BRITISH QUEEN RECALLS SHE RECEIVED NEWS ON EVEREST CONQUEST ON EVE OF HER CORONATION Kathmandu, 30 May: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth Wednesday recalled the first historic ascent of the 8848 meters Mount Everest 60 years ago by Tenziing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary, and said news of the conquest reached her one day before her coronation. “The news of the successful ascent reached me at a particularly memorable time, the day before my Coronation. “The Everest Expedition was an historic example of UK-Nepal co-operation and I hope that the special relationship between our two countries will continue to grow in the years to come,” she said in a message to President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. She sent the president ‘warmest regards to the Government of Nepal and re-affirmed ‘the strong ties that exist between our two countries”. Nepal observed the diamond jubilee celebrations on the conquest of Everest in four-day clebrations that concluded Wednesday. nnnn. NOTORIOUS INDIAN CRIMINAL CAPTURED BY USING WOMAN Kathmandu, 30 May: A high-profile Indian criminal Mithilesh Dubey, alias Bablu, who has long been on Nepal Police’s most wanted list for his involvement in a number of criminal activities both in Nepal and India, has been arrested in Kathmandu, Rabi Dahal writes in The Himalayan Times from Birgunj. Bablu, a resident of Kalyanpur in Motihari of Bihar, India, faces charges of more than 30 counts of murder and running extortion racket in India. According to police sources in Bihar, Bablu had served eight years in jail in India at different times since he took to crime in 2001 after he killed the murderer of his father. Bablu ran his crime syndicate through his outfit named ‘Bihar People’s Liberation Army’, which is believed to have raked in over 10 million Indian rupees from businesspersons in Champaran, Motihari, Raxaul and other cities in Bihar, earning him the sobriquet ‘Terror of Bihar’. After Bihar Police put him on the most wanted list and launched a massive manhunt, Bablu fled to Nepal some eight months ago. He had been running a hotel at bus park in Chitwan as Surendra Mishra. Police said Bablu, despite being in Nepal, was constantly running an extortion racket both in Nepal and India. According to SSP Sarbendra Khanal of Narayani Zonal Police Office, the 30-year-old was arrested yesterday from Sitapaila in Kathmandu. Police have confiscated five mobile phone sets, 10 Nepali SIM cards and Rs 173,000 and IRS 60,000 cash from him. Bablu was paraded today at Narayani Zonal Police Office, Birgunj, where he pleaded guilty to murdering six people in India. Police at a press meet today quoted Indian authorities as saying that Bablu has various cases against him, ranging from bank robbery to murder, in India, which occurred in 2002, 2005, 2007 and 2009 in east Champaran. Police use woman to trap Dubey Sleuths of Narayani Zonal Police Office, Birgunj, had used a woman Mithilesh Dubey, alias Bablu, had met a few months ago in Birgunj, to lure him into honeytrap. Police had brought the woman to Kathmandu and managed to find his whereabouts before the arrest. He was found to be living in an apartment in Sitapaila-based Sita Star Homes for the past two months. Bablu, it is said, was planning to move from there, suspecting that plainclothes cops were keeping an eye on him. Officials said they were preparing to hand Bablu over to Bihar Police. Nnnn BOYCOTTS MAR REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS Kathmandu, 30 May:: Nepal Bar Association and some civil society members boycotted the sixth Republic Day programme observed at Shital Niwas today to protest President Ram Baran Yadav’s nod for constitutional amendment that enabled formation of a new government under Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi, The Himalayan Times reports.. Former Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang, civil society members Kanak Mani Dixit, Sushil Pyakurel, Shambhu Thapa and some other human rights activists boycotted the celebrations at the President’s Office. Prominent leaders of other political parties, including Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Vice-chair Baburam Bhattarai, Nepali Congress Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel, CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal, United Democratic Madhesi Front leaders Bijay Kumar Gachhadar and Mahanatha Thakur were present at the programme. Vice-president Paramanand Jha, Chairman of Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi, former Prime Ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, government ministers, chiefs of constitutional bodies, high-ranking government officials and security officials, former bureaucrats, former ambassadors and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions were also present at the programme. Some civil society members, who are against the CJ-led government, celebrated the Day separately in the Capital. Speaking to mediapersons at Shital Niwas, UCPN-M Chairman Dahal said republic was in the process of being institutionalised and people should not worry about it. He