RAM NARAIAN PRADHAN DEAD

RAM NARAIAN PRADHAN DEAD
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Senior and ailing journalist Ram Naraian Pradhan.
died Friday night at a hospital where he was on dialysis.
He was 73.
Pradhan is survived by a wife, son and daughter.
The son and daughter also aren’t well.
Your blogger was a friend of Pradhan who worked briefly with Nepali Congress led government when it was installed in government after Nepal’s first parliamentary elections in 1959.
Ram and your blogger developed close , friendly and professional ties when Pradhan worked in the information sectionof the then USIS with American embassy.
The USIS in New Road then was headed by Tom Dove, Kent Obee who rose to top positions on the US agency
Ram quit USIS and started writing for The Motherland, a daily independent English newspaper published by Manindra Raj Shrestha.
Padhan then moved to the national news agency RSS from Motherland and was founding editor of The Himalayan Times before retiring.
Will miss you, Ram.
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SOLDIER INJURED WHILE DEFUSING BOMB
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: A soldier was injured Saturday while defusing a bomb at a grocery shop in Gaur, Rautahat
The soldier received leg injuries.
The bomb was planted by a terai armed outfit.
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10 QUINTELS HASH SEIZED IN PARSA
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Police arrested an Indian national and seized 10 quintals of marijuana from different areas of Parsa district, RSS reports from Parsa.

A team of police led by inspector Mukti Narayan Chaudhary seized six quintals of marijuana from Nirmalbasti VDC this morning.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rabindra KC said other smugglers have managed to escape from the scene though the police opened four rounds of fires.

Similarly, Mukhtar Azad was held with one quintal marijuana from Pasaunibhatha VDC of Parsa district last night. Likewise, 80 kilogram of marijuana was seized from Nichuta of the district.

Similarly, a separate team of the Armed Police Force seized two quintals marijuana from Janakitol of Parsa on Saturday morning.
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TWO NEPALIS LOOTED ON NEPAL-INDIA BORDER
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.:Yet again, two Nepalis have been looted at India's Rupaidiya bazaar of Nepal-India border, RSS reports from Nepalgunj.

Rs 45,000 of Prakash Regmi hailing from Surkhet district was looted at the Rupaidiya bazaar while returning Nepal from India.

Two youths drugged him and looted the money he had collected for treatment of his mother.

Similarly, Ru Bahadur Rana of Hariyali, Gulmi was looted while coming to Nepal from India.

Rs 42,000 Indian currency was looted from him.
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GOVT, BEGINS TALKS WITH MOST FEROCIOUS TERAI ARMED OUTFIT GROUP
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: The All Tarai Liberation Front led by Jaykrishna Goit waging armed struggle in Tarai for eight years came to the negotiation table with government today [Saturday], RSS reports from Rajbiraj.

Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Satya Pahadi has led by government side while vice-chairman of the Front Ajay Kumar Yadav also known as Ajit Singh led the Front.

The talks began at 1:00pm at the meeting hall of District Development Committee, Rajbiraj.

Active in leftist politics for long, Goit had protested in the Maoist party and began armed struggle in Tarai eight years back.

JAPAN CAN’T MAKE NEPAL’S MEDIA POLICY SAYS CONCERNED MINISTER GUPTA
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Minister for Information and Communications, Jayprakash Prasad Gupta has said no foreign country could formulate media policy for Nepal, RSS reports from Kanchanpur.

Minister Gupta said this at a time concerns were raised saying an international organization was formulating Nepal's media policy.

"The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was consulted only for suggestion on media policy," he said, adding that the foreign agency could not make media policy here.

In another context, Minister Gupta said the Madhesi Morcha would not accept the federal state linking north with south as proposed by the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. He stressed that entire Madhes should be linked while devising federal states.

He urged the agitating armed groups to come to negotiation table to solve the problems.
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WORKER KILLS MILL OWNER IN BHAKTAPUR
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Owner of the Ranjit Rice Mill based in Inachowk of Bhaktapur Municipality was murdered by the mill's worker on Friday night, RSS reports from Bhaktapur.
Ganga Sagar Ranjit, a permanent resident of Bhaktapur Municipality-7 was murdered by the mill's worker, a Tarai-based citizen, after hitting with a wooden plank, said police inspector Rupak Khadka of Police Range, Bhaktapur. It is learnt that the alleged murderer was recruited just a week ago.
Police said search for the alleged is underway. Detail information about the alleged has not been ascertained yet, according to police.
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INFLATION SLOWS
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.:: Though the price rise has seemingly abated — according to the central bank — the mammoth rise in fuel prices will be burning a huge hole in the pockets of householders driving the inflation up few notches in the coming months, The Himalayan Times reports.

