PRESIDENT MEETS KOIRALA,KHANAL Kathmandu, 28 Oct.: President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Sunday morning asked NC President Sushil Koirala and UML Chairman Jhalanath Khanal to come to an understanding on elections. He asked them to reach an agreement on the remaining budget for the current fiscal as government is running short of funds to run government. Opposition has been pressing the head of state to intervene to end a deadlock without approving government expense recommended by government alone. Chairman Prachanda Saturday presented written proposals to Koirala and Khanal Saturday to end deadlock by Tihar meting cold response from the opposition bench. nnnn UPDATE MAOIST MEET CONCLUDES Kathmandu, 28 Oct.: An extended meeting of Maoist office bearers Sunday adopted three agenda items. They weren’t immediately disclosed. A three-hour meeting of Maoist office bearers concluded Sunday. nnnn BIOMETRIC CARDS FFOR 100,000 Kathmandu, 28 Oct.:: Some 100,000 Nepalis will receive national identity cards (IDs) with personal data, including biometric identity, within the current fiscal (2069-70 BS). Also called smart card, the ID is being distributed with the objective of providing unique ID numbers for each person by including details of each Nepali citizen in the national databank, RSS reports. The government has expedited preparations with an objective of distributing electronic ID by the end of the FY from any one constituency of the country having internet services. It has presented the framework for distribution of ID with thumb print to 100,000 citizens as a pilot project with aid from the Asian Development Bank at the Council of Ministers for approval. The National ID Management Centre will distribute ID within the next five years in three phases, centre’s executive director Narendra Dahal said. The cards will be distributed in 15 districts in the first phase, 25 in second and 35 in the third phase after the pilot project, he said, adding its detailed project report has been presented to ADB. “We have submitted the international bidding proposal to ADB,” he said, adding works are on to complete it by appointing international consultant as the ADB has selected 38 districts for Information and Communication Technology Development. Dahal said full data, picture, thumb print, security traits, and biometric smart card chips will be included in the card with help from the Home Ministry, Ministry of General Administration and Nepal Telecom. The distribution will be completed at a cost of $14 million, and ADB has committed cooperation as far as possible, said ADB country director Kenichi Yokoyama. He also said the project will help maintain electronic good governance. Nnnn NC prez refuses UCPN-M chief's proposal Kathmandu, 28 Oct.:Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala on Saturday discarded the proposal tabled by Chairman of the UCPN-M Pushpa Kamal Dahal incorporating reinstatement of the Parliament if possible and going for fresh elections if that was not feasiblem The Himalayan Times reports. Former Prime Minister Dahal put forth this proposal during the meeting held at the latter's residence at Maharajgunj. On the occasion, NC president Koirala said, "There is no credible basis in Chairman Dahal's proposal so there is no situation to believe in it." He added that Chairman Dahal had breached from his promise time and again, there was no basis in believing in Dahal's latest proposal. It is learnt that the meeting was held to talk about how to end the existing constitutional and political hurdles. During the meeting, the two leaders of the major political parties held serious talks on seeking consensus for a political way out before the Tihar festival. Koirala reiterated that the Nepali Congress is in support of fresh election rather than the revival of the Constituent Assembly. "The reinstatement of the Constituent Assembly or the Parliament is not at all acceptable to the Nepali Congress," he said. "To go for elections, it is necessary that this government should be dissolved and a new consensus government be formed," Koirala told media persons after the talks with the UCPN-M chairman. Likewise, the UCPN-M chairman said that a new constitution could be issued through the reinstatement of the CA by incorporating the issues that have been agreed upon before and if that was not possible, then the parties could opt for fresh election. Nnnn NPC OVERTEPPING RESPONSIBILITIES Kathmandu: National Planning Commission seems to be taking over the duties of other bodies of late, Rudra Pangeni writes in The Himalayan Times. NPC had taken charge of the traffic awareness campaign in July that spent around Rs 3,00,000 in producing 700 flex boards with various traffic awareness messages and were given to traffic police to set them up in public places. According to NPC Formation and Operation Order-2067, NPC is the advisory body for formulating development plans and policies of the country, including periodic plans. However, officials of the think tank agency often get involved in trivial activities at the cost of other important tasks. Asked why NPC is undermining authority