NEPALSAYS QUAKE STRENGTH 5.2 ON RICHTER SCALE;NO REPORTS OF DAMAGE IN NEPAL SO FAR,

FURTHER DETAILS OF QUAKE
Kathmandu, 28 March : But National Seismological
Center an earthquake measuring 5.2-on the Richter scale
was recorded between Morang and Jhapa at 5.27 AM.
The quake shook terai and hill districts in the East.
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PM TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE OVER RADIO NEPAL
Kathmandu, 28 March: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai will respond to
questions from listeners of state-owned Radio Nepal at 8.10 in the evening
Wednesday.
The premier is giving continuity to a programme he launched over the state radio after assuming office six months ago.
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PUBLIC HOLIDAY CUT
Kathmandu, 28 March: A national holiday on 23 April coinciding with
the declaration by King Gyanendra of the restoration of a parliament that has completed its tenure five years ago has been cancelled by government.
There’s no mention of a public holiday on 23 April coinciding with
Loktantrik Dibas in Nepal Gazette which said there’ll be a public holiday on National Democracy Day next year
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INTERNET ACCESS INCREASED
Kathmandu, 28 March: The internet penetration rate in the country has nearly doubled to 15.75 percent in the last one year. The growth is supported mainly by the increased number of subscribers of the general packet radio service (GPRS) mobile internet and ADSL data service, The Kathmandu Post writes.
The number of data subscribers has increased to 4.19 million as of mid-February this year, with a majority of them using mobile internet, according to the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. The number was at 2.26 million until mid-Feb last year with the penetration rate at 7.93 percent.
There has been a heavy increment in the number of people subscribing to GPRS, ADSL, wireless modem and optical fibre broadband internet. The number of users of GPRS service being provided by Nepal Telecom (NT) and Ncell has increased by 95.63 percent to 3.86 million as of mid-February this year, against 1.97 million as of mid-February last year.
NT’s ADSL subscriber increased to 78,740—up from last year’s 43,547. The number of wireless modem and optical fibre data users grew 143.35 percent to 78,740, as per the NTA figure. However, the number of users of dial-up internet declined by 1.54 percent, cable internet by 47.36 percent and CDMA 1X or EVDO by 2.13 percent in the last one year.
“Many people have switched to wireless high speed data service from slow dial-up service,” said NTA Deputy Managing Director Arjun Ghimire, adding that the growth in the number of subscribers was a result of easy mobile internet facility and reduction in the price of high-speed internet services.
The number of users surfing internet on their handsets has also gone up significantly in the last few years. NTA statistics show of the 13.84 million GSM mobile users, 28 percent have subscribed to mobile internet. When there were 5.68 million mobile users in December 2009, 9.13 percent of them used GRPS data service.
Meanwhile, internet service providers’ reluctance to submit the actual number of their users on a monthly basis to the regulatory body has affected in determining the exact data penetration rate of the country. There are around 48 ISPs permitted by the NTA to operate email and internet service. But hardly a dozen have been providing regular information to the authority, says an NTA official.
Data Service Type Mid-Feb 2012 Mid-Feb 2011 Change
GPRS 3,868,575 1,977,421 95.63%
CDMA 1X or EVDO 177,664 181,536 -2.13%
ADSL 78,740 43,547 80.81%
Wireless, Optical Fibre 31,636 13,000 143.35%
Dial-up 19,520 19,827 -1.54%
Cable internet 17,108 32,500 -47.36
(Source: Nepal Telecommunications Authority)
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KMC FOR 10,000 VOLUNTEERS FOR CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN
Kathmandu, 28 March: If all goes as planned by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), the Capital city may soon wear a cleaner look, NIranjan Sharma writes in The Kathmandu Post..
The metropolis is all set to boost public participation in keeping the city clean by introducing a campaign “Clean Kathmandu-Our Kathmandu.” The metropolitan city aims to deploy 10,000 volunteers everyday for the week-long campaign beginning April 6 in the first phase.
The entire metropolitan city area of 50.67 square km has been targeted for the drive. A 5-km radius of each side of the Bishnumati and Bagmati rivers will also be cleaned by volunteers with the help of excavators.
