BIG 3 MEET INCONCLUSIVE

BIG 3 MEET ALSO INCONCLUSIVE
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: A meeting of the Big Three in the presence of Speaker SUbash Nemwang was again inconclusive Sunday.
The two Big Opposition NC and UML told Maoists leading they will obstruct parliamentary proceedings until government corrects decision to legalize asset seizures by Maoists by their parallel governments during the 10-year-insrgency.
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THREE KILLED IN JHAPA BUS ACCIDENT
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Three persons died Sunday and a dozen were injured
in a bus accident at Surunga, Jhapa
The bus was heading for Dharan from Kakadvitta.
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3 BOMBS IN SIRAHA
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Three bombs were planted on an open field in
Fulbari-8 of Siraha Sunday
A bomb disposal unit of Nepal Army is defusing the decices.
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CC MEET INCONCLUSVE
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.:: The meeting of the Constitutional Committee (CC) held on Sunday has been postponed after the top leaders of the three major political parties opined to forge consensus in the contentious issues of the constitution writing at the three party meeting scheduled to be held this afternoon, RSS reportrs.
The parties are divided over the issues of form of governance, state-restructuring, electoral system, and judiciary, while some other issues settled by the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee are also yet to be resolved after some lawmakers of the Maoist party protested at the CC meeting.
Leader of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Hridayesh Tripathi said today´s meeting did not enter the topics as the top leaders of the three major parties pledged to forge consensus through intensive discussions.
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BIRD FLU OUTBREAK CONFRMEDIN SUNSARI, ILAM
Kathmandu, 5Feb.: Bird flu has been confirmed in Phakphok VDC-2 of Ilam district. An emergency meeting of the district-level bird flu disease control committee held on Sunday confirmed the avian influenza virus in Phakphok, RSS reports from Ilam..
Dr. Kumar Singh Khatri of the District Livestock Office, Ilam, said the samples of the dead chicken were sent to the Regional Office, Biratnagar, on January 19 for laboratory test. The area has been declared ‘infected site’ and high alert has been maintained against bird flu from today [Sunday].
Three kilometers from the house of farmers Dil Bahadur Khadka and Bhuwanti Chemjong of Phakphok-2 has been declared ‘prohibited area’.
Dr Satya Narayan Shah of Animal Quarantine, Kakadbhitta, said bird flu
was confirmed in the sample tests done in Livestock Disease Research Lab, Tripureswor, and Veterinary Laboratory Agency, U.K.
A team of doctors led by Dr Kumar Singh Khatri has left for the infected area to apply safety measures.
(Note:The outbreak is the first is the first in 2012. The last cases were reportedfrom Manahara in the Capital 2011 Radio reports .said bird fluoutbreakwas also confirmed n Sunsari.)
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MAOIST CUT DISRPUTES DEVELOPMENT
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.:Local Maoist leaders’ demand for commission from contractors has badly affected the track opening work of the Mid-Hill Highway in Rukum, Thee Kathmandu Post reports.
The situation is such that it is almost impossible to continue the work, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. The highway project has awarded the contract for opening 80-km track in the district to 16 contractors.
The official said they had informed about the issue to Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun and other central-level leaders, including Janardhan Sharma, but to no avail. “The problem has remained unsolved despite assurances from high-profile party leaders,” the official said, without divulging the names of the local leaders seeking commission.
Mid-Hill Highway is a national pride project that passes through 12 zones, 24 districts, and 215 VDCs and is expected to serve nearly 7 million people. The government has targeted to complete the entire track opening work and blacktopping of 70 km within this fiscal year.
With a total length of 1,767 km, the highway connects Chiyo Bhanjyang of Pachthar district in the east with Jhulaghat of Baitadi district in the west.
As per the government’s plan for the last fiscal year, the track opening of this much-talked-about highway was supposed to complete by mid-July, 2011. However, the plan could not materialize due to the lack of awareness among residents of Dailekh, Jajarkot and Rukum districts as well as political interference, according to project officials.
“Track opening will complete in the East section within a couple of months,” an official said. He, however, added that the blacktopping of 70 km was not possible this fiscal year.
