TASK FORCE MEET CONTINUES Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: A meeting of the 8-member task force with two representatives each from Maoists, NC, UML and Madeshbadi Morcha in government is meeting for the second day Monday to finalize a package for installing an election government, constituent assembly election rand relaed issues for approval of major parties. A meeting was inconclusive Sunday. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has convened a meetinf of all parties in the dissolved constituent assembly to brief leaders of efforts to form an election government. The president has been criticized for attempting to find a solution by involving the Big Three and Madeshbadi parties in government only. The task force is preparing a draft package deal including the modalities of Chief Justice-led government formation, constitution amendment among, delineation of electoral constituencies and related issues. Nnnn INTERNAL SECURITY POLICYAPPROVED BY CABINET Kathmandu, 18 Feb.: The meeting of the Council of Ministers on Sunday approved the internal security policy-2069 and decided to send it to the political committee for implementation, The Rising Nepal reports.. According to Minister for Information and Communications Raj Kishor Yadav, the meeting also decided to form a dialogue committee under the coordination of secretary at the Tourism and Civil Aviation Ministry for holding dialogue with the Chinese authority about flights between Nepal and China. Similarly, the Cabinet endorsed the details of action plan to open the reserve fund of Hanuman Dhoka. It also decided to keep 29 hospitals under the hospital development committee. nnnn LIGHTNING KILLS TWO IN BUTWAL Kathmandu, 18 Feb.:Two people were killed in separate incidents by lightning here in Rupandehi district on Sunday evening, RSS reports from Butwal.. Prem Kumari Thapa (52) of Butuwal Municilility-14, who was critically injured after being struck by thunderbolt while she was walking, died on the way to hospital, said the District police Office, Rupandehi. Likewise, Prakash Harijan (27), of Maryadapur VDC-1 was killed by lightning. He died on the spot after the thunderbolt struck him while he was working in the field. Nnnn PARENTS MARRY OFF ELOPING KIDS Kathmandu, 18 Feb.; Som Bahadur Chepang, 15, had taken the cattle out to graze and in the process wooed 14-year-old Muna and brought her to his home on February 14, Leshab Adhikary writes in The Himalayan Times from Dhading/. His nephew, Budhlal Chepang, 12, married 12-year-old Pramila on the same day. It seems neither do these besotted kids understand the consequences of underage marriage nor their parents. The four children were detained the very day they tied the knot. However, it’s the parents who found themselves in big trouble for police have arrested them for being accomplices in the unlawful act of engaging in child marriage. Dhading DSP Bikashraj Khanal said action would be taken against the parents as per Muluki Ain (law of the land). Fourth grader Buddhalal and second grader Som Bahadur have stopped attending classes after they tied the knot. Locals had nabbed both the parents and children and handed them over to the police on February 14. Som Bahadur and Buddhalal’s parents said they knew nothing about the legal consequences of child marriage. “We would not have allowed this to happen if we were informed that we would be punished for allowing our underage children to marry,” Som Bahadur’s father Chandra Bahadur said. “I shall try to stop child marriages after I return to the village,” he added. Listed as a marginalised community, the Chepang people are backward in matters of education, awareness, development and opportunities. Besides, early marriage has been a long-standing custom among Chepangs who live in the remote southern parts of the district. Nnnn MIGRATION OF YOUTH ON INCREASE Kathmandu, 18 Feb.:: Due to lack of confidence in the government‚ fewer employment opportunities‚ and social pressure‚ more of the younger population have developed an intention to migrate permanently to another country‚ according to a global survey, The Himalayan Times reports.. “Over 27 per cent of the youth aged between 25 to 34 had an intention to migrate permanently to another country‚ while a little less than 20 per cent of the youth aged between 15 and 24 intented to migrate permanently to another country in 2011‚” according to ‘Young people’s intention to migrate permanently to another country‚ 2011’ published by the Gallup World Poll‚ 2012. Due to lack of economic activities that has been in the back burner since the last couple of years‚ formal job creation remains weak‚ while informal jobs and underemployment have also shrunk lately forcing the young populace to migrate in search of greener pastures. The annual flow of Nepalis in search of employment overseas has increased recently as more than 554‚441 Nepali youths migrated in 2012 in search of greener pastures due to the government’s failure in creating employment back home. “Leaders must make creating good jobs their number one mission‚” said labour and migration expert Dr Chiranjivi Nepal. “It has to be the primary purpose of a leader because securing good jobs will become a new currency for them‚” he said‚ adding that the incumbent government led by UCPN-Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai not only failed to create employment for the youth but also discouraged them to stay home. “No wonder‚ they want to migrate to another country.” Though remittance has helped economy sail smoothly even during the decade-long Maoists’ armed conflict‚ apart from maintaining macro economic stability and helping reduce poverty‚ Nepali youths are paying a higher cost for migration‚ he added. Nepal was one of the largest remittance receivers among Least Developed Countries in 2012‚ receiving $5‚115 million as compared to $4‚217 million in 2011. Even though the rising remittance inflow has pushed imports up and helped the government meet its revenue mobilisation target‚ it has not helped propel the economy. The country is facing a huge trade deficit of Rs 251.66 billion — a rise by 27 per cent from last fiscal year’s six months — in the first half of the current fiscal year due to rising imports led by remittance inflow and low export capacity. Likewise‚ cost of migration ratio to per person and GDP per capita is also among the highest in Nepal‚ compared to India‚ Sri Lanka and Pakistan — lowest in the region — in South Asia. After the decade-long armed conflict ended officially on November 21‚ 2006‚ with the signing of a Comprehensive Peace Accord between the seven-party alliance government and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)‚ people were hopeful about a secured future. But hopes started to fade as successive governments failed to focus on economy and solely concentrated on political power play to outdo each other. Last but not the least‚ the death of the Constituent Assembly last May 27 and the Bhattarai government’s apathy towards nation building have forced the youth to seek jobs abroad as domestic industries are either closing down or downsizing their capacity. Though mobility is an essential feature of today’s world as the social structure in the industrialised world has created the need for workers and professionals from other countries‚ the migration of the youth population could be suicidal to a country. “Migration of youth means there will be no one to look after the agriculture farms‚” said Nepal‚ adding that the productivity of agriculture has gone down in recent days due to lack of manpower in the hills and Tarai. “If other alternatives are not found‚ youth migration will severely hamper the country’s ability to realise its potential.” nnnn