PM, PRESIDENT CONSULTATIONS

PM, PRESIDENT CONSULTATIONS
Kathmandu, 18 April: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai held
consultations Wednesday with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav
has urged Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai to promulgate the new constitution through the consensual government.
The consultations come at a time when the ceremonial president said he
won’t proclaim a constitution that, he heels, will divide the nation and
rebel faction of Premier Bhattarai’s party criticized the government for
deploying Nepal Army at camps ‘unconstitutionally’ without consulting
the head of state.
The meeting between the head of state and head of government is the first
after breakthrough in the integration process of Maoists in the state army
that has created hopes for completing the peace process to help
constitution writing as well.
President hoped at the meeting a new constitution will be promulgated by the May 27 deadline.
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ARMY, PARTIES UNDER CIAA WATCH
Kathmandu, 18 April: In line with the UN Convention against Corruption, the government has prepared a comprehensive work plan to entrust the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) with the task of investigating financial irregularities in the Nepal Army, private sectors, NGO/INGOs and political parties that are out of the purview of the anti-graft body, AnilGiri writes in The Kathmandu Post.
If the work plan, prepared by a panel of a dozen government secretaries, gets Cabinet nod, it will give the CIAA more teeth when it comes to investigating anomalies in these sectors.
The plan also says that corruption cases in the judiciary could be forwarded to the CIAA after they are first investigated by the Judicial Council.
The 50-page plan, which is all set to be tabled in the Cabinet later this week, also proposes setting up cluster-wise regulatory bodies to control corruption in public as well as the private sector.
Although the Army Act has a provision of constituting an internal committee to look into alleged corruption, members of the panel suggested that such a mechanism was inadequate.
“As the existing mechanism in the Nepal Army is inadequate, we proposed that cases originating in the Army come under the CIAA,” said a government secretary who attended a meeting on Tuesday.
The work plan also proposes giving the CIAA the authority to carry out investigations into irregularities in the judiciary, parliament, NGO/ INGOs, private sector and civil society.
Though Nepal signed the UN convention in December 2003, it ratified it only last December.
The work plan also proposes amending various other domestic laws and by-laws according to the letter and spirit of the convention. It further suggests revamping existing state structures and agencies involved in corruption control.
According to the plan, besides the CIAA’s jurisdiction in the abovementioned areas, the Judicial Council will also look into corruption in the judiciary, while the Nepal Rastra Bank will take up cases in banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions.
The plan also says corruption cases that are reported abroad can be investigated. “If any corrupt individual takes shelter in Nepal or if any Nepali takes shelter abroad, the plan talks about cooperation at the international level,” an pofficial said.
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KOSHI EMBANKMENT WORK HALTED
Kathmandu, 18 April: The Koshi Project has decided to suspend repair works at the eastern embankment and the construction of a pilot channel at the Sapta Koshi river, Abadesh Kumar Jha reports in The Kathmandu Post from Inrauwa.
The project, commissioned by the Bihar state government of India, decided to halt all small- and large-scale works under way at the Sapta Koshi citing security reasons.
Rajesh Kumar, chief engineer of the project, said the decision was taken as the local people, in the name of pressing for their demands, have been obstructing works time and again, creating inconveniences for contractors to carry out their jobs.
The suspension of works comes at a time when the eastern embankment runs a high risk of bursting as the river swells this monsoon, especially along the Barahachhetra, Prakashpur and Rajabaas regions of Sunsari district.
According to Rajesh Kumar, the embankment’s section at Pulthegauda region is also highly prone to floods.
The repair works at Pulthegauda region, according to the Koshi Agreement, are to be carried out by the Nepal government. Three years on, the Pulthegauda section of the embankment has not undergone any repairs. Sapta Koshi erodes 50-100 metres of land in the area every year. “It is indeed a very risky situation and if the authorities concerned wish to avert a disaster then they should act without any delay,” said Gopal Koirala, a Koshi expert.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Kumar said they would not resume the works unless the Nepal government ensures their security.
Sunsari Chief District Officer Laxman Kumar Thapa said they were doing their part to resume the stalled works at the earliest.
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