govt. relief announcement friday update

GOVT. RELIEF FRIDAY UPDATE

Kathmandu, 8 Sept.: Government will announce relief measures Friday, Spokesman for the government Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Narayayan Kazi Shrestha said after a cabinet meet Thursday.
A four-member task force of ministers to prepare measures was formed by the cabinet for cabinet announcement and announcement, Shrestha said.
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PM WILL HEAD A 13-MEMBER TEAM FOR NEW YORK

Kathmandu, 8 Sept.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai will head a 13-member Nepali delegation to the UN general assembly, Narayan Kazi Shrestha said.
The cabinet approved the list Thursday.
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PM BHATTARAI MEETS MANMOHAN SINGH IN NEW YORK

Kathmandu, 8 Sept.: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai will begin his personal effort to improve ties with India by holding talks with Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in New York during the forthcoming UN general assembly session.
“Bhattarai will hold bilateral discussions with Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister SM Krishna in New York and visit India fter dasain,” Indian troubleshooter and Chief General Secretary KC Tyagi of Janata Dal United told Naya Patrika in an interview Thursday.
“I feel, after talks between Baburamji and Manmohanji in New York, Prachandaji and Baburamji will come to India. After that all the distance ad mistrust between them will end,” Tyagi said.
The troubleshooter said he held discussions with Premier Bhattarai Tuesday and Prachanda Wednesday besides meeting Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Tyagi said distance between Maoists and India has now ended.
“Now the distance between India and Maoists has ended.”
Now there’s complete relationship between Maoists and Indian government,” he revealed.
‘For Prachanda, India is a second home. India will welcome him whenever he wants to come,” the Indian leader said in an attempt to create an atmosphere for impending visits of Baburam and Prachanda to India. “He [Prachanda] has stayed a long time in India.”
Tyagi said he handed Prachanda an invitation from his party leader Sharad Pawar to visit idia.
“A decision should be taken in the next two to four days.” .:
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“Parliamentary system is the NC bottom-line.”

(NC leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Annapurna Post, 8 Sept.)
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DRI SUSPECTS BANKS' ROLE IN IC MISAPPROPRIATION
Kathmandu, 8 Sept.: Banks are likely to face action for their involvement in reckless releasing of foreign currency against fake customs declaration forms, The Himalayan Times reports

“Banks should collect customs declaration forms, bills and foreign currency exchange document filled by the concerned parties before they release foreign currency,” a source at the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) said, adding that its investigation revealed that the banks had released Indian Currency (IC) to the firms without following proper process and documents.

“But it is under the jurisdiction of the central bank to check whether banks are guilty or not,” director general at the department Shanta Bahadur Shrestha said, adding that the department has already asked the central bank to cooperate in the investigation.

The department has discovered that suspicious firms have been using NIC bank, Everest Bank, Nepal Investment Bank and Rastriya

Banijya Bank, according to the the department that has suspected a huge IC misappropriation by Birgunj-based different firms.

It has estimated the misappropriation of IC worth Rs 260.33 million by Shyam Galla Store, Rs 163.33 million by GS Traders, Rs 212.16 million by Maxwell Computers and Rs 134.50 by Digital World.

Similarly, the department has also suspected Rs 60.20 million misuse by three firms; Nitesh Brothers, Jay Baba Amarnath and Gangotri Galla Store.

The department has been verifying suspected customs declaration forms with the documents at the Customs Office and bank accounts, according to Shrestha.

The department suspected that the misuse of foreign currency is not limited only to five firms that are under scanner, he said, adding that the department is investigating other firms too.

“It is not limited to Birgunj Customs Office only but most of the bordering cities,” Shrestha added.

Meanwhile, Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) has started investigation into the fake customs declaration forms after police on August 29 nabbed five persons with fake customs declaration forms. The department has suspected two motives behind producing fake customs declaration forms, capital flight or illicit transaction of IC to get more benefits.’

New revelation

Department of Revenue Investigation has also discovered bank accounts of fake customs declaration form under names of unrelated person. “We discovered that banks accounts are opened under the name of general public, who do not have any connection to the fake customs declaration form and transaction,” DG Shanta Bahadur Shrestha said. The defaulters have opened banks accounts into ordinary people’s name that will pose complications to investigation process.

Firms under scanner

• Shyam Galla Store

• G.S. Traders

• Maxwell Computers

• Digital Worlds

• Jay Mata Di International

• Nitesh Brothers

• Jay Baba Amarnath

• Gangotri Galla Store
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UGC AID TO COMMUNITY CAMPUSES
Kathmandu, 8 Sept.: University Grants Commission (UGC) today [Wednesday] decided to provide reform grants to various community campuses across the country to support them financially for their improvement, The Himalayan Times reports.

Every year, UGC provides reform grants to community campuses under Second Higher Education Project funded by World Bank.

Issuing a press statement, UGC said that under Scheme D, it was going to provide Rs 190 million to 43 community campuses selected from competition.

The statement said that 25 campuses were selected from national competition, 16 from regional competition and 2 from very remote districts.

According to the statement, the selected campuses would receive grants on the basis of work performance and matching fund. The campuses would be getting Rs 1.95 million as matching fund grants and Rs 190.50 million as performance grant through systematic process. They would be getting Rs 450,000 as encouragement grants immediately after the agreement is signed. Earlier, UGC had decided to grant Rs 1.5 billion to nine campuses under Scheme A, Rs 260 million to ten campuses under Scheme B and Rs 140.50 million to 28 campuses under Scheme C.
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