BIBAHA PANCHAMI BEING OBSERVED

BIBAHA PANCHAMI BEING OBSERVED
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: Bibaha Panchami
is being celebrated Tuesday.
Devotees from Nepal and India are taking holy dips at lakes in
Janakpurdham to offer prayers to Lord Ram and Consort Sita whose
marriage is being celebrated Tuesday.
There’s a festival atmosphere in Janakpur where the wedding of
Ram and Sita was solemnized.
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GOVT. ACCEPTS BRITISH, FINNISH ASSISTANCE
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: Government has accepted a Rs. 1,83 billion
British assistance for a project to stop the effect of climate change.
The cabinet has also accepted a s 30.84 million Finnish assistance for an environment transmission improvement project.
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REGROUPING OF FORMER MAOIST PLA FIGHTERS COMPLETED IN SIX OF SEVEN CANTONMENTS





Kathmandu, Nov. 28, The task of regrouping former Maoist combatants finished in most cantonments and camps as per the schedule by Monday, Kiran Pandey writes in The Rising Nepal..
Some 15,534 combatants among the 19,503 cantoned in 7 main cantonment sites (MCS) and 21 satellite camps was on Monday while some work remained to be done in the seventh division of Talaband, Kailali district.
By the final day Monday, 1281 combatants of second division located at Dhudhauli of Sindhuli, 3,319 of third division camp of Shaktikhor of Chitwan, 2,614 combatants of fourth division of Yaltungdanda, Nawalparasi, 2,126 combatants of fifth division located at Dahaban of Rolpa, 2,693 combatants of sixth division located at Dashrathpur of Surkhet and 2,219 combatants of seventh division located at Talaband of Kailali had been regrouped.
The regrouping task at seventh division could not be completed as it was initiated behind schedule, said Balananda Sharma, Coordinator of the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC). Sharma said the final

reports, however, were yet to come.
"The deadline has been extended by three days to accomplish all regrouping tasks," Sharma added.
Regrouping at the first division of Chulachuli at Ilam has been concluded.
According to Dr. Shambhu Ram Simkhada, coordinator of the AISC secretariat for the first division, 1,501 combatants out of total 1,930 cantoned combatants have been regrouped. It has three satellite camps.
He said 787 combatants opted for integration and 714 combatants for voluntary retirement; however, 429 combatants were absent in the regrouping.
The regrouping task at the third division in Shaktikhor of Chitwan has been concluded leaving 651 verified combatants absent in the regrouping process.
According to the AISC secretariat of Shatikhor, out of total cantoned 3,970 combatants, only 3,319 were regrouped by the last deadline of the regrouping.
Though the AISC team deployed in third division has claimed that the regrouping has been concluded, the division commanders have insisted that there are still some remaining tasks to be completed.
Meanwhile the regrouping task in fourth division of Jyaltung Danda, Nawalparasi has been concluded.
Having four satellites camps, the fourth division regrouped altogether 2,614 combatants on Monday. Out of total regrouped combatants, 1,277 combatants opted for integration and 1,337 for voluntary retirement. However, no combatant here opted for rehabilitation.
"We are happy that we have finished all regrouping tasks within the stipulated timeframe of November 28," said Ramananda Kurmi, member of AISC secretariat.
Only two combatants of Second Division opted for the government’s rehabilitation package.
During the last phase of regrouping, around 60 per cent of the ex-Maoist combatants have chosen integration while around 40 percent have preferred voluntary retirement.
However, not all the combatants going for integration will be addressed in the 6,500-quota as agreed among the parties for the PLA under a proposed new directorate of the Nepal Army
The rest of them would be either provided with rehabilitation package worth Rs 6 lakh to 9 lakh or voluntary retirement with cash assistance ranging from Rs 5 to 8 lakh.
As per the action plan passed by the AISC the directorate would be formed to accommodate regrouped PLA and the national army will choose the reserved number of the PLA applying its own standards and norms.
During the regrouping, the combatants were asked to voluntarily choose one of the three options - integration, rehabilitation and voluntary retirement. They were given counseling on the packages available.
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MORE DETAILS OF UML CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEET; DECIDES TO ADOPT FEDERAL PARTY FORM

