NO INJURIES IN EXLOSION AT DSP OFFICE IN KASKI Kathmandu, 10 April: There were no human casualties even as damage was caused when explosives recovered during a Maoist insurgency went off overnight at the Kaski district police office. The district police office and a building of Chambers of Commerce nearby were damaged. An army bomb disposal unit is inspecting the site. nnnn NC DISTRICT LEADERS KILLED IN DHANUSHA IDENTIFIED UPDATE Kathmandu, 10 Apeil: NC Mohottari districts leaders killed in a vehicular accident Wednesday in Dhanusha have been identified. Himal Adhikari, Anup Narayan Bachhad and Basudev Sah, were killed at Lalgadh. Tej Narayan Singh was seriously injured. Those killed were VDC presidents and mahasimiti members. nnnn. ] FOUR GOVT. OFFICIALS CHARGED FOR RAPE, ROBBERY Kathmandu, 10 April: The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Tuesday filed a corruption case in the Special Court against four government officials for their alleged involvement in the robbery and subsequent rape of Sita Rai (name changed), a migrant worker, at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Roshan Shedai writes in The Kathmandu Post.. Rai, 20, of Bhojpur, was robbed by immigration officials at the TIA on November 21 while she returned from Saudi Arabia. In its charge sheet against against section officers Ram Prasad Koirala and Tika Raj Pokhrel, senior non-gazetted officer Somnath Khanal and police constable Parshu Ram Basnet, the CIAA has sought punishment as per Section 3 (1) and Section 3 (1) (D) of the Corruption Prevention Act. It also sought Rs 225,465 (the amount robbed) as compensation for Rai. As per the Act, the guilty can face at least six to 18 months imprisonment and a fine, depending on the degree of the offence. “In our charge sheet, we have sought the same punishment for all the accused. It is up to the court to decide on the degree of the offence and the punishment,” said CIAA Spokesperson Krishna Dhungana. The CIAA also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to take departmental action against the then TIA Director General, Suresh Adhikari, and his deputy Lekhnath Pokharel in connection with Rai’s robbery. It said action can be taken as per provisions in the Public Service Act and Public Service Guidelines, which include withholding of salary, grade, promotion and removal from service. Constable Basnet, meanwhile, is facing trial in the Kathmandu District Court on rape charges. Khanal is also under police custody and facing a separate trial. The Home Ministry has suspended the two section officers, who are currently at large. Adhikari and Pokhrel, however, have been attending office regularly. In its report submitted to the then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on January 17, a probe-panel led by Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Raju Man Singh Malla had established the DG and the director’s connection and recommended that the Home Ministry and CIAA take action. Prior to that report, a separate MoHA report released on December 24 had established the four officials’ hand in the incident, but failed to indict the DG and the director. On December 16, Rai had filed a case at the Home Ministry, stating that she was robbed of 8,500 Saudi Riyal. Rai, who was placed in the DoI detention centre for a night, was threatened that she would be sent to jail if she refused to comply with their demands. Officials took advantage of Rai after she was found to be travelling with a fake passport. After robbing Rai, Constable Basnet volunteered to drop her off at the New Buspark, but instead, allegedly raped her at a local guest house. Basnet also allegedly seized her watch, perfume, t-shirts and the remaining 800 Saudi Riyals she had. After news broke of the incident on December 17 last year, Rai’s plight ignited a huge public outburst, resulting in a citizen’s movement—Occupy Baluwatar. Nnnn NC’S STICKS TO PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY AGENDA Kathmandu, 10 April: Stating that there was no cross-party agreement on forms of governance during the constitution-writing process, a document presented in the Nepali Congress Mahasamiti meeting by party Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel on Tuesday said the party will stick to the parliamentary system, Kamal Dev Bhattaraiwrites in The Kathmandu Postfrom Nawalparasi.. Refuting claims by the UCPN (Maoist) that there was an agreement on forms of governance earlier, the document presented at the closed session of the ongoing meeting said there had only been discussions on a mixed model, but that no final agreement had been reached. The UCPN (Maoist) was in favour of a directly-elected President, while the CPN-UML had proposed a mixed model. Poudel’s document stated that a directly elected presidential system cannot ensure an inclusive state. The parliamentary system is participatory, balanced and inclusive, it said. However, the document does not take a clear stance on federalism, another contentious issue of the constitution-writing process. The party has proposed two models of federalism—seven and 13 provinces. In the first model, the NC has proposed forming provinces by mixing the hills and Tarai areas, which was previously rejected by the Madhes-based parties. In the 13 province model, it has proposed five provinces in the Tarai and eight in the hills. The document has sought suggestions for a third alternative, if any, from the Mahasamiti. The NC said further said that all ethnic groups that existed during the time of Prithivi Narayan Shah are indigenous. The paper, which does not state the names or demarcation of the federal provinces, said that party will hold serious dialogue with Madhesis, indigenous communities, Dalits and Muslims concering federalism. To strengthen its position in the Madhes, the party has proposed social and economic transformations and the launch of development projects. There is a need for an agricultural revolution to bring a qualitative change in the condition of farmers, the paper said. The party will focus on the construction of the Hulaki road, establishing railways and infrastructure developments in the Tarai. Mahasamiti representatives admitted that governments formed after 1990 did not pay enough attention to Madhesi socio-political issues. “The NC-led governments formed after 1990 refused provisions to provide different subsidies to farmers and this is one reason for the degrading position of the Madhes,” said Sailendra Kumar Yadav, the Mahasamiti representative from Siraha district. Poudel’s document said that the party is ready to address Madhesi demands for autonomous provinces, self-respect and language and culture identities. In the closed-session, General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula presented a document concerning amendments to the party statute, General Secretary Prakash Man Singh on the party’s organisational issues and Treasurer Chitra Lekha Yadav regarding the party’s financial activities. nnnn