In its Immediate Action Plan (IAP), the government has put the Mid-hill Highway in its high priority list, and has sought to complete the entire blacktopping work within the next four years. The highway project requires around Rs 35 billion for blacktopping, as per the ministry’s estimation.
According to project officials, construction work could not move ahead as anticipated due to geographical difficulties, fuel shortage and interference by local leaders. An early resolution to the Rukum problem will help expedite work, they said.
The budget for the current fiscal year has targeted to open 116 km track of the highway. Track opening of 26km has been completed as of the fifth month of the current fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Finance. A total of Rs 1.75 billion has been allocated for the project this year, but only Rs 320 million has been spent so far.
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BIG 3 MEET ALSO INCONCLUSIVE
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: A meeting of the Big Three in the presence of Speaker SUbash Nemwang was again inconclusive Sunday.
The two Big Opposition NC and UML told Maoists leading they will obstruct parliamentary proceedings until government corrects decision to legalize asset seizures by Maoists by their parallel governments during the 10-year-insrgency.
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THREE KILLED IN JHAPA BUS ACCIDENT
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Three persons died Sunday and a dozen were injured
in a bus accident at Surunga, Jhapa
The bus was heading for Dharan from Kakadvitta.
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3 BOMBS IN SIRAHA
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Three bombs were planted on an open field in
Fulbari-8 of Siraha Sunday
A bomb disposal unit of Nepal Army is defusing the decices.
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CC MEET INCONCLUSVE
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.:: The meeting of the Constitutional Committee (CC) held on Sunday has been postponed after the top leaders of the three major political parties opined to forge consensus in the contentious issues of the constitution writing at the three party meeting scheduled to be held this afternoon, RSS reportrs.
The parties are divided over the issues of form of governance, state-restructuring, electoral system, and judiciary, while some other issues settled by the Dispute Resolution Sub-Committee are also yet to be resolved after some lawmakers of the Maoist party protested at the CC meeting.
Leader of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Hridayesh Tripathi said today´s meeting did not enter the topics as the top leaders of the three major parties pledged to forge consensus through intensive discussions.
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BIRD FLU OUTBREAK CONFRMEDIN SUNSARI, ILAM
Kathmandu, 5Feb.: Bird flu has been confirmed in Phakphok VDC-2 of Ilam district. An emergency meeting of the district-level bird flu disease control committee held on Sunday confirmed the avian influenza virus in Phakphok, RSS reports from Ilam..
Dr. Kumar Singh Khatri of the District Livestock Office, Ilam, said the samples of the dead chicken were sent to the Regional Office, Biratnagar, on January 19 for laboratory test. The area has been declared ‘infected site’ and high alert has been maintained against bird flu from today [Sunday].
Three kilometers from the house of farmers Dil Bahadur Khadka and Bhuwanti Chemjong of Phakphok-2 has been declared ‘prohibited area’.
Dr Satya Narayan Shah of Animal Quarantine, Kakadbhitta, said bird flu
was confirmed in the sample tests done in Livestock Disease Research Lab, Tripureswor, and Veterinary Laboratory Agency, U.K.
A team of doctors led by Dr Kumar Singh Khatri has left for the infected area to apply safety measures.
(Note:The outbreak is the first is the first in 2012. The last cases were reportedfrom Manahara in the Capital 2011 Radio reports .said bird fluoutbreakwas also confirmed n Sunsari.)
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MAOIST CUT DISRPUTES DEVELOPMENT
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.:Local Maoist leaders’ demand for commission from contractors has badly affected the track opening work of the Mid-Hill Highway in Rukum, Thee Kathmandu Post reports.
The situation is such that it is almost impossible to continue the work, according to a senior official at the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works. The highway project has awarded the contract for opening 80-km track in the district to 16 contractors.
The official said they had informed about the issue to Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun and other central-level leaders, including Janardhan Sharma, but to no avail. “The problem has remained unsolved despite assurances from high-profile party leaders,” the official said, without divulging the names of the local leaders seeking commission.
Mid-Hill Highway is a national pride project that passes through 12 zones, 24 districts, and 215 VDCs and is expected to serve nearly 7 million people. The government has targeted to complete the entire track opening work and blacktopping of 70 km within this fiscal year.
