TALKS
GOVT., OPPOSITION TALKS
Kathmandu, 19
Aug.: Government and a 33-party opposition are to
meet Monday.
Talks scheduled related to opposition boycott of the 19 November
assembly
polls were originally scheduled to be held Sunday.
They were postponed at opposition request citing
inadequate
Homework by the alliance.
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SUNNY MORNING IN CAPITAL
Kathmandu, 19 Aug.:
Monday morning’s temperature on a
Sunny morning in the capital was 19 degrees Celsius.
Afternoon temperature is expected to ride to 28 degrees Celsius.
Sunday rainfall was 4.3mm,
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CHINA
PLANS CONSULATE IN POKHARA
Kathmandu, 19 Aug.: : The government´s plan to set up
consulate in Guangzhou has become uncertain after China demanded that it be
allowed to set up its consulate in Pokhara on a reciprocal basis, Republica
reports..
Sources said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recently put forth the demand with the Nepal government. Nepali officials, however, have conveyed to China that such a decision on the matter would take time as it requires “broader political consensus”.
Sources said the Nepali side has conveyed that the country has a non-political government formed exclusively for holding fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) polls and that only a government led by political parties could take such a decision.
Earlier, India had also been seeking to set up additional consulates in Nepal. The proposal of Indian side has been shelved for long as there could not be consensus among the political parties on the issue.
While India already has its one consulate in Birgunj, another “field office” is operating “illegally” in Biratnagar. Though MoFA wrote twice earlier to Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the Indian side has not responded on the issue yet.
A cabinet meeting held in February had decided to set up consulates in Guangzhou and Jedhha of Saudi Arabia along with embassies in Bahrain and Oman.
Sources at MoFA said the government plan to set up embassy in Oman has also been delayed as Oman government is yet to give agreemo to Nepal. “Though little late we have already received agreement to set up a residential embassy in Bahrain. But we are yet to get any official response from Oman government on our proposal to set up an embassy,” said an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The official, however, said the agreemo could have been delayed due to the month-long Ramadan festival.
The decision to establish embassy in Oman and Bahrain was taken in line with the policy of MoFA to set up residential missions where there are more than 5,000 Nepali migrant workers. MoFA had long been making efforts to establish residential missions in Bahrain and Oman as growing number of Nepali migrant workers in these countries had made it difficult for non-resident embassies to deal with problems faced by Nepali migrant workers.
Sources said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) recently put forth the demand with the Nepal government. Nepali officials, however, have conveyed to China that such a decision on the matter would take time as it requires “broader political consensus”.
Sources said the Nepali side has conveyed that the country has a non-political government formed exclusively for holding fresh Constituent Assembly (CA) polls and that only a government led by political parties could take such a decision.
Earlier, India had also been seeking to set up additional consulates in Nepal. The proposal of Indian side has been shelved for long as there could not be consensus among the political parties on the issue.
While India already has its one consulate in Birgunj, another “field office” is operating “illegally” in Biratnagar. Though MoFA wrote twice earlier to Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the Indian side has not responded on the issue yet.
A cabinet meeting held in February had decided to set up consulates in Guangzhou and Jedhha of Saudi Arabia along with embassies in Bahrain and Oman.
Sources at MoFA said the government plan to set up embassy in Oman has also been delayed as Oman government is yet to give agreemo to Nepal. “Though little late we have already received agreement to set up a residential embassy in Bahrain. But we are yet to get any official response from Oman government on our proposal to set up an embassy,” said an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).
The official, however, said the agreemo could have been delayed due to the month-long Ramadan festival.
The decision to establish embassy in Oman and Bahrain was taken in line with the policy of MoFA to set up residential missions where there are more than 5,000 Nepali migrant workers. MoFA had long been making efforts to establish residential missions in Bahrain and Oman as growing number of Nepali migrant workers in these countries had made it difficult for non-resident embassies to deal with problems faced by Nepali migrant workers.
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POL PRICES MAY BE HOKED AGAIN
Kathmandu, 19
Aug.:: Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) is mulling over increasing fuel prices
again, Republica reports...
The state-owned fuel monopolist is making international preparation to increase the prices of petroleum products after its loss soared due to increasing import bills.
