KATHMANDU-BASED DIPLOMATS LEAVING ON INTERNAL TOURB Kathmandu, 10 May: Kathmandu-based foreign diplomats are leaving For a three-day internal tour organized by the foreign ministry to familiarize themselves with the country where they are based. They will raft on Sinskohsi and Bhoteksohi. Thousands of adventure come to Nepal every year for white water rafting. The team of diplomats will spend a night each at Dhilokhel and Dolalghat before returning to the capital Sunday. nnnn PUN BETTERS PERSONAL NATIONAL RECORD IN WEIGHTLIFTING Kathmandu, 10 May: Tara Devi Pun broke a personal record Thursday in an Egate Kings Cup International Weightlifting Championship in Srisaket, Thailand. Pun improved her record in the 75kg weight category lifting 66kg in snatch, 90kg in clean and jerk for the total of 156kg. Her previous record set in 3rd Women Weightlifting Championship in Luvu was 60kg in snatch, 80 kg in clean and jerk for a total weight of 140kg. Nnnn NATIONAL TOURISM FAIR BEGINS FRIDAY Kathmandu, 10 May: With the objective to promote domestic tourism, create tourism awareness and disseminate tourism related information, the 5th National Tourism Fair 2013 is going to be held from 10th to 12 May at Bhirkutimandap Exhibition Hall Kathmandu, The Kathmandu Post reports.. Organizing a press meet here in capital Thursday, Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), organizer of the event, informed that all the preparatory works for organizing fair were almost completed. This event will be a common platform to all kind of tourism organization and institutions to interacting each other and promote their business, said Lila Baniya, senior manager of NTB. Since tourism could not be a sustainable business unless attractive packages are not made, this event will also crucial to formulate and acknowledge about the available tour packages by different tourism businesses, he said. According to NTB a total of 110 stalls from tourism institutions, government and non government organizations, district development committees, tourism development committees, trusts and development committees, tourism publications, tourism associations, tourism corporations will be displayed during the three days fair. There will be separate stalls from 50-districts, 19-tourism related organization and institutions, 13 home stays, 12-package developers, 4-educational institutions two food stalls. Information regarding various home-stays operating across the country, visual and photographic information about the established and new tourism destinations, documentary shows of tourism destinations and cultural demonstrations of various ethnic communities from far east to far west would be the main attraction of the tourism fair. For diversifying tourism activities across the country, the NTB also organized three regional level Tourism Fairs in Dhangadhi, Nepalgunj and Dhankuta nnnn MANEATING TIGRESS CAUGHT N CHITWAN Kathmandu, 10 May:: Hanumante Sarki of Gitanagar-4 was not found in his bed Thursday morning. There were blood stains all over the room and family members drew the conclusion that something gruesome might have occurred in the Room, Ramesh Kumar Paudel writes in Republica from Chiwan.. Sarki´s family members headed for the jungle to search for him. No sooner had they approached a thicket near the village, a tiger pounced on them giving credence to their suspicion. Bikan Nyupane, who was attacked by the tiger, was immediately rushed to the hospital. The same day the tiger made another attack on Bhim Bahadur Ale. “We were very frightened and worried after the tiger dragged a person from his bed last night and continued attacking other locals,” said Jhalak Magar, a local youth. The incident reminded Devnagar villagers of the havoc created by a wild elephant named Dhurbe a few months ago. However, the authorities this time around did not waste time. A team of forest officials scoured the forest to tranquilize the man-eater. Earlier, the locals had also picketed the Range Post Office after the tiger went on the rampage. Chitwan National Park was prompt in sending a technical team to bring the man-eater under control. The elephants which carried the team to the forest had baulked at the sight of tiger. But after the tiger was tranquilized and put into a cage, a team of Armed Police Force and Nepal Police recovered the dead bodies of Sarki and Ale from the forest. “The tigress had turned old and weak. So, it had entered the human settlement in search of prey,” informed Tikaram Poudel, assistant Conservation Officer at CNP. The park administration has decided to provide Rs 300,000 to the family members of those killed in the tiger attack. Nnnn FOUR-YEAR NEPALI GIRL RAPED N NEW DELHI Kathmandu, 10 May: A four-year girl from Nepal has been raped by her neighbor in South Delhi´s Chirag Delhi on Wednesday. The incident was verified by Delhi police on Thursday, Aknshya Shah writes in Republica from New Delhi. The child victim, who is now undergoing treatment at New Delhi´s AIIMS Trauma Center, hails from Hansapur VDC, ward no 4 Bamrukh in Argakhanchi district in Nepal. The accused has been identified as one Vijay, a native of Rourkela in Orissa state of India. He works as a delivery boy in a restaurant in the same Chirag Delhi area. The accused also allegedly attempted to have unnatural sex with the four-year-old due to which she suffered severe injuries in her private parts. After a surgical operation on Wednesday, the minor is at the intensive care unit in AIIMS and her