THURSDAY IS LAXMI PUJA

LAXMI PUJA BEING OBSERVED WEDNESDAY
Kathmandu, 26 Oct. Laxmi puja is being observed by worshipping Laxmi, the goddess of wealth Wednesday, the third day of Tihar.
Houses are cleaned and lit brightly.
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KUKUR AND KAAG POOJA OBSERVED

Kathmandu, 25 Oct. Kukur and Kaag pooja were observed Tuesday—the second day of tihar.
Sales of sweets have fallen sharply with the adulteration of food producs during the festival when consumption of sweets is high.
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MAOIST CHIEF VISITING NEW YORK
Kathmandu, 25 Oct. Maoist Chairman Prachanda is visiting New York next month as head of the Lumbini Development National Directive Committee for discussions with UN officials to garner international support for the development of Lumbini, the birthplace of The Buddha.
The government appointed his chief of the committee earlier.
The cabinet took a decision Tuesday to send Prachanda to New York for the second time.
He first visited the UN headquarters as prime minister when he was government chief for nine months,
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DEATH TOLL IN ILAM ACCIDENT INCREASES TO FIVE

Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Five persons have now died in Sunday’s vehicular accident at Laxmipur in Ilam
A 40 year old woman died in Silgudhi in West Bengal while undergoing treatment.
A taxi driver died Monday in Pokhara Monday.
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GIRL TRAFFICKERS HELD AT TIA
Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Two Nepalis were arrested from the domestic departure terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Saturday along with four girls whom they were about to send allegedly to Lebanon via Lucknow, India, Navin Adhikari reports in The Kathmandu Post..
A Lebanese national, Sevge Osta, was also arrested for his possible involvement in the trafficking of girls to Lebanon, where the Department of Labour has stopped issuing work permits.
The victims have been identified as Hem Kumari Moktan, 21, from Sarlahi, Sukmaya Tamang, 27, from Sindhupalchowk, Rita Magar, 23, from Sindhupalchowk and Krishna Neupane, 21, from Sindhupalchowk. The girls had no idea where they were heading for when the airport security staff stopped them on their way to Nepalgunj on a Buddha Air flight, police said.
The arrested duo—Bir Bahadur Bamjan and Sanu Tamang—had planned to take the girls to Lucknow via Nepalgunj and fly them to Beirut via Dubai.
Bamjan had travelled as a guardian of the girls in case police and Maiti Nepal staff at the border questioned their motive of travel to India.
“Since the Department of Labour has stopped issuing work permits for Lebanon, manpower agents have started to follow newer routes and modus-operandi,” said DIG Narayan Bastakoti at the TIA.
“Since the girls lacked documents, it was quite likely that they were duped and being taken to India to work as sex workers,” added Bastakoti.
Tamang had told the victims that they would get their documents including visas upon reaching Lucknow.
“Had we managed to cross the Nepal-India border, we could have easily taken them to Beirut with a three-month visa allowing them to work as housemaids,” said Tamang.
Tamang told the police that his manpower agency, Superstar Man Power, had known the girls via agents and Bamjan was the brother-in-law of Moktan, one of the four girls. However, immediate investigation found that Bamjan was an accomplice in the crime and no manpower agency with the said name existed.
Among the rescued girls, two are married with children and one—Krishna Neupane—is a divorced mother.
Moktan, the only unmarried girl, said they had no idea that their journey was illegal but were told that all their expenses would be covered by the agents.
Osta, the arrested Lebanese, was working as a middleman between Tamang and the agents in Beirut, said police.
“He has said that he is married to a Nepali girl and is a frequent visitor to Nepal. However, all the details he provided about himself are hazy. He seems to be the one who handles communication between the agents here and in Beirut,” said Bastakoti.
More than 100 workers without work permit have been returned by the police daily from the TIA entrance since the desk to check the documents of foreign employment seekers was established there on October 12.
On October 14, seven girls who were being trafficked to Dubai and Malaysia were stopped by the police along with three Nepalis involved in the crime including an official of the Nepal Airlines Corporation.
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PM BHATTARAI DEFENDS CONTROVERSIAL AGREEMENT WITH INDIA

Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, said upon his return from a four-day India visit, that Nepal-India relations had reached a new height in the
real sense, The Himalayan Times reports.

