NC.UML MEET

NC, UML MEET
Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: Two biggest opposition parties NC
and UML held discussions Monday to develop a common policy towards Maoists leading government.
The meeting comes after main opposition NC held discussions with Maoists Sunday asking the party leading the government to reverse a cabinet decision to legalize of seizure of people’s assets during a 10-year war.
Maoists rejected the request.
NC and UML have already decided not to cooperate to complete the peace process and constitution drafting.
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CHICKS KILLED IN SUNSARI TO CONTAIN BIRD FLU
Kathmandu, 6 Feb.:; Chicks were culled to prevent spread on bird flu from Sunsari, Ilam and Panchathar in the eastern districts Monday morning one day after the avian
flu was confirmed by a British medical facility.
The outbreak is the first in 2012.
The deadly infectious disease was last reported in the capital at Manahara in 2011.
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19TH DAYOF BARDIBAS CLOSURE
Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: Normal life across the district headquarters Jaleswor has been gradually complicated with the shutdown of town area for the past 19 days, RSS reports from Bardibas..
Town life has witnessed complexities after the growing incidents of trading stones and bricks, vandalism and retaliation in course of shutdown of market, transportation means and offices.
We could not get daily essential goods and it has been difficult for mobility due to strike and frequent sporadic clashes between the protestors and suppressors, said locals.
The security concern of school-going children in the later days has increased woes of guardians with the frequent exchange of stones on the way to their schools.
The agitation was launched with the aegis of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Jalwswor Chapter demanding district-based main offices outside the district headquarters be centralised, branch offices of Jaleswor Transport office and Inland Revenue Office to be set up and district to be declared load-shedding free zone.
District-based intellectuals have urged
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UN CHIEF’S NEPAL VISIT DEFERRED
Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: The planned visit of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Lumbini in March has been deferred, confirmed multiple sources. The reason for the postponement has not been specified, Lekhnath Pandey writes in .The Himalayan Times.

Ban’s visit was set for the first half of March, but deferred till further notice apparently due to doubt over the genuineness of the Lumbini development initiative led by UCPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, sources at Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), Nepal’s Permanent Mission to United Nations and UCPN-Maoist said.

UN officials in New York and Kathmandu recently conveyed Ban’s inability to visit Lumbini next month as planned according to Nepal’s Mission in New York, MoFA and Dahal himself.

A MoFA official privy to the matter presumed Ban’s visit had been called off at least till May 28, a statutory deadline for concluding the peace process and promulgating a new constitution.

Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai maintained the visit was yet to be finalised officially. Nepal’s Mission in New York, however, mentioned in its statement of November 9 that Ban had accepted Nepal’s invitation to visit Lumbini in March. The invitation was extended by Maoist Chairman Dahal, who was in New York then in the capacity of coordinator of the High Level National Steering Committee (HLNSC) for development of Greater Lumbini.



Confirming the deferral, Nepali Congress leader Minendra Rijal, who is also a member of HLNSC, said, “The meeting has been deferred for March. But, it will happen some time later. As the peace process is underway, we too cannot get involved in preparations for the conference.”

Ban, along with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, was to visit Nepal for an international meeting on Lumbini’s development in Lumbini.

Upon arrival from the United States at TIA, Dahal had also said the UN Secretary General accepted his request to play a lead role in development of the Buddhist shrine and was coming Nepal in March to take part in an international conference in Lumbini. The government has announced 2012 as Visit Lumbini Year.

“We are informed the reason behind the postponement is conflict of schedule in the Secretary General’s itinerary,” said a MoFA official. “We came to know through unofficial channels that the postponement was made primarily due to UN suspicion over the genuineness of the so-called involvement of the Asia-Pacific Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (APECF)in Lumbini’s development.”

