EU TEAMHOLDS COLLECTIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH PM

EU TEAM HOLDS DISCUSSIONS WITH PM
Kathmandu,20 March: Ambassadors of EU member states collectively Tuesday
held connective discussions and asked about the status of the peace process and constitution drafting with Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.
The envoy conveyed their concerns to government chief on the obstacles to the processes.
They urged a consensus, like many others, for a consensus to end the deadlock.
The envoys met the premier when a three member EU team is in town to review the Nepal situation with shakers and movers.
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WORK ON KULEKHANI III YET TO RESUME
Kathmandu, 20 March: Even after the agreement between the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) and contractor Sino Hydro over compensation and cost overruns, the stalled civil work of Kulekhani III Hydroelectricity Project (KTHEP) is yet to resume, Pratap Bista writes in The Kathmandu Post from Hetauda..
And this time, it is due to workers’ agitation.
Following the deal, the project management had asked the Chinese company to start the work from last Tuesday. However, as Sino Hydro was preparing to begin the work, workers went on strike.
“We haven’t been able to begin the work as workers have launched strike, putting forth several demands, including provident funds,” said a Sino Hydro official, adding that they made several attempts to bring workers back to work, but to no avail.
Gyanu Lama, the leader of agitating workers, said they will not let the work begin until their demands are met. “Workers and the contractor had held talks, but the problem remained unsolved,” he said.
KTHEP Chief Uttam Lal Amatya said as the contractor hasn’t been able forge consensus with workers in some issues.
A meeting between NEA and Sino Hydro on February 22 had decided that the government would promptly provide Rs 140 million compensation to the company and would extend the construction period by 30 months. It was also agreed that Sino Hydro would withdraw its case filed against NEA in the Lalitpur Appellate Court, seeking Rs 740 million in compensation.
Seeking a revision of the contract cost, the company on January 9 had unilaterally pulled out of the contract and filed a case against the NEA in a bid to secure its security deposit.
As per the contract, Sino Hydro was supposed to complete the civil work, including tunnel construction, underground reservoir and road construction, by December 7, 2011, but failed to meet the deadline. Instead, it demanded NEA for an additional three years time for the completion of the project, and NEA granted eight month extension.
Sino Hydro was awarded the Rs 1.08-billion contract in 2008, of which is has already received Rs 300 million. The contractor has completed 45 percent of the work so far.
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MAOIST DRIVE FOR WEST SETI POWER PLANT WITH CHINA
Kathmandu, 20 March: Lawmakers from the ruling UCPN (Maoist) have started piling pressure on the Natural Resources and Means Committee of parliament to revoke its directives that bars the government from implementing the memorandum of understanding signed with a Chinese company on the West Seti hydroelectricity project, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The call to allow China's Three Gorges International Corporation to start its work based on the deal signed with the Ministry of Energy was made by some Maoist lawmakers at Monday's meeting. A majority of lawmakers, however, stressed that the House committee complete its investigation before permitting the implementation of the deal.
The discussion in the parliamentary committee follows a strongly-worded letter sent to the Nepal government by the Chinese company warning of pulling out of the project. The debate in the panel, however, was focussed on extending the term of the Shanta Chaudhary-led panel by 10 days.
“People have serious complaints against the committee. We are being seen as the ones standing against the country's development,” said Maoist lawmaker Prem Tamang. “Frustration is growing in the country in the absence of development initiatives. We should not completely block the implementation of such a mega project in the name of a probe,” he added.
Tamang suggested that the term of the subcommittee formed to investigate into the deal signed by the government should not be extended by more than three days. The 10-day deadline for investigation set by the full committee expired on Sunday.
Nepali Congress Chief Whip Laxman Prasad Ghimire commented that three days would be insufficient. He said the government was yet to furnish its response to the 16 questions asked by the subcommittee regarding the controversial deal.
“The Ministry of Energy is yet to provide us with the original copy of the MoU despite our demand. The ministry spokesperson responds to the media like an agent of the Three Gorges company,” said the NC lawmaker. Maoist CA member Tamang demanded a probe into the issue saying that government officials and representatives of the Chinese company should both be punished if there was any misappropriation.
Another Maoist lawmaker Dabal Bahadur Shahi said the delay in the West Seti project was against the sentiment of the people in the far-western region. “The project is crucial to maintaining unity among the people of the region,” he said. “It should not be delayed because of the committee.”
UML lawmaker Netra Panthi and CPN (Samyukta) leader Chandra Dev Joshi stressed that the House committee should complete its investigation to ensure smooth execution of the project in future.
The committee's meeting agreed to extend the term of the investigating subcommittee by10 days. Chairman Chaudhary stressed that the panel would speed up process and arrive at a conclusion soon.
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DETAILS OF MAOIST ESTABLISHMENT MEET