With a total length of 1,767 km, the highway connects Chiyo Bhanjyang of Pachthar district in the east with Jhulaghat of Baitadi district in the west.
As per the government’s plan for the last fiscal year, the track opening of this much-talked-about highway was supposed to complete by mid-July, 2011. However, the plan could not materialize due to the lack of awareness among residents of Dailekh, Jajarkot and Rukum districts as well as political interference, according to project officials.
“Track opening will complete in the East section within a couple of months,” an official said. He, however, added that the blacktopping of 70 km was not possible this fiscal year.
In its Immediate Action Plan (IAP), the government has put the Mid-hill Highway in its high priority list, and has sought to complete the entire blacktopping work within the next four years. The highway project requires around Rs 35 billion for blacktopping, as per the ministry’s estimation.
According to project officials, construction work could not move ahead as anticipated due to geographical difficulties, fuel shortage and interference by local leaders. An early resolution to the Rukum problem will help expedite work, they said.
The budget for the current fiscal year has targeted to open 116 km track of the highway. Track opening of 26km has been completed as of the fifth month of the current fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Finance. A total of Rs 1.75 billion has been allocated for the project this year, but only Rs 320 million has been spent so far.
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NEPAL, INDIA JOINTON KOSI HIGH DAM DECISION IN MAOIST-ERA DESPITE EARLIER UCPM (Maoist) OPPOSITION
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Officials from Nepal and India on Saturday agreed to carry out a joint feasibility study of the much-talked-about Sapta Koshi multi-purpose project by the end of 2013, Anil Giri writes in The Kathmandu Post..
The ambitious multi-billion dollar project will combine irrigation facilities, a flood control system, power generation of 3,000 MW, a 269-metre waterway and construction of an 883 ft high concrete or rock-filled dam. On 19 December 1996, both the sides had agreed to take the long-pending project ahead and carry out a pre-feasibility study.
The feasibility study will look into the nitty-gritty of the Sapta Koshi High Dam Multipurpose Project and Sun Koshi Storage-cum-Diversion Scheme.
A two-day meeting on this ended on Saturday in Kathmandu, where DP Singh of Nepal and SP Kakaran of India led their countries.
According to Nepali officials, millions of dollars will be spent for the feasibility study, and India would bear most of the cost. According to the agreement, the study will cover topological, geological and seismological surveys and drillings across the project sites and prepare an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).
Following an agreement between Nepal and India to develop a multi-purpose project, a Joint Project Office (JPO) was set up in 2004 in Biratnagar to carry out the pre-feasibility study. The Maoist insurgency and frequent obstructions delayed the submission of the report.
To carry out the feasibility study, the two sides have agreed to strengthen the JPO with recruitment of more engineers and manpower.
The feasibility study will identify locations and routes of channels, their number, quality of construction materials and their availability, among other things.
According to the pre-feasibility study, the proposed 269-metre high concrete or rock-filled dam will be constructed roughly 2.6 km north of Chatara. The high dam is likely to submerge at least 82 villages located 500 ft above sea level.
The project has three main channels for irrigation. Two out of the three channels—east and west—will be constructed to convey water to India, while one channel on the east will provide irrigation facilities to three districts—Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari. Four separate subsidiary channels will be constructed to convey water to different parts of Nepal that will irrigate land up to Parsa district in the west.
“Within the next two weeks, a team from the Nepal Electricity Authority will visit India and discuss the geological study of the project with the Central Electricity Authority there. This will make way for us to move ahead again,” an official who attended the meeting said.
“We will enter the next phase in early 2004 for the Detailed Project Report ( DRP). Only the DPR can tell us about the benefits of the project, the number of people to be affected, the relocation ideas, rehabilitation and compensation,” the official added.
What the multi-billion dollar project hasIrrigation facilities
Flood control system
3,000 MW power generation
269-metre waterway
883-ft high concrete or rock-filled dam
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CRIPPLING NC DISPUTE RESOLVED
Kathamandu, 5Feb.; Nepali Congress today [Saturday] settled the five-month long dispute over its sister wings with the formation of central level ad-hoc committees in seven of it sister bodies through consensus, Prakash Acharya writes in The Himalayan Times..