Dahal had identified himself as co-chair of APECF that had announced investment of US$ 3 billion for Lumbini’s development. The controversial institution had also proclaimed that it sealed an agreement with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to this effect, which UNIDO later refuted. UNIDO also took action against its top official in China for making an “unauthorised” deal on Lumbini with the controversial organisation.
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MAOISTS SEEKS SEVERENCE SUM FROM FORMER PLA FIGHTERS

Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: With the Maoist party allegedly trying to pocket about half the money given to combatants opting for voluntary retirement, the process of bidding farewell to the former Maoist fighters has faced a new hurdle,’
Bechu Gaud write in The Kathmandu Post from Nawalparasi &
Motilal Poudel from Surkhet
.
Dozens of retiring Maoist combatants on Sunday complained that their commanders snatched away pay cheques and identity cards. In Surkhet, commanders snatched away account payee cheques of some 26 combatants of the Jharana Smriti Brigade, Section Vice-Commander Man Bahadur Chand told the Post.
Things turned violent at the fourth division in Nawalparasi after the commanders forced the fighters to deposit 40 percent of the money. Witnesses said a bruised fighter was seen staggering outside the camp after a brawl. Commander Ranadip allegedly beat up some four combatants inside the camp after they refused to follow the "order".
Each of the 7,365 combatants is collecting cheques worth Rs 250,000 to Rs 400,000 as part of the first instalment.
"We risked our lives for the party's sake and now the party is doing injustice to us," said combatant Dhan Bahadur Rana from Arunkhola, Nawalparasi. "The amount we are paid is peanuts. We are shocked that the party is trying to take it from us."
Section Vice-Commander Chand of Surkhet said the party demanded he deposit Rs 200,000 and take home the rest, a mere Rs 50,000.
Following scuffle in different cantonments, some combatants lodged informal complaints with members of the Special Committee Secretariat.
However, with the commanders rubbishing the allegations, Secretariat members have asked the combatants to write a formal application so that the government can look into the matter.
"Some combatants have sought our help, saying that their party is trying to take away the money from them. We have told them that the issue can only be looked into if an official complaint is lodged," said Secretariat Coordinator Balananda Sharma. Sharma said the fighters are collecting account payee cheques, which means money cannot be withdrawn from the bank without the consent of the combatant concerned.
Fourth Division Commander Tej Prsasad Oli said the charges are baseless. "We are not threatening any fighter, but the disqualified ones have been threatening us while demanding some relief package," he said.
Some fighters, however, also said the party was charging a certain amount of the package money only from those who remained absent at the cantonments for a long time and recruited after the peace process began in 2006.
The issue has so far not been conveyed to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, as there is not a single official complaint, Sharma said.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties have taken serious exception to the reported incidents of commanders seizing the cheques. They have demanded the PM clarify the matter.
In a three-party meeting at Singhadurbar on Sunday, leaders from the Nepali Congress said they were 'informed' of the Maoist party's attempt to capture pay cheques and identity cards of retiring fighters. The party said the developments in the cantonments were 'fishy.'
"We are hearing of a lot of such complains from combatants. We have demanded the prime minister hold a meeting of the special committee to dig out the truth," said NC leader and Special Committee member Dr Ram Sharan Mahat. In response, Bhattarai said he was unaware of such things happening. He, however, committed to look into the matter.
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GOVT. CLUELESS HOW WEAPONS ARE BEING USED
Kathmandu, 6 Feb.:Though the number of licensed guns has increased remarkably of late, two responsible authorities—District Administration Offices (DAO) and the Ministry of Home of Affairs—are unaware of the status of thousands of weapons legally owned by individuals, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Once a person receives the licence, the government has no mechanism to check where and when the arm was used. Though the Arms and Ammunitions Act-1963 requires licence renewal within 35 days of the end of the fiscal year, no office in the country knows whether or not the individual has renewed the licence.
“A person who receives the licence from Kathmandu can renew it in Jumla,” said Kathmandu Chief District Officer Ratna Raj Pandey. “It is almost impossible to track whether the licence-holder has renewed the permission since we don’t have a proper network of DAOs across the country.”
The provision of making bullets available to gun owners is horrifying considering that the government has no data where they are used. One has to apply to authorities for ammunition import as they desire but is not required to mention where they used those obtained earlier.
Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, joint secretary at the Home Ministry, admits no proper monitoring takes place, increasing the risk of misuse of the weapons. Of the total 34,468 licences issued till date, 13,069 were from the Kathmandu DAO alone. However, no owner has been blacklisted for not renewing or misusing the weapon. Nor has a single licence been seized till date. Flouting a provision of the Act that bars authorities from issuing more than two licences to an individual, the Department of Commerce record shows Chandra Bahadur Gurung in the fiscal year 2008/09 was authorised to carry three arms.
“It’s a matter of serious concern that we are not organised well enough to track how the weapons are being used,” said Dhakal, who has served as the Kathmandu CDO.
According to the Arms and Ammunitions Act-1963, one wishing to keep a weapon legally is required to apply to the DAO justifying his/her reason for the possession. One also has to produce a medical certificate to prove mental and physical well-being. Following the application, the DAO calls a meeting of the District Security Committee and recommends the ministry for the permission. After the verification, the Home Ministry recommends to the Department of Commerce to permit the import of the licenced weapon. At present, the government allows two categories of guns—12 bore and 20 gauge shot guns. However, many people still hold small arms such as pistol and revolver that were licensed in various periods including the 2005 royal takeover.
Licence holders on rise
People seeking licence to own weapon justifying threats to their lives have increased over the years. In FY 2008/09, 80 people received licence for a gun, according to the DAO, Kathmandu. It increased to 93 in FY 2009/10 and the number climbed to 108 in 2010/11. In the current fiscal year, some 56 guns have been permitted to be kept by individuals.
“Most people seek security by complaining that they fear for their life,” said CDO Pandey.
Most of the high-ranking retired army officials, security personnel and leaders are also found to have applied for the licence.
The guns are imported mostly from countries such as Italy, US and Singapore, without paying taxes, according to the Commerce Department.


