PM BHATTARAI CONVENES MEETING WITH MADESHBADI PARTIES

PM BHATTARAI CONVENES MEETING WITH MADESHBADI FRONT
Kathmandu, 5 Jan.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is holding
talks with dissatisfied coalition partners of Madeshbadi parties complaining that a 4-point agreement detailing regional terai demands haven’t been implemented.
The establishment faction of the UCPN (Maoist) gave into the regional demands of the parties based in the terai to wrest the leadership of the government from UML now in the opposition.
The hard-line section in the party opposes the agreement saying
it was not approved by the party.
The establishment of Chairman Prachanda and Premier Bhattarai agreed to mass recruitment of 10,000 Madesh youth the state army opposed y other parties.
The number was brought down t 3,000; supreme court has
stayed the execution of the recruitment to fill in vacancies.
MAOIST CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEET POSTPONED
Kathmandu, 5 Jan. A scheduled meeting of the Maoist central
committee Thursday was postponed until Friday because of a
strike by former fighters.
The former combatants launched the strike as a hard-line faction led byFirst Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya opposes an establishment decision
to integrate 19,000 former fighters in the state army and society.
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ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO CHALLENGE
SUPREME COURT RULING ON EXTENSION OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY AFTER 28 MAY
Kathmandu, 5 Jan.: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has drafted a legal paper challenging the very grounds based on which the Supreme Court refused to review its earlier decision that put a cap on the extension of Constituent Assembly term.Pranab Kharel.reports in The Kathmandu Post.
The draft application -- soon to be registered in the SC -- was prepared on behalf of the government, which has accused the judiciary of breaching the principle of power balance through the “intrusive” ruling.
In the draft application forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on 29 December, the OAG has cited three precedents that show the court could review the final decisions of its full bench. The apex court administration on December 27 had refused to register the review applications filed separately by the government and the parliament arguing that "the final verdict given by the full bench" cannot be reviewed.
The OAG has cited the case of Maj Gen (Rtd) Pradeep Pratap Bam Malla. Malla had moved the apex court after then government in 2006 did not extend his tenure by two more years as per the law. The SC full bench had ordered his reinstatement. The Ministry of Defence had filed an application for the review against the court decision. However, the application was registered in the SC then.
Another precedent cited is the review application filed by advocate Dhurba Koirala against the SC verdict to uphold the decision of the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government, asking then king Gyanendra Shah to dissolve the parliament in 2002. This application was also registered in the apex court.
The third precedent is the registration of the application filed by the Department of Inland Revenue, Bharatpur, some two years ago against the apex court verdict issued by the full bench against Shree Distillery.
These three precedents cited by the OAG directly counter the ones presented by the court.
The apex court administration had cited three precedents including that of advocate Bijaya Raj Shakya who had sought to file a review application against the decision of the special bench led by Justice Balram KC on the CA term extension. The court administration had refused to register Shakya's application. After Shakya filed re-application, a single bench of the court had upheld the administration's move.
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NEPALI EX-GURKHAS OF INDIAN ARMY TO GET EQUAL
MEDICAL
TREATMENT AT PAR WITH INDIAN COUNTERPARTS

Kathmandu, 5 Jan.: - In what is seen as an effort to treat Nepali citizens on a par with natives in the Indian army, the government of India has decided to extend special health services to ex-servicemen from Nepal,
Mahesh Acharya writes in The Kathmandu Post.from New Delhi
The Indian cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to Nepal Domiciled Gorkhas (NDGs) ex-servicemen pensioners.
“The extension of ECHS service will meet a long outstanding need for providing healthcare to Nepal Domiciled Gorkhas ex-servicemen,” the Indian cabinet said in a statement.
With this decision, the ECHS scheme, which used to provide comprehensive and quality healthcare benefits to those residing in India only, will now benefit about 100,000 ex-servicemen and 217,000 dependents domiciled in Nepal. However, only the NDG ex-servicemen who are paid from Defence Estimates will be eligible for ECHS membership.
The beneficiaries are entitled to medical treatment under ECHS scheme at polyclinics, and ECHS empanelled civil hospitals in India as well as emergency treatment. Considering the practical difficulties being faced by NDG ex-servicemen, the Indian government has also decided to provide medical facilities in Nepal itself. The facilities would be available in the same pattern as are available to Indian ex-servicemen residing in India, read the release of Indian cabinet.
The Nepali ex-servicemen vying for the prospective health scheme could collect and submit applications from the Defence Attaché in Kathmandu as well as the nearest Station Headquarters of Army/Navy/Air Force in India.
War widows and pre-1996 retirees are exempted from the payment of one time ECHS contribution. For others, contribution will be applicable in India in Indian Rupees. For NDGs staying in Nepal, contribution can be deposited in India through the Military Receivable Order under existing provisions or deposited in the Indian Government treasury located at the Embassy of India, Kathmandu. Persons retiring after the issue of this order will also exercise the
option of deduction of contribution by the pension payment authority

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