TOURIST ARRIVALS CONTINUE TO JUMP

TOURIST ARRIVALS CONTINUE TO GROW

Kathmandu, 2 April: Altogether 63,799 tourists arrived
in March recording a 37.2 per cent
compared to the same month the previous year, The Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) said.
Arrivals increased 27 percent with arrival of 148,546 in the first three
months of 2012.
Tourist arrivals badly affected by a 10-year
Maoist insurgency has picked up after June 2009.
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Arrivals from South Asian increased 61.4 percent compared to the same month last year.
Indian arrivals recorded a 68.6 per cent jump

Chinese arrivals also increased 47 per cent
European arrivals increased 42 per cent
Altogether 59,459 foreign tourists departed from TIA in March 2012. The number of Nepalese arrivals stood at 58,277 while 75,827 Nepalese departed from TIA in March 2012.
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SUNSIL KOIRALA PREDICTS A CONSTITUTION BY 27 MAY
Kathmandu, 2 April: Nepali Congress (NC) leaders Sunday expressed their confidence that the new constitution would be drafted within May 27 as the major parties sealed an important deal to finish army integration processes by mid-April, The Rising Nepal reports from Udayapur..
Speaking at a press meet organized by Udayapur chapter of Nepal Press Union (NPU), NC president Sushil Koirala said that the political parties agreed for give and take, paving the way for the amicable solution to the contentious contents of the peace and constitution writing.
He said that the constitution drafting process would move ahead after the concluding of peace process.
Koirala said that the Maoists agreed to implement the seven-point deal and it was positive massage to conclude the peace and constitution writing processes.
He said that the Madhesi leaders should stop resorting to the double standard and urged them to play creative role to institutionalize the democratic system in the country.
He ruled out the possibility of mentioning One Madhesh One Province in the new constitution and added that this demand was unscientific.
He said that the NC proposed six federal units and this was scientific and urged all parties to accept NC’s proposal.
NC president Koirala said that the NC would never compromise on the democratic system and fight against the non-democratic forces to promulgate the democratic constitution.
He clarified that the disputed issues of state restructuring, federal system, election system and judiciary structure would be concluded on the basis of give and take politics and consensus.
In another context, Koirala clarified that the internal dispute under the party would be resolved through reconciliation and added, "The disputes within the Nepal Student Union (NSU) will be resolved soon. The party had formed a high level taskforce comprising party’s top leaders for the purpose."
Meanwhile, NC leader Shekher Koirala said that the Maoists should give up politics of weapons to conclude the peace process.
He said that the peace process would not be concluded without disarming the Maoists.
Inaugurating a party training programme at Pyuthan, Koirala said that the Maoists posed main obstacle to the peace process and added that the parties were near conclusion of peace and constitution writing.
He said that the disputed issues of NSU would be resolved and informed that the party was preparing to include the senior leader Sher Bahadur Dubas’ loyal in the newly formed committee of NSU.
He said that the party would move ahead with consensus politics.
On the occasion, he trained the party leaders and supporters of Pyuthan, Dang and other districts.
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PRESIDENTIAL HOUR FOR ARTS
Kathmandu, 2 April:
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Sunday honoured senior artist Sashi Shah with Rastriya Kalashree Samman 2068 at a function organized by Nepalikala Sahitya.com Pratisthan at Shital
Niwas in Kathmandu., The Rising Nepal reports
Likewise, President Dr. Yadav honoured fiction writer Geeta Keshari with Rastriya Kalashree Puraskar 2068 that contains a purse of Rs. 50,000 and Sa-Siddhi Rastriya Kalashree Yuva Puraskar to poet Biplav Dhakal, which has a purse of Rs. 25,000.
On the occasion, award recipients also obtained honorary membership of Nepali Kalasahitya.com Pratisthan.
Likewise, senior culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi announced Umesh Shrestha as the patron of the Pratisthan, and presented honorary memberships to Ishwor Joshi and distinguished memberships to Ramesh Silwal and Yoga Raj Upadhyaya.
At the function chaired by Pratisthan chair and poet Momila, critic Dr. Govinda Raj Bhattarai expressed his views.
Awardees Geeta Keshari and Dhakal said that they were further encouraged by the a
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