THREE STAR PLAYS MMC IN FOOTBALL SUPER LEAGUE Kathmandu, 19 March: Three Star plays MMC in the martyrs memorial A division super league championship at Dashrath Rangashala Tuesday. Three Star leads the chart followed byMMC. Eight clubs are participating in the super league. nnnn CEAPITAL TUESDAY MORNING TEMPERATURE 12 DEGREES CELSIUS` Kathmandu, 19 March: Capital’s Tuesday morning temperature at seven in the morning was 12 degrees Celsius. Mercury is expected to rise to 27 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. nnnn APPOINTMENTS BEING FILLED IN CONSTITUTIONAL BODIES Kathmandu, 19 March: Founder chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Ganatantrik) Jaya Prakash Gupta, who was released Monday after spending 13 months in prison for corruption charge, said that the fight for federalism against prevailing unitary state system would move ahead with a fresher approach, Kamal Dev Bhattarai writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Addressing party cadres within the jail premise after his release here, he said that he was not opposed to mountain-hilly- terai to pine for separation of the country. He said that he would instigate a new movement for the transformation of unitary state system. Stating that he was ready to sacrifice to the maximum to ensure the rights of Madhesi people, Gupta complained that the highest judiciary body had used double standards against him instead of providing free and fair decision. The verdict of Supreme Court on 21 February, 2012 had sentenced Gupta for jail imprisonment in graft case. “The Madhesi Alliance was formed with the aim to fight for the rights of Madesi people from day one,” he said, adding that the same Alliance had signed on its death warrant after inking the 11-point agreement in the name of forming election government during his prison term. Gupta said that it was shocking and shameful to the see that the people meeting openly with the prime minister and high-level government officials who were given life imprisonment verdict by the court. He also raised question on the constitutional and legal basis for the chief justice to assume the post of executive head of the country. “It was midnight when I entered prison. It is a good indication that a morning light has come to pass when I am getting out of the prison now,” said Gupta, stressing on the need for new movement for the transformation of the country by leading the dalit, Madhesi and marginalized communities. Hundreds of party cadres had gathered outside of the prison with garlands and crimson powder to welcome their leader. The Cabinet expansion on Monday evening has opened the door to early appointment of chiefs in different constitutional bodies . The 11-point agreement that paved the way for formation of the Interim Election Goverment has it that the Constitutional Council (CC), the body responsible for recommending names for constitutional bodies , will be led by the poll government chairman. Three ministers are also under the CC’s fold. Informed sources told the Post that the CC will get a full shape by Tuesday and recommend the names for the constitutional bodies —Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Public Service Commission (PSC) and Election Commission (EC). According to a senior Nepali Congress leader, former Chief Secretary Lokman Singh Karki has been recommended for CIAA chief. Karki was accused of amassing property through illegal means during his tenure at the Department of Customs as the director general. He was under the CIAA’s scanner. According to the agreement among the four major parties, former Acting Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety and former commissioners Dolakh Bahadur Gurung and Ayodhee Yadav will be appointed as the chief commissioner and the commissioners of the EC, respectively. However, a woman commissioner is yet to be picked. The possible names of women contenders are former government secretaries Brinda Hada and Sudha Sharma. Advocate Ram Krishna Nirala will be nominated as a EC commissioner from Madhesi quota, a proposal that the NC has also seconded. In the PSC, allocated to the UML, Kyodevi Yami will be appointed as the chief commissioner. Former Secretary Bhanu Acharya is leading the Office of Auditor General from NC quota. An appointment in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission might take a few more days as the government would first fill the vacant constitutional posts, including the Supreme Court, said a NC leader requesting anonymity. The Cabinet would form a three-member committee under a former chief justice’s leadership to give the TRC a full shape, said an interlocutor involved in finalising the TRC. However, all parties have reportedly staked their claim to the post of TRC chairman. Though the previous TRC ordinance had envisaged granting full amnesty to those involved in serious crimes, the revised ordinance allows the Commission to decide who will be prosecuted and who will be pardoned. Nnnn ORIENTRATION FOR MIGRANT ORKERS BELOW PAR- Kathmandu, 19 March: In the backdrop of increasing misuse of orientation certificate, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has accelerated the number of its surprise checkups at various authorised orientation centres in the Kathmandu Valley, The Kathmandu Post writes.. It is mandatory for migrant worker s to acquire pre-departure orientation course in order to be eligible to work in foreign country. During its surprise inspection carried out on Monday, the department found that many such classes are not still abiding by its set guidelines. During the inspection of five centres, the team found that most of the centre clearly lacked resources and manpower. In some centres, even some enlisted students were not found to have attended the class. In Rajinish Orientation Centre, there were 35 students in the class while the centre record shows that they have admitted 43 for the day. The centre was also found to have employed untrained tutors. The department has frequented its surprise inspection since last few months and has suspended seven orientation centres for not abiding by the set rules. Officials said they are still far away from ensuring workers’ get proper orientation. “They perform well when we keep inspecting but once we stop it the problem starts surfacing again,” said Purna Chandra Bhattarai, DoFE director general. Many female workers going to Malaysia and Kuwait told the Post that the recruiting company is charging exorbitant fee from them, more than Rs 80,000 set by the government. “The manpower has asked me to pay Rs 110,000 for Malaysia,” Sunaina Tamang of Dharan-14, which is echoed by many other workers. The workers said they are paying higher fee to Gurung Management, Khumbu Overseas, Anjali and some other manpower. “We will ask for clarification from manpower companies named by the workers,” said Bhattarai. Workers can easily buy orientation certificate for Rs 700 while they have to pay Rs 1,000 after undergoing the course. Purna Bahadur Malla, chairman of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Orientation Agencies accepted that over 60 percent of orientation centres are not following the prescribed guideline. “The association has been also trying its best to curb anomalies through self-regulation,” said Malla. Due to easy availability of such certificate in a relatively cheaper price, many workers do not think it necessary to attend the two-day class which provide them essential information like the process involved in safe migration, document workers need to accompany, custom and tradition of the destination country, and where to contact in case of trouble. nnnn