FRTHER PROTESTS AGAINST PRACHANDA SON AND PM FOR BLANKET SUPPORT

FURTHER DETAILS OF PRACHANDA, PM DISCUSSIONS
Kathmandu, 18 March: Prachanda and Bhattarai discussed amongst themselves
and with colleagues ways to thwart even a no-confidence motion against the
government by the Mohan Baidya group.
The party dissent has directly impacted peace process and constitution drafting processes.
Nnnn

FURTHER DETAILS OF STUDENT PROTESTS AGAINST PRACHANDA SON
Kathmandu, 18 March: Students activist s of main opposition NC are collecting
one pice from every student Sunday in mocked protest to collect money to meet expense:of Shamir Dahal, son of Maoist Prachanda, to climb Mount Everest this spring with some cronies.
Dahal complained in his Facebook government awarded him only Rs.20million
when he demanded Rs.30 million in dole for the effort.
UML affiliated organizations in and outside the capital are again burning effigies
of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai in front of campuses Sunday with warnings of scaled-up protests Monday if the government decision isn’t rescinded.
nnnn

THREE POLICEMEN INJURED IN CLASH IN JALESHWOR OVERNIGHT
Kathmandu, 18 March: Three policemen were injured overnight in front of a house in
in Jaleshwor,Mohottari, overnight during a raid .
Three persons were arrested and a weapon and some bullets were recovered.
Nnnn
PM CONSULTING MINISTERS AND SECRETARIES

Kathmandu, 18 March: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is consulting
ministers and secretaries later Sunday following the worst indiscipline at government offices aim politicization of the civil service.
Riot police were called in last week in the Singha Durbar complex amid a
differences over mass transfers of government employees
Minister s have been interfering in transfers to award plum assignments to
Lackeys; there are three unions of employees affiliated with different political parties.
Officials attempt to get placements to offices where money can by amassed.postings we
Lower level officials even mistreated seniors, including secretaries
One Madeshi minister even abused a woman secretary,,.
Never has suchindiscipline been seen atn government offices.
In a previous administration, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal didn’t take
action against ministers who mistreated senior officials even as they were physically and mentally abused by just to retain support of parties to stay in office.
Nnnn
INDIA INCREASES AID ALLOCATIONS FOR NEPAL
Kathmandu, 1 MarchL99 7India will give IRs 2.7 billion in grants to Nepal in 2012-13. This is what Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced on Friday while unveiling the budget for 2012-13, The Kathmandu Post reports.
New Delhi had given grants worth IRs 1.5 billion in 2011-12 and IRs 1.67 billion in 2010-11 to Nepal.
India’s proposed loans and grants to foreign governments amount to IRs 51.48 billion this year. In South Asia, Bhutan continues to top the list of countries receiving Indian grant. While Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are ahead of Nepal in terms of the Indian grants amount, Bangladesh and Maldives will receive relatively less amount than Nepal.
On concerns about the Indian budget’s incentives for agriculture that may impact Nepal’s exports and imports, experts here said the budget had no major policy shifts to make a big difference.
Given Nepal’s dependence on India, with over 60 percent of trade being done with the southern neighbour, the Indian budget is closely watched by Nepali policymakers and business community.
Nepal is basically concerned about Indian policies on agriculture, as Nepal’s agriculture is less competitive than India, and more facilities to Indian farmers mean Nepali farmers’ misery. Nepali farmers have always been suffering from the import of cheap Indian agriculture products through porous border between the two countries. “India has not increased direct subsidies to farmers, which is our concern,” said Rameshwor Khanal, economic advisor to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai. “However, a number of missions announced in the areas of horticulture to food processing may affect our agriculture sector.”
The Indian budget has announced a number plans to increase agriculture productivity, including National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Plm, National Mission on Agricultural Extension and Technology and National Horticulture Mission.
Besides these programmes, the budget also reduced customs duty on the import of agriculture machineries and other inputs to enhance productivity. Basic customs duty on sugarcane planters, root or tuber crop harvesting machines, weeders, and tillers has been slashed to 2.5 percent from 7.5 percent earlier. Customs duty on specified coffee plantation and processing machineries has been reduced to 5 percent from 7.5 percent.
Although the budget has announced slashing subsidies on petroleum products and fertilisers, it has made it clear that it would continue providing subsidies on food to enhance India’s food security situation. “More subsidies and benefits to Indian farmers may affect Nepali farmers’ interests at a time when Nepal is all set to remove agriculture development fee on imports,” said trade expert Ratnakar Adhikari.
Nepal has pledged to the World Trade Organisation that it would remove such a fee from the next year.
The Indian budget has raised standard excise duty from 10 percent to 12 percent. “As most of the goods imported from India, including vehicles and tobacco products among others, are subject to the increased excise duty, the price of imported goods may go up due to increased production cost,” said Khanal.
As no excise duty is imposed on goods imported to Nepal from India, it will not affect vehicle prices here. “Automobile price will not go up here due to a hike in excise duty in India,” said Saurabh Jyoti, president of Nepal Automobile Dealers’ Association. India has raised excise duty on small cars to 27 percent from the current 22 percent.
An increase in the income tax exemption threshold to IRs 200,000 from the current IRs 180,000 is expected to increase Indians’ disposable income. “This will create more demand and fuel price rise in India,” said Khanal. “The rise in Indian inflation may also catalyse Nepal’s inflation.”
nnnn



