STUDENTS CLOSE DOWN VALLEY

STUDENTS CLOSE DOWN VALLEY

Kathmandu, 25 Jan.; Thirteen student unions, including Maoists,
closed down three Valley districts Wednesday protesting last week’s government’s decision to hike prices of POL products without
promised subsidies.
The students on anti-government protests also closed down Parbat and districts causing conveniences.
The unions threatened even more severe second phase protests from Thursday if corrective steps aren’t forthcoming by Wednesday.
Prime Minisrr Baburm Bhattarai has invited union leaders for talks to end an impasse as government says demands won’t be considered.
Students have been holding phased protests.
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PARTY MEETINGS AFFECTED BY STRIKE

Kathmandu, 25 Jan,.: Party meetings affected have been affected by Wednesday’s Valley strike where students are protesting in front of campuses and street corners and vantage points.
A scheduled standing committee meeting to discuss and prepare for a national representative council meeting in February was postponed.
A meeting of the Big Three to discuss a prolonged political deadlock over
goverment’s attempt legalize Maoist seizure of people’s asses during the 10-year insurgency is also likely to be affected.
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GOVT. MULLS PERMANENT RESOLUTION OF TIBETAN REFGEE ISSUE
Kathmandu, 25 Jan.: The government is planning to settle the Tibetan refugee problem permanently, sources said, The Himalayan Times reports.

After the whirlwind visit of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao early this month, the government realised that the Tibetan refugee issue might jeopardise the Nepal-China relations if it remained unresolved.

Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is mulling over collecting details of all Tibetans taking refuge in Nepal and issuing them new identity cards, the sources said.

The government has no record of the Tibetan refugees in Nepal. MoHA officials estimate over 60,000 Tibetans are taking asylum here.

In 2001 survey, as many as 18,000 Tibetans exiled from China’s Autonomous Region of Tibet were taking refuge in the country.

“The government has no record whether the number of refugees has gone up or down,” said a MoHA official.

“The situation has made it more difficult for us to identify the Tibetan refugees.”

As a result, the government reportedly arrested even non-Tibetans during Jiabao’s visit on the suspicion of possible self-immolation or anti-Chinese demonstrations for Free-Tibet-Movement.

Before departing for Japan for health-check up, Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha said, “We must settle the Tibetan refuge issue . I am discussing the matter with concerned stakeholders.”
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KARKI’S SECOND APPOINTMENT AS AMBASSADOR YET TO BE ACCEPTED BY INDIA
Kathmandu, 25 Jan : The agrement of Ram Karki, Nepali ambassador-designate to India, has not come even after nearly two months since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) sent his agrement to the southern neighbor for approval, Republica reports.

The ministry sent Karki´s agrement to India on November 27, 2011.

Sources at the MoFA said they have taken the delay as unusual because India had sent agrement of two immediate previous Nepali ambassadors in less than a month´s time.

Knowledgeable sources at the ministry said India had sent back the agrements of former ambassador Rukma SJB Rana within a month while it took less than two weeks for the southern neighbor to approve the agrement of former ambassador Durgesh Man Singh.

"Though three months time is standard in diplomatic convention to get agrements approved by any country, it is unusual in Karki´s case considering the time taken for approving the agrements of two immediate previous ambassadors," said a senior official at MoFA.

Sources familiar to diplomatic practices said that host countries generally consult their home ministries, security agencies and even intelligence about the ambassador-designate before approving agrements. And, this process often takes time.

Sources said India might have taken time to get clearance from its home ministry and security agencies on Karki´s agrement as he has strong connections in India and his wife works there.
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CHINA APPOINTS CONTRACTOR FOR LARCHA DRY PORT

Kathmandu, 25 Jan.: The Chinese government has appointed Beijing Real Estate Company as the contractor to build the Larcha dry port and other necessary infrastructure. It has also pledged over Rs 1 billion (RMB 860 million) to meet the cost of project, Prabhakar Ghimere writes in Republica.
Seeking consent of the Nepal government, the Chinese government has sent a draft agreement to implement the project to the Ministry of Finance (MoF) recently.

The draft agreement, which contains project cost, responsibility of Nepal government and contracting agency, has been sent to MoF, which is said to be studying the draft," a high level source at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) told Republica on Tuesday.

The Chinese government a couple of years had agreed to support construction of Larcha dry port, upgrading of around 6 km road linking Larcha with Tatopani customs, and construction of a new bridge over Bhotekoshi at Tatopani customs. The Chinese government had then announced to provide RMB 20 million (around Rs 270 million rupees) for the construction of dry port.

