NEPALI GIRLS TRAFFICKED TO TIBET

NEPALI GIRLS TRAFFICKED TO TIBET
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Nepali girls are working under vulnerable conditions in different cities of neighboring country, China, a study reveals, RSS reports from Chautara.

Nepali girls have been trafficked to China by luring them of dignified and decent jobs and are forced to work in cabins, restaurants, lodges and dance bars. However, the girls have been barred to return home though they wish so.

The study conducted in Khasa and Kuti of Tibet by Maiti Nepal for a month reveals that among 137 interviewed girls, 50 per cent said they were working under hardships against their interests.

The study further reveals that all the documents of the Nepali girls were taken under controlled by the owners of the dance bars and restaurants, thereby barring the Nepali girls to return home during their convenient time.

The girls shared that getting rid of the Chinese bars and restaurants was far difficult than escaping from the Indian brothels. Most of girls from Tamang, Gurung, Rai and Limbu communities have left for Chinese cities, according to the survey.

Program Officer at Maiti Nepal, Sindhupalchowk, Madan Chaulagain said Nepali girls have been lured to Chinese cities, thanks to high income than the Indian cities. They are provided with Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000 per month in China.

Girls from 17 districts including Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Kathmandu, and even Tarai have also gone to Chinese city. Most of the girls are from bordering areas of Sindhupalchowk district including Tatopani and others.

Maiti Nepal has established its office in Kodari from Friday aiming to bar the Nepali girls from going in Chinese cities for doing risky jobs, said Chaulagain.

Meanwhile, a campaign has been started in Dhunche VDC, the district headquarters of Rasuwa district, to control human trafficking in the VDC.

Speaking at a program, stakeholders concerned said that conducting training and income generating programs, and establishment of foreign employment center and conducting integrated programs would help stop the human trafficking.
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UML’S OLI FOR NATIONAL GOVT.
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Leader of the CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli on Monday has accused the Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai of impeding the formation of national consensus government, RSS reports from Kailali.

Talking briefly to media person here today, Oli said, “Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai should step down at the earliest to pave the way for a national unity government.” Oli has arrived in Kailali today to participate at a program organised by the UML.

Oli further said that people should be provided with right to information and charged the government over its effort for classification of information.

Chairman of the party Jhala Nath Khanal, Vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam, General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel, leaders Oli, Bhim Rawal, among others, are scheduled to address the gathering in Dhangadhi of Kailali district this afternoon
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STUDENTS DEFECT TMDP IN KAILVASTHU-
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: As many as 150 students including District Chairperson of Terai-Madhes Students Front – a student wing of Terai-Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) – have announced quitting the party, RSS reports from Kapailvasthu.
They made this announcement at a press conference on Sunday.
Those deserting the TMDP are, the Front’s Kapilvastu District Chairperson Kamalesh Sharan Chaudhary, Free Students' Union Chairperson of Kapivastu multiple campus, Gayadin Kurmi, senior vice-chairperson Ram Sharan Chaudhary, constituency chairperson Abadhram Yadav, among others.
On the same occasion, they said that growing favoritism, nepotism and despotism practiced within the party, enticed them to take this move.
They would not enter any party at the moment, informed the quitters. RSS
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PEACE. CONSTITUTION ENDAGERED WARNS DEUBA
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that peace and constitution were in danger as the UCPN (Maoist) did not implement past agreements, RSS reports from Chitwan..
At a press meet organised by the Chitwan chapter of Nepal Press Union in Bharatpur on Monday, Deuba said political obstruction was created in the country after the Maoists did not implement the seven-point agreement of late.
He further said internal disputes in his party should be resolved respectfully.
Deuba claimed that internal disputes in the party had come out due to dissolution of the sister organisations contrary to the earlier agreement made while uniting the party.
Deuba opined that all the 75 districts should be made as provinces if there was no agreement among political parties on state restructuring.
He added that the 75-province-option would be better if no agreement was forged on it.
As for form of governance, it is better to choose a constitutional president and prime minister from the parliament, Deuba said.
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TOP MAOIST LEADERSHIP IN BUTWAL
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Top guns of the UCPN (Maoist) on Monday have reached Butwal in order to take part in a training of party cadres, greatwayonlime.com reports.
Maoist Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal, Vice Chairman and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and senior Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya reached Butwal today morning to train the cadres of Abadh Madhes Rajya Samiti and Prabas Rajya Samiti.
Top brass are slated to impart training on party unity, party’s action plan and future policy. Maoist politburo member and Abadh Rajya Samiti incharge Devendra Poudel said the programme would convey message of unity in the party which was once heading for imminent split.
It is learnt that around 400 Maoist cadres are present in the programme.
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WOMAN KILLED IN DANG BUS ACCIDENT
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: A woman was killed and 14 were injured on the
on the Ghorai-Lamahi road section of Musot khola in Dang Monday.

