ARREST DEMAND OF FAMILY OF WOMAN BURNT ALIVE Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: Inter-party Women´s Network has demanded that the authorities concerned arrest family members of Shiva Hasami to investigate their role in the murder of Hasami, RSS reports . Releasing a field study report in the capital on Friday, the Network, that brings together women leaders of various political parties, has suspected of the family´s involvement in the murder of Hasami . The family has earlier alleged that estranged lover Babu Khan had set Hasami on fire. Continuing threat by the family members against Babu Khan before the incident, slow response of the family members to save Hasami after she was engulfed in the fire, unwillingness to take her to the hospital and threat issued against those raising alarms over the incident were some of the points raised by the Network that, it says, has raised suspicion over the family´s involvement in the murder. The evidence found during the field study puts the family members under the umbrella of suspicion, said member of the study team Kalpana Dhamala. A resident of Gulariya municipality-8, Bardia, Hasami was set ablaze inside her home on December 7. She succumbed to the burn injuries at Bir Hospital in Kathmandu five days later. nnnn PRESIDENT’S CURRENT ROLE ACCE[TED BY INDIA Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: , DEC 22 - Commenting on Nepal for the first time after he took up office some months ago, India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said the only way to break the political stalemate in Kathmandu is to form a national consensus government, Mahesh Acharya writes from New in The Kathmandu Post.. "The only way left for Nepal to move ahead is to have a consensual national government, for which the contours and the structures have to be worked out by the political parties in Nepal," Khurshid told a press conference here. He futher said that New Delhi has noted Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav's efforts to forge consensus among all the political forces by setting deadlines. "As the constitutional head of state in Nepal, he has been trying his best to get all the parties together to the talks table," he said. On India's role, he said "there is not much New Delhi can do other than morally support efforts to form a national consensus government and hold fresh elections." On a query if India still sees its role in Nepal as relevant as it did in 2005 when the historic 12-point understanding was hammered out, he said such a thing will not repeat. "Every time and event has its own limitations and requirements and we have to respond in accordance with the present events rather than go by standards that was followed in some previous events," he said. "Those standards may have been successful, but it cannot be repeated," Khurshid added. He further said that New Delhi has been watching closely the political developments in Nepal. "Our mission (Indian embassy in Kathmandu) reports to us on what kind of confabulations and discussions have taken place, if there has been a stalemate or a development. "We hope that the dialogue among the Nepali political forces leads to consensus as it is very important for the future prosperity of our friendly neighbour," he said. On a question on the alleged Chinese influence in Nepal and Chinese goods replacing Indian ones, he said Indian investors have no option but to meet the demands and expectations of the Nepali market. "As a believer in an open market, our goods have to compete, whether it is in Nepal or other countries in terms of quality, productivity and price. We cannot dictate, restrict or contain anybody," he said. He, however, said he does not see the reason for India to be "pushed out" of the Nepali market as "Nepalese people have a strong connection with India and Indian goods." Nnnn STRICT NRB ORDERS Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: Nepal Rastra Bank ( NRB ) issued strict directives on the issuance of good for payment cheques on Friday even as the banking industry continues to reel from a rash of cheque scams. While a branch manager at H&B Development Bank is under investigation for issuing good for payment cheques without sufficient balance, Everest Bank and General Finance have also suffered similar cheque fraud, The Kathmandu Post reports.. As per the latest NRB directive, the signatures of two officials and the stamp of the bank or financial institution (BFI) are required to issue good for payment cheques. The signers will also have to state their code number, name, post and date. A good for payment cheque is guaranteed by the bank on which it is drawn. In the case of H&B, it was revealed that only the branch manager of the Kuleshwor branch Niraj Nepal, who is the chief alleged fraudster, would sign good for payment cheques. “It is a widely practiced tradition for two officials to sign good for payment cheques. But without specific directions from the central bank, some BFIs have not been observing the practice,” said NRB spokesperson Bhaskarmani Gnawali. Meanwhile, the NRB has also specifically prohibited good for payment cheques from being used as collateral to obtain loans. Although the central bank had banned issuing credit against any type of cheque, a number of financial institutions and