STRIKE CLOSES DOWN NINE EAST DISTRICTS

NINE DISTRICTS IN EAST CLOSED DOWN

Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: An indefinite strike called by a faction of the Federal Limbuwan Parishad Sunday closed nine district easy of Arun river.
Protestors charges government for not implementing a five-point assurance to call off past protests.
The strike has disrupted normal and movement of traffic on the Koshi has come to a complete halt.
nnnn

GOVT. TO GIVE ALLOWANCE TO LANDLESS SQUATTERS
Kathmandu, 10 Dec.: Minister for Land Reform and Management Bhim Prasad Gautam Saturday said that the government was not chasing landless squatters dwelling on river banks of the capital forcefully, The Rising Nepal reports.
Giving assurances to manage true landless squatters after consulting with stakeholders, minister Gautam said that the government is planning to provide them some allowances. The government is serious about the problems of real landless squatters and their problems would be addressed, said minister Gautam speaking at an interaction with the press.
Reiterating that the Landless Squatter Dispute Resolution Commission would also try to solve the problems of landless squatters, he added that people residing in concrete houses cannot be real landless squatters. Mahesh Basnet, chairman of the Bagmati Development Committee said that the landless squatters would be removed as per the government decision and added that legal action would be taken if someone defies the order.
The committee was authorized for eliminating encroachment of valley rivers, control settlements and sand theft, manage garbage, constructing sewage and greenbelt. But these works have been hindered by encroachment, Basnet briefed.
Basnet said the committee has already recommended the government for making alternative arrangements for the landless squatters when they are removed.
Former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Keshav Sthapit said that it is unnecessary to remove landless squatters by use of force as they could be easily removed through a probe.
"Some of the public lands of the capital valley have already been encroached by well off and influential people. If the landless squatters had not settled here, this land would also be grabbed these rich people," Sthapit said.
He said that landless squatters have acted as the protector of this land..
Chairman of All Nepal Association of Squatters asked the government to investigate and identify real and fake landless squatters.
If the government evicts the squatters by force, thousands of squatters would resist the government actio
Nnnn


BIG PARTIES FOCUS OLYON POWER EQUATION SAYS MINISTER GUPTA
Kathmandu, 11 Dec Minister for Information and Communications and Chairman of Madhashi Janadhikar Forum (Ganatantrik) Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta has expressed his concern that the tasks on peace and constitution are being overshadowed, Ganamidhi Sapkota reports in The Rising Nepal reports from Kavre.
The ruling political parties have centred their attention on changing the power equation instead of putting full focus on concluding the peace process and writing the new constitution. They are lately talking about the formation of a national unity government, said Gupta addressing a central training camp of his party in Kabhre on Saturday.
The major political parties are concerned on leading the national consensus government instead of addressing the aspirations and dreams of the Nepalese people, Gupta said.
The nation is facing all kinds of problems mainly because the political situation of the country is not normal. If the present government continues to perform in the way it is doing now, the constitution cannot be written in six months as directed by the Supreme Court, Minister Gupta complained.
Gupta said that those who do not want to seen transformation, peace and constitution in the country are playing their games. The leaders of manor political parties are also losing their way under the influence of such forces.
"If the constitution could not be promulgated within the time fixed by the Supreme Court, a situation of crisis will arise," Gupta warned.
When we miss the train of opportunity, there will be neither a chance for a referendum nor another constituent assembly election. Gupta said that question is being raised about the coordinator of the State Restructuring Commission Dr Madan Pariyar because he spoke beyond the jurisdiction of his post.
"He should know the limitations of his post. He should not be speaking what he likes," Gupta said.
Pointing to the unresolved issue of the regrouping of the Maoist combatants, Gupta said that the number of combatants opting for integration has created problems. The political parties need to think seriously over the issue, he said.
Gupta portrayed two separate notions inherent in the Madhesh based political parties. The first type wants to remain in power forever. The other one wants to change the system and work in the interests of the people oppressed in terms of ethnic background, regional and geographical factors.
The Forum Ganatantrik is in favour of breaking the present power arrangement which will be focus of the training camp, Gupta said. The camp will run for two days. The Kabhre gathering will take stock of the party’s past activities, chart out future strategies and take stock of the current political developments.
nnnn

BUDGET CEILING FOR DISTRICTS RS.98.5B IN FY 2012/13
Kathmandu, 11 Dec.: With the government making preparations for the budget for the next fiscal year, the National Planning Commission (NPC) has set the upper limit of the budget to be spent through district development committees (DDCs) at Rs 98.5 billion, Ashok Thapa wrtes in The Kathmandu Post..
The government has allocated Rs 87.33 billion for the current fiscal year.
According to NPC, the set budget covers both central- and local-level development programmes to be implemented by DDCs.
The grants to be provided by the Ministry of Local Development and programmes under other ministries to be implemented by DDCs also fall under the ceiling, according to Puspa Lal Shakya, joint Secretary at NPC. This, however, does not include revenue that DDCs earn at local level.
NPC has proposed that the government should maintain current expenditure at Rs 71.05 billion and capital expenditure at Rs 27.66 billion for FY 2012-13. Of the total budget, the biggest amount of Rs 54 billion will go for the education sector, followed
by Rs 27.61 billion for local development and Rs 8.88 billion for heath and population sector.
As per the district-wise ceiling, Morang will get the largest amount of Rs 2.54 billion, followed by Kathmandu with Rs 2.36 billion and Jhapa with Rs 2.16 billion. NPC has allocated Rs 2.29 billion for Morang for the current fiscal year.
Shakya said the commission has fixed ceilings giving high priority to remote areas. However, budget ceilings for
most of the districts in the Karnali region have been maintained low compared to
allocations for the current fiscal year. Ceilings for Kalikot, Dolpa, Humla and
Mugu have come down.
Shakya, however, said they are yet to include programmes of many ministries, including tourism, culture and commerce and supplies, as they are yet to present programmes to be implemented through DDCs. “The amount will rise after ministries present their programmes,” said Shakya.
The budget ceiling Gorkha and Sunsari, native districts of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, respectively, has gone up, according to NPC.
10 districts with highest ceilings
Districts Ceiling (Rs in billions)
Morang 2.54
Kathmandu 2.36
Jhapa 2.16
Kavre 1.89
Rupandehi 1.82
Sunsari 1.80
Kailali 1.78
Nawalparasi 1.67
Syanja 1.67
Baglung 1.64
nnnn