A passenger bus heading vehicle for Nepalgunj plunged 50 meters off the road kllling Maya Dahal
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SPEAKER ALSO SEEKS REVIEW OF SUPREME COURT ACTION
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Speaker Subash Nemwang Sunday asked for a review of the action of supreme court registrar in the last week of December 2011 not to admit application for a review of a apex court decision the current extension until the end of May would be the last.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai also registered an application for such a review.
The supreme court registrar rejected earlier requests of Office of the Prime Minister and Parliament.
Nemwang registered the application even as he wasi the top court verdict should be honoured.
Nemwang sought the review by a five-member full bench
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CONTROVERSIAL NORWEGIAN MINISTERARRIVES MONDAY
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Controversial Norwegian Minister for
Environment and International Development Erik Solheim with close links with Nepal’s communists arrives Monday for a two-day visit.
He’s controversial for his and his Scandinavian country’s direct interference in Nepal’s internal politics through use of money power and statements.
Solheim boasted of keeping touch with Maoists, declared terrorists, then in the ‘jungle of Nepal’ when Prachanda said he admitted he directed the war from across the urban jungle in India.
Norway kept contacts with Maoists even while
maintaining relations with government.
Nepali leaders have revealed top Maoist leadership was living in New Delhi’s outskirts protested by India.
The Norwegian minister arrives at a time when there deep differences in the Maoist party and Maoist relationship with opposition is at its worst
derailing the peace and constitution drafting processes.
The oil-rich country has been funding and assembling the civil
society movement which is now quiet.
Despite its midget status on the world arena, the country has been attempting to play a role in international politics by fishing in troubled states and attempting to Norway
The result if there for all to see in Nepal
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GOLD IMPORT SLIPS
Kathmandu, 330 Jan.: Gold import has plunged by almost three times in last three years.

“The country imported Rs 9.87 billion worth gold in the first five months of the current fiscal year compared to Rs 25.54 billion in the same period of fiscal year 2009-10,” according to the central bank, The Himalayan Times reports.

However, in the same period last fiscal year, the precious yellow metal has seen a whopping drop to Rs 1.33 billion due to government ban on the import that has hit the dollar reserve due to cross border flow at the cost of import duty difference.

Currently, the domestic market is witnessing a shortage of the gold fuelling the price despite the price in the international market has been decreasing.

“The banks are not been able to supply according to the market demand fuelling the price in the market,” Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers Association president Tej Ranta Shakya said, adding that Nabil Bank’s 50 kg gold was sold out in an hour on Wednesday and Prime Commercial Bank’s 50 kg was also sold out on Thursday and on Friday there was no gold in the market that has put pressure on price today.

The precious yellow metal was traded at Rs 54,000 for a tola (11.664 gram) today.

“Despite rising price, the domestic market’s appetite has started to increase also due to marriage season,” he added.

Similarly, gold had another positive year in the international market, ending nine per cent higher in US dollar price terms and rising even further in most currencies, according to World Gold Council report 2011.

In spite of an interim increase in volatility, which affected all financial markets, gold outperformed a large number of asset classes – reinforcing its role as a foundation asset in portfolio construction, it said, adding that gold provided liquidity when investors needed it the most, acting as a risk management vehicle and also served as a currency hedge throughout the year, in particular against the US dollar.

While such inverse relationship pushed gold prices down toward the end of 2011, in part driven by profit taking and portfolio rebalancing, it is believed that gold fundamentals of supply and demand remain robust, according to the report that expect it continue to support its demand.

After a tumultuous year in financial markets around the world, gold was one of few asset classes to deliver positive returns.

Gold’s price appreciation was generally higher in currencies other than the US dollar, especially in developing markets, with the exception of China, as they saw marked declines of their currencies against the US dollar in the latter part of the year.

True to its role as a vehicle for diversification and risk management, gold outperformed a large majority of assets, including oil, on a risk-adjusted basis during a year of marked uncertainty and increased volatility. However, gold’s performance was not all smooth sailing throughout the year, particularly during the latter months.

Many investors saw gold as one of the few assets able to preserve capital and protect against tail risks, increasing their participation in the market especially during the summer and by early August, gold had broken the $1,800 per ounce level and reached a record high of $1,895 per ounce on the London PM fix on September 6, having traded as high $1,921 per ounce intra-day.