said people were in favour of republic. UCPN-M Vice chair Bhattarai said institutionalising republican order might take some time, but nobody could reverse republicanism. “We have established republicanism and secularism and nobody can reverse these achievements,” Bhattarai told mediapersons in response to a question. NC Vice-president Poudel said Nepal was not the only country where a new government had been formed under the CJ. “Greece, which is the mother of democracy, also had a government under chief justice. Bangladesh too has had chief justice-led government. There may be around 10 countries, which have had chief justice-led governments. Why can’t we have such a government?” Poudel asked, criticising civil society members’ opposition to the CJ-led government. UML Chairman Khanal said major political parties will hold a meeting of the High Level Political Committee tomorrow, adding that major issues will probably be settled tomorrow. If not, they will be settled in a few days, he said. State honours for 189 personalities On the occasion of the sixth Republic Day, the government on Wednesday announced names of a total of 189 people who will receive state honours. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, President Ram Baran Yadav will give away the awards. The recognitions include Sukirtimaya Rastradeep, Suprabal Janasewashree, Prabal Janasewashree, Biskashratna Padak, Samajsewa Ratna, Samajsewa Padak, Sukirti Padak, Sukirtimaya Rastradeep, Janasewashree, Nepal Pratap Subhushan, Nepal Pratap Abhushan, Mahapaurakh Bhaskar, Birata Padak, Sourya Padak and Prakriti Prakop Piditodhhar Padak. The awardees include painters, cine artistes, singers, journalists, scientists, professors, social workers, businesspeople, professionals, government officers, security officers, sportspersons and rights activists. Nnnn Nepal and India have agreed to exchange zoo animal specimens between the two countries. The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) under the Ministry for Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA), India have reached an agreement to this effect. The three-year memorandum of understanding was signed jointly by Juddha Gurun, member secretary at NTNC and Bishan Singh Bonal, member secretary of CZA at a programme in New Delhi on Monday. This is the first time Nepal’s Central Zoo administered by NTNC has joined hands with the Indian zoo authority to exchange surplus animals in the next three years. Sarita Gyawali, director at Jawalakhel-based Central Zoo in Kathmandu and also a member of the Nepali team that visited India said on Wednesday that the agreement of this kind was a must with India to promote species diversity and strengthen cooperation between the two organisations working in the zoo management sector. Though CZA, the central government body to administer all zoos in India, has the authority to take a decision to exchange animals with Nepal, NTNC’s decision needs to be approved by the ministry concerned and even the central government if needed.According to Gyawali, the government may not block any decision to bring in surplus zoo animal specimens from India. She said discussions were held with CZA officials about the possible exchange of female hippos that are in excess number in India with the Central Zoo in Nepal. The Jawalakhel zoo can provide leopard and cat species to India on request, Gyawali said. Besides exchanging zoo animals , the agreement also calls for better zoo enclosures and management of animals , capacity enhancement and training to zoo staffers and collaboration in researches related to genetic species, captive breeding and promotion of conservation education, among others. During the reign of kings in the past, the Central Zoo had received some exotic animals such as siamans (arboreal gibbons), hippopotamuses and ostriches from Singapore, Thailand and Australia respectively. Nepal gifted blackbucks and different bird species to other countries as well. However, with the establishment of republic in the country, no animal exchange programme has been carried out by the Central Zoo . The last animal exchange was carried out in 2001 when the zoo got a hippo from Thailand. Nepal started giving rhinos as a gift to Germany and India, among other countries, during the monarchial period. “We are also looking for a similar agreement with Singapore Zoo in the future,” Gyawali said. Nnnn NEPAL, INDIA TO EXCHANGE ZOO ANIMALS Kathmandu, 30 May: Nepal and India have agreed to exchange zoo animal specimens between the two countries. The National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) under the Ministry for Forests and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) and Central Zoo Authority (CZA), India have reached an agreement to this effect, Pragati Shahi writes in The Kathmandu Post.. The three-year memorandum of understanding was signed jointly by Juddha Gurun, member secretary at NTNC and Bishan Singh Bonal, member secretary of CZA at a programme in New Delhi on Monday. This is the first time Nepal’s Central Zoo administered by NTNC has joined hands with the Indian zoo authority to exchange surplus animals in the next three