TRANSPORT STRIKE PARALYZES LIFE IN MID AND FAR-WEST

TRANSPORT STRIKE BRINGS LIFE TO STANDSTILL

Kathmandu, 18 Aug. Hundreds of passengers were stranded Thursday in the mid and far-West were Thursday as no vehicles were running on mid and long-haul routes on the first day of an indefinite transport strike pressing 41 demands
Entrepreneurs ignored a government call to withdraw the strike
charging government for failure to implement past commitments.
The entrepreneurs said government concessions and loans to some groups and organizations on vehicles would threaten their businesses.
The Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has invited transport entrepreneurs for talks Thursday
National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs, Federation of Nepal Truck, Tanker and Transport Entrepreneurs, Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs and Federation of Transport Entrepreneurs.
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NA BATTLES INELIGIBLE APLICATIONS UNDER QUOTA



Kathmandu,18 Aug.: After the government introduced the inclusion policy, the Nepal Army (NA) has so far recruited 1,758 army personnel. NA went in for recruitment twice after the reservation policy while the third phase of recruitment is in progress, Shreejana Shresthawrites in Repuplica.

The total number of posts on offer for Madhesis in all categories were 423 and total applications for the posts were 1,136 while only 73 managed to pass the exam, according to the data provided by NA. Meanwhile, the data given by Directorate of Public Relations shows that out of 32 posts of officer reserved for Madhesis, only one could make it.
The trend of applications under reservation shows that the ratio of application is still very low even if political parties are demanding for group integration. "We get applications from ineligible people under reservation which will squander the quota and other competent candidates may lose the opportunity," said Ramindra Chettri, spokesperson of NA.

During the first phase of recruitment on April 19, 2010, after the introduction of quota system, 898 people were admitted to NA including 289 female, 385 indigenous, 84 Madhesi, 120 Dalit and 20 from backward regions.

The 5th amendment of the interim constitution introduced the issue of inclusion in Nepal Army. As per the amendment, 55 percent of NA intake is from open competition while 45 percent of the posts are reserved for people covered under reservation (various quotas).

However, by internalizing the 5th amendment of the interim constitution, NA proved that NA´s recruitment system is democratic, said high-ranking army officers.

NA has been trying to publicise its recruitment under reservation via different media and also set up recruitment centers in far-flung areas so that every interested Nepali can make an attempt at getting into the Nepal Army, Chettri added. He added that educational and psychological strength is the major criteria for recruitment.

Under the third phase of recruitment, NA has announced 130 posts for women, 207 for indigenous community, 189 for Madhesis, 100 for Dalit and 26 for backward community.

Chettri, however, said the government should adopt a balanced education policy to make all youth from all castes, regions and religious communities eligible for a job with the Nepal Army.

A highly-placed source at the Defense Ministry said that issues like group integration as raised by Madhesi parties are unlikely to be implemented. Recently, the major political parties, under the 5-point deal, had agreed to make Nepal Army more inclusive in days ahead.

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NO NEW ORDERS FOR CARPETS
Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: The Nepali hand-knotted woolen carpet that once ranked second in terms of overseas export has failed to receive new order for the current fiscal year, The Himalayan Times reports.

“The increment in the price of raw materials has increased price of the Nepali carpet for its international buyers,” president of Nepal Carpet Exporter’s Association Kabindra Nath Thakur said. “The increase in price has hit the new orders for the new fiscal year,” he said, adding that current export value in the export data of carpet are the previous fiscal year’s orders.

“Because of high cost of production and lack of skilled labour, Nepal is fast losing its hard-earned reputation as a top manufacturer of hand-knotted carpet in Germany, America and Switzerland,” Thakur said.

Last year Nepal imported raw materials for the carpet from New Zealand for Rs 250 per gram whereas, now the raw material price has gone double to Rs 450 per kg resulting in high cost of production. The increased cost of production due to increment in the price of raw materials, has doubled the finished price of Nepali carpet affecting the new orders.

New Zealand doubled the price of wool since mid April this year. Annual import of raw material from New Zealand comes to around 45,600 kg, whereas labour wages has also increased to Rs 6,100 from Rs 4600, said Thakur.

The recent price hike in raw materials, increment in the labour wages and government apathy has discouraged the already ailing carpet sector, he said, adding that the production of Nepali carpet has declined to 6.80 million sq-metres from 8.80 million sq-metres in the last fiscal year.

Lack of sufficient skilled manpower is yet another reason for the decline in production of quality Nepali carpet, according to Thakur. In 1962, Nepal launched the commercial shipment of the carpet with a sample consignment to Zurich, Switzerland. Nepali carpets are made of the highest fleece wool imported from Tibet, New Zealand and Britain. The price of the Nepali carpet basically depends on its quality standard, and size. The export of Nepali carpet spreads over 40 countries including Germany, USA, Belgium, Britain, Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, Canada, and Italy. Among them, Germany and USA are the biggest markets.
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