The inflation has come down to 7.5 per cent in the fifth month of the current fiscal year, according to the central bank. “The rate of rise in general price level seems to have mellowed down near the targeted rate of seven per cent for the time being despite the festive season during the fifth month, when the market witnessed a sharp price rise,” pointed out Economist Dr Chiranjibi Nepal.

However, Nepal Oil Corporation’s (NOC) steep fuel prices hike on Thursday will make achieving target general price rise rate Herculean task for the monetary authority.

“The latest sharp rise in the fuel prices will lead to prices of commodities and services to go up by minimum of 20 per cent in the coming months,” he added.

The price of petrol went up by Rs 10 per litre, diesel and kerosene’s price have increased by Rs 9 per litre and LP Gas’s price is up by Rs 175 for a cylinder pushing the household budget up.

Diesel being the fuel for mass transportation will lead to increase in transport cost ultimately increasing the prices of goods; kerosene and cooking gas being the stove-burner for the householders has more direct effect on the budget of householders in a form of increased kitchen expense, he explained.

The year-on-year inflation as measured by the consumer price index increased by 7.5 per cent in mid-December 2011 compared to 9.6 per cent of a year ago, according to the fifth month report that has overlooked the festive season, when the people had to bear the burnt of price rise of essential products. The national rate of price rise stood at 8.5 per cent a month before.

“The coming months — starting mid-January — will see the impact of the fuel price hike which might not be favourable,” admitted spokesperson of the central bank Bhaskar Mani Gyanwali.

The better agriculture output and easier supply situation seem to have tamed the food and beverage inflation to some extent for the time period, he said, adding that the general price level is stable for the price rise in neighbouring countries has also moderated.

During the period, food and beverage price went up by 7.1 per cent and non-food and services price increased by 7.8 per cent against the corresponding period of last year that had also seen index of food and beverage group increase by 15.2 per cent and index of non-food and services group has went up by five per cent.
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NEPAL HAS RECORD FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVE
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: The remittances inflow has seen almost eight times increase in five months to Rs 133.19 billion from Rs 17.7 billion in the current fiscal year, The Himalayan Times reports.

“Workers’ remittance increased by 37.9 per cent to Rs 133.19 billion in the fifth month of the current fiscal year,” according to the central bank that claimed that the increase has seen a growth of 11.3 per cent during the same period of last fiscal year.

On a monthly basis, the remittance inflows increased by 9.7 per cent in mid-December compared to the value of the a month ago of the current fiscal year.

In US dollar terms, the remittance inflow increased by 30 per cent to $1.72 billion compared to a growth of 14.2 per cent during the same period last fiscal year, revealed Nepal Rastra Bank’s five month’s data.

The increase in the remittance inflow will be equal to over 20 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

The World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief — released after the fifth meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development in Geneva — projected that the small and low-income countries like Nepal tend to receive more remittances as a share of their gross domestic product (GDP).

Despite the global economic crisis that has impacted private capital flows, remittance flows to developing countries have remained resilient, posting an estimated growth of eight per cent in 2011,” it said, adding that remittance flows to all developing regions have grown this year, for the first time since the financial crisis.

Though the remittance costs continue to remain high, especially in small nations like Nepal, where remittances provide a life line to the poor, according to the World Bank, there is a pressing need to improve data on remittances at the national and bilateral corridor level to more accurately monitor progress towards the ‘5 by 5’ remittance cost reduction objective.

According to the central bank, under transfers, pension receipts, however declined

by 19.6 per cent to Rs 10.93 billion.

“Similarly, under the financial account, foreign direct investment (FDI) flow recorded Rs 3.20 billion compared to Rs 3.58 billion in the same period a year ago,” the central bank said, adding that the growth in remittance inflow also pushed the gross foreign exchange reserves by 35.4 per cent to Rs 368.63 billion from a level of Rs 272.15 billion at mid-July 2011, against the declined of two per cent to Rs 263.43 billion during the same period last fiscal year.

There has been no significant changes in the export-import situation as the country exported Rs 30.06 billion worth merchandise and imported Rs 177.79 billion worth merchandise in five months.

