TENSION BREWING IN CANTONMENTS

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BHOLA B. RANA

TENSION BREWING IN CANTONMENTS
Kathmandu, 13 April: Fresh tension is brewing in all the cantonments due to the delay in releasing the combatants opting for voluntary retirement. Officials at the secretariat of the Special Committee warned that the situation could turn explosive any time if the voluntary retirement process is not resumed soon, Republica reports.

"Those who want to take voluntary retirement are frustrated as the process of releasing them has been stalled following the takeover by the army," said Balananda Sharma, coordinator of the secretariat, "They are angry with their commanders for stalling the process and the situation can explode any time if the process is not resumed." [breaj]

Though the voluntary retirement process began on Tuesday, it was stalled after a couple of hours due to security reasons.

Sharma added that the conflict is growing between the commanders and the combatants who had decided to quit the military life and the combatants have stopped obeying their commanders.

"The combatants have started living in hotels outside the cantonments due to frustration and their deteriorating relations with the commanders," said Sharma, adding that he has already informed the Special Committee members and the secretariat about the situation and urged the members to take a decision on resuming the process soon.

According to Sharma, the delay has forced over 90 percent of the combatants to leave the satellite cantonments.

The combatants will not get ration allowance from Friday if another decision is not taken by the Special Committee. "They are not getting ration and other allowances from Friday," Sharma said, "It will further complicate matters."

The secretariat teams that have reached the seven main cantonments to release combatants opting for voluntary retirement are under pressure to resume the process, said Sharma. But the commanders are against resuming the process, saying their leadership has not directed them to let the process move forward. The teams are on the field since Saturday.

Special Committee member Bhim Rawal said the prime minister had told the Special Committee meeting on Wednesday that he would direct the secretariat to resume the process.

´But we came to know today (Thursday) that he did not direct the secretariat to resume the process," said Rawal, "We will talk to the prime minister on Friday in this regard."

Republica´s repeated efforts to contact Maoist representative on the Special Committee Barshaman Pun failed.

´Almost all integration issues resolved´

The taskforce formed to resolve contentious issues of integration has claimed to have settled "almost all" the issues.

"We have settled almost all the issues and we are meeting on Friday [to finalize the issues]," said Dr Minendra Rijal, a member of the taskforce and a Special Committee member.

However, Rijal declined to give details of the settled issues.

The Special Committee had formed the taskforce on Wednesday to resolve differences on rank determination, formation of the directorate under the Nepal Army, selection of combatants for integration, among other issues.

Another member of the taskforce, Bhim Rawal also said, "We are hopeful that all the issues will be resolved on Friday.”
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FIGHTER REGROUPING STALLED
Kathmandu, 13 April: Regrouping of Maoist fighters in various PLA camps across the country could not begin today as well after combatants said they would participate in the process only after the Special Committee (for supervision, integration and rehabilitation of Maoist fighters) decides on various technical issues related to integration, The Himalayan Times reports from Chitwan ,.

PLA commanders and Special Committee representatives, however, said they were hopeful that the process would begin tomorrow after the technical issues — ranks, nature of bridge courses for them and the structure of the soon-to-be formed directorate general under the Nepali Army — along with others raised by disabled fighters were addressed.

Combatants based in Ilam’s Chulachuli-based camp did not participate in the regrouping process, said Special Committee Secretariat member Shambhuram Simkhada. Similarly, 1st Division commander Yam Bahadur Adhikary said regrouping was yet to begin at the division. He said combatants have sought time to hold discussions among themselves and would participate in the process from tomorrow only.

Similar was the story at Sindhuli’s Dudhauli-based PLA camp, where fighters refused to participate in regrouping. However, SC representatives handed over 241 weapons to the army.

SC representative Madhubilas Pandit at Chitwan’s Shaktikhor-based 3rd Division expressed hope that regrouping process would begin tomorrow. Division commander Dhan Bahadur Maski Magar also said regrouping would begin ‘shortly’.