Kathmandu, 20 March: A meeting of the Central Committee members of the establishment faction of the main ruling UCPN-Maoist Monday decided to hold discussions with the dissenting faction over party’s programmes in relation to public mobilization for peace and constitution, The Rising Nepal reports.
The meeting, however, labeled the dissent’s announcement of anti-government programmes as being against the party decisions. The dissents had vowed on Saturday to take to streets against the government, and for peace and constitution
The meeting held at a hotel in Lalitpur district concluded to consolidate party organization on the basis of democratic centralism.
Mandating party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to hold discussions with the dissenting faction led by senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya ‘Kiran’ for ending factionalism, the meeting decided to chalk out public mobilization programs afterwards.
It drew the conclusion that only healthy conduction of the two-line struggle should be allowed in the party. For this, it decided to sharpen an ideological struggle against the dissenting faction in order to make them clear on the party line of peace and constitution.
"The meeting decided to deepen ideological struggle and bring out public mobilization programmes as per party’s previous decisions," Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma, who
is also Education Minister, informed the reporters after the meeting.
Sharma informed that the issues of the programs would be dignified peace process, new constitution that ensures identity based federalism, people’s democracy and people’s livelihood.
Sharma said that all those who expressed views in the meeting focused on conclusion of peace and constitution writing process within the given timeframe, May 27.
He blamed that confusion over political line on the part of the dissenting faction was causing problems and difficulties in the party.
"It is against the party methods of two line struggle to announce programs by any thought group," he said when asked about the announcement of protest by the dissent faction on Saturday in the cover of Joint National People’s Struggle Committee.
Sharma informed that office bearers and standing committee members had put forth their views in the meeting which was attended by around 100 CC members, out of total 145.
The meeting will continue on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattari’s chief political advisor Devendra Paudel Monday asserted that the Prime Minister would not bow down to any pressure to resign except for parliamentary process and political agreement for a consensus government.
"The Prime Minister will not step down simply because some people demand it or take to street. But he is ready to resign when there is a reliable alternative for a consensus government or condition so arises due to parliamentary process," Paudel said speaking to the journalists after the establishment’s CC meeting.
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DETAILS OF PM’S CLARIFACTONS SOUGHT FROM MINISTERS





Kathmandu, 20 March:Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Monday sought clarifications from one minister and two state ministers for their wayward activities and shameful deeds, The Rising Nepal reports.
State Minister for Health and Population Saroj Kumar Yadav and state minister for Land Reforms and Management Jwala Kumari Shah furnished clarifications to the Prime Minister Monday morning.
However, Minister for Labour and Transport Management Sarita Giri is yet to furnish her clarifications to the Prime Minister although she has already been asked to do so.
State Minister Yadav, who is also a lawmaker of the Nepal Sadvabhabana Party, was questioned for manhandling doctors at the emergency ward of Bir Hospital Sunday night.
Yadav, accompanied by his personal aide, reached there to visit his relatives drunk.
They were reported to have misbehaved with the working staff of the hospital.
Speaking with The Rising Nepal, Prime Minister’s Press Advisor Ram Rijhan Yadav said that the prime minister would take necessary action against Yadav following further discussions.
However, accused Yadav said that he was facing a media propaganda that had no truth.
He told TRN that the media reports were baseless and seemed like a part of a conspiracy to sack him.
Press Advisor Yadav informed that state minister for Land Reforms and Management Jwala Shah also furnished her clarifications with the Prime Minister on Monday.
Minister Shah was reported as accusing Land Reforms and Management Minister Bhim Prasad Gautam of irregularities.
She had accused the minister for Land Reforms of pocketing land Mafias.
Likewise, Minister for Labour and Transport Management Sarita Giri was asked for clarifications following her deeds of transferring Purna Chandra Bhattarai, the Managing Director of Foreign Employment Department, under influence of others
Giri is yet to furnish her clarifications to the Prime Minister.
Press advisor Yadav informed that two state ministers were alerted regarding their misdeeds while holding the minister-ships.
The Prime Minister assured that he would take action against the reported ministers if they were found guilty, Yadav said.
Meanwhile, in a response to the misbehaviour of State Minister for Health and Population Saroj Kumar Yadav towards the doctors and media persons in Bir Hospital on Sunday, various organizations condemned the acts.
Nepal Medical Association, in its press statement, condemned the incident saying that verbal abuse and misbehaviour from top ranking minister of the government towards