“The exports rose by 11.5 per cent against an increase of eight per cent to Rs 26.96 billion during the same period of last fiscal year, whereas the merchandise imports increased by 15.5 per cent to Rs 177.79 billion against 1.6 per cent to Rs 153.97 billion during the same period of the last fiscal year,” the central bank said.

However, the central bank claimed that Balance of Payment (BoP) has recorded the highest ever surplus of Rs 61.19 billion during the five months of the current fiscal year compared to a deficit of Rs 3.76 billion during the same period of last fiscal year, though the trade deficit has not seen any narrow down.
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OLD ALLIANCE ATTEMPTING TO REVIVE PAST AS BHATTARAI GOVT. FALTERS; OPPOSITION WILL HAVE TO GET SUPPORT OF KINGMAKERS MADESH
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: The two main opposition and 15 other fringe parties are mulling replacing the current coalition government without further ado, Bhadra Sharma, Kamal Deb Bhattarai write in The Kathmandu Post.
In a joint meeting of the 17 parties on Friday, leaders concluded that replacing the government is the only way to break the current stalemate and avert an impending disaster.
Tabled by the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the proposal, however, does not say clearly whether the new equation will be formed under Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai himself or under any other leader from the Maoists (Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal) or from non-Maoist parties.
As a sizable chunk of opposition leaders are still not convinced that a non-Maoist government could help take ahead the peace process, chances of parties agreeing on finding a replacement from within the Maoists are high.
The leaders said that though Dahal, who is still the kingmaker, appears as a convincing candidate to replace Bhattarai at the moment, chances of Bhattarai continuing or finding a non-Maoist leader, for instance from the NC, cannot be ruled out.
“We now have no alternative to replacing this government. It is time we brainstorm the alternatives,” UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal told the meeting.
Leaders close to Dahal said the Maoist chief is also convinced that replacing the current government is the best way out, but that would be possible only after February 13 when the Maoist party completes its orientation programme across the country.
“Change in the government is the best card for the chairman (Dahal) to placate the hardline faction of the party and the opposition parties as well,” said a leader close to Dahal. “But we have to wait till February 13.”
Maoist leaders said they will try to keep the Bhattarai-led government going for the time being, until the party prepares itself for a "bold step."
In order to make the current government stay, the Maoist party is likely to agree to bidding farewell to Maoist combatants opting for voluntary retirement. “We will not go back on our position and are ready to release the combatants," Politburo member Haribol Gajurel said.
Meanwhile, the meeting of the 17 parties urged the NC and UML leadership to go ahead only after analysing the future strategy of the Maoist party and by taking other parties into confidence.
The meeting also concluded that the government and the Maoist party breached past peace agreements with its decision to legalise war-time decisions on land ownership transfers.
On Saturday, NC is scheduled to hold discussions with the Samyukta Loktantrik Madheshi Morcha (SLMM) on a wider range of issues, including the next government and the peace and constitution writing processes. “We are scheduled to talk with leaders of the Madhesi Morcha to discuss the wider issues,” said NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC.
Most of the Madhes-based parties are not satisfied with the performance of the present government.
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NEPAL PRESSES INDIA FOR NEW AIR ROUTES
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Nepal plans to ask India for development of Trans-Himalaya 2 airspace connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe and three other cross-border airspaces in view of the increasing air traffic demand in Nepal, Sangam Parsain writes in The Kathmandu Post.
A meeting has been planned between Nepal and India that will bring together planners and the concerned stakeholders to discuss opening additional air routes.
A highly placed source at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) said that Nepal would propose opening three cross-border airspaces from Janakpur, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj.
Similarly, for aircraft entering Nepal’s air space, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) will propose Biratnagar (in the eastern region), Bhairahawa (in the western region) and Nepalgunj (in the mid-western region).
Currently, Nepal has three incoming air routes—Simara, Kakkarbhitta from Paro in Bhutan and the Nonim air route from China. The Kathmandu-Mahendranagar-Delhi (L626) is the outgoing air route for international flights. The L626 route has been operational since November 2009. It took nearly seven years for the airway to be opened. The proposed meeting will discuss opening new airspaces to ease traffic congestion, enhancing information transmission, traffic regulations, emergency recovery of aircraft during accidents and automatic message switching system in Nepal’s aviation sector.
“The move to open cross-border airspace is directed at benefiting Nepal’s domestic airlines aspiring to serve Indian cities,” an MoTCA official said. Currently, Buddha Air flies to a number of cross-border destinations in India and plans to connect other neighbouring markets.
Likewise, Trans-Himalaya 2 airspace (Hong Kong-Kunming-Guwahati-Kathmandu) which is one of the lucrative routes for Nepal, is a top priority on Nepal’s agenda for the meeting.
If the route is opened, it will be the shortest way from China and the Far East to the Middle East and Europe. The air distance from Kathmandu to Hong Kong will also be reduced. Implementation of this airspace will allow international airlines to fly over Nepali airspace, which means savings in fuel and distance for carriers flying this route and revenue for Nepal.
The route will help environment protection with less carbon emission. It will help reduce congestion of westbound traffic flows across the Bay of Bengal. “The airspace was discussed during Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s visit to Delhi,” said Suresh Acharya, joint secretary at the MoTCA. According to him, India was positive about opening the route. “The government has written to the Indian government and the India civil aviation authority to discuss the proposed route and is waiting for their response,” Acharya said.
According to CAAN, Nepal has proposed three air routes—Himalaya 1 (Bangkok-Kolkata-Nepalgunj-Indek in Pakistan), Himalaya 2 and Himalaya 3—at different ICAO meetings and other forums. Among them, the most beneficial route is Himalaya 2, but it requires much effort by Nepal to get India and China to agree.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has kept Himalaya 2 as a future requirement. “With regard to permission from the Chinese side for Trans-Himalaya 2 airspace, separate discussions need be held with the Chinese government,” Acharya added.
According to the stats issued by Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), international flight movement through Kathmandu has surged 17.79 percent in the first nine months of 2011. TIA handled 16,466 international flights in 2011 compared to 13,978 during the same period in 2010.
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MADESH LEADERS DIVIDED OVER COALITION PARTNER MAOIST ATTEMPT TO LEGALISE SEIZURES
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.:Leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) are divided over whether to oppose or defend the recent government´s decision to legalize conflict-era property transactions, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.

