PM URGES FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has stressed the need of doing away with corruption since it was a malady of the society, RSS reports.. Speaking at a programme organised by the National Vigilance Center on the occasion of its 11th anniversary at the Singha Durbar today, the Prime Minister underlined the need of cooperation from all anti-corruption constitutional bodies, government organizations and all the people to control corruption. The Center was established with a view to fighting corruption in the country, he said, praising the Center for its success in meeting the goals despite limited resources. "Country's bureaucracy is running through a process-oriented mechanism rather the service-oriented one," said the Prime Minister, and directed employees to be serious towards ensuring good governance. On the occasion, Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel said corruption control and good governance is the main priority of the government and stressed that the Center should work accordingly. He underlined the need of collective efforts to combat corruption since it was not possible from efforts of a single body or an organization.A process for formulating separate acts for the Center has been initiated, following demand for the same, he said. Similarly, Center's Chief Officer Sureshman Shrestha, said the Center is dedicated to meeting its goals and is working accordingly. According to information provided at the programme, a total of 587 cases of corruption were filed at the Center last fiscal year. Of them, the Center settled 465 cases. On the occasion, best performers of the Center and the winner of a poetry symposium on corruption control were feted. nnnn NEPAL’S AGENDA AT MONDAY’S TALKS WITH CHINA Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: ATHMANDU: Nepal is expected to raise the issues of reducing trade deficit between Nepal and China with top priority during a meeting of the Nepal-China Foreign Secretary Level Mechanism scheduled to be held in the capital tomorrow [Monday]. RSS reports,. Talking to RSS, Joint Secretary at the Commerce and Supplies Ministry Ngaindra Prasad Upadhyay said at the meeting, the Nepali side is expected to raise the issues regarding how to minimize an enormous trade imbalance between the two countries. The Chinese side will be requested to make arrangements for smooth export of Nepali products to China, said Joint Secretary Upadhyay. The State is responsible for ensuring duty free market and market facilitation, he said and stressed that the business community also pay a heed towards trade diversification since the conventional products are not sufficient for the development of trade sector. According to Trade Promotion Center, annual trade deficit of Nepal with China stands at Rs. 45 billion. Nepal exports goods worth Rs. one billion to China every year. Nepal imports cement, iron rods and noodles from Tibet, whereas it exports handicraft items, carpet, pashmina, silver ornaments, vegetable ghee and incense sticks to China. Expansion of mutual contact, development of physical infrastructure, investment in hydropower sector , reopening of Kathmandu-Lhasa Bus Service, direct flights between different cities in the two countries and construction of a ring road in Kathmandu are other agendas of the meeting, it is learnt. Providing soft loans for the Upper Trishuli-3 'A' Hydro Project and international airport in Pokhara are in the agenda of the meeting, the ministry said. The Nepali team to be led by Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad Bhattarai will be accompanied by senior officers of the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Health, Home, Local Development, Education, Tourism and National Planning Commission (NPC). As the meeting of the mechanism is regular, it will not take any decision and no agreement will be signed. It is learnt that the issues raised in the four- yearly meeting will be included in the future action plan by the officials of both the countries. RSS Nnnn EXTENDED TRANSITION THREATENING NATIONALITY SAYS KAMAL THAPA Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: Chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Nepal, Kamal Thapa has said that freeing the country from existing constitutional and political crisis is the main challenge of the hour, RSS reports.. Taking part in an interaction programme organised by the RPP-Nepal, Parsa chapter today, Thapa said the prolonged political crisis would pose a threat to nationality. "The nation will be a 'failed state' with the dominance of foreign interference if constitutional and political crisis persists for a long time," he added. He stressed that the major political parties should be serious towards finding a way out to the present crisis in time keeping in mind its possible consequences. Establishment of peace, political stability and economic prosperity would not be possible just on the basis of a particular 'ism' or 'ideology', said Thapa, adding that an 'ism' capable to address people's basic needs will win the heart of the people. The RPP-Nepal Chairman further claimed that his party was working to decentralize state power and natural resources, which is presently limited to a certain group, to the people. Nnnn UML’S OLI OPPOSES ONE MADESH ONE PRADESH Kathmandu, 13 Aug.: CPN (UML) leader KP Sharma Oli has ruled out the possibility of the establishment of 'One Madhes one Province'. , RSS reports. Speaking at a news conference organised here today by the Press Chautari Nepal, Saptari, Oli said demand for one Madhesi one Province is not the voice of Madhesis rather it is the demand of some feudalists. Federalism guaranteeing a special right of any particular class and community would not be acceptable, said Oli, underlining the need of a new consensus government for democracy, peace, prosperity, social justice and national unity. Political consensus was not possible due to power-centric mentality of the ruling parties, he said. He urged the political parties to rise above the partisan interests and adopt the path of peace. After the news conference, leader Oli met with detainees at the Rajbiraj Jail including CPN (UML) and former parliamentarian Jagdish Prasad Saha. RSS nnnn