RJP LEADER KILLED IN SUNSARI Kathmandu, 27 June: Ravi Lal Mehta, Chairman of Gautampur VDC in Sunsari, was hacked to death at his home Monday night. It wasn’t known if Mehta’s murder was politically motivated; Mehta hailed from Rashtriya Janashakti Party (RJP). nnnn: MAOISTS PREPARE FOR INTEGRATION Kathmandu, 27 June: With the Nepal Army set to start the integration process from next Sunday, the former People´s Liberation Army (PLA) has also geared up for the much-awaited integration of its members into the Nepal Army (NA), Kiran Pun writes in Republica. According sources, the former Maoist army has started preparing a list of combatants to be recommended for senior ranks in the national army. PLA´ s former chief Nanda Kishor Pun himself is leading the homework and has prepared the list to be submitted to the general staff of the PLA. Pun has proposed the name of division commander Yam Bahadur Adhikari for the post of colonel, the single highest post to be given to the Maoist combatants, sources told Republica. Also known as Pratiksha in the PLA, 39-year old Adhikari was recently the division commander of the First Division of the PLA stationed at Chulachuli. Ilam. As per the understanding reached among the major political parties on April 15, the combatants will get one colonel and two lieutenant colonels in the army. Pun has recommended the names of division vice-commander Padam Bahadur Tamang aka Sanjeeb, 35, and Fourth Division vice-commander Basu Dev Ghimire aka Pawel, 24, for the post of lieutenant colonel. Besides Adhikari, division commanders Dhan Bahadur Maski Magar, Suk Bahadur Roka Magar, Santa Kumar Darai, Tamang and Ghimire were in the race for the post of colonel in the national army. The same source informed that Pun is presenting his proposal to this effect in a general staff meeting of the PLA to be held in presence of Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is expected to endorse the proposal of Pun. In an all-party meeting on April 15, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had floated the name of Division Commander Dhan Bahadur Maski Magar, who is among his trusted men in the PLA and currently leads PLA´s Third Division based in Shaktikhor, Chitwan, to lead the PLA men opting for integration. But since he is just 35-year old, the NC and UML leaders had opposed his name. Chairman Dahal had then floated the name of Santu Darai, PLA´s Seventh Division based in Kailali, to the post of colonel. Darai, 45, once led Chairman Dahal´s security team and is the senior most division commanders in the PLA. As there was debate over who should lead the PLA in the integration, Dahal has been delaying a decision on this issue, reportedly promising each of the commander separately that they would lead the PLA in the integration. A proficient in certificate level, Adhikari came to limelight during the conflict time after he lead a day-time attack on army personnel at Krishna Bhir, Prithivi Highway in Dhading, his home district, in November 2004. He lost his wife during the insurgency. His elder brother is a NA man. Adhikari started his political career while he was a student at Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campur, Kathmandu. He has also experience of having working in a hotel for a short period. Similarly, Tamang hails from Kavre and is a senior commander and first general staff member of the PLA. A SLC graduate, Tamang lost his younger brother in the insurgency. His wife is also a PLA member. She was jailed for a long time during the conflict time. Likewise, Ghimire, who come from Pyuthan, and is currently doing his master´s. He is one of the few combatants with highest academic background. His youngest brother and brother-in-law are in PLA and his elder brother and eldest brother-in-law killed in the war. The former PLA chief prepared the list despite different options on who should lead the PAL in the integration discussed in the party in the past, according to PLA sources. Amidst mounting pressure on the Maoist leadership in the past, the Maoist party had discussed three options on who should be recommended in senior ranks in the army during the integration. In the first option, Maski was supposed to lead the PLA in the integration while Division Commanders Suk Bahadur Roka Magar and Yam Bahadur Adhikari should be recommended to the post of lieutenant colonels. Similarly, the second option was: Santa Kumar Darai should lead the PLA in the integration while Darai and Adhikari should be recommended for the post of lieutenant colonel. Likewise, under the third option, Division Commander Suk Bahadur Roka Magar was supposed to lead the PLA in the integration, while Tamang and Ghimire were to be recommended for the rank of lieutenant colonel. "The position on what the party had told has now changed," said a dissatisfied commander preferring anonymity, "We now realize why Baidya [Mohan Baidya] formed a new party." nnnn ________________________________________ PADDY, MAIZE PRODUCTION LIKELY TO FALL Kathmandu, 27 June: The production of paddy and maize in Nepal is likely to go down this year as compared to last year. This is mainly because of the scarcity of chemical fertilizers during the farming season, an official at the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) said, The Rising Nepal reports. The widening gap between the demand and supply f fertilizers is a major factor behind growing shortage of chemical fertilizers, said Dr. Hari Dahal, Spokesperson at MoAC. He, however, could not specify the quantity of reduction in the production of paddy and maize. The production of paddy and maize had surged this year, which has also contributed to increasing the country’s GDP. The scarcity of chemical fertilizers has been growing annually in the country due to the bourgeoning demand despite increasing the quantity. Although the Agriculture Input Company Limited (AICL) has said that it has supplied chemical fertilizers for a couple of days, farmers have yet to get the fertilizers. The AICL had said that around 42,500 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers would start arriving to the country from June 25. But the fertilizers have yet to be imported. According to Dr. Dahal, around 12,500 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers would have arrived to the country by Friday this week. "We are in the process of bringing in about 12,500 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers from the MMTC, an Indian company. The fertilizers would have arrived by the end of this week, and the remaining 30,000 metric tonnes of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) will