WIDESPREAD PROTESTS AGAINST GOVT. DOLE OF RS.20 MILLION FOR PRACHANDA SON UPDATE

WIDESPREAD OPPOSITION AND PROTESTS AGAINST GOVT.DOLE TO PARCHANDA SON TO SCALE EVEREST UPDATE
Kathmandu, 17 March: Widespread protests were held in and outside the
Valley Saturday by student organizations, burning effigies protesting the decisonof the Baburam Bhattarai government to give massive Rs.20 million dole to a teamofl Shamir Dahal, son of Maoist Chairman Prachanda to scale the 8848eters Mount Everest this springing an unprecedented move.
Rashriya Janashakti Party Chairman Surya Bahadur Thapa protested the
decision in Kailali Saturday.
Student organizations have asked government to overturn the decision or
face protests from Sunday.
RSS adds:
Sister organisations of CPN-UML-- Youth Association Nepal(YAN) and ANNFSU-- have demanded that the government rolled back its decision to grant Rs. 20 million to the Lumbini Sagarmatha Expedition
Team, RSS reports.

Organizing a press conference here today [Saturday], the UML affiliated organisations said the state coffers should be utilised to address fundamental needs of the people and warned of launching agitation if the decision is not withdrawn.

The Cabinet meeting held on Friday took the decision to grant the amount to the team.

Student leaders Rachana Shrestha and Neeru Pal accused the government of misusing public fund in the name of encouraging UCPN-Maoist Chairperson's son and Maoist cadres to scale the Mount Everest.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC)-aligned Nepal Students' Union (NSC) has also protested the government's move of misusing the state fund.

The NSU protested the government's decision by staging demonstration in front of Tri-chandra Campus, Ghantaghar today.

Addressing the protest rally, NSU Coordinator Ranjit Karna said the government should immediately correct the decision.

However, UCPN-Maoist central member Krishna KC said such protests would make no sense since they are climbing the highest peak so as to pile pressure for peace and constitution.
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