condition has been stated to be stable, Janasamparka Samiti Nepal officials, who are with the victim, informed Republica. Likewise Maiti Nepal (India branch) is providing medical assistance to the victim and following court procedures. A section of Indian media has reported that Vijay attempted to flee after the crime but was nabbed from a railway station in Delhi. The Malviya Nagar police have said that Vijay lured the victim to his room under the pretext of giving her a toffee. The girl´s parents and brother are daily wage laborers and were away when the crime took place. As Vijay was her next door neighbor, the girl went to his room when offered a toffee. After sexually assaulting her, Vijay left the room leaving her in a pool of blood. Hearing her frantic screaming from the room, some neighbors informed the police. Meanwhile, the minor girl´s statement was recorded in which she identified the accused. A case has been registered at the Saket Court under order 301 and the accused has been sent to Tihar jail on Thursday, SHO of Malviya Nagar station informed the media. The Nepali embassy has also taken up the case with Indian authorities and is extending required facilitation. "We are concerned for the child´s speedy recovery and we are trying to do all we can to urge the concerned authorities for providing compensation to the victim," a Nepali embassy official told Republica after meeting with SHO Vijay Pal. The official also said that the embassy has requested for prompt investigation and sternest punishment for the guilty. There has been a steady rise in cases involving rape of minors in the Indian capital. The minors are being targeted as it is easy to lure them and they are too small to fight back. There is a huge presence of Nepali laborers and their families in Delhi NCR. And with this incident, safety and security of their children has been a major concern. Nnnn CIAA ORDER TO CRACK WHIP AFTER KARKI TAKEOVER Kathmandu, 10 May:: A day after assuming office as the head of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Chief Commissioner Lokman Singh Karki today directed finance disciplinary agencies — the Department of Customs, Department of Revenue Investigation, Department of Money Laundering Investigation and the Inland Revenue Department — to swing into action and bring professionals and businessmen under the tax net, The Himalayan Times reports.. Chief Commissioner Karki invited chiefs of all the departments to his office today and asked them to tighten the screw on those defaulting/evading tax and initiate action against the guilty. “If they are not under the tax net, there is an urgent need to bring them under the Act in order to restore good governance,” a CIAA press release quoted Karki as telling the chiefs of the departments. Finance Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi and directors general and other high ranking officials (of the departments) were present in today’s meeting, according to the press release. Immediately after assuming office yesterday, Karki had told THT that he would work for good governance and vowed to bring tax defaulters to book. Karki also warned action against the officials also, saying they will not be spared if they fail to take initiative against the defaulters within certain specific period. “Action will be initiated against anyone who fails to work honestly and for public welfare,” Karki warned. The government in its budget two years ago had announced that professionals should be brought under the tax next, but it is yet to be fully implemented. CIAA has also directed the Ministry of Finance to collect the details of businesspersons and firms who have defaulted tax and asked the ministry to initiate action against them. Finance Secretary Subedi also submitted an initial report of the Ministry of Finance, stating that when MoF had started cracking the whip on tax defaulters, the government had collected Rs 1 billion from professionals and businessmen. Subedi also added that MoF would promptly start action against those who have been defaulting income tax, customs, inland revenue, house rent tax and educational tax, and expressed commitment to work as per the order of the anti-graft constitutional body. In a separate order, CIAA also directed the government authorities to promptly initiate action against those delaying road construction and other construction projects related to electricity, drinking water, telephone and other physical infrastructure. CIAA said all concerned public-service offices must work in such a way that they can address the problems facing the common citizens. Nnnn 700 FACE VAT EVASION CHARGE Kathmandu, 10 May:: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority said on Thursday that it has started a probe into cases of VAT fraud after acquiring a list of 4,202 persons from the Ministry of Finance. Of those figured in the list, 700 are likely to face immediate action, a highly placed source at the anti-graft body told THT over phone. “The list has some high profile figures, including big industrialists, businesspersons, traders and organisations,” said the source. CIAA has already directed the Ministry of Finance to issue a seven-day notice to individuals and firms to remit their tax. It has also asked the ministry to initiate action against those who fail to follow the order by the deadline. The source at the anti-graft body added that action against those accused of VAT fraud will be taken only after carrying out a thorough investigation. nnnn