While the ministers representing the Madhesi alliance have defended the decision, others from the alliance have opposed it.

Health Minister and Chairman of Sadbhawana Party (SP) Rajendra Mahato said no one should criticize the government without understanding what the decision entails. Mahato, however, refused to elaborate.

Similarly, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Dan Bahadur Chaudhari from the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (Nepal) claimed that the government decision is not meant to legalize conflict-era property transactions.

“The government has only decided to waive fees while registering such lands [at the Land Revenue Office] with consent from the concerned stakeholders,” argued Chaudhari, accusing the main opposition parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML of trying to obstruct the peace process and constitution writing on the pretext of protesting the government decision.

Environment Minister Hemraj Tated also from the UDMF said the issue should not be blown out of proportion.

But UDMF leaders have stood against the government decision.

Vice-Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Republican (MPRF-R) Rajkishor Yadav vented ire over the decision, saying the Madhesi alliance would not accept the government decision. “If the government legalizes conflict-era property deals, we will be under compulsion to legalize other decisions taken by the so-called “people´s government”,” argued Yadav.

He said they would raise the issue in the Madhesi alliance.

Similarly, Vice-chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Brikhesh Chandra Lal said the decision is against the spirit of the peace process. “If the government must clarify what the decision is all about,” opined Lal.

Vice-chairman of SP Laxman Lal Karna also said the government can not take such a decision without amending some existing laws. “If the government has taken such a decision, it is against the existing laws,” added Karna.

Meanwhile, sources at the Ministry of Law and Justice claimed that the Ministry of Land Reforms did not consult the law ministry officials though the issue in question was purely a legal one. It is a general practice for any ministry to turn to the law ministry for advice before taking any such proposal to the cabinet.

“The government should have consulted us to determine if such a decision would confirm to the existing laws,” the source added.
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SAARC SECRETARY GENERAL RESIGNS BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS AT HOME IN MALDIVES
Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: The Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Dhiyana Saeed has decided to resign the post amid allegations from senior Maldivian officials that she was siding with anti-government forces in the ongoing political crisis that has lately engulfed the island nation, Kosh Raj Koirala reports in Republica..

Maldivian media reported that Dhiyana publicly announced to submit her resignation on Friday to Maldivian Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, who is also the current chairperson of SAARC Council of Ministers.

