DAHAL WOOES BAIDYA SUPPORTERS Kathmandu, 10 June : With the aim of foiling the proposed gathering of Baidya faction, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has started holding secret meetings with party central committee members close to the Baidya faction and those who have not officially sided with either of the factions, Kiran Pun writes in Republica.. Knowledgeable sources who have attended at least one such meeting told Republica that Dahal´s immediate strategy is to persuade the young and influential central committee members into distancing themselves from the conclave scheduled for June 15 in Kathmandu. Dahal is leaving no stone unturned, including offering lucrative posts in the party, to persuade CC members close to Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya. “We are aware of Dahal´s secret meetings. This is a testimony to the fact the growing popularity of Baidya faction among the party rank and file has terrorized the Dahal faction,” said party politburo member Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma who is close to the Baidya faction. “Having failed to keep the party intact, Chairman Dahal leaving no stone unturned to lure CC members into joining his faction," he added. Biswakarma also informed that the leaders from the Dahal faction have even been spreading rumors that the gathering has been canceled. According to the Maoist sources, Dahal has been personally meeting select leaders and organizing secret group meetings. In these meetings Dahal is said to have told CC members that he is ready to handover party leadership to Baidya if that ensures party unity. However, Baidya has already turned down the offer terming it Dahal´s new ploy to defame the Baidya faction. Dahal ready to review alliance with Bhattarai During one of his the meetings with influential young central committee leaders, Chairman Dahal has said that he is ready to review his alliance with Baburam Bhattarai if Baidya is ready to make serious effort to ensure party unity. "Since we [Baidya and Dahal] share similar ideologies, I have no hesitations in reviewing my political alliance with Baburam [Dr Baburam Bhattarai]," a leader quoted Dahal as saying at the meeting. "I am ready for self-criticism for the mistakes I committed in the course of implementing the peace process, particularly during PLA integration. But, I have made no compromises on the established party line while drafting the constitution," another CC member quoted Dahal as saying. Dahal even said that Baidya does not have the competence to assume party leadership and Biplav [Netra Bikram Chand] has not yet gained enough political height to run a party," a CC member quoted Dahal as saying. Nnnn ________________________________________ DEUBA’S PRECONDITIONS TO RESOLVE NC ROW Kathmandu, 10 June: Sher Bahadur Deuba led faction of Nepali Congress (NC) has set preconditions to end its eight-month-long boycott of the Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting over a row in the party´s sister Organizations, Kosh Raj Regmi writes in Republica. . Leaders close to Deuba faction said they will be in a position to sit together for CWC meeting should the party´s establishment addressed their concerns mainly on the formation of the ad hoc committees of Nepal Students Union, Nepal Women´s Association and Nepal Tarun Dal. “We have demanded the party establishment agree to induct 25 additional members from our side in the NSU ad hoc committee and ensure that presidents enjoy a slim majority of members in their respective sister organization ," said a top leader, who asked not to be named. The leader said though there will still be outstanding issues such as formation of parliamentary board and formation of various departments of the party, the willingness of the establishment side to address these preconditions could help end its boycott of the CWC meeting. "Though the 101-member ad hoc committee in itself is already too big, we have asked the party´s establishment to include 25 additional members from our side to make it more balanced”," he further said. Deuba faction has been boycotting the CWC meeting after party President Sushil Koirala dissolved working committees of seven sister organizations including NSU, Nepal Tarun Dal and Nepal Women´s Association on September 20, 2011. Deuba subsequently tendered his resignation from the party´s CWC membership eight days later apparently to show his displeasure over the move. The long-running conflict had seemingly come to an end after Koirala and Deuba agreed to name the chiefs of seven various sister organizations including the NSU on February 5. As per the understanding reached between the two sides, establishment side picked the chiefs of Nepal Students´ Union, Nepal Democratic Fighter´s Association and Nepal Farmers´ Association. Likewise, Deuba side named the chiefs of Nepal Tarun Dal, Nepal Women´s Association, Nepal Aaadibasi Janajati Sangh and Nepal Rastriya Magar Sangh. The patch-up of the intra-party difference was short-lived, though. All 28 members from Deuba side resigned en masse after the party´s establishment faction formed a 101-member ad hoc committee of the NSU, breaching the previous agreement to form 61-member ad hoc committee. The NSU ad hoc committee holds importance as it is entrusted to hold a fresh general convention of the student wing, the first after the unification of NC (Democratic) with its mother party, NC. Deuba faction has also alleged that some of the names proposed by their side were omitted while forming the ad hoc committees of Nepal Tarun Dal and Nepal Women´s Association. "The names we proposed as per the understanding were also removed while constituting the ad hoc committees. The establishment side could have at least asked us before removing the name”," another leader close to Deuba said. Deuba faction leaders argue that there was an understanding to ensure ´minimum´ majority to the chiefs of the respective sister organizations. "Some leaders of the establishment faction have misinterpreted that it was the majority of party president and not the majority of the president concerned of the sister organization," the leader said. "We have demanded majority in favor of the chiefs of Nepal Women´s Association and Nepal Tarun Dal." Nnnn ________________________________________ ARYAGHAT REFORMS UNDERWAY Kathmandu, 10 June: Pashupati Area Development Trust is all set to introduce changes to the cremation site on the banks of the Bagmati River from Friday, The Himalayan Times reports. The Trust said it is constructing drinking water taps and toilets, installing electric lamps and cleaning up the site as part of the changes. “We plan to complete the reforms by June 15,” said Sushil Nahata, member-secretary of the Trust. “The managed site will come into operation within a week,” he said. The Trust says around five dozen bodies are cremated at the Aryaghat in Pashupati every day. The site was not properly managed despite the numbers. “We have completed 95 per cent of the work,” said Nahata. “We are going to set up tents for funerals and allocate a separate place for mourners,” he added. A software will be used to keep track of the bodies, said the Trust. “The PADT will also run a shop to provide ritual materials at a reasonable price,” said Nahata. “We decided to operate a shop as traders have been accused of charging exorbitant prices to mourners,” he said. “The total cost of the project has been estimated at about Rs 2 million.” Nnnn LIST OF SICK INDUSTRIES SOON Kathmandu, 10 June: The high level task force formed to facilitate the revival of sick industries is all set to prepare a comparative list of those industries, The Himalayan Times writes. All plans and programmes required for the revival of the sick industries,” said joint secretary at the Ministry of Industry Anil Kumar Thakur. He is also a member of the high level task force formed for the evaluation and classification of sick industries. Along with the decision of the cabinet, the ministry has formed a task force which will work on developing plans and policies required for the revival of the sick industries. “This time our team members have already started preparing a comparative list of industries that have applied for relief packages and the required facility,” informed Thakur. “As soon as the comparative list of industries is prepared, we will also organise meetings and interaction programmes to discuss various issues of the sick industries,” he said. Earlier too there was another high level task force for the rehabilitation of sick industries with representatives from the Ministry of Industry, Finance Ministry, Nepal Rastra Bank, Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Confederation of Nepalese Industries, Ministry of Energy, and National Planning Commission. But the task force failed to work in reviving the sick industries and make recommendations to the government. “ We will provide the facility that is mentioned in the existing Industrial Enterprise Act but we are also moving on with the amendment of the Act which will also include the recommendations of the high level committee,” said spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry Yam Kumari Khatiwada. President of Nepal Carpet Exporters Association has informed about the failure in receiving refinancing facility which was introduced for sick industries. According to the facility, industries categorised as either sick industries or belonging to a productive sector are liable to get refinancing loan at 4.5 percent and seven per cent respectively. nnnn