TEJBAJRA BAJRACHARYA APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF UNION FINANCE LTD Kathmandu, 31 July: The board of Union Finance Ltd, has accepted the resignation tendered by Surendra Malla as chairman and director. Tejbajra Bajracharya replaces Malla as chairman. . nnnn GAS INDUSTRY OWNERS THREATEN SUPPLY DISRUPTION Kathmandu, 31 July:- The Nepal LPG Industry Association (NLPGIA) has demanded a hike in their commission and cancellation of the planned dual cylinder system, Sangam Prasain writes in The Kathmandu Post. The association of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bottlers has threatened to stop collecting purchase delivery orders from Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) from August 7 and stop the supply of LPG from August 15 if their demands were not met. The NLPGIA has presented a 16-point charter of demands to NOC and the government in violation of the Essential Services Operation Act. NOC issues purchase delivery orders to gas bottlers who refill gas cylinders and sell them. As per its phase-wise protest plan, it will stop loading LPG at all the depots in India from August 16. On August 17, it has decided not to clear customs. “Finally, we will be compelled to stop the supply of LPG in the market,” said Shiva Prasad Ghimire, senior vice-president of the NLPGIA. The association said that NOC should introduce a commission system on the basis of percentage and that it should not be below 5 percent. Similarly, they have refused to introduce the dual cylinder system (red and blue) saying that it would increase their cost and also encourage malpractices in the market. The government has planned to enforce a dual cylinder system (red cylinders for consumers and blue for commercial users) with differential pricing for LPG from August 17. The association said painting the cylinders would take time and cost Rs 200 per cylinder. “This is an ad hoc decision of the government, and we are against it,” Ghimire said. The other demands of the bottlers are introducing a social awareness fund by allocating 1 percent of the revenue of the total imports in the fund, fixing the weight tolerance of LPG at 1.5 percent as per international standards, enforcing third-party insurance immediately, fixing the LPG quota on the basis of the number of cylinders, and allocating LPG quotas for the industry under the NLPGIA's recommendation, among others. The bottlers have also raised concern over the government's prioritizing public agencies to supply LPG. Recently, the Nepal Police had announced setting up a bottling plant to supply LPG in a bid to make the supply system more efficient. “We are compelled to give this ultimatum as the government has been ignoring our demands from the past,” Ghimire said. He added that they were ready to sit for a dialogue with the government and NOC, but had not received any invitation. However, NOC officials said that the bottlers had refused their invitations several times. The Essential Services Operation Act includes a list of 16 services where strikes are prohibited to prevent unnecessary suffering to the general public. However, the association has claimed that the supply of LPG is not included in the list, and that they were ready to face any penalty if the government enforces the act against them. There are around 43 bottling companies operating in the country. Nnnn HUGE INCREASE IN VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS Kathmandu,31 July: Deadly road accidents and fatalities continue to register a dramatic increase nationwide, according to the latest statistics of Nepal Police, The Himalayan Times reports. The number of road accidents recorded during the year 2011/12 has increased by 10.22 per cent to reach 21,577 as compared to 19,575 in the preceding year. As many as 1,754 people were killed in road accidents during the fiscal 2011/12 against 1,664 in 2010/11. It is 5.40 per cent increase in road deaths. With the beginning of new fiscal 2012/13, a total of 126 people were killed including 110 in seven major accidents that occurred elsewhere in the country. Despite the harrowing details of road fatalities, the government is yet to step up its efforts to strengthen safety measures and law enforcement side to cope with it. Also it seems authorities and stakeholders have done nothing more than passing the buck to other departments for poor handling of the situation. Ganesh Raj Rai, Traffic DIG, blamed the human error, drivers in particular for road accidents and stressed on the need to make drivers and their employers more responsible. “Most drivers rarely think that the passengers have been putting their life in their hands. We should curb the negligence of driver, drunk-driving, and overtaking, driving overload beyond the capacity and over speed guided by financial motivation and poor road infrastructure to prevent road accidents,” DIG Rai suggested. When a person meets road accident, the entire family will have to bear the expenses of medical treatment; whereas in the event of death of bread earner it may become financially vulnerable. Yogendranath Karmacharya, president of Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, rubbished the claims made by the police. “The police investigation into the accidents is unfair and unilateral. When a road accident occurs, a section of police reach the site and prepare a report on its own without involving all stakeholders, including the FNTTE, workers and eyewitness,” he said. Karmacharya, however, echoed the police’s suggestion of making the driving license issuance system relevant to the present time. “Vehicles are more vulnerable to accident during the monsoon due to heavy rain combined with landslip, road cave-in, poor visibility and slippery roads. Moreover, brake does not work properly during the rainfall,” he added. Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning, Works and Transport Management, echoed the stand taken by the police and said drivers should learn to drive professionally. “Plans are afoot to conduct orientation training for transport entrepreneurs and drivers, and reform road infrastructure,” he said, adding that, “We need to overhaul the licence distribution system.” Sitaula appealed drivers to perform their jobs taking the road and weather condition into consideration. Two die in three incidents Itahari: Two persons died and one was critically injured in three separate accidents in Sunsari today. According to the District Police Office, Sunsari, 60-year-old Hari Shrestha of Babiyabirta of Morang was found dead along the Koshi Lokmarg's Duhabi-4 road. Police surmised that Shrestha, who was residing in Duhabi, might have died of excessive drinking. His body has been sent to the Biratnagar Koshi Zonal Hospital for post-mortem. Similarly, the body of an unidentified youth in his 30s was found lying near Sunsari's Budhikhola Bridge. According to Belbari Area Police Office, the youth, who appeared to be from Madhesi community, had sustained lots of bruises throughout his body. Investigators suggested that he could have been killed. In another incident, Ankit Guragain of Biratnagar was critically injured after he fell from a moving tanker heading to Dharan from Biratnagar in Sunsari's Hansposha. He is undergoing treatment at Biratnagar-based Neuro Hospital after he could not be treated at the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Police have detained the driver and impounded the vehicle. nnnn