years. Sarita Gyawali, director at Jawalakhel-based Central Zoo in Kathmandu and also a member of the Nepali team that visited India said on Wednesday that the agreement of this kind was a must with India to promote species diversity and strengthen cooperation between the two organisations working in the zoo management sector. Though CZA, the central government body to administer all zoos in India, has the authority to take a decision to exchange animals with Nepal, NTNC’s decision needs to be approved by the ministry concerned and even the central government if needed.According to Gyawali, the government may not block any decision to bring in surplus zoo animal specimens from India. She said discussions were held with CZA officials about the possible exchange of female hippos that are in excess number in India with the Central Zoo in Nepal. The Jawalakhel zoo can provide leopard and cat species to India on request, Gyawali said. Besides exchanging zoo animals , the agreement also calls for better zoo enclosures and management of animals , capacity enhancement and training to zoo staffers and collaboration in researches related to genetic species, captive breeding and promotion of conservation education, among others. During the reign of kings in the past, the Central Zoo had received some exotic animals such as siamans (arboreal gibbons), hippopotamuses and ostriches from Singapore, Thailand and Australia respectively. Nepal gifted blackbucks and different bird species to other countries as well. However, with the establishment of republic in the country, no animal exchange programme has been carried out by the Central Zoo . The last animal exchange was carried out in 2001 when the zoo got a hippo from Thailand. Nepal started giving rhinos as a gift to Germany and India, among other countries, during the monarchial period. “We are also looking for a similar agreement with Singapore Zoo in the future,” Gyawali said. Nnnn GAS DEALERS THREATEN TO DISRUPT SUPPLY Kathmandu, 30 May: As the fourth deadline to enforce colour-coded liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG ) cylinders nears, the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) and LPG bottlers are at odds, as usual., The Kathmandu Post writes. Every time the government announces a deadline to introduce the colour-coded cylinders in the market, the Nepal LPG Industry Association (N LPG IA) takes up its demand that the commission for dealers and transportation be raised. This time too, the N LPG IA has threatened to stop supply of cooking gas cylinders in the market if the government ignores their demand. They have been given a deadline of July 15 to introduce the two types of LPG cylinders. This is the fourth deadline the government has issued to the LPG traders in the past one-and-a-half years. Under the colour-coded cylinder system, households will get red cylinders at subsidised rates, while commercial customers will use blue cylinders and pay the full rate. The NOC has been rejecting the bottlers’ demand, stating that it will create a huge financial burden on the consumers. “The demand of the bottlers will not be addressed at any cost,” said Suresh Kumar Agrawal, acting managing director of NOC, at a programme here on Wednesday. “The NOC will not bow down before the bottlers.” According to Agrawal, petroleum business is the only business where the government fixes the profit margin of the traders. In fact, in petroleum business, traders do not incur losses even if the NOC suffers heavily. “The government will not keep quiet if LPG bottlers halt supplies demanding commission hikes,” said Agrawal, adding that the government will enforce the Essential Service Act over LPG bottlers if they bring the supply to a halt. Organising a strike in the petroleum sector is illegal as per the Act, which also has a provision of sentencing those involved in it to up to six months in prison. However, NLPIA president Shiva Prasad Ghimire has said they are firm on halting the LPG supply if the government fails to address their demands. “We will not obey any Act until our demands are met,” Ghimire said, adding that the government pressure will not scare traders now. Gas dealers have been demanding a hike in their commission rate for the past one-and-a-half years. Their other demands include increasing the shipping charge from Barauni of India to Kathmandu to Rs 98.81 from the existing Rs 80.45 per cylinder; increasing local transport charge to Rs 31.83 from Rs 25.36 per cylinder; company overhead expense to Rs 65 from Rs 50, and dealer’s commission to Rs 36.74 from Rs 28. Consumer rights activist Prem Lal Maharjan said that raising the commission is a specific concern of the LPG suppliers and distributors and that this tussle must not affect consumers. “As bringing the supply of essential goods to a complete halt is against the law, the government should punish such traders,” Maharjan said, adding that the NOC should not even raise the dealers’ commissions as it ultimately hits the consumers. The Ministry of Commerce and Supplies that controls the supply mechanism said LPG bottlers have been invited for dialogue at the ministry on Thursday. nnnn