UPDATE ON MAIN CONSTITUTION DRAFTNG COMMITTEE MEET
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: A summit meet of the Big Three- UCPN (Maoist) and opposition parties NC and UML—began Saturday immediately after a meeting of a main constitution drafting committee chaired by Nilambar Acharya.
The Acharya committee endorsed a recommendation of a Prachanda-sub-committee which decided Friday to form a experts’ committee
to recommend a federal structure.
The interim constitution mentions such a restructured structure will be recommended by a state reorganization commission.
An 11th amendment to the interim constitution was registered Friday at parliament secretariat Friday to incorporate the change in the procedure to draw up a federal structure to replace a unitary state.
Parliament will debate and approve the amendment coming Friday.
There’s finally been some progress in constitution drafting as a
30 November deadline to complete the peace process and constitution lapses.
But a complete constitution isn’t likely to be declared by the
deadline.
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GOVT. FINALLY ENDORSES ANTI-TOBACCO DIRECTIVES
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: The government on Friday assented to the anti-tobacco directives that had been gathering dust on the table of Health Minster Rajendra Mahato.
The decision came the very day, which according to Tobacco Product Control and Regulatory Act 2010, assented to by President Ram Baran Yadav on May 9 and enforced from August 7, had asked all the tobacco products to have pictorial warnings of tobacco hazards on their covers.
The letter posted by the Health Ministry and signed by Secretary Dr Sudha Sharma on Friday read that the directives have been approved by the ministry hence asking all the tobacco-producing firms to put labels accordingly.
The directives require tobacco-producing firms to print pictorial warnings on the hazards of consuming a tobacco product covering 75 percent area of its cover. According to the order, cigarette packets need to have pictorial warnings of lungs affected by cancer while bidi (a small hand-rolled cigarette) packets should carry a picture of a child suffering from cancer on their wrappers.
The directives also require other tobacco products gutkha (a sweetened mixture of chewing tobacco, betel nut, and palm nut), khaini (chewing tobacco) and surti (tobacco leaves) to have warnings printed on their wrappers.
These tobacco products should bear a picture of a man suffering from mouth and throat cancer on the top of front and back covers.
The messages need to be printed in white against a red background. “The directives will be sent to the Ministry of Industry on Sunday, which writes to all the firms about the warnings and labels to be used,” said Badri Khadka, the director at the National Health, Education, Information and Communication Centre under the Health Ministry. “So after the Ministry of Industry writes to all the firms then they cannot manufacture products using old labels. If found so, according to the Act, the products will be destroyed.”
The Act, however, is not clear as to what should be done to the tobacco products that were produced before the dissemination of directives.
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GOVT. MULLS BONDS NOT CASH FOR FORMER MAOIST FIGHTERS
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Two days after an agreement on the integration and rehabilitation of former Maoist combatants, the government is exploring different ways to finance the rehabilitation and voluntary retirement package, Prithvi Man Shrestha writes in The Kathmandu Post.
One option currently under discussion is issuance of government bonds instead of cash for the combatants seeking voluntary retirement. The bonds can be cashed only after a few years.
On Friday, the Special Committee on Integration and Rehabilitation of Combatants directed the secretariat under it to prepare a comprehensive action plan on the package for the rehabilitation and voluntary retirement schemes after the regrouping process. With the government not making any budgetary allocation for the rehabilitation of the combatants, another option it is mulling is seeking aid from donors.
According to a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the viability of issuing bonds to the combatants has figured in discussions. “We also discussed the finance ministry preparing a proposal in this regard,” the official said.
Finance Minister Barshaman Pun said the ministry is preparing a package for the combatants. “No decision has been taken on the bonds so far,” he said.
According to the PMO official, bonds could be safer as there are chances of the combatants misusing the cash.
“They may start spending unnecessarily when they get hold of such a huge amount of cash,” the official said.
“There also remains possibility the combatants may use the money to purchase weapons and engage in criminal activities.” As per the discussions, the combatants can be given Rs 100,000 when they leave the cantonments and the bonds issued for the remaining amount.
Bonds are generally meant for the general public to invest in and it is secured by the government. They can get interest on the bonds on a periodic basis, while both the principal amount and the interest is paid back to the investors after a certain period. As the interest rate of the bonds is usually higher than the inflation rate, they attract the general public. The Finance Ministry said generating funds to pay the combatants is not a difficult task. “There is no problem of resources for managing the combatants,” Pun said. An estimated Rs 6 billion is needed for the combatants’ integration, rehabilitation and voluntary retirement schemes.
“Arranging Rs 3 billion this year is not a problem,” Pun said. “Donors will be asked for additional amount.”
Joint Secretary at the Finance Ministry Bodh Raj Niraula also said managing Rs 3 billion for the current fiscal year for the purpose is not a problem. “We arranged Rs 5 billion for the Hydropower Development Company set up by the government from last year’s budget,” he said. While a certain amount remains in the peace fund financed by the government and the donors, the latter have expressed their interest to fund it further, according to a source.
“Some amount will be needed to hike the combatants’ salary and make it on par with that of Nepal Army personnel, while some amount will be needed for physical infrastructure expansion and training for the combatants,” the source said.
Nepal Army is expected to demand a budget for this purpose. A certain amount will also be needed for the uniform and weapons for the integrated combatants.
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MUSLIMS THREATEN PROTESTS AGAINST INEFFECTIVE GOVT.
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Shahid Faizan Struggle Committee, backed by various Muslim organisations and right bodies, has warned to launch a new phase of nationwide protests from November 13 if the government failed to implement an agreement reached with them earlier, TH Himalayan Times reports.
The struggle committee has demanded that the
government declare slain Muslim leader Faizan Ahmed a martyr, bring the culprits behind the murder to book, induct a Muslim representative in the judicial probe commission, guarantee education of the victim’s children and security for Muslims and their vital installations.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar had pledged to fulfil the demands in the wake of the murder.
Ahmed, general secretary of Islami Sangh Nepal, was shot dead by gunmen in Ghantaghar on September 26. Nazarul Hasan Falahi, coordinator of the struggle committee and chairman of Islami Sangh Nepal, said they would hold mass protests from November 13-25 and stage torch rally on November 26 in various parts of the country.
“We will enforce nationwide chakkajam for an indefinite period from November 27 if the government remains deaf to our genuine demands,” he warned. The culprits are still at large.
‘Probe in progress’
Police on Friday said their investigation into the murder of Faizan Ahmed was moving in the right direction. SSP Rabi Raj Shrestha, spokesperson at Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s Office, said that investigation based on telephone call details of the suspects was expected to lead to their arrest. The government has formed a judicial commission to probe the incident.
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DPM GACHEDHAR DEFENDS ‘HISTORIC’ POLICE PROMOTIONS
Kathmandu, 5 Nov.: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar claimed that Thursday’s Cabinet decision to promote the five DIGs of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, is based on their performance appraisal, ability and honesty, The Himalayan Times reports from Bara..
Speaking with journalists at Simara Airport on Friday, DPM Gachhadar also termed the government decision to promote the DIGs a historic one.
The Cabinet on Thursday had promoted DIG Nawa Raj Dhakal and Bhishma Prasain of the NP, and Durja Kumar Rai, Rishabdev Bhattarai and Jiwan Kumar Thapa of the APF as AIGs in the absence of chiefs of the two security agencies.
They are currently in Vietnam to participate in the 80th General Assembly of Interpol.
The government has been criticised for violating seniority in the promotions.
Gachhadar also clarified that seniority is not the only and ultimate criterion for promotion.
Stressing on the need of competent leadership in the security agencies, he claimed that he is committed to end the political interference in the security bodie
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