Kathmandu, Nov. 29, The ongoing CPN-UML’s 12th central committee meeting concluded Monday, endorsing a proposal on ‘party consolidation and people’s mobilization campaign’ with some revisions, Ritu Raj
Subedi writes in The Rising Nepal.
It also decided to discuss remaining agenda in the upcoming 13th CC meeting.
"The meeting prepared an action plan on peace, constitution and party consolidation," said secretary Shankar Pokharel.
Talking to The Rising Nepal, Pokharel said that the party would mobilize its cadres and people to institutionalize the political achievements.
He said that the meeting concluded that Nepal’s recent political changes were based on people’s multiparty democracy propounded by late Madan Bhandari
"So, the UML will strive to institutionalize the people’s multiparty democracy, which in turn,
will ensure the political gains Nepal made in recent years," he said.
He said that the CC meeting also decided to restructure the party’s organization as per federal system, which the country would soon adopt.
"We will work out how to shape the party into federal structure," he said and added that the party’s top leaders would work in unison to send a message of unity among the cadres.
The campaign aim

titutionalize the political achievements.
He said that the meeting concluded that Nepal’s recent political changes were based on people’s multiparty democracy propounded by late Madan Bhandari
"So, the UML will strive to institutionalize the people’s multiparty democracy, which in turn,
will ensure the political gains Nepal made in recent years," he said.
He said that the CC meeting also decided to restructure the party’s organization as per federal system, which the country would soon adopt.
"We will work out how to shape the party into federal structure," he said and added that the party’s top leaders would work in unison to send a message of unity among the cadres.
The campaign aims at conducting the committees’ meetings at all levels, training and orientation programmes and extensive people’s mobilizations in every constituency, said a UML press statement.
The campaign is being carried out keeping the party’s
national representatives’ council meeting to be held on February 4, 2012 in consideration.
The CC members put forth their suggestions on the significance and necessity, objective and agendas of the campaign.
The meeting already approved a four-point proposal, demanding the formation of national consensus government. It called for brining a clear time-bound calendar on peace and constitution writing processes prior to the extension of Constituent Assembly’s term.
The UML asked the PM to create environment for the formation of national government in line with the seven-point agreement signed among the four major forces on November 1.
The UML also criticized Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai for inking BIPPA, stating that the deal would invite chaos instead of foreign investment.
The second opposition party also lashed out the PM for forming ‘jumbo’ cabinet, which it said, hollowed out the PM’s austerity drive.
It also decided to hold the 13th CC meet in near future.
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GOVT. SEEKS RS.5B ASSISTANCEFROM WB TO BOOST DGGC CAPITAL

Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: The government has officially requested the World Bank (WB) for a soft loan of Rs 5 billion to enhance the shock-absorbing capacity of the Deposit & Credit Guarantee Corporation (DCGC), which has been insuring deposits of banks and financial institutions, Rupak Sharma reports in Republica..

The request was made after various sectors started expressing doubts over the state-owned corporation´s ability to settle claims in case of sudden rise in number of troubled financial institutions, as the public enterprise does not even have a capital base of Rs 1 billion.

Although the DCGC still does not know when the amount will arrive, a reliable government source told Republica: “We expect it to come soon as a senior WB official has given consent to our proposition.”

According to the official, the credit amount - on which an interest of 1 percent is expected to be charged - will be parked in a separate fund (Deposit Guarantee Fund) which has already been formed under the DCGC.

The DCGC is currently building the fund´s reserve by channeling 50 percent of its net income to the fund.

“Once the fund gets additional amount, the DCGC can dip into this reserve while settling claims,” the source added.

The DCGC is currently in need of money as the central bank has given it the monopoly to insure deposits of up to Rs 200,000 belonging to all depositors in commercial banks, development banks and finance companies. This generally means the DCGC will have to compensate victims, who have parked up to Rs 200,000 in these institutions, in case banks and financial institution go bankrupt.

So far, the DCGC has insured deposits of almost Rs 70 billion belonging to more than 1.8 million depositors - majority of who have accounts in development banks and finance companies.