medical officers and staff was a shameful act.
Health Professional Organizations of Nepal (HEPON) also denounced the act and called on the government for fair investigation into the matter and to take appropriate action against the guilty party.
Also, Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) condemned State Minister Yadav’s misdemeanor towards media personnel
who were present in the hospital premise for news collection.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the caucus of women lawmakers on Monday expressed serious concern towards the misbehaviour of Minister for Irrigation Mahendra Prasad Yadav with secretary Brinda Hada.
According to lawmaker Kalpana Rana, the meeting concluded that the Minister’s behaviour was unacceptable act and expressed objection to the use of abusive words by Minister’s personal secretary to Hada.
She said that the incident was intentionally intended to decrease self-esteem of a woman bureaucrat.
The meeting concluded with the decision to protest the incident and demanded that such incident not occur in future as it had challenged idea of proportional representation of women in all state bodies.
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4,000 VACANCIES FOR HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS





Kathmandu, 20 March :The government on Monday decided to create a record 4000 new vacancies of teachers at the Higher Secondary Level, The Rising Nepal reportsl.
The Ministry of Education (MoE) and Higher Secondary School Teachers Association (HISTAN) have reached an agreement to create the new vacancies. The teachers had earlier been demanding with the Ministry that more new vacancies should be created at the higher secondary level so that the temporary teachers could be given permanent status.
As per the agreement, the teachers working as full time will get registration at District Education Office which make them eligible for the equal facility at par with other secondary level second-class teachers.
If the higher secondary have not any full time teachers the schools will select the teachers from the temporary rooster on the basis of seniority. The Department of Education will be monitoring the upgradation process.
The agreement further explained that the 50 per cent of recruitment of teachers would be made through internal competition and 50 per cent through external competition.
Diwakar Dungel, joint secretary of Ministry, and Deepak Subedi, chairman of the HISTAN, signed the agreement.
Janardan Nepal, acting secretary of the Ministry, said that the Ministry will implement the agreement even though it had been running out of time.
However, stakeholders of education have expressed their suspicion over the implementation of the agreement as the Ministry in the past had failed to implement various agreements made with different groups.
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NEPAL LAUNCHES ASIA’S FIRST GAY GAMES
Kathmandu, 20 March: Nepal is to stage Asia’s first ever multi-sport games for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, organisers announced today [Monday], AFP reports from Kathmandu.

The two-week event at the national football stadium and other venues around Kathmandu will feature Nepali participants in track and field, volleyball, football, martial arts and tennis, said Blue Diamond Society, Nepal’s leading gay rights group. “Renowned and respected Nepali athletes will support as coaches and referees for the programme,” said organiser Sunil Pant, the country’s only openly gay lawmaker in a statement.

Asia already stages the ‘Asia-Pacific Outgames’, another multi-sport gay event, but this has only been hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Nepal’s version which is due to take place in late September will be the first in Asia. “The aims for organising the Blue Diamond National Sport Competition 2012 are to mainstream LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people), promote healthy lifestyles, encourage physical fitness, and promote health mentally and spiritually,” said Pant.Nepal is a conservative, Hindu country which nonetheless has some of the most progressive policies on homosexuality in Asia. A landmark 2007 court ruling ordered the government to enact laws guaranteeing the rights of gays.

The country’s new constitution in the making, is expected to define marriage as a union between two adults, regardless of gender, and to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
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