PARTIES AGREE TO ADOPT CONSTITUTION THROUGH VOTING ;CONSNSUS ELUSIVE, THEY AGREE Kathmandu, 9 May: Consensus between major parties was elusive at the main constitution drafting committee Wednesday. The Big Three attempted to resolve differences at the committee headed by Nilambar Acharya one day after tenure of a Prachanda subcommittee to resolve differences on themes ended Tuesday. Parties Wednesday agreed to adopt articles on a constitution through voting with consensusesluive. The Acharya committee Wednesday enlisted the differences on a basis—nearly 117. The constituent assembly (CA) also meets Wednesday afternoon after eight postponements to allow resolution of differences in the Prachanda sub-committee. Only 18 days remain to promulgate a constitution as there’s universal agreement a basis law can’t be adopted without amending an interim constitution to short constitution adoption process. Parties couldn’t agree even Wednesday to resolve differences six days after signing an agreement Thursday to resolve differences in three days. nnnn STRIKES CONTINUE NATION-WIDE Kathmandu, 9 May: The nine districts of the far-West was closed down for the 13th day Wednesday protesting Maoist proposal to divide the poor region into provinces. Protestors are opposed to the division of the region. No talks have been held between protestors and government even two days after a three-government talks team headed by Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Shitaula was formed. Eastern region was also closed Wednesday demanding a province there. Activists of a Mithila state lifted the eight-day closure of four days Wednesday amid an invitation from government for talks. Five Mithila activists were killed and more than 30 were injured in a bombing by a terair rebel group. Effigy of NSP Chairman Rajendra Mohoto was burnt Tuesday in Janakour after he ridiculed demands for a Mithila state. Nnnn PM, PRESIDENT MEET Kathmandu, 9 May: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai Wednesday briefed President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav on latest situation in the country. The meeting took place as fresh differences cropped after Thursday’s breakthrough agreement between parties to from a national consensus government in two days and resolve differences in three days. President Yadav expressed concern, sources said. nnnn MAOIST CENTRALCOMMITTEE MEET POSTPONED Kathmandu, 9 May: A scheduled Maoist central committee Wednesday was postponed until Friday citing busy schedule of Chairman Prachanda. Maoists are entangled in deep internal differences with a faction headed by First Vice-chairman Mohan Baidhaya coming out on streets against the establishment openly. Nnnn LISHTENING KILLS ONE STUDNT IN MYAGDHI, SEVEN OTHRS INJURED Kathmandu, 9 May: One student of Chandra Jyoti school was killed by lightning overnight in Myagdhi. Seven others were injured—one teacher and students. nnnn POLICE BUST ‘BILLIONAIRE’ DRUGS DEALER Kathmandu, 9 May: Anti-drug unit of Nepal Police has uncovered a high-tech hashish refinery in the heart of the Capital city in the biggest achievement so far in the law enforcement agency’s fight against drug trafficking, The Himalayan Timesreports. Devendra Bikram Rokka aka Devi has been found to be operating the high-tech drug refinery in a two-and-a-half-storey house spread over five ropanis in Sitapaila. The 53-year-old drugs dealer is said to have succeeded in expanding his business to Europe, America and Canada in the last one decade. What is more startling is, said SSP Nawa Raj Silwal, Deputy Chief of Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit, Rokka of Baglung had even created more than 500 employments in different layers to support his international drug network. Rokka, who boasted a life of a billionaire, would run his drug business covered under Nepali quilts. He has been smuggling hashish in the facade of exporting Nepali quilts. Police also rounded up three of his associates — Govinda Kumar Rokka (48) and Nagendra Thapa (30) of Baglung and Manajeet Gharti Magar (60) of Rukum — with 136 kg hashish ready for export to Goa via Birgunj customs point. The final destination of the consignment concealed in the folds of quilts packed in hard-paper cartons was Canada. Police have established his immovable property to be worth over one billion rupees. “Besides a posh bungalow built on five ropanis of land, he owns seven ropanis of land in Sitapaila, one ropani of land in Ramkot, 21 ropanis of land in Naubise, Dhading and seven ropanis of land in Myagdi district,” SSP Silwal said. Investigators during a raid on Rokka’s ‘drug factory’ have seized cheque books of 35 commercial banks and 