of the ministries, NPC member Shiba Kumar Rai said, “It is not bad to coordinate with other agencies on the cross-cutting issues.” “Celebrating the International Girl Child Day is coordinating with the ministry of health, MWCSW, Ministry of Education and others but we have to review our work evaluating the impact it has on the society,” added Rai. Former vice-chairman of NPC, Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel, said, “NPC by its mandate does not execute normal programmes. It can carry out pilot programmes or action research programmes for model testing.” Sources at the planning commission further said that despite their hectic schedules, the employees concerned have to attend programmes conducted by NGOs and INGOs, leaving behind their important tasks at their offices. “We need a code of conduct for the civil servants,” added the sources. Nnnn DRUG MANUFACTURERS PRODUCING MEDICINES WITHOUT MEETING WHO STANDARDS Kathmandu, 28 Oct.: About one-third pharmaceutical companies are operating without the World Health Organisation/Good Manufacturing Practice (WHO/GMP) certification although the deadline to acquire the documentation expired six months ago, The Kathmandu writes.. The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) — the regulatory body — has become helpless in initiating action against the drug makers in the absence of a proper act. Of the 45 drug manufacturing companies, only 30 have received the certification so far. According to DDA, Simca Laboratories and Taurus Pharmaceuticals recently received the certification and Manoj Pharmaceutical is in the process of acquiring it. However, rest of the 14 companies have not taken any initiative for GMP. GMP certification is an assurance that products of a certified company are consistently produced and controlled to meet quality standards. According to DDA, the certification also allows drug manufacturers to export their products, provided they are approved by the importing countries. Radha Raman Prasad, chief drug administrator at DDA, said they could forward an appropriate action against the companies not acquiring WHO/GMP certification only after the enforcement of the new Drug Act. According to Prasad, DDA has been working to amend the existing Drug Act 1978 that will authorise the department to take action against the pharmaceutical companies not complying with the directive. The existing act mainly talks about manufacturing, distribution, storage and sale of allopathic drugs. However, it does not address growing anomalies in the medicine market. The new act is also expected to enable the department to take care of emerging challenges in the drug market. “The proposed act will also empower the department for monitoring and regulation in order to control malpractices in the sector,” said Prasad. Meanwhile, Bhaskar Herbaceutical — an ayurvedic drug manufacturing company — recently applied to DDA seeking GMP certification. Although the WHO has recommended that ayurvedic drug manufacturers also acquire GMP, none of such companies in Nepal received the certification so far. “The new act will also develop a framework for such companies,” said Prasad. Nnnn DIESEL PLANT PURCHASE PLAN GAINS MOMENTUM The government’s plan to purchase a diesel plant is gaining momentum, with the Ministry of Energy asking the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to identify globally-renowned diesel plant manufacturing companies. The government’s plan to purchase a 25-MW diesel plant is aimed at containing load-shedding to 10 hours a day. Moti Bahadur Kunwar, joint secretary at the ministry, said the ministry was planning to purchase diesel plant through direct negotiation with manufacturers. “As the plant will be bought through direct dialogue, we are having thorough discussions with NEA,” said Kunwar. NEA officials said they have asked some companies to submit proposals along with quotation and technical details. “Once the companies submit the documents, negotiation will begin with them in mid-November,” said a source, without mentioning the name of the companies approached for the purchase of the diesel plant . Purchasing a diesel plant is one of the measures that the government has proposed in the Load Shedding Reduction Action Plan that was recently approved by the Cabinet. In the action plan, the ministry has stated the diesel plant will be bought through direct negotiation with manufacturers and that no external tender will be called for the purpose. The plan has proposed that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) play a key role in this direction and has named the energy and finance ministries to initiate the diesel plant purchasing process. The government has prioritised diesel plant , considering it as a ‘safe bet to address power shortage’ in winter. However, there are questions over the government’s move, given higher operation cost of diesel plant s. “Given surging diesel price and high operation cost, the cost of energy generated by the diesel plant will reach Rs 35 per unit,” said an NEA official. Moreover, the government should ensure the proposed diesel plant get regular supply of diesel. nnnn