FIRST ALL-PARTY MET BEGINS Kathmandu, 24 Dec.: Parties represented in the dissolved parliament began a meeting called by President Dr.. Ram Baran Yadav Monday for the first time to end a prolonged political crisis created by the Big Four and a Madesh Morcha to find a national consensus government. The major players couldn’t find a successor of the Baburam Bhattarai government and assemble a government in one month to conduct elections. CPN Maoist is boycotting the meet. MORE PRESIDENT LEAVING FOR INDIA MONDAY Kathmandu, 24 Dec.: President Dr.. Ram Baran Yadav leaves later Monday on a five-day India official visit—his third as leader of a 22-member team. He’s going abroad arguing he can cut short the visit even during a crisis at home. Host India has appreciated his effort to end a prolonged crisis that might affect proposed election for a constituent assembly in April/ May. Dr. Yadav will be conferred honourary doctorate of literature by Baneras Hindu University of its 150th anniversary. Nnnn Leftist leader Pradhan no more GURI BHAKTA PRADHAN DEAD Kathmandu, 24 Dec.: Gauri Bhakta Pradhan, popularly known as the guardian of CPN-UML, passed away on Sunday night while undergoing treatment at the Neuro Hospital, Bansbari, RSS reports He was 91. His body shall be kept at the UML central office Balkhu for final tributes from 10:00 am to 1:00 in the afternoon, and would be cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat later today, according to the party. (Note Pradhan is brother of Sahana Pradhan) nnnn PARTIES, GOVT. LEADERS LOOT KING BIRENDRA’S ASSETS Kathmandu, 24 Dec.: In yet another controversial decision that breaches the existing laws, the present caretaker government has initiated the process of registering the lands, which have come under the ownership of Nepal Trust from former king Birendra, queen Aishwarya and their children after 2007, in the name of those claiming to be the tenants and tillers of the properties, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.. The Land Revenue Office, Kalanki on December 5 had issued a notice in the state-run Gorkhapatra daily to such tillers and tenants to come up with necessary documents for registration of lands as per the October 18 cabinet decision. In a letter obtained by Republica, the government has claimed that the ownership of some lands have not been transferred while some of such lands have already been registered in the name of concerned tillers and tenants in accordance with a notice published in the gazette on September 29, 1969. The government has also claimed that the decision was taken in accordance with Birta (Fiefdom) Abolition Act, 2016; Birta Abolition Regulation, 2017; and Land related Act, 2019. The proposal to register such lands in the name of tillers and tenants was tabled by the Prime Minister´s Office (MPO) in the cabinet on August 27. According to the letter, the bill committee on September 10 had decided to form a five-member sub-committee headed by secretary of the Office of Nepal Trust and had also entrusted the sub-committee with submitting its report within a month after studying the existing laws. The PMO on October 30 had sent a letter to Office of Nepal Trust regarding the cabinet´s decision. Then the Ministry of Land Reform and Management sent a letter to the Land Revenue Office, Kalanki on November 7 asking it to implement the decision. A report by Shiva Kumar Giri in 2010 had suggested to the government to amend existing laws in order to transfer ownership of lands from the Nepal Trust to tillers and tenants. In a suggestion in writing, the office of Attorney General on April 6, 2011 had suggested that the government should take a policy level decision to resolve the issue stating that there is no provision in the existing laws that allows ownership transfer of the lands of Nepal Trust to any person or organization. Spokesperson for Nepal Trust Sharad Raj Bishta said that the lands owned by the trust cannot be given to anyone. "The lands have come under the ownership of the Nepal Trust only after confirming that they belonged to former king Birendra, queen Aishwarya and their children," he added. A senior government official said on the condition of anonymity that the government decision was intended to distribute public properties to cadres of political parties. According to the Nepal Trust, it has owns a total of 181 plots covering 5064 ropani, 13 ana, 1 paisa 1 dam lands [257 hectres approximately] Nepal Trust Act was enforced on January 6, 2008 in order to bring all assets of former king Birendra, queen Aishwarya their children under trust in accordance with article 159 (1) of the Interim constitution. nnnn FUTURE DHURBES WON’T HAVE TO DIE LIKE THE TORMENTED TUSKER Kathmandu, 24 Dec.: Despite concerns by environmentalists and wildlife experts against killing Dhrube, the wild elephant that has killed several people around the Chitwan National Park, a dozen gun-toting park staff are hounding him round-the-clock and the news of his death could come anytime. The tusker might eventually die but park officials claim his death will help save the life of future Dhurbes, Anjali Subedi writes in Republica. . "Dhurbe has to be put down as it has already been proved a serial killer and currently we have no mechanism and resources to tame such an elephant," said Megh Bahadur Pandey, director general at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). "We have learnt a lesson from Dhrbue so this kind of situation should not occur in the future. We have to make sure that no wild animal gets disturbed to this level. Also, we have to be ready with mechanism and resources to make sure that such animals remain safe under special protection," he added. Pandey further informed that DNPWC has already started working in this direction. "We are seeking to build necessary mechanism and we are also working to impart training to our staff to deal with such situations," he said adding that "Mission Dhurbe" is costing the state millions of rupees per day apart from putting human life in the area at high risk. Meanwhile, wildlife law expert Dr Ravi Sharma Aryal says no law allows Dhurbe to be killed at all. "As Nepal is signatory and party to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild fauna and Flora), it has to protect the endangered species in any condition," said the CITES law expert. "Even as per the Nepali law, it has not been proved that Dhurbe has lost his mental balance. It would send a positive message internationally if he could be kept in isolation safely." But DNPWC´s Pandey reiterates that currently the park authorities are not efficient to tame Dhrube. "This year alone Dhurbe has killed eight people. Earlier it killed as many. So legally speaking, the local authorities have the right to put him to death. But one thing is certain that human interference is largely responsible for Dhrube´s present condition, we are so helpless." While terrorized people in Chitwan have been vehemently demanding for Dhrube´s death since last week, the tusker has overnight earned millions of sympathizers across the globe after some reports attributed his present condition to the fact that he was kept from herd, was deprived of mating rights and was tortured by humans on several occasions. nnnn________________________________________