The move comes after the government expressed outrage over her remarks against the arrest of the country´s Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Responding to her criticism against the government´s move to arrest the judge and opposition party leaders, Maldivian President´s Press Secretary Mohammad Zuhair had alleged that Saeed´s stating her “personal and private position” on TV “clearly contravened the SAARC Charter”.

“I did not interfere with any internal affairs of the Maldives and I will submit my resignation today,” a local newspaper quoted Saeed, who is the youngest and the first female SAARC Secretary General, on Friday.

Niranjan Basnyat, Director at SAARC Secretariat on behalf of Nepal, however, said they do not have any official information about Saeed´s resignation. “We may possibly know about the developments, if any, by Monday," he said.

According to online edition of local Haveeru newspaper, Maldivian government and Secretary General Saeed were at odds over the legality of the arrest of Chief Judge Mohamed, who along with senior opposition party leaders was arrested last week by Maldivian authorities.

Saeed had publicly accused the government of ignoring existing laws of the country and called parliament to oppose the ruling body during a press conference.

“The government does not have the authority to say we will act on this article and this article does not exist for us,” the newspaper quoted Saeed as claiming during the press conference that was aired on Jumhoree Party leader Gasim Abrahim´s VTV on Wednesday night.

“This is not something we can pick and choose.”

Saeed had assumed her post as SAARC Secretary General in March, 20011. She was the second Maldivian to be appointed to the post after Special Envoy to the President Ibrahim Hussein Zakee.
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PM WEN’S VISIT TAKES RELATIONS TO NEW HEIGHT SAYS PM
BHATTARAI

Kathmandu, 21 Jan , Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Friday said that the ties between Nepal and China were broadening in the recent days, Rising Nepal reports.
Addressing the Chinese Spring Festival-2012, organized to mark the Chinese New Year here, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai reiterated that China was a good friend of Nepal.
"Our mutual ties are very deep as always in the past," he added.
He said that the recent visit of the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had given a new height to the bilateral relations between Nepal and China.
Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai appreciated the support of China for the development of Nepal.
He said China was continuously supporting the development of Nepal’s education, tourism, infrastructure and health sectors.
On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai also extended his greetings to the government of China and Chinese people living all over the world.
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yang Houlan also reiterated that he was happy to see both Nepali and Chinese people together in the festival as brothers and sisters.
Saying that Wen’s visit to Nepal was successful, envoy Yang added that premier Wen was happy regarding his recent visit to Nepal.
Admiring the hospitality provided by Nepal’s side during Wen’s visit, envoy Yang expressed his confidence that Nepal and China would give continuity to the close friendship featuring more cultural exchanges.
Meanwhile, RSS adds, Prime Minister Bhattarai said the Government formed a task force to make a study of the calendars used by all the linguistic groups and concrete decision regarding this would be taken after the task force submited its report.
PM Bhattarai said this while receiving a memorandum from the Duk Lhochhar New Year 2848 Celebration Coordination Main Committee. It demanded to fulfill its four-point demands that include making arrangements for broadcasting the programmes in the Tamang language being
transmitted through regional broadcasting from the central broadcasting of Radio Nepal and giving national recognition to the Tamang Calenda.
Committee Coordinator Kumar Yonjan Tamang told journalists after the committee’s meeting with the prime minister that the prime minister said the calendars and the festivals of all the linguistic and ethnic groups were national assets and the Government has adopted the policy of respecting them all.
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PM TO TAKE INTIATIVE SUNDAY TO END STALEMTE

Kathmandu, 21 Jan. : Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Speaker Subash Nembang this evening discussed the stalemate seen in the Legislature-Parliament in the wake of the main opposition parties and other fringe parties boycotting the parliament meeting, RSS reports.
In the meeting that took place at the Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar, the Speaker drew the attention of the Prime Minister towards obstruction of the proceedings of the Legislature-Parliament by the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress and the opposition party, the CPN (UML), in protest against the Government’s decision to validate the decisions taken during the conflict period by the People’s Government of the then CPN (Maoist).
The decisions of the People’s Government related to sale and purchase of land, land transfer deeds and division of property, among others.
In reply, Prime Minister Bhattarai said initiatives would be taken to resolve the stalemate in the Legislature-Parliament by coming Sunday and assured that the seven-point agreement signed among the major parties on November 1, 2011 would be adhered to in letter and spirit, according to Bishwadeep Pandey, the prime minister’s aide.
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ITEMS BELOW WERE DELAYED IN TRANSMISSIONS BECAUSE
OF LOAD-SHEDDING