12 ATM cards, four mobile phone sets, Rs 49,000 and INR 7,000 cash and electronic gadgets and tools used for refining and packaging hashish. “He even has bank accounts in Japan and Hong Kong. His bank balance in various banks in Nepal is to the tune of Rs 4 million,” said SSP Silwal. SP Sher Bahadur Basnet said Rokka was working in tandem with international drug racketeers to smuggle ‘Nepal-made hashish’, which is in high demand in the international drug market. Rokka’s wife Chandra and two daughters are said to be living in Canada and are under scanner for their possible involvement in aiding Rokka in his illegal business. Rokka, an SLC graduate, seems to have acquired a taste for drugs when he was still at school, long before the Narcotic Drug (Control and Punishment) Act, 1976 was enacted. The drugs kingpin told police that in 1970, when he was only 11, he was involved in selling dope. “I used to sell cannabis and buy textbooks and notebooks from the money I made,” he said. He was arrested twice, in 1980 and 1986, for possessing drugs and was released after doing time for 45 days and four-and-a-half-months, respectively. Nnnn URBAN POPULATION INCREASES Kathmandu, 9 May: Kathmandu valley has created employment faster than any other city in the country due to migration pressure, according to a study, The Himalayan Times reports. “Some 25 per cent of migrants move to Kathmandu valley because of economic reasons,” a study ‘NEPAL: Urban Growth and Spatial Transition: An Initial Assessment’ of World Bank (WB), stated. More and more migrants are moving to Kathmandu valley due to economic opportunities expanding the economic boundaries of the valley, the author of the study and urban development economist at the World Bank Elisa Muzzini said, adding that Kathmandu valley is also one of the fastest growing metropolis in South Asia. Urban areas now generate about 65 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as compared to only 29 per cent of GDP in 1975, the report said, adding that urban economy is growing significantly faster than rural economy, and the incidence of poverty has more than halved in urban areas from 22 to 15 per cent over 1995-96 — 2010-11. Muzzini said Nepal could tap into potential of its cities to leverage their comparative advantages and turn them into competitive advantages. “Only vibrant and competitive cities can attract high-return investments and generate the higher productivity jobs required to accelerate growth to meet Nepal’s target,” she said. The study also noted that non-farm economic production is clustered in the Kathmandu valley and close to the border with India; the eastern terai cluster surrounding the Biratnagar sub-metro and the central terai cluster surrounding Birgunj sub-metro. “Within such extended regions, firms are able to reap benefits from demand-and-supply-side linkages between rural and urban areas. As services and manufacturing activities tend to locate in the vicinity of each other in order to benefit from agglomeration economies, the urban core of the extended economic region plays the role of service centre for the rural hinterland, where manufacturing largely takes place.” Since Nepal is going through two transformations from a rural to an urbanising economy and from a unitary to a federal state, the study has also revealed challenges as the cities are losing competitive advantages over comparative advantages due to the lack of infrastructure, proper planning and business environment. “There is an urgent need to prioritise investments based on outcome and promote and regenerate Kathmandu valley’s valuable assets bringing infrastructure policy with proper planning to make urban growth sustainable,” she said, recommending that it will also help turn comparative advantages of the urban areas to competitive advantage for sustainable and inclusive growth. Lately, one of the key drivers of Kathmandu’s economy has been the service sector due to the increasing number of tourists but the unplanned city has threatened the cultural heritage that could be a huge source of revenue, according to the study. “Public capital expenditure for municipal infrastructure, averaging $9 per capita, is inadequate to meet the growing needs of urban areas and has declined in real terms from $13 per capita in fiscal year 2008-09.” The Kathmandu valley is the first area to face the unprecedented challenges of rapid urbanisation and modernisation at a metropolitan scale, due to its position as the primary gateway for the country’s economic activity and tourism. But, the study noted that growth is happening haphazardly, and is threatening to undermine the valley’s historic and natural environment. nnnn