nnnn

FURTHER DETAILS OF ANTI-GOVT. PROTESTS
Kathmandu, 18 March: The Joint National People’s Struggle Committee (JNPSC) Saturday announced its protest programmes as part of a campaign for a pro-people constitution and dignified integration of the Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army, The Rising Nepal reports.
The protest programmes were announced by UCPN-Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel at a press meet organised in the capital. Gajurel heads the JNPSC.
Amidst hundreds of supporting cadres, Gajurel read out a press release regarding the disgruntled faction’s outlook on recent political developments, peace, constitution and water resources.
Hardliner Gajurel accused the party leadership, establishment faction, of failing to implement decisions taken by the last Central Committee meeting on a national unity government, organisational reshuffling and launching of a movement for national independence.
Stating that his party was committed to lead a people’s revolt as one of its main agendas, Gajurel opposed the government’s condoning of the price hike and the decision to return the seized property by the then Maoist cadres during the insurgency period.
"The party needs to carry out protests as the peace process is in crisis, the PLA is being disarmed instead of having PLA combatants’ dignified integration and the government is making compromises in its national independence through
anti-national agreements,"

Gajurel said.
He added that the government would be pressurised from the street, parliament and party to step down as its activities were against the interests of the nation and the people.
Gajurel informed that the JNPSC was planning to hold talks with the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the main opposition parties, to form a national government toppling the incumbent government.
He accused the top leaders of the party that they were reluctant to execute the decisions of the Central Committee and Standing Committee regarding the formation of the national consensus government.
In a bid to topple the current government led by his own party vice-chairman, Gajurel unveiled 5-point protest programmes.
In the five points, issues related to national independence, pro-people constitution, peace process, national consensus government and livelihood are included.
Likewise, the Maoist hard-line faction had strongly raised 20-point issues regarding the pro-people constitution, rights of self-decision, state organs, and forms of governance to be incorporated in the new constitution.
However, exact date of the protest programme is yet to be announced. Gajurel said that their protest programme would be held within May 27, the deadline for the promulgation of the new constitution.
Besides secretary Gajurel, UCPN-Maoist Standing Committee member Dev Gurung, politburo members Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplap’, Hitman Shakya ‘Suman’, Pampha Bhusal and Central Committee member Amrita Thapa were present
However, party vice-chairman Mohan Baidhya Kiran, who is leading the hardline faction, and party general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa were absent from today’s meet.
nnnn

Nnnn

COMPENSATION DEMANDED FROM GOVT. FOR PULL DOWN OF ROADS,HOUSES

Kathmandu, 18 March :
Leaders of the major political parties Saturday stressed that the government should provide compensation to those affected by road widening campaign in the Kathmandu valley, The Rising Nepal reports.
They said that the road widening is a positive move but deserving people should be compensated.
UCPN-Maoist leader Hitman Shakya said that the owners of old houses must be provided with compensation.
While widening the road, people’s property need to be protected and compensation should be provided, he added.
Nepali Congress leader Nabindra Raj Joshi said widening of road was essential to solve various problems including that of traffic congestion but compensation to the personal properties must be ensured.
CPN-UML’s Asta Laxmi Shakya said that support and consent of the citizens should be sought for the road widening campaign.
nnnn