PRACHANDA-LED SUB-COMMITTEE MEET POSTPONED

PRACHANDA-LED SUB-COMMITTEE MEET POSTPONED

Kathmandu, 17 Nov. A scheduled meeting Thursday of a Maoist Chairman
Prachanda-led sub-committee to resolve differences on themes to be incorporated in a proposed constitution that has yet to be promulgated has been adjourned, sub-committee Laxman Lal Karma said.
The meeting was to report to the main constitution drafting committee led by Nilambar Acharya its suggestion for a federal structure and
election system.
A task force report prepared by Karna had presented suggestions at the last meeting for approval Thursday.
The sub-committee meet was postponed amid differences at a higher level
between parties on an experts’ panel and a state restructuring
commission to draw up a federal structure.
With differences at the party level, a sub-committee meeting would have meaningless.
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15 HOUSES AT PANCHTHAR SETTLEMENT DESTROYED


Kathmandu, 17 Nov.: Fifteen of 16 houses at Tharku Dahal gaon
in Panchhar was destroyed by a fire that started overnight, radio
reports said Thursday morning.
The fire started from a spark in one house.
Further details are awaited.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

‘We have people’s representatives wanted for murder
forging VAT bills, selling diplomatic passports and corruption.
Then there are those publicly threatening to break-up the
country, beating up civil servants and using foul language in the
streets. Some constituent assembly members have even
picked up as the media goes among housewives while they
were cooking in the kitchen.
“Some don’t even have a SLC degree and have their kids sit for
the exams for them while others are barely literate. And last but
not the least, senior leaders of all the major parties don’t even
attend the constituent assembly meeting busy as they are with
making and pulling down governments. In such a scenario, one
can only imagine the type of constitution we are writings and
at what cost.”

(B. Pun, reprinted in People’s Review from The Rising Nepal, 17 Nov.)
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MINISTER SOUGHT Rs 800,000 to 1m BRIBE FOR TRANSFER
Kathmandu, 17 Nov.: Forest and Soil Conservation Minister Mohammad Wakil Musalman is found to have been demanding Rs 800,000 to 1 million each from two dozen district forest officers (DFOs), enticing them with transfers to lucrative districts, it is confirmed by multiple sources, Bimal Gautam writes in Republica. .

According to knowledgeable sources at the Forest Ministry, Minister Musalman transferred 11 DFOs to various districts on Tuesday and has been preparing to transfer 13 more shortly despite serious objection from Forest Secretary Keshav Bhattarai and other senior officials.


"The minister himself, his aides and some of his relatives have been demanding Rs 800,000 to 1 million if a DFO wants to get transferred to districts notorious for timber smuggling," confirmed three ministry sources. One of the DFOs who was invited to the minister´s quarters Monday and asked to pay for his transfer also confirmed that the minister sought money from him.

"You have to pay money to support my party if you want to get transferred to a lucrative district," the DFO quoted Musalman as saying at his quarters.

The minister´s decision to transfer DFOs flouts the existing Civil Service Act, which does not allow him to transfer DFOs or other government staff before the end of a two-year term. The minister also flouted legal provisions by not seeking prior consent from the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) before reaching such a decision.

Additionally, the minister has also not taken any prior consent from the MoGA in the case of the 13 DFOs whom he wants to transfer soon.

Sources divulged that the minister´s personal secretaries are also bargaining with the DFOs over money.

Meanwhile, disgruntled with Forest Secretary Bhattarai, Minister Musalman is all set to transfer him from the ministry. Secretary Bhattarai and other senior officials had requested him not to transfer any DFOs in contravention of the law or take other controversial decisions.
• Minister transfers 11 DFOs, flouting Civil Service Act
• Preparing to transfer another 13 DFOs
• Minister, aides demanding up to Rs 1 m from DFOs willing to get transferred
• I challenge you to show evidence: Minister
• Minister admits preparing to transfer secretary
Minister Musalman, however, said the allegations against him were baseless. "I have not asked DFOs to pay me for their transfers," he said, adding, "I am ready to face action and even quit if anyone shows solid evidence of my involvement in bribe taking. I also challenge you (Republica) to show evidence regarding my involvement in demanding such bribes."

He, however, admitted that he is not fully satisfied with Secretary Bhattarai. Asked why he wants to transfer his secretary despite Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai´s public commitment not to transfer secretaries without assessing their performance, Minister Musalman added, "Transferring secretaries has long been a tradition in our country. A minister can transfer a secretary if he doesn´t receive proper support from the secretaries concerned."

Minister Musalman failed to specify in which matter Secretary Bhattarai failed to cooperate with him.

Asked why he transferred 11 DFOs in contravention of the Civil Service Act, Musalman said, "The decision to transfer them was taken as they were not given their responsibilities for so long."

He transferred DFOs posted in Jhapa, Shankhuwasabha, Surkhet, Rautahat, Kaski, Nuwakot and Dang on Tuesday.

According to sources, Musalman has prepared a list of lucrative districts to transfer DFOs to. As per the list, Dadeldhura, Kailali, Bara, Makwanpur, Sindhuli, Udayapur and Argakhachi are among the lucrative districts. "He has been seeking money from those wishing to get transferred to these districts," the sources added.
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30,000 HECTORS OF FORESTS ENCROACHED
Kathmandu, 17 Nov.: About 30,000 hectors of forest area in the Far West have been encroached upon by squatters and “victims of natural disasters”. The forest officers state that the encroachers receive political protection making it tough to deal with the issue Barun Paneru writes in Republica from Dandeldhura.
Bijayraj Poudel, director, Far West Forest Directorate, said a huge chunk of the forest land has been encroached upon and the problem is just growing.

“About 30,000 hectors of the forest area has already been encroached upon by squatters and the so-called victims of natural disasters,” he said. “It is difficult to remove them as they have political protection.”

According to the directorate, 20,653 hectors of forest in Kailali, 4,366 hectors in Kanchanpur, 2,090 hectors in Dadeldhura and 300 hectors in Doti have been encroached upon.

Poudel informed that the directorate has collected the details of the encroached forest areas. It also informed that it would soon take steps to evict the encroachers. According to Poudel, the total forest area in the Far West is 687,400 hectors.

“We have tried to move out the encroachers from several areas time and again, but political representatives come to their rescue,” he complained.

However, according to Assistant Forest Officer Rajesh Shah not only the political parities, but several forest officers and staff themselves are involved in forest encroachment.

The directorate stated it is not possible for the forest staff themselves to reach out to the areas to stop the encroachment due to security threats.
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