IGP SHAH EXPRESSES DISSATISFACTION WHILE DISTRIBUTING INSIGNIA TO PROMOTED POLICE OFFICERS

IGP SHAH SAYS HE HASN’T SUCCEEDED IN IMPOROVING POLICE IMAGE

Kathmandu, 16 April: IGP Rabindra Pratap Shah expressed dissatisfaction
Sunday while distributing insignia to SSPs who were recently promoted, KP Dhungel writes in Nagarik
He didn’t use the work bribe, according to a source.
“My first plan was to improve the police structure but I couldn’t do it despite the maximum effort.
“Problems have cropped up after members of the organization after being entangled in ‘other competitive work.
‘There were five openings Fifteen were promoted by creating 10 posts. Yet all aren’t satisfied. I am getting even more complaints,” said IGP Shah.
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FURTHER SPOT DETAILS OF MAOIST RETIREMENT FROM CAMPS

Kathmandu, 16 April:
Although the major parties have agreed to integrate as many as 6,500 ex-combatants into Nepal Army (NA), the ongoing re-regrouping of those combatants who had opted for integration indicate that no more than 5,000 ex-combatants will be integrated into the national army, Shanta Adhikari writes in The Rising Nepal from Sjaktikhor, Chitwan,.
Coordinator of the Secretariat under the Army Integration Special Committee (AISC) Balananda Sharma Sunday said that the number of PLA members willing to get integrated into the NA would come down to five thousand. He referred to the number of combatants opting for voluntary retirement at the presently ongoing final regrouping process.
The Secretariat has been conducting the regrouping as per the AISC decision as the number of combatants willing to get integrated exceeded the number the parties had agreed upon in their 7-point agreement singed on Nov 1 last year. Out of 19,602 combatants, 9,705 had opted for integration in the first phase of regrouping carried out in Nov last year.
"There will not be 6,500 at any cost. I think half of those who had opted integration previously will opt for integration at this time," Sharma predicted.
He said that attraction for cash award provided for retirement, internal disharmony in the PLA, education qualification and the age were some of the reasons for the decrease in the number of combatants willing to get integrated.
Sharma, who is leading the farewell programme of the retiring combatants here at the third division headquarters of the PLA, Shaktikhor, informed that until Sunday the ratio of combatants willing retirement and integration stood at 70 and 30 per cent. He said that this ratio did not apply everywhere as in some cantonments more than half of the combatants previously opting for integration had again opted for the same.
Some 2,247 combatants of the third division had opted for integration in the previous regrouping.
Despaired combatants: Combatants who had opted for integration previously have now been disappointed due to the agreement on integration. "I have opted for retirement because agreement has been made damaging the reputation of the decade long people’s war that we fought for," Chhiring Tamang, platoon commander of the Pratap Memorial Brigade of the PLA, said. Tamang had previously registered his name for integration.
Resham Tamang, another combatant who hails from Sindhupalchowk, said, "Instead of joining the NA with feeling of humiliation, I have opted for retirement and leading a family life." While those who had opted for retirement were saying this, those who had opted for integration expressed their apprehension that they might be ill treated in the NA and said, "We have opted for integration just to obey party decision, not because we want to get integrated."
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NC, UML WON’T JOIN BHATTARAI GOVT. DETAILS
Kathmandu, 16 April:
Leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN-ML Sunday said that Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai should pave the way for the new national unity government, The
Rising Nepal writes .
Speaking at the Reporters Club here, they also clarified that the NC and UML would not join the current government and urged the Prime Minister to implement the seven-point deal inked on November 1.
However, UCPN-Maoist leader urged the NC and UML to join the present government to conclude the constitution writing process.
The Maoist leader said that it was not a time to change the government and all parties should concentrate their efforts on concluding the historical tasks of constitution writing.
NC leader Dr. Ram Saran Mahat said that the NC and UML would not join the current government.
He said that Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai should pave the way for the formation of a new national consensus government.
Stating that the government was setting a new record in promoting corruption, Dr. Mahat reiterated that his party would not become a part of the corrupt government.
"The government should step down and pave the way for a unity government," he said. "The Prime Minister should support the NC to form the consensus government before promulgating the new constitution."
Dr. Mahat also said that it was the turn of NC to lead the unity government and clarified that NC was giving first priority to the conclusion of peace and constitution drafting processes. "Formation of the new government is a third priority of NC," he said.
He further said that federalism should be based on identity and capacity and added that all parties should give up their petty interest for a scientific federal system.
He said that six federal states would be appropriate for the country.
CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali said that his party would also not join the current government at the existing circumstances.
"If the government annuls the four-point deal inked with United Democratic Madhesi Front (UMF) then UML can think about joining the current government," he said.
Terming the NC’s demand for the leadership of the new government as positive, Gyawali said that his party was ready to support the NC to form the new government.
He said that the four-point agreement signed between the government and UDMF was against the nationality and sovereignty and added, "The UML has clear views about the national unity government. We are ready to support the NC to lead the new government."
Talking about federalism, Gyawali said that from six to nine federal provinces would be suitable for Nepal.
He said that all parties should overcome their ego and be flexible in their stance to promulgate the new constitution within the stipulated deadline.
He clarified that his party was ready to accept the mixed governance system in the new constitution.
Prime Minister’s political advisor and UCPN-Maoist leader Devendra Poudel said that the opposition parties should support the government to promulgate the new constitution.
He urged the UML and NC to join the government instead of engaging in changing the government.
He said that the Prime Minister’s resignation would not help conclude the constitution writing process.
However, he said that the Prime Minister would be ready to quit the government if the political parties reached a consensus to form the new government.
Poudel said that the four-point deal inked between the government