In all, gold’s price pullback of 15 per cent was labeled by some commentators as a break in gold’s multi-year trend. On the contrary, a careful analysis of gold’s historical performance shows that it has experienced various pullbacks over the last 10 years.
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TOURISM ENTREPRENEURS ASK GOVT. TO BE TRANSPARENT
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: Tourism entrepreneurs today asked the government to make the member selection process in Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) transparent. During a meeting with the minister Lokendra Bista Magar representatives from tourism associations including HAN, NATTA, NATO, TAAN, NMA, PATA Nepal Chapter, HRA, NARA, and Reban insisted on reshuffling the current board member, The Himalayan Times reports.

“We have submitted a memorandum to the tourism minister urging him to revise the member selection process of the board,” said president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (PATA) Pabitra Kumar Karki. “We want two representatives from the private sectors to be included in the selection committee,” he said, adding that the representatives will be selected by the entrepreneurs instead of the government.

The government has selected two members from the private sector in the board but the incumbent two members went to court challenging the government decision as according to them their term has not expired. Karki also said that the tourism entrepreneurs will coordinate among themselves to request two members to resign from the disputed board.

NTB consists of 11 board members, five each from the private and public sectors, as it was established under a public private partnership model. The members from the government are the permanent ones, while the members from private sector will have three years term.

Meanwhile, the dispute has delayed the chief executive selection process
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GOVT. ENTICEMENT FOR SQUATTERS TO VACATE
Kathmandu, 30Jan.: The government has loosen purse strings for squatters by deciding to pay house rents to those who have registered themselves as the landless people, The Kathmandu Post reports.
A meeting of the taskforce formed to evict the people residing on the encroached banks of rivers of the Valley with Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar on Saturday made the decision to this effect.
According to taskforce coordinator Mahesh Bahadur Basnet, out of 8,000 residing alongside river banks 1,082 will receive house rents for three months as a temporary measure to bail out the genuine squatters. The government is fixing the rent amount on Sunday.
“This is just a temporary solution. The long term settlement arrangement will be made in accordance with the recommendations of National Squatter Commission,” said Basnet.
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26 INVOLVED IN STEALING NAC SPAREPARTS
Kathmandu, 30 Jan.: A high-level committee formed to investigate a series of controversies at the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), including the mysterious disappearance of aircraft parts, has recommended departmental action against 26 officials, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Though the Tourism Ministry has not revealed the names of the people involved, sources said eight NAC engineers, three TIA Customs officials and senior officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) are among those against whom action has been sought.
The Tourism Ministry had formed a four-member high-level committee headed by Joint Attorney General Thok Prasad Siwakoti to investigate the series of mysterious disappearances of vital parts of NAC aircraft on December 4, 2011. The NAC management had turned to the government for help after its investigations turned up blank. The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had also sought strong action against the culprits.
There had been three major thefts at the NAC last year, in which flying kits, tyres of its Boeing aircraft and landing gear of a Twin Otter aircraft disappeared mysteriously, resulting in losses of Rs 150 million. There also were cases of fake appointment given to Indian nationals as ground support staff.
The report prepared after a 51-day investigation revealed that there was involvement of staff ranging from loaders to directors of Tourism Ministry agencies in all these cases. Ministry sources said the report has revealed that those involved in the theft of te fly away kit of the NAC’s Boeing 757 and tyres of its Boeing aircraft are the same people. “The report has named three officials were involved in both the crimes,” a source at the ministry said.
In the theft of the landing gear of the Twin Otter, the report said three staffers from the TIA Customs were guilty. The report, according to sources, has also indicted senior NAC officials in the case of the landing gear theft. The two main landing gears of its Twin Otter DHC-6 brought after repairs were taken by NAC officials, according to the report.
Tourism Minister Lokendra Bista Magar said the guilty will be asked to clarify on why the government should or should not punish them before issuing a final verdict. “All those involved in the theft will not be spared. I have directed the authority concerned to book them at any cost,” he said. Despite Minister Magar talking tough, sources say the Toursim Ministry might opt for softer action like warning the officials.
The 74-page report has suggested that the NAC communicate with aircraft manufacturers and aircraft parts suppliers through the CAAN over the lost fly away kit. It has also asked the NAC to update its inventories at its engineering department and seek compensation of the lost kits through an insurance company.
Regarding the landing gear assembly disappearance, the report has recommended that goods should be brought in and out through a one-door system at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in the future.
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