OPPOSITION OBSTRUCTS PARLIAMENT SESSION

Kathmandu, 20 Jan.: Opposition parties NC and UML Friday obstructed parliament for the second day charging a 12 January cabinet decision to to certify decisions of parallel Maoist government bodes during a 10-year communist insurgency was illegal.
Maoists launched the anti-government rebellion charging the then government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala
and his home minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was later elevated to government chief by NC, for grave repression of rights, suppression and excesses.
Speaker Subash Nemwang adjourned legislative session until Sunday; no business was conducted Friday.
The opposition parties demanded a statement from government on the cabinet decision and vowed to continue obstruction indefinitely without a correction of the government order
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai returned to the capital from Dhulikhel where he was on a retreat and discussed the latest government crisis with
Nemwang
NC Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel warned the legislative session will continue until the government is corrected,
Sixteen parties in parliament also decided to
obstruct parliament session on the issue.
Opposition party leaders charged Maoists have been avoiding meetings of bodes discussing peace and constitution
“There’s a feeling the country is heading towards
a rebellion,” charged former Premier and UML
leader Madhav Kumar Nepal
‘Time is being wasted. They (Maoists) don’t come
to attend meeting of the constitutional committee,”
said Dr.Prakash Chandra Lohini, Vice-chairman of Rashtriya Janashakti party.
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MADESH MINISTER GUPTA BLAMES OPPOSITION FOR STALEMATE

Kathmandu, 21 Jan.: Minister for Information and Communications, Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has said the constitution would not be ready until the peace process concluded, RSS reports from Rajbiraj.
Speaking in course of inspecting the projects carried out with the money sanctioned from the MP’s Development Fund in Constituency Number 2 of Saptari District today, he said the Madhesi people would not be empowered if the peace process and constitution writing were not completed.
"It was with this kind of situation emerging in the country that the United Democratic Madhesi Front forged a deal with the UCPN (Maoist) to join the Maoist-led Government," he said.
The Information and Communications Minister also opined that it would be difficult to conclude the peace and constitution writing processes by sidelining the UCPN (Maoist), the largest party in the Constituent Assembly, in the present context.
He said the power-centric politics adopted by the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) in such a situation would push the country further towards stalemate.
Minister Gupta who is also the chairman of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Republican) accused the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML), among some parties, of not being positive on the political empowerment of the Madhesi people and also warned that the Madhesis would not hesitate to burn the new constitution if it does not take into account the aspirations of the Madhesi people.
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13 STUDENT UNIONS HOLD NATION-WIDE PROTESTS
UPDATE

Kathmandu, 20 Jan. : Thirteen student unions, including Maoists, Friday held nation-wide protests nation-wide in front of campuses opposing this week’s massive hike in prices of POL products,
In the capital, students clashed with
police in front of RR Campus and a government
vehicle was torched.
Examinations there were disrupted.
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GACHEDHAR DISCUSSES NEPALWITH INDIAN LEADERS
Kathmandu, 20 Jan.: Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachedhar , who is also home and defence minister, held consultations with Indian main opposition party leaders Lal Krishna Advani and Chief Rajnath Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party in the
India capital on Friday.
He also held discussions with Mulayam Singh, who is chairman of Samajvadi Dal.
The second man in government discussed internal political and bilateral issues with Indian leaders in and out of government.
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$20M SOUTH KOREAN GRANT FOR LUMBINI

Kathmandu, 20 Jan.: The Government of the Republic of Korea has agreed to provide two millions US dollars in grant assistance to Nepal for the master plan for the Lumbini World Peace City Preservation and Development RSS reports.

A memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed and exchanged between the two governments on Thursday, states a press statement released by the Ministry of Finance.

The main objectives of the project are to contribute to respecting the outstanding universal value of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, to conserve the cultural and historic environment and cultural heritages in a more proper way, to present metaphysical foundation templates for the use in design of the Lumbini World Peace City, to create Lumbini as world peace city, a city of Buddhist teaching and learning, among others by sharing Korea´s experience and knowledge.

The project would be implemented within a period of one and half years from the date of its commencement.

Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) would be the implementing agencies for the project on behalf of Nepal and Korea, respectively.

The MoU was signed by Finance Secretary Krishna Hari Banskota and Korean Ambassador to Nepal Mr. IL-Doo Kim.
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