Councll (SWV).
CIAA bidding process initiated by SWC contravenes a Public Procurement Act.
The SWC put what is also called Exhibition Ground on lease though a notice posted in Gorkhapatra.
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CHINESE STUDY TEAM ARRIVING

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: A Chinese 18-member team is arriving Wednesday to prepare a project design to broaden a third of the 27 km ring road around the capital from for is arriving for a 40-day study.
The original four lane road gifted by China is being widened toeight eight lane.
Nepal and China have already signed the road expansion
agreement.
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SATYA MOHAN JOSHI RECEIVES HONOURARY DOCTORATE AWARD

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: Satya Mohan Joshi received an honourary doctorate Friday from Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal conferred by Kathmandu University.
Joshi is a Nepali culture expert
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FORMER FOOTBALL CAPTAIN RAKESH SHRESTHA GETTING A FLAT

Kathmandu, 20 Aug.: Former captain of Nepali national football team Rakesh Shrestha,33,is being presented a flat at Mero City Housing at Harisiddhi, Lalitpur, Saturday, by ANFA, football’s national governing body.
Chairman Prachanda is handing over the flat on behalf of ANFA.
During a 12-year career, Shrestha played in the 1998 Bangkok 13th Asian Games. He played in AFC U-16 and the SAFF Championship 2007 Dhaka.
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MAOISTS STRUGGLE WITH INTEGRATION DECISION

Kathmandu, 20 Aug The scheduled meeting of the Maoist standing committee that was supposed to take some concrete decisions on the peace process on Friday was postponed in the final hours due to “busy schedule” of Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal.,Post.B.Basnet/Kiran Pun write in republica.
Party hardliners led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya have demanded that the party hold a meeting of the standing committee prior to taking any decision on integration and rehabilitation of the 19,000-plus combatants.
The Maoist decision on the peace process will have a direct bearing on the current negotiations for government formation as the other political parties have put forward a condition that Maoists take concrete steps to complete the integration process.

While Dahal plans to take the peace process forward by categorizing the combatants, the Baidya faction has contended that the categorization of the combatants cannot be done without agreement on the key issues of the entire peace process.

“We are not against the spirit of the integration process. But, key elements of the integration process should be settled in a package prior to categorizing the combatants,” said party standing committee member Netra Bikram Chand who is close to Baidya.

On Tuesday, during a meeting of the party top office bearers, Chairman Dahal had proposed that the party immediately take some decisions on issues of integration so that all other political parties including the NC would lend their support to a Maoist-led government.

But party Secretary CP Gajurel demanded a meeting of the standing committee saying that the peace process cannot move ahead without ensuring “dignified integration of the PLA combatants”. According to sources, party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa had also objected to the chairman´s proposal.

Speaking at a function on Friday, Baidya argued that the dignified integration of the PLA should go alongside the formulation of the anti-imperialist and anti-feudalist constitution. Baidya was of the opinion that though the party has scarified a lot, it has achieved very little.
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MoLJ REJECTS MINISTER’S FIAT TO EXPORT 170,000 KG LICHEN

Kathmandu, 20 Aug : The Ministry of Law and Justice (MoLJ) has flatly rejected a decision taken by Minister for Forests and Soil Conversation Bhanu Bhakta Joshi to lift a ban on the export of lichen worth Rs 42.5 million. The ministry suspects irregularities in the deal, BimalGautam writes in Rpublica.

Following a report that pointed to severe effects on biodiversity due to reckless export of lichen from various parts of Nepal to neighboring countries, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conversation (MoFSC) had banned exports a year ago.
Minister Joshi decided to lift the ban, claiming that there is a stock of 170,000 kilograms of lichen at various district forest offices across the country and that the stocked lichen would be damaged if not exported at the earliest.

Before completely banning the lichen export, the ministry a year ago had given a chance to business groups to clear any remaining stocks within a month. The decision to ban the export was published in a gazette notice.

However, claiming that stocks of lichen have still not been cleared, Minister Joshi recently decided to lift the export ban for six months despite objections from MoFSC officials.

Lichen is a grey, green or yellow plant-like organism that grows on trees, rocks and walls and is used for manufacturing many kinds of herbal medicines and different colors. It has long been exported to India and China. According to Dr Lokendra Raj Sharma, who did his doctorate on lichen, the herb is sold for at least Rs 250 per kg in India and China. "Lichen is a very expensive herb and its price is increasing day by day," he said.

The total price of the 170,000 kg of lichen comes to Rs 42.5 million at the current market price.

MoFSC Joint Secretary Dr Krishna Chandra Paudel, in his capacity as acting forest secretary, had challenged Minister Joshi´s claim and initially requested him not to lift the export ban, citing the report and the subsequent decision taken last year.

But later, under mounting pressure from Joshi, Joint Secretary Paudel recommended lifting the ban for just two months. Minister Joshi, however, didn´t abide by Paudel´s recommendation and lifted the ban for six months instead.

"I still stand by my decision that the ban on export of herbs like lichen must be lifted," Joshi asserted, adding, "I took the decision without any bad intentions. I took the decision thinking that the poor could earn some money if export was allowed."

Joshi had forwarded his decision to MoLJ, seeking the latter´s approval for its publication in the gazette. As per the existing legal system, a minister needs to publish his/her decision in the gazette before it can be implemented and the consent of the law ministry is needed for its publication in the gazette.
• Attempt to export lichen worth of Rs 42.5 m Foiled
• Business groups want to export newly collected lichen: MoLJ
• Ban on export must be lifted: Minister Joshi
"We were shocked to learn of the claims by Minister Joshi that there are lichen stocks of 170,000 kg in various parts of the country," a source said, adding, "But our investigation proved the minister´s claim wrong and we rejected his decision."

After receiving Minister Joshi´s decision, MoLJ officials independently verified whether or not there was 170,000 kg of old stock lichen in the forest offices. "Finally, we came to learn that the 170,000 kg of lichen was not old stock and was in fact collected recently from various parts of the country in blatant violation of a prohibitory order issued by MoFSC," said a knowledgeable source, adding, "We have already informed Minister Joshi that the law ministry cannot allow publication of his decision in the gazette."

Asked about pressure from vested interest groups behind the decision, Joshi admitted that he had received applications from various business groups for lifting the export ban. "It is my belief that the 170,000 kg of lichen is old stock and was not recently collected," he said, adding, "I am not convinced by the law ministry officials´ arguments."

According to experts, export of lichen has two kinds of effect on biodiversity . "First, business groups chop down trees and branches in the course of collecting lichen, thereby contributing to deforestation, and secondly, it is only the business community that benefits from the lichen export, not the nation," he added.

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