NC PARLIAENTARY PARTS EETS TO CONSIDER CA TERM EXTENSION

NC PARLIAMENTARY PARTY MEETS TO CONSIDER CA TERM EXTENSION

Kathmandu, 26 Nov.: Main opposition NC parliamentary party meets Saturday to decide on the duration of the constituent assembly (CA)/parliament after 30 November when a three-month
extended tenure ends.
The party central committee couldn’t take a decision Friday
following a meet boycott by the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction dissidents.
Another opposition party UML central committee meets Saturday to decide the duration of extension following a decision to extend the term.
The supreme court ruled Friday the extension should be the last
and any extension thereafter will be unconstitutional and illegal.
Government has sought a six-month extension.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“He [Sher Bahadur Deuba] has not been cooperating though I want to resolve the problem. I waited for one-and-a-half years seeking his cooperation. But he is not allowing me to run the party smoothly. Now I should move ahead ignoring
him or quit.”

(NC President Sushil Koirala, Republica, 26 Nov.)
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MoF NOD TO RATIFY ASIAN RAIL NETWORK

Kathmandu, 26 Nov.: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) gave its consent Friday to ratify the agreement for the proposed Trans-Asia Railway Network (TAR) signed six years ago in Busan, South Korea. Once completed, the project will connect Nepal with Asia-Europe railway network,
Prabhakar Ghimere writes in Republica.

The ratification part remained neglected ever since Nepal signed the pact at a meeting of Transport and Railway Ministers of 17 Asian countries in Busan in 2006.

The agreement was signed by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, South Korea, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam and is regarded as a major breakthrough in the planned cross-continent transport system across the Asia-Pacific region.

"Nod from MoF underscores Nepal´s financial commitment to develop the rail project," Ram Kumar Lamsal, director general of the Department of Railway, told Republica.

The Ministry of Justice has already given its consent for the ratification. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) - the implementing ministry - said it will soon seek consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before bringing the agenda to the Cabinet.

"After getting Cabinet approval, we will register the proposal at the parliament for ratification. Once the parliament ratifies it, we will inform the United Nation about it," said Lamsal.

TAR is expected to ensure greater connectivity ensuring increased mobility of goods and persons through further link with the 81,000-km trans-continental railway network in Eurasia region.

TAR starts on the Pacific seaboard of Asia and ends up on the doorstep of Europe. It would cover 28 countries, which are the members of the United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNSCAP), and will provide greater regional connectivity between the two continents. Eight countries - China, India, Thailand, Combodia, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Russia and South Korea - have already ratified the agreement.

LoI for Korean firm

The government has issued the Letter of Intent (LoI) calling for an agreement with Chungsuk Engineering Company, which was recommended by a selection committee to prepare a Detail Project Report (DPR) for the construction of Bardia-Birgunj section of Mechi-Mahakali Electrical Railway system.

The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) - the implementing ministry - recently approved the draft agreement proposed by the committee headed by Lamsal.

Lamsal also informed his committee has recommended the name of Chungsuk Engineering to conduct the feasibility study and prepare a report for the proposed Metro Railway - a massive rapid transit (underground and elevated railway) system in the capital. "We will negotiate with the firm this Sunday," said Lamsal.
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FORCE TO BE USED TO STOP BANK ENCROACHMENT
Kathmandu, 26 Nov.: The Home Ministry on Friday decided to use force if necessary to evict squatters from the government land along the banks of rivers in Kathmandu, Shreejana
Shrestha writes in Republica.

The ministry said it would soon issue an ultimatum for the squatters to vacate the land.

“The ministry agreed to provide and mobilize force if necessary to end land encroachment and evict the squatters from river banks in various places in Kathmandu,” said Ekmani Nepal, under-secretary at the Home Ministry.

A meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar with various stakeholders -- officials from the environment ministry, land reforms ministry, physical planning ministry, Kathmandu Metropolitan City and chiefs of security bodies -- took a decision to this effect.

Nepal informed that a task force has been formed to work on this particular issue. “The mandate of the task force has yet to be decided but the task force will work to stop the encroachment and save the government land and Bagmati civilization.”

Figures provided by the High-Powered Committee for Integrated Development of the Bagmati Civilization reveals that about 2,800 squatter households comprising 10,500 individuals have been living on the banks of the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Manohara and Dhobikhola rivers. The figures also show that squatters have encroached 1500 ropanis (76.31 hectares) of land -- from Shankhamul to Teku -- that belongs to the UN Park.
Landless squatters have been demanding for other alternatives before leaving the areas they have been occupying now. Meantime, squatters living luxurious life have also been reported.

“We have already held several rounds of interaction with the squatter community to stop the encroachment but they have been consistently refusing to vacate the land,” said Mahesh Basnet, chief of the high-powered committee.

He added that the rampant encroachment of the riverside has worsened the condition of rivers in the valley. “We have been unable to implement the Bagmati Action Plan that includes building dams, green belts and setting drainage system due to the encroachment.”

There is a legal provision that no government or private buildings are to be built within 20 meters of the river bank.
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