DEVOTEES OFFER PRAYER,WORSHSIPS AT PASHUPATINATH ON SHIVA RATRI

DEVOTEES WORSHIP AND PRAY AT PASHUPATINATH ON SHIVA RATRI MONDAY
Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: All four gates of Pashpatinath temple, the holiest Hindu shrine, were opened at three in the morning Monday for
devotees to worship at the complex.
An estimated 500,000 devotees from home and abroad are expected to pray, worship and bathe Monday.
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PRACHANDA SUB-COMMITTEE MEETS AGAIN MONDAY
Kathmandu, 20 Feb. Chairman Prachanda sub-committee on problem resolution to resolve themes to be included in a constitution by 28
May meets for the second consecutive day Monday to discuss forms of government.
Sunday’s meeting was inconclusive.
Maoists are pushing a presidential and NC and UML a parliamentary ststemwith variations.
The sub-committee under the main constitution drafting
committee has missed two deadlines to resolve differences
for the main committee headed by Nilambar Acharya to
begin drafting a basic law.
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GOVT. SCALING UP EFFORT TO FIGHT AIDS
Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) is scaling up Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV/AIDS to 39 sites this year, The Himalayan Timesreports.

Dr Ramesh Kharel, director of National Centre for AIDS and STD Control (NCASC), said mother-to-child transmission is the most common source of HIV infection in children. He said the transmission risk is greater during labour and delivery, but it can also occur during pregnancy.

The centre started PMTCT service in February, 2005. So far, there are 22 sites, of which 20 sites offer paediatric antiretroviral therapy. There are three districts — Achham, Sunsari and Kailali — implementing Community Based-PMTCT programme.

“The government is providing free antiretroviral drugs and testing for babies,” said Kharel. By training healthcare providers, strengthening counselling system and developing follow-up mechanisms, the programme aims to make sure that all HIV-positive pregnant women and babies receive antiretroviral prophylaxis.

According to the centre, the annual estimated pregnancies are 746,582, of which 1,092 mothers require PMTCT services. The total pregnant women tested for HIV from 2006 to July 2011 is 330,999, among which the total HIV-positive pregnant women are 578.

Kharel added that the country is working on the basis of a National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS (2011-2016).

According to the plan, the country aims to reduce new HIV infection rate by 50 per cent by 2016. Nepal aims to reduce AIDS-related deaths by 25 per cent and infection in children by 90 per cent by 2016.

According to NCASC, 18,237 cases of HIV infection have been registered across the country. At present, the prevalence rate of the disease among 15 to 49 age group is 0.33. The country also aims to reduce the prevalence rate to 0.20 by 2015.
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FEE CEILING FOR KATHMANDU SCHOOLS
Kathmandu, 20 Feb.Kathmandu District Fee Fixation and Monitoring Committee today determined the maximum fee private schools in the district can charge students in the new academic session, that begins after two months, The Himalayan Times reports.

The committee today increased the fee structure in the current academic session from minimum 15 per cent to maximum 25 per cent. For ‘C’ grade schools, the committee has determined maximum monthly fee at Rs 1,100 for primary level, Rs 1,250 for lower secondary level and Rs 1,700 for secondary level.

Currently, ‘C’ grade schools have been charging a maximum monthly fee of Rs 950 for primary level, Rs 1,000 for lower secondary and Rs 1,350 for the secondary level .

As per education regulations, though the fee structure is determined by the FFMC for ‘C’ grade schools, an ‘A’ grade school can hike fee by 50 per cent and ‘B’ grade schools by 25 per cent more than that. Likewise, ‘D’ grade schools have to deduct 25 per cent from the fee ceiling determined by FFMC.

The District Education Officer chairs FFMC in the district, while the director general chairs the Central Fee Fixation and Monitoring Committee in the Department of Education. Members of the committee include representatives from guardians association, private schools’ associations, and teachers association.

When the FFMC met on Thursday, it did not unveil the fee ceiling though stakeholders were very close to consensus.

