PRACHANDA, SUSHIL KOIRALA MEET

PRACHANDA, SUSHSIL KOIRALA MEET
Kathmandu, 1 Feb.: Maoist Chairman Prachanda and NC President SUshil Sushil Koirala held discussions Wednesday at the latter’s residence.
The meeting comes at a time of deteriorating ties between government and the opposition.
Maoists are leading the government.
Nnnn
US AMBASSADOR, PM DISCUSSIONS
Kathmandu, 1 Feb.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai held
Wednesday held discussions with outgoing US Ambassador
Scott H. De Lisi who has been transferred to Uganda.
They discusses, among other issues, the retirement of former Maoist combatants from cantonments and satellite camps.
nnnn
MADHAV REGMI APPOINTED DEFENCE SECRETARY
Kathmandu, 1 Feb : Madhav Regmi was appointed defence secretary by the government Tuesday.
The cabinet transferred 24 secretaries and regional administrators in a sweeping reshuffle
Balananda Poudel was transferred from Energy Ministry to Women and Children Ministry, Pratap Kumar Pantha to General Administration, Purushottam Ojha and Jayamukunda Khanal to the
Office of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Som Lal Subedi has been transferred to Ministry of Labour, Dinesh Hari Adhikari to Ministry of Land Reformation, Sushil Ghimire to Office of Auditor General,
Navin Kumar Ghimire to Forest Ministry, Lal Mani Joshi to Supply Ministry, and Keshav Bhattarai to Ministry of Science & Technology.
Abindra Shrestha was transferred to Ministry of Information, Tana Gautam to Ministry of Culture, Pratap Kumar Pathak to Office of Auditor General, Yagya Prasad Gautam to Office of Public Procurement, Shri Ram Panta to National Information Commission, Shridhar Gautam to Office of Nepal Trust and Suresh Man Shrestha to National Vigilance Center.
The government transferred recently promoted secretaries. Hareram Koirala has been transferred to Ministry of Energy, Tilak Ram Sharma to Ministry of General Administration, Krishna Poudel as Regional Administrator (east), Arjun Bhandari as Regional Administrator (west), Gyan Darshan Udas as Acting Regional Administrator (mid-west) and Dharanidhar Khatiwada as Regional Administrator (centre).
Nnnn

ANOTHER RS. 250 MILLION TRANCHE FOR NOC
Kathmandu, 1 Feb. The cabinet Tuesday decided to release another Rs.250 million tranche to cash-strapped Nepal Oil Corporation NOC) that was once running n a profit.
The state monopoly is embroiled in corruption and has lately been under the control of Madeshbadi parties.
The government is pumping n nearly Rs 2 billion every month for oil import and distribution of supplies to people in irregularly making life inconvenient with long waits at petrol pumps.
nnnn


MADESH FRONT BLASTS NC, UML
Kathmandu, 1 Feb.:: A meeting of the United Democratic Madhesi Front, a loose alliance of Madhes-based Parties and the coalition partner in the incumbent government, today blasted opposition parties — the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML — for working against federalism and accused ‘their’ representatives in the State Restructuring Commission of ‘lobbying’, The Himalayan Times repots.

According to Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hridayesh Tripathi, senior Vice-chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, a constituent of UDMF, today’s meeting concluded that NC and UML were against federalism and has decided to urge Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to take NC and UML into confidence on several issues, including the January 12 decision to legalise wartime transactions, which has been vehemently opposed by the two big opposition parties. Tripathi also claimed that UDMF had requested Prime Minister Bhattarai to win NC and UML’s confidence before taking such a decision.

Though UDMF meeting today concentrated on lashing out at NC and UML, things don’t seem to be right on track for the government, as chairman of Sadbhawana Party, another constituent of UDMF, today said nobody can save the government in the event of failure to give impetus to the peace process in a month.

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato, who is also the minister for health and population, today said at an interaction that UDMF would give a month to the government to give momentum to peace and constitution-drafting processes, make arrangements for the ‘bulk’ entry of Madhesi youth into the Nepali Army and bring Bill on inclusion. Mahato was of the opinion that the government’s significance was on the wane with peace and constitution-drafting processes stalled and Madhesi concerns shelved.

Minister Mahato went a step ahead today to accuse Speaker Subas Nembang, Rastriya Janashakti Party Co-chairman Prakash Chandra Lohani and some Madhesi leaders of engaging in bringing division in Madhesi parties.
nnnn
MUSLIMS DEMAND SEPARATE STATUS
Kathmandu, 1 Feb.:: The Muslim community has demanded that they be recognised as a separate minority group — not under ethnic Madhesis, The Himalayan Times reports.

The Muslims today threatened to take to the streets if they are not given separate status and the government continues to ignore problems faced by the community.

Muslim leaders, speaking at a programme organised by the Nepal Muslim Ittehad Organisation, said the government needs to take measures to boost participation of the community in all sectors of the country.

