;EAVES

FINANCE MINISTER LEAVES FOR PAKISTAN
Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: Finance Minister Shanker Prasad Koirala lefr for
Pakistan Saturday.
He will lead the Nepali team to a ministerial meeting of joint economic
commission.
Two representatives of the private are also in the team.
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JANAJATIS SEEK ACT REVISION
Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) has demanded that the Public Service Commission (PSC) simplify the application process for state-allocated reservations in government jobs Roshan Sedhai writes in The Kathmandu Post.
The Public Service Act provision that requires Janajatis to submit a DAO certificate to identify their indigenous status is both discriminatory and complex, Nefin claims. Only those who have self-explanatory surnames are waived off the DAO approval while applying for government jobs under reservation quota while the rest are required to get a second verification of their identity by the Aadibasi Janajati Utthan Rastriya Pratisthan. AJURP provides the first identity verification for all the indigenous people vying for public service posts in reservation quota.
The state allocates 33 percent reservation for women, 27 percent for Adivasis/Janajatis (indigenous), 22 percent for Madhesis, five percent for Dalits, and four percent each for the disabled and backward communities. The procedure is the same for Dalits, disabled and backward communities. The government has formed National Dalit Commission and the Federation of Disabled, while the Madhesi people, without any such organisation, are asked to bring the identity verification from the DAO.
“While cards of people bearing self-explanatory surnames such as Tamang are accepted, those having clan title or gotra are asked to get DAO verification. Why so much hassle while all know there are several people who chose gotras like Rumba, Thing, Syangtan over the self-explanatory surname?” asked Nefin Chairman Nagendra Kumal.
The prime minister-headed Pratisthan, established for the welfare of indigenous communities, issues Janajati cards to people on the recommendation of 56 Janajati organisations associated with the Nefin and its district chapters.
But the PSC has made it obligatory for individuals bearing clan names in such cards to verify from the District Administration Office (DAO) while giving accreditation to the Pratisthan-issued card bearing the caste name without hassle.
Nefin, an umbrella organisation of 56 Janajati organisations, says the requirement is absurd as the Pratisthan issues the cards based on the citizenship issued by the Chief District Officer.
Most of the indigenous communities including Tamang, Tharu, Newar, Magar, Rai, Gurung and Limbu have the tradition of putting clan-title in their surname.
A delegation of the indigenous community has apprised UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and CPN-UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal of the matter.
The Nefin has demanded that the government should give complete authenticity to the card issued by the Pratisthan in Kathmandu and Nefin district chapters.
Jhok Bahadur Thapa Magar, AJURP vice-chairman, said the system of double verification is illogical as the Pratisthan itself is a government organisation. “The cards that the Pratisthan issues are accepted in the Teachers’ Service Commission, Nepal Police and the Nepal Army,” said Thapa Magar.
Pratisthan records show that a total of 35,330 individuals have acquired such cards since Baisakh 2066 while a large section of them (with gotra in surname) were asked to verify them from the DAO. The problem is said to have been reported to the prime minister, the Ministry for Local Development and the PSC chief.
The Commission, however, says it has been doing it as per the Public Service Act. The Public Service Regulation, 2050 (Seventh Amendment) states that candidates under inclusion category should be entitled to special privilege as recommended by the Pratisthan. But if the caste has more than one sub-title, it needs to be verified by the CDO. The National Dalit Commission recognises Dailt candidates, medical reports prove disability, and the DAO certifies Madhesis.
“The Act states that the verification of local administration is mandatory in some cases. We are following the law,” said Umeshwar Nath Gongal, PSC under-secretary.
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500 SUICIDES A YEAR IN MID-WEST
Kathmandu, 18 Aug.: No suicide case of local residents in Humla district was registered in the past one decade as they do not have no high ambitions and nor do they try to imitate the lifestyles of city dwellers, police said, Rahindra Nath writes in The Kathmandu Post from Nepalgunj. .
According to police data, Constable Mina BC committed suicide on June 15, 2004 while Constable Tej Bahadur Khatri killed self on November 25, 2005. Both of them were from outside Humla .
“A study shows that no local resident committed suicide in the past 10 years,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police Mekha Bahadur Khatri. He said local people in the district live a very simple life and are preoccupied only with their daily necessities like managing two square meals a day.
Home to around 60,000 people mostly Buddhists, the mountainous district shares its northern border with the Tibet autonomous region of China.
However, according to the Regional Police Office in Surkhet, a total of 500 suicide cases were registered in the other Mid-Western districts in the fiscal year 2069-70. Among them, 153 cases were registered in Dang alone.
It is said the suicide rate is increasing among the children and youths of late. Inspector at Shiva Bahadur Singh of the Banke District Police Office said many youths end their lives after failing to achieve their lofty ambitions.
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