Waste generated by hotels, hospitals, schools, colleges and households will be managed by the volunteers. They will further teach people on how to go about doing that.
Members of local clubs, NGOs, students, teachers, KMC and government officials from other sectors, entrepreneurs, political leaders, KMC’s clubs, civil society members and individuals will volunteer for the campaign from 6.30-10 in the mornings for seven days.
The first of its kind, the campaign will focus on making people aware about provisions in the Solid Waste Management Act (SWMA)-2011, KMC’s Executive Chief Kedar Bahadur Adhikari said.
According to the Act, one can be fined up to Rs 100,000 and handed down a three-year jail term if found polluting the environment.
Adhikari said the KMC will provide the logistics and vehicles for the campaign, while the Ministry of Local Development will bear the other costs.
Officials said the drive will change the mindset of the people who think their duty is over once they dump the waste on the streets. They said it will help instill a sense of responsibility among the masses.
“The KMC will be monitoring the implementation of the Act for six months after the campaign and deploy volunteers to see to it that the practice of keeping the city clean becomes people’s habit,”
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TMLP LEADER THAKUR HINTS FRESH ELECTIONS
Kathmandu, 28 March: Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) chairman Mahanta Thakur Tuesday said that if the political parties failed to draft the new constitution within May 27, fresh elections would be an alternative, The Rising Nepal reports from Hetauda.
Speaking at an interaction in Hatauda, Thakur said that the parties had no alternative to new elections in case the constitution was not drafted within the stipulated deadline.
He said that his party was trying to conclude the constitution drafting process within May 27 and added that the process was moving ahead in full speed.
He said that one Madhes one province was the bottom line of his party and stressed that the new provinces should be established on the basis of cultural identity.
He said that his party was not ready to accept the report of the State Restructuring Commission (SRC) and added that it had failed to establish one Madhes, one province.
He clarified that his party was not against the current government. "We will continue the support to the government," he said.
He said that the government should implement the four-point deal inked between the Madhesi Front and the government.
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FURTHER DETAIL; PM LAYS FOUNDATION STONE OF GANATANTRIK SMARAK AT FORMER ROYAL PALACE

Kathmandu, 28 March : Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Tuesday said that the Ganatantra Smarak, or the Republican Monument, would be an immortal reminiscence of the struggle of the nation and people during the popular uprising of 2006/7 A.D, The Rising Nepal Reports..
Laying the foundation stone of the Ganatantra Smarak inside the Narayanhity Palace Museum, Premier Dr. Bhattarai said the memorial park going to be constructed would be one important monument in the history of the nation, for people to reminisce of the deposed Shah King’s direct rule and the 19-day popular April uprising.
On the occasion, PM Bhattarai said that he felt proud and honoured to lay down the foundation stone of Ganatantra Smarak inside the palace where direct rule of deposed King Gyanendra had come to an end ultimately due to the people’s revolt.
The government laid the foundation stone of the Smarak after the cabinet meeting of March 16, 2012 formally decided to release the budget of Rs. 460 million from the Ministry of Finance.
The Smarak would cover a total of 82 ropanies of land inside the East side of the Palace.
The ceremony marked the fourth separate foundation laying ceremony by successive Prime Ministers, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai.
PM Dr. Bhattarai implemented the decision of former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s cabinet to set up the Smarak inside the Palace.
Earlier, former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal respectively decided and laid foundation stones of the Smarak separately at Santi Vatika, Ratnapark and UN Park, Kupandole, Lalitpur district.
The Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works has taken the responsibility to construct the memorial park and pillar.
It would take nearly three years to construct the park and its infrastructure.
John Sanday Associates to design the park
The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, opening a national level competition, had awarded John Sanday Associates for the overall design of the park.
Features of the park
The Memorial Plaza includes a memorial floor with an elliptical space with a granite map of Nepal. It consists of a pillar (stambha) in each four directions, connected together with an elliptical steel band through a hollow steel pipe which reads "you will never be forgotten". Pillar 1 is dedicated to the ones who were forced to disappear, Pillar 2 to the ones who lost their lives, Pillar 3 to the ones who were abducted, and Pillar 4 to the ones who were handicapped.
An auditorium hall of 300 seats will be located in the centre of the site and can be used as
a major route to the palace museum.
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