NC LEADER KILLED, MAOIST INJURED IN SAPTARI FIRING Kathmandu, 13 July: NC Indra Dev Yadav was shot dead Thursday night in Sarwsor VDC, Saptari. UCPN (Maoist) VDC leader Krish Yadav was injured in a debate MJF-N cadres in Sarswor VDC opened during a debate over development budget. Yadav died while being rushed to hopitaal. The Maoist leader is being treated or injuries. Tarakant Yadav and his son Dipendra Yadav have been arrested following the shooting. nnnn. MURDER CHARGE FILED AGAINST DRIVER OF SLIAM JUSTICE RANA BAHADUR BAM Kathmand, 13 July: A murder charge has been registered against Driver Asta Lama of Supreme Court Justice Rana Bahadur Bam. Bam was shot dead 31 May while driving to his office from home. Lalitpur police filed the charge at district court Wednesday. nnnn ELECTIONS WERE A COMPULSION SAYS MAOIST CHIEF Kathmandu, 13 July: UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has claimed that the new Constituent Assembly elections were announced out of compulsion. Dahal, however, reiterated that consensus among the political parties was the only way to end the current political impasse, Phanindra Dahal writes in The Kathmandu Post.. As Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai insists on new CA polls in November as the only alternative, Dahal stressed the need for continuity of the consensus roadmap to complete the peace and constitution-making process. Opposition parties Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML have declined to participate in the CA election announced by the incumbent government arguing that it was ‘unconstitutional’ and declared ‘unilaterally.’ “The constitution should be promulgated through the Constituent Assembly. We should forge consensus among parties to take the peace and constitution-writing process to a logical conclusion,” said Dahal while presenting his political document at the party’s central committee (CC) meeting that started on Thursday. Dahal did not specify whether a revival of the CA or fresh polls was the option. His decision to shy away from one option, according to a Maoist central committee leader, implies that Dahal is ‘open’ to any option that will garner greater political support. “The chairman stressed that the party should give continuity to the path of political consensus, as envisioned by the 12-point agreement,” said Politburo member Haribol Gajurel. “He underscored the need of political consensus in bringing about the new constitution through the Constituent Assembly.” In his political document, Dahal has stated that Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai would step down once the political parties came to an understanding. Dahal also suggested that the party will begin fresh agitation if there are conspiracies to block efforts for peace an Dahal also suggested that the party will begin fresh agitation if there are conspiracies to block efforts for peace and constitution. In his 38-page document, Dahal has evaluated key events after the party’s entry into the peace process, including Constituent Assembly elections, the dismissal of then Army chief Rookmangud Katawal and the deal signed by parties on army integration. Dahal has committed some ‘amendments to the technical aspects’ of the November 1 army integration deal to ensure an honourable integration of former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army. “There were some mistakes as enough discussions could not be held before signing the seven-point deal. We failed to maintain a correct stance on age, marital status and educational qualifications required for integration,” a CC member quoted Dahal as saying. Dahal suggested that his party should make additional efforts to solve technical glitches and to ensure a “dignified integration of the combatants into the Nepal Army”. He regretted having not let the CA decide on contentious constitutional issues and lamented the time the party wasted “in the name of talks to narrow down differences”. Dahal told the CC members that the Maoist party became ‘arrogant’ after it emerged as the largest party in the 2008 CA elections. “Had the party used its conscience, it would not have lost powerful positions such as those of the President and the CA chairman,” Dahal observed. The Maoist chairman said that his government had committed a mistake by removing then Army Chief Katawal in May 2009 and regretted his resignation as the prime minister. In his paper, to be distributed to CC members on Friday, Dahal stresses the need to end factionalism in the party. Dahal also categorised the breakaway faction led by Mohan Baidya as ‘rightist’ and ‘orthodox.’ Nnnn FURTHER DETAILS OF INDIAN PLAN TOTAKEOVER NEPAL AIRPORTS Kathmandu, 13 July: Even as the dust kicked off by the government’s alleged handover of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to an Indian Company, Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) is yet to settle, there are now documentary evidence that the same company has also proposed the development and up-gradation of operational aviation infrastructure at 15 other domestic airports of the country, Mukul Humagain/Pranab Kharel write in The Kathmandu Post. . The IL&FS in its letter to Investment Board (IB) on December 21, 2011 had proposed to enter into an ‘Airport Development Agreement’ with either Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) or the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) to jointly develop, finance and implement and maintain airports in Nepal on Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model. This is the same letter where IL&FS has proposed the Investment Board for development and up-gradation of TIA on public private partnership (PPP) basis. “Taking into consideration IL&FS’s financial strength and experience in implementation of infrastructure projects on PPP basis, we request you to give us an opportunity to partner the government in developing a world class airport in Kathmandu,” reads IL&FS letter to IB. The Indian company in its letter has asked the IB to accept the letter as its ‘expression of interest’ (EoI) for TIA up-gradation. The IL&FS has proposed establishing special purpose vehicles (SPVs) for this purpose jointly with CAAN/MoTCA. As per IL&FS proposal, there will be two such SPVs, — Airports Development SPV and Airports Implementation SPV. “The Airports Development SPV shall be responsible for the identification and development/redevelopment/planned up-gradation of the airports,” reads IL&FS letter. “This SPV will have IL&FS and CAAN/MoTCA as co-promoters with minor equity requirement from each.” The letter further states, “The Airports Implementation SPV will be responsible for the financing, implementation and maintenance of individual airports.” The Indian company has planned to undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the existing facilities at eac The Indian company has planned to undertake a comprehensive appraisal of the existing facilities at each of these airports within 6-9 months from the date of signing the agreement. The letter shows, IL&FS plans to develop these airports in line with its investment plan spread over a maximum of 30 years. The domestic airports for which IL&FS has shown interest are, Surkhet, Lukla, Jumla, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Chandragadi, Pokhara, Jomsom, Tumlingtar, Bhairahawa, Simara, Lamidanda, Dhanagadi, Janakpur and Bharatpur. Most of these airports are being upgraded by the CAAN, the regulator. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government to furnish detail project report (DPR) of the TIA up-gradation. According to CAAN, the DPR was prepared by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has provided $ 80 million assistance ($70 million loan and $10 million grant) to the government for the project. The government has also invested $30 million in this project. The IL&FS held informal discussions with CAAN on the matter two months ago. The IL&FS EoI says the TIA needs new domestic passenger terminal building, new international terminal building, new international apron, relocation of existing international airport apron closer to building, new access road to new international terminal building and multi-level car park, among others, to reduce apron congestion. The Indian company estimates around $ 600-700 million will be required for entire up-gradation and modernization in and around TIA. nnnn