A large chunk of DCGC´s clients are development banks and finance companies as the government has made it compulsory for these financial institutions to insulate deposits of up to Rs 200,000.

The government has also asked commercial banks to do the same but since it is not binding, so far only five commercial banks - Mega, Citizens, Civil, Machhapuchchhre, and Standard Chartered - have volunteered to do so. Others are saying the premium of 20 paisa that the DCGC charges on insurance of every Rs 100 is too high.

Despite this criticism, the government is recently mounting pressure on these commercial banks to follow the path of the five banks. This means all commercial banks will one day be compelled to insure deposits.

“This is why we are asking for the soft loan from the WB, as commercial banks usually insure huge amount of deposits than other financial institutions, forcing the corporation to bear greater risk,” the source said.

Along with this, the government, since last year, has also taken steps toward replenishing the corporation´s capital by releasing a fund of Rs 400 million every year till 2015 so as to raise the capital of the DCGC to Rs 2 billion.

Under this provision, the government last year released only Rs 250 million citing budget constraint and another Rs 500 million this year to compensate the shortfall of last year. This has raised the paid-up capital of the corporation to Rs 980 million.
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APPLICATIONS FOR INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION OPEN
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: After receiving no application for inter-country adoption in 2011, the government has asked prospective foreign parents to apply for adopting Nepali orphans for the year 2012, Arjun Poudel reports in Republica.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has formally invited applications through concerned embassies, diplomatic missions and international adoption agencies for the first time after inter-country adotption was suspended in 2009.

The ministry had suspended inter-country adoption following disclosure of rampant irregularities in the process. Some European countries including USA had also suspended adoption of Nepali children indefinitely after revelation of irregularities. Before the suspension, the ministry used to receive more than 500 such applications each year.

“We have completed listing eligible children for adoption for 2012. Altogether 252 children are eligible for adoption,” the legal officer at the ministry, Sher Jung Karki, said. Children formally relinquished by the family will also be put on offer for adoption, he said.

Some of the children´s homes had stopped providing shelter to newcomer orphans since a year after foreign countries stopped taking in Nepali children. The children´s homes cited financial problems for stopping providing shelter to newcomer orphans. Foreign adoption is one of the main financial sources of the orphanages.

The government has also introduced strict measures after reports of irregularities in adoption were disclosed.

Karki said that the foreign parents seeking to adopt Nepali children cannot approach the children directly. “Prospective parents cannot visit Nepal to select children without the consent of the Nepal government. They have to apply through the Internet,” the legal officer at the ministry, Karki, stated. The ministry has asked foreign parents to submit application within three days from November 17.

He also said the adopting parents need to submit documents concerning permission from their respective governments for adoption and should apply through registered adoption agencies.

The government had also fixed fee for adoption. Adopting parents have to pay US$ 8,000 and the orphanage will get only US$ 5,000 per child. The US$ 3,000 will go to the state and it will be spent for the welfare of children.

Previously adopting parents would approach the concerned orphanage directly and select a child. They would pay huge amount to the orphanages to take away the children of their choice. Karki said that adopting parents from now on will be able to choose only gender and age of the children.

The ministry says 29 orphanages have renewed their licenses for inter-country adoption. Seven new orphanages have acquired licenses for adoption. Parents from around 72 countries adopt Nepali children.
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GOVT. SEEKS RS.5B ASSISTANCEFROM WB TO BOOST DGGC CAPITAL

Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: The government has officially requested the World Bank (WB) for a soft loan of Rs 5 billion to enhance the shock-absorbing capacity of the Deposit & Credit Guarantee Corporation (DCGC), which has been insuring deposits of banks and financial institutions, Rupak Sharma reports in Republica..

The request was made after various sectors started expressing doubts over the state-owned corporation´s ability to settle claims in case of sudden rise in number of troubled financial institutions, as the public enterprise does not even have a capital base of Rs 1 billion.

Although the DCGC still does not know when the amount will arrive, a reliable government source told Republica: “We expect it to come soon as a senior WB official has given consent to our proposition.”

