MONDAY LAST DAY OF DASAIN Kathmandu, 29 Oct. Monday is Kojagrath Purnima—the last day of Dasain. Tika is received Monday while Mahalaxmi – the Goddesses of wealth—is worshipped. Government offices reopen Tuesday. The migrant population of the capital;has returned for work from villages. Nnnn FORMER CHIEF JUSTICES SAY REVIVED CA CAN ONLY AMEND CONSTITUTION Kathmandu, 29 Oct : A group of former chief justices Sunday counseled the prime minister that the dissolved Constituent Assembly (CA) can be reinstated only for the purpose of amending the interim constitution to pave the way for holding fresh elections and to conduct parliamentary hearings for appointment in vital constitutional bodies but not for the purpose of producing new constitution, Thira.B. Bhusal writes in Repiblica. The former chief justices told Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai that political consensus among the major political forces had become imperative on ending the deadlock. "The dissolved CA can be revived in its capacity as parliament for three months at the most only for the purpose of making necessary amendments in the interim constitution with a view to remove constitutional difficulties based on unanimous political decision," Ram Prasad Shrestha said in his seven-page document submitted to the prime minister. The view was suported by four other Justices - Trilok Pratap Rana, Keshav Prasad Upadhayay, Hari Prasad Sharma and Anup Raj Sharma. "But, a decision to reinstate the CA for the purpose of making new constitution will be unconstitutional and such a move would be against the Supreme Court´s verdict issued on November 25, 2011," Shrestha´s paper said. However, Ombhakta Shrestha depite agreeing with other justices also opined that the CA could be revived for the purpose of promulgating new constitution based on the works done in the dissolved CA and other agreements reached so far. Speaking to republica, Attorney General, Mukti Pradhan, who was also at the meeting, said the former justices underscored the need of taking any political decision in accordance with the Supreme Court´s verdict issued on the same case. "They suggested the prime minister not to take any decision in contravention with the apex court´s decision." Bhattarai had sought legal advice about constitutional complications that may arise once the political parties decide either to reinstate the CA or go for fresh elections. The justices told the prime minister that reviving the Assembly for the purpose of writing new constitution would be tantamount to disrespect of the Supreme Court´s verdict. The apex court in its verdict had suggested three options-- promulgation of new statute within the given time, hold fresh elections for CA or to seek any other legitimate way to make new constitution. "They were of the view that the Assembly could be reinstated only in its capacity as legislative body for certain period and for specific objectives. The purposes of reinstatement should be categorically stated in advance," Pradhan explained about suggestions offered to the prime minister. The legal experts were one on the opinion that there is no alternative to holding fresh CA elections for the purpose of accomplishing the incomplete task of writing new constitution and that the revived House can pave the way for holding fresh election by amending the election-related laws and the provisions in the interim constitution. Also, appointments of justices in the apex court and office bearers in constitutional bodies including the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Election Commission and Public Service Council have been halted due to absence of parliament. nnnn ________________________________________ COFFEE PRODUCTION UP 20 PERCENTC Kathmandu, 29 Oct.: The coffee farmers in the district reaped double benefit this year after coffee production and its price increased simultaneously, Dilip Poudel writes in Republica from Baglung. Farmers in Baglung district had produced 10 tons of coffee last year. However, the farmers in the district sold 12 tons of the dried coffee beans this year which fetched them Rs 3.24 million. The price for the parchment coffee last year was Rs 170 per kg. According to Baglung district Coffee Producers´ Association, this year farmers in the district sold the dried coffee beans at the rate of Rs 270 per kg. The produced coffee got an attractive price after a Korean coffee processing company directly bought the parchment coffee from the farmers. “The price of the dried coffee beans has gone up by Rs 100 this year,” informed Bhawani Prasad Sharma, chairman of Parbat district Coffee Producers´ Association. Central Chairman of Coffee Producers´ Association Shyam Bhandari Nepal said production of coffee increased by 20 percent. “Last year total amount of the coffee produce in the country was 401 tons while this year it increased to 480 tones,” said Bhandari. Bhandari also informed that out of total production, 55 percent coffee was exported while 54 percent is consumed in the domestic market itself. He further informed that the area in which coffee was planted had increased after the demand of the coffee went up. “We have started planting 1 million coffee plants annually under the auspices of the agriculture ministry and various donor agencies,” said Bhandari. “We will continue the campaign for five years.” As the demand of the Nepali organic coffee has increased in the international market, foreigners