The National Muslim Ittehad Organistaion warned of protests if the government continues to classify followers of Islam under Madhesis.

The organisation said it has already submitted a memorandum to the government.

Also speaking at the programme, UML leader Mahamud Aalam said that the community would not remain silent until the governmental ensured propositional representation of Muslims in each and every sector of the state.

He accused the government of failing to recognise 40 lakhs Muslims, saying there was no alternative to protests to air their grievances. “The government’s move to include Muslims in the Madhesi is a ploy to ignore the identity of Muslims,” said Aalam.
nnnn
DEUBA FOR CONSENSUS DIVIDED PARTY
Kathmandu, 1 Feb.:- A separate informal meeting of Nepali Congress (NC) lawmakers held at NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha has urged that the party should resolve all the pending issues, including the row over dissolution of sister wings and appointments in the party's key posts through consensus, The Kathmandu Post writes..
Over a dozen leaders close to Deuba who spoke during Tuesday's meeting urged Deuba not to agree on piecemeal solution to all the pending issues that have been plaguing the party for long. NC leadership, however, has long been averse to the idea of resolving all issues at one go. The issues concerning election of the dissolved sister wings, appointments in the Parliament Board, which has authority to distribute tickets during elections, appointments in the vacant posts at the Central Committee and other departments of the party should all be resolved together on consensus.
The leaders also made it clear that there is no alternative to consolidating the unity in the party and party President Sushil Koirala had a major role to play.
Deuba himself and leaders including Bimelendra Nidhi, Minendra Rijal, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Binaya Dhoj Chand expressed their views on the party's internal issues and the larger peace process. They said NC should take a more assertive role in the peace process and statute writing. The meeting is said to continue on Wednesday also.
nnnn
NEPAL TO GET TWO INDIAN CHOPERS
Kathmandu, 1` Feb.:In its fresh effort to strengthen defence ties with Nepal, India has agreed to provide two helicopters to the Nepal Army, Phanindra Dahal reports in The Kathamandu Pot.
The new aircraft will be provided within this year to replace two five-seater Cheetah helicopters provided by India that are currently grounded. Nepali side had been pushing for the maintenance of those aircraft provided in 2001 to crush the Maoist insurgency then.
Indian Defence Minister AK Antony made a commitment to provide two aircraft during Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar’s India visit on January 17-21.
Briefing the parliamentary State Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Gach-hadar said India was keen to increase its support for the Army. He also informed that Indian Army Chief Gen V K Singh was visiting Kathmandu in the near future to sign a deal on increasing military cooperation.
“The Indian Defence Ministry has committed to increasing its cooperation with the Nepal Army. They
are ready to provide rescue helicopters and vehicles,” said Gachhadar. “A formal agreement on military
assistance will be signed when the Indian army chief arrives in Nepal to attend a regional summit on disaster management.”
The Nepal Army has stepped up preparations to host a regional summit on disaster management and counter terrorism between March last week and April first week. Indian Army Chief Singh along with heads of the military forces of other Saarc countries will attend the function.
The donation of helicopters will be the largest scale military aid provided to the NA after the political change of 2006. India has also pledged to repair the grounded helicopters, according to Defence Ministry sources.
India had scrapped its military assistance to Nepal following the royal takeover in February 2005 and has not supplied any lethal weapons to the NA so far. It had agreed to resume supplies during the meeting of the Bilateral Security Consultative Group held in Kathmandu in 2009.
Gachhadar claimed India has agreed to resume all kinds of defence support including lethal weapons as required by the Nepal Army during his recent visit.
“They are seeking a formal request and are ready to act accordingly,” he said. Gachhadar said Indian Defence Minister Antony noted that the national armies of the two countries have deep and traditional ties and India was ready to strengthen the capacity of the Nepal Army.
During the three-hour discussion in the parliamentary committee, Gachhadar also briefed lawmakers on his visit to China from December 25-30. Mentioning about Chinese Army Chief Chen Bingde’s Nepal visit in March, Gachhadar said Chinese leaders too were interested in expanding cooperation with the Nepal Army.
China had signed a deal pledging logistics worth Rs 1.3 billion for Birendra Sainik Hospital during Gen Bingde’s visit. Gachhadar stressed that cordial ties with both India and China is in the best interests of Nepal.
Meanwhile, the home minister informed that India has expressed commitment to provide three billion to four billion rupees for the construction of an academy for Nepal Police in Kavre. They have been stressing that there should be an Indian technical advisor for the project to be constructed in 500 ropanis already purchased by the Nepal Police.
“Even the World Bank and the Asian Bank appoint advisors by themselves when they execute the project in Nepal,” said Gachhadar. Maoist lawmaker Pumpha Bhusal said appointment of technical advisor from India in ‘sensitive security installation’ would be unacceptable.

nnnn