and the UDMF was not against the nationality and all parties should support the government to implement it.
He further said that the parties were close to consensus on the issues of governance system, state restructuring and others. CPN-ML general secretary CP Mainali said that all parties should support the NC to lead the new government and stressed that it was NC’s turn to lead the new government. He said that five to six federal provinces would be suitable for the country and all parties should realize the capacity of the country before deciding the number of federal units.
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OPENING OF MORE EMBASSIES SUGGESTED
Kathmandu, 16 April: A panel headed by a joint secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has recommended the ministry to open at least 13 new Nepali missions, including three consulate offices, abroad, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Joint Secretary Pralhad Kumar Prasai, who was recently appointed Nepal’s ambassador to Israel, has handed over a report to this effect to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha.
The panel has recommended the government gradually open new missions in Oman, Bahrain, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Maldives and three Consulates offices—Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Mumbai (India) and Guangzhou (China).
Owing to a significant rise of the Nepali population in Oman and Bahrain, the panel has suggested opening missions in these two countries immediately. According to the report, Nepal needs to open missions in European countries like Spain, Turkey, Italy and Portugal under a mid-term plan. “As a member of the Saarc, Nepal also needs to open missions in Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan,” the report has stated.
There is a need of opening missions in Indonesia and Singapore too in the long run, the official said, as the Nepali population has shot up these countries.
MoFA Spokesperson Arjun Bahadur Thapa, meanwhile, said the ministry has not taken any formal decision in this regard. “But, we have felt the necessity to open additional missions due to increasing population of Nepalis abroad and on the grounds of reciprocity,” Thapa said.
The proposal will be forwarded to the Cabinet for final approval after holding comprehensive discussion with other line ministries, he added. If the recommendations are implemented, Nepal is likely to add three missions in Oman, Spain and Bahrain within the next fiscal year.
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RESISTANCE TO UPROOT SETTLEMENTS ALONG BAGMATI RIVER IN CAPITAL
Kathmandu, 16 April: Public land encroachers on Sunday disrupted the squatter verification process in Thapathali. The first phase verification process could not take off after a rowdy group snatched record files from officials of the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DoUDBC), The Kathmandu Post reports.
However, police later recovered the files. The verification process aims to identify the real squatters for their alternative settlement.
The government has decided to provide Rs 15,000 to each squatter in lump sum for three months in rent and manage alternative place for their settlement. Around 190 landless families residing on the Bagmati banks from Thapathali to Tekudovan will be receive rent money after the verification process. The Cabinet in February first week had decided to provide Rs 5,000 per month in house rent to each genuine landless family.
“Their act to seize our files will scuttle the government efforts to find a permanent solution to the squatters’ problem,” said Mahesh Bahadur Basnet, coordinator of the taskforce formed to evict the squatters from the encroached land.
A whopping sum of Rs 2.85 million is required in the week-long first phase. The government, three months ago, had issued a public notice to the people occupying public land on riverbanks of the Kathmandu Valley to register themselves if they wanted an alternative residence.
Substantiating government claims that a majority of occupants are fake squatters, only 12 percent people registered themselves during the week-long period provided by the government. Records at the DoUDBC show 1,082, out of 8,000 families, living alongside the river till January 16 had registered themselves as real squatters.
The 17-member taskforce comprising senior officials from various ministries and security forces is launching the first phase of eviction campaign from the UN Park. The January 29 dateline for evicting encroachers from riverbanks was put off following protests from various political parties and I/NGOs.
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