The Congress had gone through severe dispute after the party establishment dissolved four of the central committees of the seven sister bodies amid serious objection from the faction led by senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The party, however, is yet to make important appointments in 32 departments, the parliamentary board responsible for selecting party candidates for general elections and zonal party chiefs in order to balance power sharing between factions led by party President Sushil Koirala and Deuba.

“The president has assured that all other issues will be settled through consensus. I believe the party will resolve the remaining issues soon,” said Bimalendra Nidhi, a senior leader in Deuba’s faction. Following talks between Koirala and Deuba’s representative Nidhi, a meeting of senior party leaders at Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj, made public the names of the chairs of the ad-hoc committees.

As per the agreement, the Deuba faction will lead four sister wings — Nepal Tarun Dal, Nepal Mahila Sangh, Nepal Aadibasi Janajati Sangh and Nepal Magar Sangh. Udaya Shumsher Rana, Dila Sangraula, Indra Bahadur Gurung and Ganesh Bahadur Thapa Magar have been appointed chairpersons of the ad-hoc committees of the sister bodies respectively.

The Koirala faction will lead three wings — Nepal Student Union, Nepal Prajatantantra Senani Sangh and Nepal Kisan Sangh. Ranjit Karna, Tanka Prasad Sharma Kandel and Bhanu Sigdel will lead the three bodies respectively.

The ad-hoc committees have been mandated to compulsorily hold fresh conventions of the sister bodies within six months. Committee members will be appointed through consensus, said Koirala.

Chairpersons and members of the ad-hoc committees will not be allowed to file candidacy in fresh conventions and the ad-hoc committees will execute all the tasks of the sister bodies until their new Central Working Committees are formed through fresh conventions.

To assist and oversee the ad-hoc committees, the party will form a central level direction committee from among the party’s CWC members.

Although, the NC CWC meeting five months ago had decided to form preparatory committees to hold fresh conventions in the sister bodies, the party establishment today agreed to form ad-hoc committees, upholding the Deuba faction’s demand.

Deuba, who is in Nepalgunj, had mandated Nidhi over telephone to hold talks with Koirala to settle the issue. Before going for talks, Nidhi had held consultations with Deuba faction leaders.
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PLA FORMER FGHERS RETRN HOME JOURNEY AFTER 5 YEARS BUT AMID HURDLES
Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: The process of bidding adieu to Maoist combatants opting for voluntary retirement began today in all seven PLA
Cantonments, The Himalayan Times reports from Damak, Parasi..

Injured and physically challenged Maoist fighters in Chitwan’s Shaktikhor-based Third Division and Nawalparasi’s Jhyaltungdanda-based Fourth Division, however, had obstructed account payee cheque distribution for some time today, though their farewell had commenced yesterday. At Shaktikhor, these combatants obstructed the programme demanding more money. The programme ran smoothly after division commander Dhan Bahadur Maskey pledged to take their demand to Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction.

The Monitoring team informed that they gave account payee cheques and travel allowances to 75 and 139 fighters on Friday and Saturday respectively at the Third Division.

Commander Tej Bahadur Oli at Nawalparasi’s Jhyaltungdanda-based Fourth Division said 177 Maoist fighters received account payee cheques and travel allowances.

At Sindhuli’s Dudhauli-based Second Division, the farewell process was obstructed after 3:00 pm. Division commander Suk Bahadur Rokaya said they had given account payee cheques to 32 fighters before the process was halted.

Altogether 91 PLA fighters from Ilam’s Chulachuli-based First Division received account payee cheques today. From this cantonment, 721 fighters opted for voluntary retirement.

The farewell process commenced at Kailai’s Talband-based Seventh Division today as well. CA member and technician team’s coordinator Gopal Singh Bohara said 174 fighters were provided account payee cheques at the division. The number of combatants choosing voluntary retirement from this cantonment was 1,358.

At Rolpa’s Fifth Division, they distributed account payee cheques to 233 Maoist combatants. From this Division, 385 fighters opted for voluntary retirement.

At Surkhet’s Dasrathpur-based Sixth Division cantonment, the farewell programme began at 5:00 pm after fighters demanded that their current education and ranks be taken into account for the allocation of money.

Dipak Prasad Bhatta informed that they distributed account payee cheques to 23 Maoist combatants there.
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NOC PUTS NATION ON EDGEoc

Kathmandu, 5 Feb.: Government apathy to deregulate petroleum prices for long compelled taxpayers and poor people living in rural areas to bear the cost of oil subsidy while petroleum products are consumed in abundance in cities. Now, it is set to victimize civil servants, school teachers, health workers and security agencies, Milan Mani Sharma writes in Republica.

Imprudent management of oil loss has made these new groups to bear the brunt mainly because the government in the course of avoiding much-needed reforms compelled Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Citizens Investment Trust (CIT) -- two public sector institutions wherein 450,000 government and private employees have put their long-term savings -- to finance oil imports.

Technically insolvent Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), reeling under cumulative loss of over Rs 14 billion in mid-July 2011, has taken Rs 6.50 billion in loans from EPF and Rs 1.80 billion from CIT so far. Ministry of Finance (MoF) says the loans are safe because those are backed by government guarantee.