According to the official, the credit amount - on which an interest of 1 percent is expected to be charged - will be parked in a separate fund (Deposit Guarantee Fund) which has already been formed under the DCGC.

The DCGC is currently building the fund´s reserve by channeling 50 percent of its net income to the fund.

“Once the fund gets additional amount, the DCGC can dip into this reserve while settling claims,” the source added.

The DCGC is currently in need of money as the central bank has given it the monopoly to insure deposits of up to Rs 200,000 belonging to all depositors in commercial banks, development banks and finance companies. This generally means the DCGC will have to compensate victims, who have parked up to Rs 200,000 in these institutions, in case banks and financial institution go bankrupt.

So far, the DCGC has insured deposits of almost Rs 70 billion belonging to more than 1.8 million depositors - majority of who have accounts in development banks and finance companies.

A large chunk of DCGC´s clients are development banks and finance companies as the government has made it compulsory for these financial institutions to insulate deposits of up to Rs 200,000.

The government has also asked commercial banks to do the same but since it is not binding, so far only five commercial banks - Mega, Citizens, Civil, Machhapuchchhre, and Standard Chartered - have volunteered to do so. Others are saying the premium of 20 paisa that the DCGC charges on insurance of every Rs 100 is too high.

Despite this criticism, the government is recently mounting pressure on these commercial banks to follow the path of the five banks. This means all commercial banks will one day be compelled to insure deposits.

“This is why we are asking for the soft loan from the WB, as commercial banks usually insure huge amount of deposits than other financial institutions, forcing the corporation to bear greater risk,” the source said.

Along with this, the government, since last year, has also taken steps toward replenishing the corporation´s capital by releasing a fund of Rs 400 million every year till 2015 so as to raise the capital of the DCGC to Rs 2 billion.

Under this provision, the government last year released only Rs 250 million citing budget constraint and another Rs 500 million this year to compensate the shortfall of last year. This has raised the paid-up capital of the corporation to Rs 980 million.
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APPLICATIONS FOR INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION OPEN
Kathmandu, 29 Nov.: After receiving no application for inter-country adoption in 2011, the government has asked prospective foreign parents to apply for adopting Nepali orphans for the year 2012, Arjun Poudel reports in Republica.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has formally invited applications through concerned embassies, diplomatic missions and international adoption agencies for the first time after inter-country adotption was suspended in 2009.

The ministry had suspended inter-country adoption following disclosure of rampant irregularities in the process. Some European countries including USA had also suspended adoption of Nepali children indefinitely after revelation of irregularities. Before the suspension, the ministry used to receive more than 500 such applications each year.

“We have completed listing eligible children for adoption for 2012. Altogether 252 children are eligible for adoption,” the legal officer at the ministry, Sher Jung Karki, said. Children formally relinquished by the family will also be put on offer for adoption, he said.

Some of the children´s homes had stopped providing shelter to newcomer orphans since a year after foreign countries stopped taking in Nepali children. The children´s homes cited financial problems for stopping providing shelter to newcomer orphans. Foreign adoption is one of the main financial sources of the orphanages.

The government has also introduced strict measures after reports of irregularities in adoption were disclosed.

Karki said that the foreign parents seeking to adopt Nepali children cannot approach the children directly. “Prospective parents cannot visit Nepal to select children without the consent of the Nepal government. They have to apply through the Internet,” the legal officer at the ministry, Karki, stated. The ministry has asked foreign parents to submit application within three days from November 17.

He also said the adopting parents need to submit documents concerning permission from their respective governments for adoption and should apply through registered adoption agencies.

The government had also fixed fee for adoption. Adopting parents have to pay US$ 8,000 and the orphanage will get only US$ 5,000 per child. The US$ 3,000 will go to the state and it will be spent for the welfare of children.

Previously adopting parents would approach the concerned orphanage directly and select a child. They would pay huge amount to the orphanages to take away the children of their choice. Karki said that adopting parents from now on will be able to choose only gender and age of the children.

The ministry says 29 orphanages have renewed their licenses for inter-country adoption. Seven new orphanages have acquired licenses for adoption. Parents from around 72 countries adopt Nepali children.
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