According to the sixth amendment to the Education Regulation, FFMC in every district should publicise the maximum fee limits in private schools three months before the commencement of an academic session.

After garnering consensus among guardians and teachers, the school management committees should propose the fee structure in respective DEOs two months before the beginning of a new academic session, for approval.

After that schools should publicise the approved fee structure on their notice boards for public attention.

Baikuntha Aryal, District Education Office, Kathmandu, admitted they were late in publicising the fee structure. “Delay in publicising the fee ceiling would have no impact on the new academic session because schools have been directed to admit students only after March 28. Therefore, schools and others concerned still have ample time to carry out the remaining activities.”

The academic session commences from mid April.

Gita Rana, president, National Private and Boarding Schools Association of Nepal said, “This is the monthly fee structure for students who study during school hours between 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, but we need to charge more for extra classes in morning and evening shifts.”

Suprabhat Bhandari, president, Guardians Association of Nepal, who is also a member of CFFMC today said, finally the committee had accomplished its assigned task.

He said, “We will be visiting schools to see whether they are giving salary on par with government school teachers and whether the school has appropriate physical infrastructure for students before implementing the new fee ceiling.”

Cap for C grade schools

Level Present fee (per month) Hiked fee (per month)

Primary Rs 950 Rs 1,100

Lower seconded Rs 1,000 Rs 1,250

Secondary Rs 1,350 Rs 1,700

* A and B grade schools can charge 50 per cent more than the fee fixed for C grade schools, while D grade schools have to deduct 25 per cent.
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SAINTS, BABAS DETAINED AT PASHUPATNATH FORTRADING IN MARIJUANA

Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: 19: A special police team on Sunday detained 40 people including saints and babas from the Pashupati area, charging them with trading marijuana. But amount of the contraband was too little to punish them under the laws related to illicit drugs. Officials at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gausala, said they are still on the lookout and may detain anyone found dealing in the illicit drugs, Republica reports.

“We have deployed 100 personals in civil dress to discourage Marijuana trade,” Kapil Bohara, Police Inspector, working at Gausala police station, said. He said police have formed special team to curb marijuana trade on Maha Shivaratri. “We can punish them under the Public Offence Act,” he added. The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) said it has asked police to curb marijuana trade in the Pashupati area on Maha Shivaratri.

The police said more than 4,000 policemen will be deployed to ensure full-proof security in and around Pashupatinath temple. Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, Nepal Army will be mobilized for this purpose. More than 5,000 volunteers including scouts will assist the devotees in the queues. PADT said all necessary preparations for the festival have been completed and people can visit the temple from 3 am on Monday.

“We have completed cleaning of the temple. Health camps, mobile toilets, and other facilities have been put in place,” Umesh Kuinkel, who is coordinator of publicity sub-committee for the festival, said. He claimed the visitors will not have to stay in the queue for more than half an hour to visit the temple.

Kuinkel said BTS mobile vans will be stationed in the temple area to tackle network problem for mobile phone users.
More than 3,500 sadhus and babas including many from India have arrived at the Pashupatinath temple to celebrate Maha Shivaratri. PADT expects 600,000 to 800,000 visitors on Maha Shivaratri.
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CC CHAIR WRNS NO CONSTITUTION BY 28 MAY IF PARTIES DON’T MEND
Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: Nilamber Acharya, chairman of the Constitutional Committee of the Constituent Assembly (CA) on Sunday ruled out any possibility of promulgating the new constitution by the May 28 deadline if the political parties do not mend their ways, Republica reports.

“It is certain that the new constitution will not see the light of the day if the parties do not change their mindset,” Acharya told media persons at an interaction organized by Reporters Club. He said the statute drafting process would gain momentum only after the major political forces join hands and settle intra-party differences.

Acharya was of the view that the constitution drafting process has been obstructed as “new controversies have surfaced”. He said fundamental democratic values and principles such as the rule of law should be compromised in the new constitution.
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