"China has this time announced a financial assistance of around one billion rupees to complete the entire project - upgrading a road link between Tatopani and Larcha, construction of a bridge over Bhotekoshi along with construction of Larcha port," the source said.

The source said a formal announcement of the date on which the actual work on the project will begin will be announced once a formal agreement between the Nepal government and the contractor is signed.

That is, after securing approval from MoF, the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) and the Ministry of Law and Justice. The project has to be completed within 26 months since the start of the work.

WB, India requested for DPR Chandani-Dodhara dry port

Meanwhile, the government has requested the World Bank (WB) and the Indian government for their support to conduct a Detail Project Report (DPR) for the construction of the proposed dry port in Chandani-Dodhara area of the Kanchanpur district.

"The requests have been made after a preliminary study conducted by our expert group found that one dry port is feasible as well as necessary for the Far-Western Region to promote trade in the region, which is also the most backward region of the country," said Sarad Bikram Rana, Executive Director of Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board (NITDB).

Rana said we have recommended to construct a dry port in Dodhara-Chandani area - the first in Far-Western Region.

"There is enough business potential for the proposed dry port in Dodhara-Chandani area. Apart from helping Nepal´s international trade, it can also boost trade between India´s Uttarakhand and other states including West Bengal," added Rana.

A preliminary study has estimated the cost of the project, which will be spread over 12 bigahas and can accommodate 300 containers, at around Rs 1.5 billion.

Nepal-India RSA on Feb 23-24

Nepalese and Indian officials will meet on Feb 23-24 in Kathmandu to review the existing Railway Service Agreement (RSA) in order to pave the way for movement of rail cargos between any Inland Container Depots (ICDs) or Integrated Check points (ICP) in Nepal and additional sea ports in India.

A joint-secretary level meeting, which was scheduled for Jan 23 and 24, was postponed for a month on the request of
Indian side.
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FUEL TO BE IMPORTED FROM ANOTHER REFINERY
Kathmandu, 25 Jan.: Ministry of Commerce and Supplies is mulling to import fuel from another state-owned refiner of India apart from the Indian Oil
Corporation (IOC), The Himalayan Times reports.
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The ministry is proposing to import fuel from Numaligarh Refinery, minister for Commerce and Supplies Lekh Raj Bhatta said. “The ministry has initiated talks with the refinery and it is ready to supply petroleum products to Nepal if, the Indian government allows it to.”

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is till date the sole supplier of petroleum products to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) at present and the agreement between them has to be revised in April, when the state oil monopoly is planning to ask the sole exporter to let NOC import fuel from other refinery too.

The primary concept of the government is to construct petroleum pipeline from Assam-based refinery of Numaligarh Refiner to Jhapa to import fuel, minister added.

Numaligarh Refinery is a company having shares of Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Government of Assam and Oil India Ltd. The BP Corporation has 61.65 per cent share, Government of Assam has 12.35 per cent share and Oil India has 26 per cent share in the refinery, according to its official site.

However, Bhatta clarified that the government is not seeking the option of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). “The government wants to renew the agreement between IOC and the state oil monopoly and add one more exporter that will help Nepal import petroleum products smoothly.

The government will also accelerate the process of pipeline construction from IOC’s Raxaul depot to Amlekhgunj depot of NOC, according to him.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has directed the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies to smoothen the supply of petroleum products and introduce relief programme immediately. “People are complaining of difficulties due to shortage and price hike of petroleum products,” he told Bhatta to address the problem immediately.

During the meeting at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar, Bhatta briefed Prime Minister about petroleum prices and supply situation and the relief package he is bringing soon.

No rollback !

KATHMANDU: minister for Commerce and Supplies Lekh Raj Bhatta said that the government is not rolling back from its decision of hiking petroleum products prices. “Political parties are over-politicising the issue,” he said, lamenting that he was forced to be a scapegoat in the price hike decision since the country could not bear Rs 2 billion loss every month. The price hike was a must, he said, adding that he was even blamed by his own partymen for hike. “The ministry will introduce relief package to the students but will not revoke its price hike decision,” he added. Similarly, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai also supported the minister. “The government is preparing to bring relief package for the poor and students, who is residing in the capital rather than revoking the price hike,” the premier said at the 47th anniversary of Rastriya Banijya Bank in the capital today morning. But, student leaders from different political parties are putting pressure on government to revoke the price hike decision. They urged to end syndicate and cartel, control leakages of petroleum products and adopt scientific approach to adjust price of petroleum products.
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