have started reaching to the local´s door steps in search of quality coffee. The increasing demand and the good price has attracted many farmers toward coffee farming and the existing producers have started expanding their plantation. Demands from Korea, Japan, America and European and golf countries have increased for the Nepali coffee lately. Around 39 districts in the country has favorable climate for the production of coffee but 11 districts in Western Region covers 49 percent of the total production at present. Coffee is farmed in the places from 500 to 1600 meter heights. Coffee is being farmed in 1070 hectare land in the 11 districts of the Midwestern region with the annual production of over 200 tons, according to Premnidhi Dhakal, a technician at Regional Coffee Development Board at Pokhara. Over 21 thousand farmers are involved in the coffee farming in the western region alone. The region has appropriate climate for the production of the Arabic coffee. Evereat Coffee Mill, Highland, Gulmi Co-operative, Buddha Organic Coffee Cooperative are the main exporter of coffee from the district. nnnn MAOISTS TO BE SELF-RELIANT Kathmandu, 29 Oct.: : Stung by allegations of misuse of combatants’ fund and extorting money from business houses, the UCPN-Maoist today decided to make its party organisation self-reliant by promoting fair means of income generation through labour and cooperatives. A meeting of UCPN-M held here today, formed Production Department under party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, which will be a permanent body of the party. Two other permanent bodies were also formed under party Vice-Chairs Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha. Bhattarai will lead Development, Planning and Research Department and Shrestha will lead the Discipline Department. Shrestha said the party formed these departments after realising that anomalies and discrepancies had taken a toll on the party. “We formed these departments because we realised that our organisation had been affected. We want to transform our party through cooperatives and other schemes of self-reliance,” Shrestha said. Bhattarai’s department will recommend appropriate policies on water resources, land management other important issues that will help transform society and the state, said Shrestha. He said party leaders also discussed parleys the party has had with other political parties with the aim of resolving the current political problems. “We are of the view that consensus should be forged on the basis of two options that our party Chairman has forwarded so far. In the latest rounds of discussions with other political parties mainly the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, Dahal has suggested either promulgating the constitution through a revived Constituent Assembly or fresh CA elections. Dahal also suggested incorporating agreed agendas in the constitution and leaving the unsettled issues to the new parliament to decide. Party Spokesperson Agni Prasad Sapkota said his party decided that if elections are to be held there should be no further delay. He said the party decided to intensify talks with other political parties to break the deadlock. “Consensus is the only alternative,” he added. Meanwhile, the party has called a meeting of its General Convention Organising Committee on November 21 after which elections for the district chapters will be held. Today’s meeting of the party also mandated Dahal to prepare a single political paper to be presented in the upcoming General Convention. The party also assigned new responsibilities to chiefs of ethnic and other sectoral organisations. Nnnn LUGGAGE HANDLERS UNDER CLOSE WATCH AT TIA Kathmandu, 29 Oct.: Security officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport said they are keeping a close watch on baggage handlers in the wake of growing complaints of theft of valuables from passengers’ luggage, The Himalayan Tomes reports.. Deputy Inspector General of Police Narayan Prasad Bastakoti, security in-charge at the country’s only international airport, informed that pro-active measures of police had resulted in the arrest of five baggage handlers involved in stealing high-priced electronic goods from bags belonging to passengers landing at the airport in the past three months. Those arrested are Bhup Bahadur Rai, Deepak Tamang, Niraj Kumar Basnet, Tapendra Shahi and Subash Silwal. nnnn “We arrested the five people, filed theft charges against them and the airport administration dismissed them,” he said. Passengers arriving at the airport are prone to losing their valuables at the hand of bag handlers entrusted with making sure passenger luggage gets to vehicles waiting to receive them from the arrival point. The goods stolen from the luggage included laptop computers, mobile phone sets and cameras. “Activities of baggage handlers and passengers are under CCTV surveillance. We have also deployed cops in civvies to ensure the safety of luggage and prevent theft,” DIG Bastakoti informed. Airport police claimed to have been able to stop the incidents of theft after five baggage handlers landed in jail and lost their jobs for their crimes. Six months ago, police at the airport used to receive five complaints of thefts on an average day, but this has all stopped, according to Bastakoti. “We have not received any such complaints in the past two months,” Bastakoti said, attributing this to the arrest of the offenders. nnnn