At a press meet at Tribhuvan International Airport, he said the trip had succeeded in developing and expanding the multifaceted relations between the two countries not only at government level but also at people’s level.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed India’s readiness to help in necessary areas of Nepal’s peace, law and order and development during the one-on-one meeting with him, the PM said. “I thanked India for its important help in the past and put forth the necessity to strengthen bilateral relations for Nepal’s development,” he said adding that the Indian side had accepted it positively.

He met the Indian president, vice president, prime minister, home minister, finance minister, defence minister, and foreign affairs minister, senior officials, senior leaders of different political parties, civil society members, journalists, intellectuals and industrialists’ representative organisations. The PM said Indian businessmen expressed interest in participating in Nepal’s development.

“This is a very important visit as it has set up a major foundation to develop new dimension in Nepal-India relations. Both sides utilised the opportunity to remove doubts and reservations. We focused on finding new possibilities and this visit has created an atmosphere of trust, which is the biggest achievement,” the PM said.

The PM termed the signing of the three agreements — Line of credit of US $ 250 million, goitre control and Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA), important achievements. He said the Indian Finance Minister would come to Nepal at the earliest, possibly in a week, to sign Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement, which could not be signed during the visit as the cabinet of both countries needed to endorse it first.

Defending BIPPA, the PM said Nepal’s independence, integrity and sovereignty should not be questioned because of BIPPA. Trade deficit has soared alarmingly, but investment has not increased and youths are compelled to go abroad for employment, BIPPA was imperative to attract Indian investment as India is the major source of foreign investment in Nepal. It favours national welfare, he said. BIPPA will attract foreign investment and reduce Nepal’s longstanding trade deficit by increasing export of Nepali goods. War, armed conflict, insurrection, raid, civil disturbance are included in BIPP agreements between India and other countries. “But in Nepal’s case, we have not mentioned civil disturbance for compensating investors. So, I request you not to doubt it,” he said.

On the protest from his own party regarding BIPPA, he said “They might have not understood it, we will make them understand.”

The two countries will activate nearly two dozen bilateral mechanisms to settle problems.

Meanwhile some UCPN-M cadres showed black flags at the PM.
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NEW HIGH IN INDO-NEPAL TIES; PM BHATTARAI





Kathmandu, 24 Oct.: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said that his four- day official visit to India had built an environment of confidence to move forward Nepal-India relations on the new footing,
The Rising Nepal reports.
"An atmosphere of trust between the two neighbours is the most important thing and I feel that my goodwill visit was greatly successful in this regard," Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai said upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday after the conclusion of his India visit.
The Prime Minister had flown to New Delhi on October 20 for an official visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Dr Man Mohan Singh.
Addressing a press meet held at the airport, Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai observed that his one-on-one meeting with his Indian counterpart had been very open and frank.
"We were focused on expanding bilateral relations, keeping away mutual apprehensions and finding out new dimensions of relations."
The Prime Minister said that he had four different types of meetings- at the government level, at the political level, at the civil society level and at the business community level. This visit has set a new basis for giving a new dimension to Nepal-India relations, he said.
"Some agreements signed during my visit are the most important aspect of my visit. They are, US $ 250 line of credit, thyroid control and Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection (BIPPA)," Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai said.
The Prime Minister defended the BIPPA saying it was made keeping national interests in the center. He said the agreement would be instrumental in decreasing the trade deficit between Nepal and India as it will boost export.
"There has been some misunderstanding regarding compensation. It is not that we have to provide compensation when an Indian company investing here claims. The point is, Indian companies are entitled to compensations what we give to any other companies operating here," the Prime Minister clarified.
Regarding Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (ADTA), Dr Bhattarai said that it would be signed soon at the commerce secretary level when the Indian Commerce Minister visits Nepal.
"We could not do it this time as the Indian side had not sent the amended copy of the DTA when we endorsed it."
He said that there had been understanding to form an imminent persons group to evolve all the past agreements and treaties including