NC WON’T LEAD GOVT.AFFIIRMS SUSHIL KOIIRALA

Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala Sunday said that his party would not take the leadership of the government immediately, The Rising Nepal reports from Biratnagar.
Talking to journalists at the Biratnagar Airport, Koirala said that NC would not lead any government before the conclusion of the peace process.
"Nepali Congress will not lead the government even if it gets such opportunity," he said and urged the UCPN-Maoist to be a responsible party.
Stating that peace was the first priority of his party, Koirala said that dual characteristic of the UCPN Maoist was the main hindrance to peace process.
He said that NC would continue to obstruct the meeting of the parliament until the government annulled its decision
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ALTERNATIVE ROUTE CONNECTS MAITIGHAR WITH,BHADRAKALI
RSS




Kathmandu, 6 Feb.: Opening of track along the Maitighar- Bhadrakali road section to reduce the traffic problem along the main administrative center of the country, Singha Durbar has been concluded, RSS reports.
The track has been opened as an alternative road to connect Maitighar with Bhadrakali after the Nepal Army closed the road passing next to the NA headquarters citing security problem, said member of the Technical Committee and Joint-secretary Laxman Pokhrel.
Mr Pokhrel said the committee has been requesting the Ministry of Defense for funds to carry out gravelling, construction of wall and a culvert over the Hanumante river after the opening of the track completing at the initiative of Nepal Army.
"The committee has been preparing to bring the new road in use within the current fiscal year," he said.
A meeting chaired by Government’s Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire decided on December 23 to construct the road after Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai directed constructing an alternative road to the old road that was used by the NA of late.
The committee led by NA Major General Naresh Basnet was formed to conclude the task within the current fiscal year. Joint-secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications Pokhrel, Joint-secretary Dwarika Acharya, Under Secretary Surendra Thapa and Devendra Karki of Central Regional Road Directorate are the other members of the committee.
The road begins from the south of the Ministry of Health and Population, runs through the back of the Central Office of the Nepal Food Corporation and Nepal Telecom and connect to the main road at Bhadrakali temple.

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