UPDATE CABINET ENDORSES 7-POINT AGREEMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE

UPDATE CABINET ENDORSES 7-POINT AGREEMENT
Kathmandu, 15 April: The cabinet Sunday endorsed Saturday’s 7-point special committee agreement o technicalities for integration of former Maoist fighters in Nepal Army (NA), Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun said
The peace process has been legitimized,” he added.
The cabinet also told the NA to start selection of the combatants and asked parties to prioritize constitution drafting
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PATAN MUSEUM RAISES ENTRANCE FEE
Kathmandu, 15 April: The Patan Museum has raised the entry fee effective from today after the Lalitpur sub-metropolis increased the charge for tourists entering the Patan Durbar Square, RSS reports from Lalitpur.

With the increase, the entry fee charged to a tourist from the SAARC countries has reached to Rs. 150 from Rs. 75, while a tourist from other countries has to pay Rs. 500, which was only Rs. 200 earlier.

However, Patan Museum Chief Suresh Man is concerned over the possible decline in the number of tourists visiting the museum with the rise in entry fee by the sub-metropolis.

There are around 3,200 wooden and metal statues in the museum.

The museum has also been operating e-library for the convenience of visitors.
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PARTY IN GOVT, THREATENS TO CLOSE DOWN GOVT. FOR THREE DAYS
Kathmandu, 15 April: With the May 27 deadline for the promulgation of the constitution nearing, political parties of all hues and colours have started organising protests and strikes to force the Constituent Assembly to deliver the constitution, The Himalayan Times reports.

At the latest instance, Rastriya Janamukti Party (RJP), whose chairman Malwar Singh Thapa is Minister for Labour and Transport Management in the present government, today announced a three-day Nepal bandh starting tomorrow. The RJP said it will organise torch rallies throughout the country on the bandh eve today and enforce a nationwide general strike on April 15-17.

According to KP Palungwa, vice-chairman of the party and co-coordinator of the programme, his party is organising the programmes against anti-federalist activities. The strike will also press the government for a timely constitution, Palungwa said, adding that the constitution should guarantee ethnic federalism.

“There are voices against federalism and the opposition parties CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress are conniving to revive the 1990 constitution with some amendments. Our strike is a warning against conspiracies to deny the people the constitution they want,” he added.

In a press release, the RJP said it will shut all government offices, public transport, banks, schools and campuses on April 15-17.

Thursday’s talks between the government and the RJP to call off the strike had ended inconclusively.

According to Baladeep Rai, a central committee member of the party, his party will hold no further talks on withdrawing the protest, saying it is not against the government.

Police on Saturday arrested at least 15 RJP cadres on the eve of the party’s nationwide strike. They intervened in an RJP torch rally in the Capital and arrested 10 cadres. Earlier in the day, police personnel arrested five RJP activists, including central committee member Ramesh Pahari, while they were miking to disseminate information about the party’s nationwide strike. Police also took the taxi used for the purpose under control.
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