the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship in the 21st century context. "I think this will open a door to deal with all the contentious issues between the two countries."
"We have more than a dozen bilateral mechanisms regarding different agreements. We have agreed to activate them to sort out problems and solve them."
The PM said that India was positive to provide Nepal three more air routes- from Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Janakpur. Currently, there is only one air route.
He said that a joint communiqué to be issued soon would clarify the importance and success of the visit.
The Prime Minister said that his Indian counterpart would visit Nepal soon.
"We have fixed a tentative date for the visit. However, it would be finalized at the diplomatic level," he said
Meanwhile, some of the cadres of different sister organsiations of the UCPN-Maoist, specially the dissenting faction, protested against the BIPPA, chanting slogans against the Prime Minister at the main gate of the TIA.
Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai left New Delhi this afternoon after completing his four-day goodwill visit to India.
State Minister for Communications and Information Technology Sachin Pilot saw off Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Pilot, the youngest Member of Parliament, represents the Ajmer constituency of Rajasthan and is a member of the Indian National Congress. He is the son of Congress (I) leader, late Rajesh Pilot.
PM Bhattarai visited various industrial units of Uttarakhanda state.
PM Bhattarai went there on a Special Air Craft of Air India and was welcomed by Minister for Tourism and Sugarcane Development of India Madan Kaushik.
Chief secretary, industry secretary and other distinguished persons of Uttarakhanda were also present at the airport to receive him.
PM Bhattarai also attended the interaction programme with industrialists and received feedbacks on setting up industries in Nepal.
Earlier, RSS adds from Haridwan Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai, who is on a visit to India, attended a luncheon hosted here in his honor by Governor of Uttarakhanda, Margarette Alva.
Earlier, the Prime Minister had visited the world famous Hero Honda Company and Hindustan Liver Limited while inspecting industrial zone of Uttarakhanda.
The prime minister is returning home at 4:00 pm today
In Hyderabad, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai has arrived in Uttarakhanda on the final leg of his four- day official visit to India.
As per the programme of visiting various industrials units in Hyderabad, the prime minister who arrived here in a special aircraft of Air India, was welcomed this morning by Chief Secretary Alok Jain at the Haridwar Airport.
Also present to welcome him were secretaries and other distinguished persons of Uttarakhanda.
Dr. Bhattarai is now visiting various industries in the industrial district in Uttarakhanda, one km’s drive from the airport.
He will later hold talks with governor of Uttarakhanda, Margarette Alva and will attend a luncheon to be hosted in his honor.
The prime minister will return home at 4:00 pm today.
Highlights
Visit built an atmosphere of trust
BIPPA signed keeping national interests at the centre
Bilateral mechanism to be activated
Visit has added new dimensions to Nepal-India relations
PM visits industries at Uttarakhanda state
Indian PM to visit Nepal soon
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KRISHNA PRASAD SHITAULA INTERVIEW IN THE KATHMANDU POST