Government guarantee notwithstanding, the ailing state-owned petroleum import monopolist has not even managed to service the interests on time. Top officials at NOC termed it pretty obvious given the fact that NOC recoups little money from sales and depends heavily on loans arranged by the government to continue imports -- its basic duty.

"It is difficult for us to say by when we shall be able to repay them," said NOC Spokesperson Mukunda Dhungel, indicating that it does not see any chance of settling those debts in the near future.

For the loans, EPF and CIT were expecting NOC to pay 9 percent interest per annum. However, the loans investments are not fetching due returns. Uncertainty of payment and consistent gloomy financial outlook of the corporation is turning the lenders anxious now.

As name suggests, EPF is the manager of provident fund of the government, public and private sector employees and has been helping the savers financially on retirement or separation from their jobs. CIT too has been managing funds of small and medium level savers under its retirement fund, pension fund, and insurance fund schemes, among others.

Just as any other financial institution, these institutions rely on loans and investment to generate returns. Given their objectives and pledges, these entities were offering higher deposit interest than the market till recent years and pledging loans on special discounted rates (much less than market rates to their contributors).

But they were facing troubles to maintain those offers over the past two years. For instance, interest that EPF provides on deposits today is less than what commercial banks in general give. It has raised interest on loans taken against contributions and also jacked up lending rates on home and education to 11 percent from almost 9 percent during the period.

"In such a situation, lack of repayment of principal and interests by NOC will definitely have its impact," said Rameshore Prasad Khanal, Prime Minister´s Economic Advisor.

A senior EPF official agreed. However, he did not divulge on by what extent it would actually impact the savers. "It is already exerting pressure on us to review existing facilities," he stated.

Senior officials at MoF too said government insistence to finance oil imports through EPF and CIT loans is forcing them to widen their spread rate (difference between deposit and lending rates).

This means these institutions can either drop deposit rates or increase lending rates. In that case, 450,000 civil servants, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force personnel, teachers and private sector employees from 28,000 institutions that contributed in EPF and almost similar number of public sector savers of CIT will soon find earnings on their savings going down or will be forced to pay more for loans.

It is not that the people who manage and oversee NOC are not aware of the situation. In order to avoid this situation, Minister for Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) Lekh Raj Bhatta recently proposed the government to waive off all the loans of NOC, which stands at well over Rs 21 billion.

But will that help? "No," says Khanal, adding that waiver will still force the government to burn taxpayers´ money, as it needs to settle loans of EPF and CIT. This, in turn, will again eat into its capacity to meet expectations of a rise in perks of public sector employees.

"Like it or not, civil servants will bear the cost of subsidy anyhow," said Khanal, reiterating that there is no other option for Nepal but to adjust the fuel prices in line with the international trend, if it wants to save public from undue cost and possible fiscal risks.
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NEPAL ARMY CAN CONTNUE SOCIAL NEWWORKING SITES


Kathmandu, 5 Feb. Officials of the Nepal Army (NA) will continue using social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter, even as their counterparts in India have lately been directed to quit such sites for fear that sensitive information may be leaked, Shreejana Shrestha writes in Repubica.

“We don´t have any policy to bar our officials from joining social networking sites and NA is not planning to come with such directives anytime soon,” said NA Spokesperson Ramindra Chhettri. He, however, added that the officials must stick to work ethics and will not be allowed to use such sites during office hours.

According to reports, the Indian Army has recently directed its officials to immediately quit social networking sites, and warned others against joining such sites. “The army feared officers could be lured into inadvertently leaking classified information on these websites by those who might seek to trap them for espionage through “honeytraps” and other methods,” states The Asian Age.

Prior to the ban, the Indian Army had ordered its 1.13 million officials -- both officers and other ranks -- not to post anything that divulges their affiliation with the institution and harm institutional integrity.

But given the sensitivity of Indian security, the army finally banned its officials and ranks from connecting to the sites.

There are media reports that the US military is also strongly considering a “near-total ban” on Twitter, Facebook and other networking sites.

Chhetri said army personnel, however, will not be allowed to post anything that may harm professional integrity of the institution.
According to him, the army officials have been prohibited from posting their pictures in fatigues and with weapons. Similarly, they can´t post anything that reveals information about the institution or show their affiliation with the institution.

The NA officials can use the social networking sites only for their personal purpose but not for any professional cause,” Chhetri told Republica.

A notable number of the NA officials have been found using social networking sites, especially Facebook. “We will take strong action against those found uploading picture with uniform and weapons, or disclosing official information.”
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