be imported gradually," he said. He said that the government was effortful in importing about 42,500 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers from the MMTC under the government-to-government agreement signed in 2011. Last year, the Government of Nepal and the Government of India signed the deal to import around 100,000 metric tonnes during the current fiscal year, he said. "Out of the total quantity, around 57,500 metric tonnes has already been imported," he said. He said that Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the AICL were trying to import the chemical fertilizers as soon as possible considering the start of the paddy plantation season. But due to lack of funds, they have failed to import the fertilizers to be sold for subsidized rates, he said. The AICL has supplied around 140,000 metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers this year, while it had supplied only 110,000 metric tonnes last year, he said. The national demand for fertilizers is about 500,000 metric tones. Out of it, about 100,000 metric tonnes is needed annually for paddy crops across the country, he said. According to him, they have already requested the government to provide additional budget for supplying the fertilizers during the paddy season. But the government has been unable to release the funds. nnnn UML PROPOSES KP SHARMA OLI’S CANDIDATURE FOR PM Kathmandu, 27 June: Leaders of CPN-UML and UCPN-Maoist Tuesday said that they were ready to accept the leadership of the Nepali Congress (NC) in the new national consensus government, The Rising Nepal reports. However, they said that the parties should forge consensus before forming the NC-led government. Speaking at an interaction organised by the Reporters Club, CPN-UML leader Raghuji Panta said that if NC failed to give the name of the new prime minister to lead the consensus government, UML would propose its leader KP Oli for the top post. "Our party will formally forward Oli as the new prime ministerial candidate if NC fails to give the name of the consensus candidate," Panta said. He urged the president to give a few more days to the Prime .Mminister to pave the way for consensus politics. The President should act as per the Article 38 to form the national unity government, he said. "If the parties fail to find a consensus candidate, the President should take steps to form a majority government led by the leader who could garners support from the majority of the parties," he said. He said that holding the Constituent Assembly elections was impossible and the formation of a consensus government was only the way out to the crisis. He said that the remarks the Prime Minister’s remarks made on Monday at Tribhuvan International Airport would only promote anarchy and authoritarianism in the country. UCPN-Maoist leader Agni Sapkota said that his party would be ready to accept the NC-led national consensus government if the parties reached a consensus for this. Stating that forming a consensus government was the bottom line of his party, Sapkota however ruled out the Prime Minister’s resignation in the existing circumstances. . He said that the President had no authority to sack the Prime Minister. He clarified that the Prime Minister’s TIA remarks were his personal remarks. "The remarks are not in accordance with the party line as our party chairman is positive towards forming a consensus government," Sapkota said. NC leader Arjun Narasingh KC said that his party would announce the name of the prime ministerial candidate from his party within ten days. He said that the NC central working committee meeting would decide the name of its prime ministerial candidate in ten days. He said that Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudle were possible candidate for the post. "But if the party fails to agree on the two leaders, new candidate will be announced," KC said. He said that the NC would continue its street protest against the Prime Minister and added that President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav should give an ultimatum to the Prime Minister to pave way for a consensus government. He said that revival of the Constituent Assembly (CA) was impossible and the new elections should be held for the parliament. Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Republican leader Nandan Datta said that the Prime Minister had no alternative but to pave the way for a consensus government. He said that if NC could not forward a consensus candidate to the post of the Prime Minister, the parties should find an independent personality for the top executive post. The president should take steps against the Prime Minister for his irresponsible remarks of Monday, he said. Nnnn SMUGGLING OF PANGOLIN BODY PARTSTO TIBET CONTINUES UNABATED Kathmandu, 27 June: Smuggling of the body parts of pangolin, an endangered species, to China continues unabated, despite stringent security checks along the route to the Chinese border, Dhruba Danhal reports in Republica from Sindhupalchowk. Police on Monday night arrested a person in possession of huge quantity of pangolin body parts from Khokundol Bazaar along the Araniko Highway. Dinesh Roka, 25 of Barhabishe-6 Sindhupalchowk was arrested for possessing 50 kg scales at 10 pm night. This is the first time that the police have seized such a huge quantity of pangolin body parts being smuggled to China. “We arrested him while he was waiting for customer,” Inspector Bishwa Karki told to Republica. Khokundol Bazaar is very close to the China border. Police said Rokka, a retailer of Chinese mobile phones, has long been involved in the smuggling of pangolin body parts. According to Karki, Rokka has admitted to having smuggled pangolin body parts to China several times in the past. In his statement to the police, Rokka said he bought pangolin scales in Ilam and Taplejung. “There is a huge demand for pangolin body parts in China. The prospect looked lucrative and I started smuggling pangolin body parts to China,” Rokka said. He also revealed that pangolin scales are brought to Kathmandu from Ilam and Taplejung on bus. Passenger buses charge Rs 1, 000 to transport per kg of scales. He also disclosed that there are several other groups involved in smuggling of pangolin body parts. Police said Rokka will be handed over to the District Forest Office (DFO) for prosecution. ________________________________________ nnnn MEDIA GOOGLE " If he has come up with any new strength and message from Brazil, they will not work here, the Prime Minister should understand this." (UML Chairman Jhalanatha Khanal, The Rising Nepal, 27 June0 Nnnn