With Prime Minster Baburam Bhattarai back from his India visit, the heat is on to give momentum to the peace process and particularly the integration of the former Maoist combatants. Amid reports that a deal on integration has been reached and is waiting to be inked, John Narayan Parajuli and Bidushi Dhungel spoke to Krishna P. Situala, the nominated General Secretary of the Nepali Congress. Sitaula is considered to have played an important role in forging the latest deal. In the interview, he talked about the intricacies of the deal, what’s holding a formal agreement back and the bone of contention between the Maoists and the Nepali Congress. Excerpts:
Both the Nepali Congress and the Moaists have said a deal on integration has been agreed on and it’s just waiting to be inked. Is this true?
The main issue surrounding the integration of the ex-Maoist combatants has been problematic because the Maoists haven’t been clear about it from the beginning. The initial agreement was that those combatants who can fulfil the standard norms of concerned security forces will be eligible for possible integration. But the Maoists interpreted this in the wrong way. Within this, the main contentions were on numbers and the standards of the security forces and how flexible either side could be on these matters. Now, these issues have more or less been agreed on.
What numbers have been agreed on?
The Maoists have now asked for 7,000 to be integrated; we said 5,000. This 5,000 is based on the verbal agreement between Maoist party Chairman Prachanda and Girja Prasad Koirala before the CPA, and we have stuck to this number. So now since the numbers aren’t that far apart, we have pretty much reached consensus on numbers.
What about modality?
The other thing was under what standards to integrate the fighters? We said under the concerned security forces’ norms and this time around, the Maoists have agreed. That’s what Prachanda and PM Baburam Bhattarai said when we sat with them in meeting. But when we sat for a meeting with Mohan Baidya and CP Gajurel as well, there was dissent from them. They said that the matter hasn’t been discussed and agreed within the party and it’s not possible for agreement when the party itself hasn’t had proper discussions. So, in the evening, we couldn’t reach a formal agreement. It hasn’t moved forward from there because of the internal disputes in the Maoist party itself. But I am hopeful because the main issues have been addressed, that these internal disputes will be quelled with intra-party discussions and the integration process will move forward.
What about rank harmonisation and roles?
It has been agreed that it will happen under the directorate of the Nepal Army and four work roles have been agreed on what has been discussed in the past months. Insofar as additions to the roles go, what future governments might do, we don’t know.
So you have left space for new roles to be added to the four that have been agreed on?
We don’t know what future governments will do. But if the Maoists are talking about adding to the roles, then they are changing their views. But as far as we have agreed, it’s the four roles we agreed on: industrial security, disaster relief, forest guards and development works.
Also, aren’t the Maoists asking for the rank of Brigadier General while Congress has been saying the highest rank will be Lieutenant Colonel?
No, they haven’t asked for that rank, and we too have said nothing on the matter. The newspapers have been reporting that these demands exist, but it’s not true. This will be decided according to the security forces standards of integration and we’ll see how far the fighters get in the ranks accordingly. Aspects like education and age will also be included and so will the duration of service. We can’t relax any further than the norms of the security forces.
Reports say the Maoists are also asking for a separate and unique identity within the Army.
No, that’s not possible. Within the Nepal Army, a separate Maoist identity is not possible.
Have the Maoists agreed to this?
Yes, they have already. Integration on an individual basis means precisely this. Within the Nepal Army, there will only be a Nepal Army identity. On this, I don’t think the Maoists will interpret any differently. Why do the Maoists need a separate identity if they are already in government?
When will there be an agreement then?
When the PM gets back from India, the Maoist party will have meetings. And because the government is under their leadership, they will have to take the issue forward with seriousness. We in the NC want to bring this peace process to an end. In my understanding, the recent meeting has been the most positive and effective in the past three and half years. A deal on integration is going to be signed in between one week and ten days. But that will happen if the Maoists stick to the agreement. We’re hopeful that they will fulfil their promises with integrity and in the spirit of democracy
How has the relationship between the Maoists and the NC changed in the past few months?
Now the Maoists have shown integrity in holding to the promises that they have made. For example, away from integration, there are other aspects of the peace process like the return of seized property and the dismantling of the YCL. And the transformation of the Maoists to a truly peaceful party. The Maoists have to work on all of these aspects. But this time around, they have spoken with clarity that they will act according to the agreements. They have promised to return seized property, provide relief to those whose land was taken away and so forth. So while in the past the Maoists were negative on these fronts, now they seem positive, which means we’re also positive. The relationship between the two parties has some trust now. I won’t say there’s closeness, but it’s positive.
Will the NC join the government when a deal is signed?
When the peace process reaches an irreversible point, we will join the government to form a national consensus government. Regrouping has to initiate and the weapons have to be in the government’s hands. But government is not our first priority. Our central focus is the peace process and constitution.
Will we see the first draft of the constitution by the end of November?
This depends on the peace process. If the integration process moves ahead, then a skeletal draft of the constitution is possible. But unless the peace process concludes, we cannot have a new constitution.
What about the differences on constitutional issues—has consensus been reached on these?
No, there hasn’t. That will also be addressed when the peace process comes to an end. The constitution is the last phase of the peace process. The press needs to understand this as well: When the CPA was signed; we saw four goals in its spirit. They were full-fledged democracy through a peaceful people’s movement, republicanism through the decision of the CA, an end to the Maoist military structure through integration and rehabilitation, for which we agreed on 5,000 as the number to be integrated—and a new constitution through the CA. We are still stuck in the third phase. The idea was to conclude the third phase within six months of the first sitting of the CA, but this didn’t happen because the Maoists left the path of the peace process. And now we are hopeful that they are back on track. But nothing has been signed yet. We are in the process of attaining the third goal of the CPA. But it all depends on if the Maoists hold on to their words or not.
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