SUPREME COURT HEARING ON CORRUPTION CHARGE AGAINST KHUM BAHADR KHADKA SCHEDULED SUNDAY

SUPREME COURT HEARING ON CORRUPTION CHARGE AGAINST KHUM BAHADUR KHADKA SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY
Kathmandu, 8 April: Supreme court is scheduled to resume hearing Sunday on a CIAA corruption charge against NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka.
Hearings have been repeatedly postponed.
The case against the powerful and influential main opposition leader has been revived at the apex court saying a previous decision to clear him on charges of possessing unaccounted wealth and assets were faulty.
Khadka is a former home minister.
Former NC leader Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta, communication minister in the Baburam Bhattarai government and chairman of MJFN-Ganatantrik , was convicted and jailed for corruption nine years after case revival
Former IGP Motilal Bohara was also convicted by a specual court which cleared former IGP Achyut Krishna Kharel.
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MJFN NATIONAL CONVENTION ENDS SUNDAY
Kathmandu, 8 April: A three-day national convention of MJFN led by Upendra Yadav concludes in Janakpur Sunday.
The party which was in government in a Prachanda-led government is now
in the opposition even with five Madeshbadis parties in Singha Durbar is a Maoist-led government of Baburam Bhattarai.
The party is discussing strategy and policy outlined in a paper on peae and constitution presented by Chairman Upendra Yadav.
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TILGANGA EYE HOSPITAL STARS LASER EYE SYRGERY

Kathmandu, 8 April:
Do you have a weak eye sight but, still, don’t like to wear glasses? Don’t worry. The Tilganga Eye Hospital has installed the latest technology to conduct the laser eye surgery, Gita Sapkota writes in The Rising Nepal.
More important is the fact that the Nepalese will be enjoying the facility at the lowest cost in the world, while the people from remote parts will get the service free of cost.
Tilganga Institude of Ophthalmology (TIO) Sunday started Humanitarian Laser Eye Surgery for people suffering from ‘Refractive Error’.
The surgery is focused on eliminating glasses for people who do not want to wear them.
The laser eye surgery is for the correction of refractive errors such as myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. The procedure involves reshaping of the cornea, changing its focusing power, which results in improved vision.
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, in collaboration with London Vision Clinic, USAID and Himalayan Cataract Project started the Laser Eye Surgery Unit with ultramodern technology-Small Incisional Lenticular Extraction (SmILE).
Nepal is the second country using such an ultramodern facility. London Vision Clinic has also been using this technology.
Two TIO staff members Dr. Kishore Pradhan and Gopal Karmacharya were trained in London for the service.
According to the TIO, a large number of youths of professional working age are going to India, Thailand and other countries for refractive error treatment. Refractive error is one of the major causes of blindness.
According to the estimation of World Health Organization, around 1.3 billion people are victimized by refractive error across the world. Among the blind people, 43 per cent are suffering from refractive error.
Presently around one million children of below 16 years of age, 1.1 million people of (16-35 years) and 3.7 million of above 35 years of age are suffering from type of refractive error, the WHO stated.
Around one million school age children who are suffering from refractive error need glasses. For the complete and permanent eye sight the laser technology will support them and student will free from the worry of wearing glasses.
On the other side, as the service is available for a very low cost and is safe, people from North and East India, Western China, Bhutan and Middle East will visit Nepal for the treatment. It will support medical tourism in the near future, the TIO said.
Dr. Dan R, brand ambassador of the technology company, said this service was essential for youths of the developing countries.
The TIO has been providing a community based model service for people residing in far flung areas of the nation, Dr. Dan said.
According to Dr. Kishore Pradhan, previously, the TIO had provided refractive error surgery in 2003 to 2006 with the help of old technology.
The service was not available here from 2006 after the machine went out of order, Dr. Pradhan said.
Comedian duo Haribansha Acharya and Madankrishna Shrestha inaugurated the service in TIO Saturday.
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NO COMPROMISE WITH ANY FORCE SAYS NC PRESIDENT KOIRALA
Kathmandu, 8 April: Nepali Congress (NC) leaders Saturday stressed that the party would never compromise with any forces on the democratic system to be established through the new constitution, The Rising Nepal reports from Nawalparsi.
Speaking at various programmes, they stressed that the NC had given the first priority to conclude the peace process before concluding the constitution writing.
NC president Sushil Koirala said that the NC would never compromise with any forces in drafting the democratic constitution.
Speaking at an interaction organised by Nepal Press Union, Nawalparasi Chapter, Koirala said that the government should conclude the peace process within five days to intensify the constitution writing process.
He said that the Maoists were obstructing the formation of a national unity government and demanded conclusion of the peace process within the Apr.il 12 deadline.
He said that the NC was not ready to extend the Constituent Assembly tenure and added that the Maoists should be responsible if the tasks of peace and constitution writing failed.
The NC chief said that the new federal system would be established on the basis of identity and capability.
"NC will not accept only the identity-based federal system," he said.
He said that the NC was against one Madhes, one province system in the name of a federal system.
He demanded the government take action against the criminals who were involved in the murder of journalist Yadav Poudel in Jhapa district.
On the occasion, Koirala honoured journalists Dharmendra Jha and R.P. Upadhya by Surya Bhakta Patanadevi Memorial Award carrying Rs. 35,000 in cash prize.
Meanwhile, Koirala also addressed a mass meeting of NC in Nawalparasi and stressed that all parties should unite to conclude the peace and constitution drafting processes.
On the occasion, NC leaders Krishna Chandra Nepali, Man Bahadur Bishokarma and Ram Krishna Yadav said that the NC would not be ready to compromise with any forces regarding the promulgation of the new constitution.
Meanwhile, NC leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that the new constitution would be drafted after concluding the peace process.
Speaking at an interaction organised by Tanahu chapter of Nepal Press Union, he said that the Maoists should end the politics of weapons to conclude the peace process.
He said that the NC wanted six provinces in the country based on identity and capability.
Likewise, NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi said that the Maoists were creating obstruction to conclude the peace process.
Talking with ordinary people in Surkhet, Nidhi said that the new constitution would not be drafted without concluding the peace process.
He said that the Maoists should give up the politics of anarchism to institutionalize the democracy and added that an anarchist constitution would not be drafted in the country.
He urged the Maoists to support drafting of a democratic constitution through a consensus politics.
NC leader Dhan Raj Gurung said that the Maoists should change their behaviour to conclude the constitution writing process.
He said that the Maoist should play a constructive role as a big party to resolve the disputed issues of peace and constitution.
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