cooperatives were found to have provided loans to fraudsters against such cheques, as in the case of H&B, said central bank officials. In order to make such cheques authentic, NRB has directed BFIs that they should prevent withdrawal of deposits equivalent to the amount shown on the cheque with a system generated ear-mark. They should also give the receiver of the cheque a system printed evidence. In the case of H&B, despite issuing good for payment cheques, the bank failed to stop the withdrawal of equivalent amount resulting in the issuance of cheques against any deposit amount, according to central bank officials. Meanwhile, NRB has also barred issuing post-dated good for payment cheques. “The date mentioned on the cheque should be the day when the cheque is issued,” said Gnawali. Nnnn VALLEY ROAD EXPANSION DRIVE SATISFACTORY SAYS GOVT. KATHMANDU: Half of the expansion of main roads in the Kathmandu Valley has completed satisfactorily, the government said. The road expansion in the Valley was initiated last September. Some 200 metres of road has fallen under the expansion drive in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts of the Valley. Among this, expansion for 80 km in Kathmandu and 20 km in Lalitpur is going on in fast pace. The government is effortful to complete the road expansion within coming mid June in the areas where the infrastructures have been dismantled. The road expansion though met obstacles in the early phase has been lauded by the city people and the government now. In this popular campaign of road expansion launched by the government, road department, Kathmandu Valley road expansion project, and road divisions of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur have extended full support and cooperation to the government, working in various 47 roads. Some roads are being expanded by the Kathmandu Metropolis and Kathmandu Municipal Development. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works has claimed that 50 percent of the road extension has completed in terms of removing telephone poles and electric wires, making walls, placing drain pipes, graveling and blacktopping. Of the budget Rs2.50 billion allocated for the expansion by the Finance Ministry, fifty percent has been released so far. However, clear demarcation of road has been a challenge in the widening drive. The government has planned to expand 122 roads in the Valley which consist some 400 meter length. As the government failed to expedite the removal of obstructions in the roads in the pace it destroyed infrastructures, people are bound to walk in muddy and dusty roads in the rainy and winter seasons respectively. The destroyed infrastructures are still creating hurdles in public transportation in many parts of the Valley. In course of the broad road drive, the government officials have monitored the work in various places and directed the concerned departments to improve where necessary. In this connection, Minister for Physical Planning and Works and Transport Management, Hridayesh Tripathi also visited Satdobato, New Baneshwor, Dilli Bazar, Gauridhara, Dhumbarahi, Mitrapark in the Valley. Following the inspection, Minister Tripathi remarked that the road expansion was satisfactory. He claimed that that the people in the capital city have extended tremendous help in this regard. He added that government was for standard roads so that even the foreigners would be attracted when visiting Nepal. Construction of big roads also manifests how the domestic human power was able to construct exemplary roads, Minister Tripathi argued. Ministry Secretary Tulsi Prasad Sitaula said blacktopping would be begun after cold season to maintain quality. nnnn 4G TECHNOLOGY TO BE STUDIED Kathmandu, 22 Dec,: The Ministry of Information and Communications is planning to start a study on the possibility of allocating frequency for fourth generation (4G) mobile phone and communication standards, RSS reports.. Government has decided to carry out a detailed study for providing 4G spectrum to telecom service providers in the recently endorsed Telecom Sector’s Radio Frequency (Distribution and Pricing) Policy-2012, said joint secretary at the ministry Surya Bahadur Raut. Ministry will study utilisation of 4G standards in the South Asian region before preparing the report, said Raut, adding that it will study the spectrum allocation and distribution system of India and other relevant countries in the region. The 4G — successor to third generation (3G) standards — provides mobile ultra-broadband internet access and conceivable applications including amended mobile web access and IP telephony. The country has to embrace new technology to tap its features in a competitive manner, said Raut, adding Nepal should grant permission to telcos to operate 4G standard to make the telecom sector more competitive and to provide more facilities to consumers. Telecom Sector’s Radio Frequency (Distribution and Pricing) Policy-2012 has stated that the government will complete all necessary preparation within six months and provide frequency to service providers. Ministry will also study appropriate band to provide frequency, he said. “It is planning to utilise 700 MHz, 2200 MHz and 3300 MHz band to launch 4G standards.” Ncell and Nepal Telecom have shown interest to bring 4G technology. nnnn