MEDIA GOOGLE “It has [political meddling in appointment of senior civil servants]. This has become a system and it sends out a bad message down the bureaucracy chain.” (Retired Secretary Umesh Mainali, The Himalayan Times, 31 July) “Even if a person chosen for the coveted post is the most efficient, the way political leaders are intervening is wrong.” (Shailendra Sigdel; am expert on good governance, The Himalayan Times. 31 July) Nnnn CASINO REGULATION BEING GIVEN GOVT. APROVAL Kathmandu, 31 July: Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is planning to soon forward the casino regulation to Cabinet for its approval, again, Shiromani Dhungana writes in The Himalayan Times.. The government has been failing to regulate the casino sector due to lack of a clear regulation, said secretary at the ministry Dr Ganesh Raj Joshi, adding that even the government’s agencies have been failing to shut down those casinos which have not cleared their royalties. The ministry had last year forwarded a draft of the regulation to the cabinet but the Cabinet sent it back to the ministry asking it to incorporate the opinions of the Finance Ministry, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs, informed secretary Joshi. The ministry, at present, is conducting meetings with the concerned stakeholders — representatives from Finance Ministry, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs — to incorporate their opinions, according to him. “The ministry will finalise the draft of the regulation within 15 days and forward it to the cabinet.” The ministry had proposed a new regulation that will grant licence to the casinos instead of hotels in the draft which was prepared last year. Similarly, the proposed regulation had envisaged that it would also deal with key aspects like entry of Nepalis in casinos, checking slot machines and labelling them, regulating the entry point of casinos, and security of foreign citizens. It had also incorporated that the government should make it mandatory to register casino machines and introduce stickers to verify them. The ministry has been holding intensive dialogues with other concerned ministries to bring the new regulation as per international standards, said Joshi, adding that the suggestions and reactions from the Finance Ministry, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Law, Justice, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs, will be included in the draft before forwarding it to the cabinet. Four casinos out of the 10 have yet to clear their royalty dues of last year, according to Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Casino Fulbari and Casino Grande of Pokhara, and Casino Anna and Casino Nepal of Kathmandu have not cleared their dues so far, said secretary at the ministry Dr Ganesh Raj Joshi, adding lack of a regulation has been affecting the ministry’s plan of scrapping licences. All casinos are liable to pay Rs 20 million annually according to legal provisions. nnnn NC DISTRICT PRESIDENT MEET EXTENDED BY ONE MORE DAY; SUSHIL KOIRALA AGAIN HITS OUT AT MAOISTS Kathmandu, 31 July: Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala today accused the Maoists of not honouring its past agreements, Yubaran Puri writes in The Himalayan Times from Barhabise.. Inaugurating the second national conclave of the party district presidents today, the NC chief said the country has plunged into a great crisis due to the Maoist modus operandi of making the deals, but never bothering to honour the same. “It is for the same nature of the Maoist party that the country has failed to get the constitution, which the people had dreamt for long,” he said. “The NC opposed the fresh polls declared by the Maoist because that was not only unconstitutional but also the political parties were not taken into confidence.” Further arguing only the persons against constitution have accused the Congress for the CA dissolution, Koirala said the statute could not be drafted due to the multiple assurances given to the people by the Maoist despite the realisation that they would not be fulfilled. “Scores of their assurances are yet to be fulfilled,” he said, adding, the Maoist-raised issue of Jaanajati has only served to bring clash among different ethnicities. Regarding federalism, Koirala said the NC is for creating few states as the country cannot afford the expenses of many states. He also called on the Maoist to forge consensus saying there was no alternative to consensus, cooperation and unity among the political parties. Speaking at the programme, NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba stressed on the CA reinstatement at least for two weeks’ time following the consensus among the parties. “Instead of keeping the country without constitution for long, political parties should be flexible to sort out the contentious issues and ratify the statute from the reinstated CA,” said the leader. He suggested an all-party commission could draft the state and get it approved through a referendum. Yet another leader Ram Chandra Poudel, on his part, accused the Maoist of leading the country into chaos by trying to impose its rule. Meanwhile, despite the call for CA reinstatement by the former NC lawmakers, district presidents of the party have, however, demanded that the party should go for the election at all cost. Speaking during the closed session, the district presidents held that the party should not carry the agenda of the CA reinstatement. “There is no option to forming a national government-led by NC and conducting a fresh election,” said Kaski president Yagya Bahadur Thapa, adding, all party district presidents who spoke today demanded that the Congress should be ready for the Constituent Assembly or parliamentary poll. “We have demanded that a government be formed under NC’s leadership whether through consensus or agitation and hold fresh election,” Thapa told the THT, adding, they are unanimously against the CA reinstatement. Presidents from different districts had spoken at the session that is said to be extended for one more day though it was earlier said to last till Tuesday. nnnn