PARTICIPATE

DEUBA ASKS ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN VOTE
Kathmandu, 31 July: Senior leader of the Nepali Congress, Sher Bahadur Deuba, has called on all political parties to participate in the election to the Constituent Assembly (CA) by creating election environment soon, RSS reports..
At a programme organised by the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) here today, Deuba stressed that democratic society and system should be guaranteed through the election.
Stating that country's present priority is the election, he said no one should try to grab people's right of forming government and changing it through the election as it is backbone of the democracy.
The former Prime Minister reiterated on the need of implementing the commitment made with International communities not to allow to occur incidents of violation of human rights from state in days ahead.
He also mentioned that it was necessary all to know that individual freedom of people is the supreme human rights.
Similarly, leader of the UCPN (Maoist), Narayankaji Shrestha, argued that incidents of violation of human rights should not be look in different angles at a time when world-wide debate is on as how to promote and strengthen human rights.
Shrestha also pointed out the need of raising issues of human rights continuously and effectively until democratic system does not established as a culture.
Likewise, Inspector General of Nepal Police, Kuber Singh Rana, said that there was no meaning of providing other rights until the guarantee of human rights of people.
Former Chief of Army Staff, Rukmsangat Katawal, said that issue of human rights would be limited in discussion unless there is equal law for everyone in the country.
Similarly, Former Chairman of the Nepal Bar Association, Sindhunath Pyakurel, said that a lot of works have been done in the sector of human rights although they were not fully satisfactory.
Dr Birendra Mishra, former president of Nepal Bar Association Prem Bahadur Khadka, president of Nepal University Teachers' Assopciation Rameshwar Upadhyaya, Mohan Gyanwali of Nepal Teachers' Association, former ambassador Rajeshwar Acharya, former president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Binod Bahadur Shrestha and professor Amuda Shrestha spoke of the need of bringing about changes in our mindset and behaviour.
Former presidents of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Harihar Birahi and Taranath Dahal, litterateur Dr Ram Dayal Rakesh, former Inspector General of the Armed Police Force Shailendra Shrestha, advocate Sher Bahadur K.C., and chairman of Human Rights and Peace Society Homkanta Chaulagain, among others, said that it is a matter of shame that the issue of taking action against the human rights offenders is being discussed in the country in the 21^st century.
The speakers said that incidents of human rights infringements are promoted due to growing impunity, the political parties' activities themselves weakening the different State apparatuses and the failure of the citizenry at large to synchronize rights with duty.
The speakers also  called on the State to become a party to the International Convention on Immigrants and Refugees in the context of nearly four million Nepalis working abroad and refugees from different 11 countries in the country facing various difficulties.
All the participants signed on a Commitment Charter pledging their support to the campaign of Human Rights for All at All Times and Human Rights at Every Home. RSS

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KULEKANI III COST TO GO UP
Kathmandu, July 30: The costs of one of the expensive projects, 14MW Kulekhani III Hydropower Project, will go up by twofold owing to various obstacles faced by the project, The Rising Nepal reports..
The project would have to bear more than Rs. 2 billion additional costs than its previously estimated amount. The project's initial cost estimate was Rs. 2.43 billion. The new estimate is about Rs. 4.29 billion.
Chief of the Project Madhusudan Pratap Malla stated that the project would face additional cost of around Rs. 1.86 billion as it had to change the direction of audit tunnel of the project and repair the weak geological structure in the project site besides other problems.
"The change of tunnel, weak geology, renegotiation costs, variation costs, cost of price escalation, dispute review board, tax burden and additional administration costs added to the cost of the project," Malla said.
However, he said that the project would complete on time if the current pace of construction works continues.
Earlier, the construction works of the project had halted for some time owing to the problematic relations of the contractor with local people and the workers.
"The project will complete on time if its civil contractor Sinohydro Corporation can work on present pace without external hurdles," he said.
The contractor had claimed additional Rs. 660 million from Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) blaming delayed works on bore pile foundation and drawing of powerhouse.
Besides this, the contractor has claimed addition Rs. 1.86 billion on variation costs.
The contractor has blamed the Indian consultant company for not supporting it, which led to additional burden on the project.
Nearly 20 per cent electromechanical, 90 per cent headwork and 38 per cent of the powerhouse has been completed so far.
According to latest agreement with the contractor, the project will come into operation from July 2014.
The project will produce 40.85 GhW/h power. It will use water of Khanikhola, besides the water form Kulekhani Reservoir.

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HYRDO POWER MEET IN OFFING

Kathmandu, 31 July: The international hydropower investment meeting being held in Kathmandu from August 28-29 will discuss foreign and domestic investments in already identified potential hydropower projects in the country, The Rising Nepal reports..

The meeting is organized by Hydroelectricity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL).

The meet will provide participants an opportunity to discuss the potential projects in detail with concerned stakeholders giving their inputs, said Deepak Rauniar, chief executive office of HIDCL.

Speaking at the press meet here today, Rauniar said that the meeting will provide an opportunity for the investors and financiers to focus on specific projects which can materialize within the next few years.

The meeting is expected to be very important in bringing investments in hydropower sectors at this juncture as the government has identified hydropower development as priority development agenda in its plan and policies, he said.

“We will discuss the identified reservoir based hydropower projects along with other run-of-river projects in the meeting,” he said.

Responding to journalists’ queries, Rauniar said, “We will not stay idle on the pretext that business climate is poor. The business climate will improve gradually. We must call foreign investors to investment in hydropower sector as foreigners are keen to invest in Nepal.”

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The country’s economy will not develop if we stay silent by waiting the good business climate to attract foreign investment,” he said.

Key international and domestic hydropower developers, investment companies, sovereign wealth funds and utility companies will take part in the meeting, he informed.

He said that the HIDCL was planning to invest in some projects which were proposed by the banks for investments.

Wijayatunga Priyantha, head of Portfolio Management Unit of the Nepal Resident Mission of Asian Development Bank,  hoped  that the meeting will be more fruitful to develop hydropower in Nepal as the international investors will be participating in the meeting.

Stating that the development of energy sector was essential for overall economic development of the country, he said that ADB will provide continued support to Nepal for the development of energy sector.

The meeting is supported by the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Finance and the office of the Nepal Investment Board and Asian Development Bank (ADB).