PM SAYS DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PARTIES HINDERING EFFECTIVE WORK OF GOVT. Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Wednesday remarked that the bureaucracy has not been able to function effectively due to the disagreement among the political parties, RSS reports from Chitwan.. Issuing directives to office chiefs in Bharatpur today [Wednesday], Prime Minister Bhattarai, who was on his way to the Siddhi village of Chitwan, said even though the government officials face pressure from various sectors due to the political instability they should fulfill their duties with high morale. He said the bureaucracy is permanent despite frequent changes in the government and added that it should be able to work as per the changing time. The Prime Minister, on the occasion, urged the civil servants to implement the action plan on good governance and also urged the concerned bodies to check artificial shortage of essential commodities in the market during the upcoming festivals. "No one should be prevented from getting the minimum services. You should work with a plan to check artificial shortage created in the market," said Prime Minister Bhattarai. He also stressed on the need of remaining alert round the clock to prevent any criminal activities in Chitwan, which is the central point of the country and the border area. He also urged the government officers to visit the remote area and understand the villagers' problems. Saying that he had come to Chitwan to spend a night together with the Chepang community as per his programme to go among the people every month, Bhattarai said he would help him to get a first-hand experience of their problems, concerns and thoughts. Earlier, students affiliated to the Youth Association, ANNFSU and Nepal Students' Union greeted Prime Minister Bhattarai with black flags at the Bhatarpur Airport, calling for his resignation. In course of the protest, the students also clashed with police personnel. Bhattarai was accompanied by Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel and Vice-chair of Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF), Janak Raj Joshi. As per the directives of the Prime Minister, the PAF is to move ahead with the implementation of the PAF programme targeted on the Chepang community. The PAF is investing around Rs 30 million for the welfare and the advancement of the Chepang community. Meanwhile, the prime minister is also said to have expressed his wish to meet the Bandipure Chepang living in the caves of Siddhi VDC of the district. nnnn NO UMLYOUTH BANDH THURSDAY Kathmandu, 15 Aug.: UML Youth Association said it hasn’t called a Nepal bandh Thursday. The Association doesn’t have a strike programme Thursday, the body said. nnnn HOTELASSOCIATIONS OF NEPAL, SRI LANKA SIGN MoU Kathmamdu, 15 Aug.: Hotel Association Nepal and Hotel Association Sri Lanka have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote tourism in Nepal and Sri Lanka, RSS reports from Colombo. Signing the MoU from the Nepali side, Chairman of the Association Shyam Sundar Malla, said that the bilateral relations between Nepal and Sri Lanka would be strengthened through tourism. If the two countries are connected with direct flight, Nepal could bring in maximum tourists from Sri Lanka. Similarly, Anura Lokuheppy from Sri Lankan side said the MoU was a historic agreement reached from the private level to promote tourism in the two countries. He further said both countries had tremendous potential to attract tourists from neighbouring countries. And, the Himalayas in Nepal and the sea in Sri Lanka could attract tourists from third countries if the programme was brought in package to this regard. The programme organized to sign the MoU was attended by the tourism entrepreneurs from both countries. Some 70,000 tourists visit Nepal every year while 80 percent of them visit Lumbini Nnnn