SC member Sanandan Prasad Kurmi, who is in Nawalparasi-based 4th Division, said, “We waited for the fighters. But none of them showed up.” Commander at the 4th Division Tej Bahadur Oli said they were waiting for the SC to decide on technical issues and regrouping would start soon after that.

Regrouping process was also stalled at the 5th Division in Dahaban, Rolpa, 6th Division in Dashrathpur, Surkhet and 7th Division in Talbanda, Kailali.
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JOINT SECRERATIES AS CDOs IN 11 HILL DISTRICTS
Kathmandu, 13 April: The home ministry is preparing to depute first class gazetted officers as chief district officers (CDOs) in various 11 hill districts which together make up for three election constituencies, Republica reports..

Sources said the ministry has sent a proposal to this effect to finance ministry for approval as per the Home Administration Strengthening Plan 2068 BS unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar.

“A proposal to this effect has been sent to finance ministry. We will implement the decision as soon as we get the finance ministry´s nod,” said a senior official at home ministry.

Home ministry is planning to depute joint secretary level officers as CDOs in Ilam, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Dhading, Nuwakot, Gorkha, Syangja, Palpa, Gulmi and Baglung districts all of which constitute three election constituencies.

Though Bhaktapur district has only two election constituencies, the ministry is planning to depute a joint secretary as CDO in the district as well keeping in view its proximity to Kathmandu valley.

Officials said the decision was made considering work pressure, total population, growing urbanization and important facilitation and other works a CDO has to carry out in these districts.

Until now, under secretary level officers have been serving as CDOs in most hill districts. “A junior CDO finds it difficult to coordinate with other government bodies when, for instance, a senior under secretary level officer is deputed as local development officer in the district,” argued an official.

Last year, the ministry had decided to depute joint secretary-level CDOs to three hill districts including Kavrepalanchowk, Tanahun and Doti.

Home ministry has the highest number of first class officers.

Currently, 39 first class officers serve as CDOs in various districts including 22 Tarai districts.

Likewise, there are nine other positions of joint secretary under the home ministry including four in the ministry itself, two in immigration department, one each in Department of Prison Management and Police Record Keeping Office and one in the National Investigation Department.
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TURKISH AIRLINES PLANS DIRECT FLIGHTS TO NEPAL
Kathmandu, 13 April: Turkish Airlines has failed to operate direct flights to Kathmandu due to the lack of the fifth freedom right between Nepal and Turkey, The Himalayan
Times reports.

The airlines is planning to operate its Istanbul–Kathmandu direct flight in the near future. However, the operation of the flights has not yet been

decided. According to officials at

the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, it is difficult to mention the exact time and schedule for its operation but the airlines will soon start operations in Nepal.

“The company has made plans to operate flights but at present they are not sure about the exact time,” said director general of Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Tri Ratna Manandhar.

“They are preparing their marketing strategies as they do not have direct flights to Kathmandu at the moment,” he said, adding that Nepal and Turkey do not have the fifth freedom right which is key to start direct flights.

However, the company can have a code sharing arrangement with Qatar Air to bring in passengers to Nepal, he said. “Either the company has to opt for code sharing with Qatar Air or has to start Delhi–Mumbai flights to link it to Kathmandu,” said Manandhar.

According to the authority, Nepal needs to review its fifth freedom right, as there are countries excluding Nepal which have already entered into sixth, seventh and eighth freedom rights.

Nepal has air service agreements (ASA) with 36 countries and 90 per cent of them have the fifth freedom right which is the right to carry passengers from one’s own country to a second country and from that country to a third country. Nepal and Turkey signed an air service agreement in September 2010. The ASA allows the two countries to operate 14 flights per week between Kathmandu and Istanbul. Turkish Airlines currently flies to over 190 destinations around the world and plans to add more routes to its diverse network.

“We are trying to connect Nepal and Istanbul in the nearest future and we are moving ahead to develop a strong relation between the two countries,” said Turkish ambassador to Nepal Dr Burak Akcapar here today while inaugurating the general sales agent (GSA) office in Kathmandu. Turkish Airlines is on its way to commence its operations in Nepal and it has appointed Zenith Travels as its GSA for Nepal.
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