Last week, NOC had raised the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene to cope with the soaring cost of imports amid strengthening US dollar against Nepali rupees. NOC has estimated that it would suffer loss of Rs 1.06 billion for the month between mid-August and mid-September on the basis of fresh price list of petroleum products sent by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Meanwhile, NOC have indicated that imports of petroleum products will be disrupted if the government failed to provide it the money to foot the import bills.
NOC owes Rs 1.52 billion to IOC.
“We are not in a condition to clear the dues unless the government provides financial support,” Suresh Agrawal, acting managing director of NOC, said at a program on Sunday.
Agrawal also floated the idea of gradually increasing the prices of petroleum products as an alternative to government´s support to clear its dues. “We have already made a proposal to this extent to the government,” said Agrawal.
The state-owned fuel monopolist is making international preparation to increase the prices of petroleum products after its loss soared due to increasing import bills.
Last week, NOC had raised the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene to cope with the soaring cost of imports amid strengthening US dollar against Nepali rupees. NOC has estimated that it would suffer loss of Rs 1.06 billion for the month between mid-August and mid-September on the basis of fresh price list of petroleum products sent by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Meanwhile, NOC have indicated that imports of petroleum products will be disrupted if the government failed to provide it the money to foot the import bills.
NOC owes Rs 1.52 billion to IOC.
“We are not in a condition to clear the dues unless the government provides financial support,” Suresh Agrawal, acting managing director of NOC, said at a program on Sunday.
Agrawal also floated the idea of gradually increasing the prices of petroleum products as an alternative to government´s support to clear its dues. “We have already made a proposal to this extent to the government,” said Agrawal.
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FORCES BEING DEPLOYED BY WEST BENGAL IN DARJEELING
Kathmandu, Aug 19
. With the agitating eight political parties demanding a separate state of
Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling Hills of India now uniting as one political force
to give momentum to their protests, the state government of West Bengal has
decided to deploy an additional 10 companies of the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) to suppress the ongoing protest, Bipin Raj Bhattarai Bhattarai
writes in Republica from Darjeeling...
CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in India and it assists the state in maintaining law and order and containing insurgency. The move by the West Bengal government comes in the wake of other Darjeeling-based agitating parties including Revolutionary Marxist Communist Party (RCMP), All India Gorkha League (AIGL), Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang and Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, joining hands with the struggle of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) for a separate Gorkhaland state.
GJM had launched the protest from August 3 after the Indian central government gave recognition to Telangana as India´s 29th State.
Though the West Bengal government demanded 12 companies of CRPF from the central government to bring the worsening situation in Darjeeling under control, 10 companies are being deployed in the Hills for now, reported a highly-placed security official in Darjeeling.
According to him, a company of CRPF has already arrived in Darjeeling, while the remaining nine companies will arrive in the Hills by the next three days. Of the 10 companies of CRPF, one company will comprise women commandos.
Each company of CRPF comprises 100 security personnel
A news article published by a vernacular daily, Himal Darpan, in Darjeeling says that the state government of West Bengal is seeking additional security forces from the central government to suppress the ongoing protest in Darjeeling. The article further mentions that the state government is confident the CRPF personnel will be able to bring the situation under control.
Before the protests gathered momentum, there were only five companies of CRPF in Darjeeling. Now, altogether 15 companies of CRPF will maintain constant vigil in the Hill areas.
Criticizing the recent move by the state government to bring in additional security forces, Chairman of GJM, Bimal Gurung, said the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cannot suppress the peaceful protests carried out by Indian Gorkhalis.
“Seven years ago also when the protests for a separate Gorkhaland started, the state government had deployed CRPF security personnel to suppress the protests. This time, we are not going to remain silent over government atrocities,” he said.
In 1989, at least 1,200 persons lost their lives in Darjeeling in the mass movement for a separate Gorkhaland state. “We should not forget that loss of life. This time, we will not step back at any cost from our demand for Gorkhaland,” he said.
On Friday, the eight agitating political parties formed a ´Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee´ to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in India and it assists the state in maintaining law and order and containing insurgency. The move by the West Bengal government comes in the wake of other Darjeeling-based agitating parties including Revolutionary Marxist Communist Party (RCMP), All India Gorkha League (AIGL), Bharatiya Gorkha Parisang and Gorkhaland Rajya Nirman Morcha, joining hands with the struggle of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) for a separate Gorkhaland state.
GJM had launched the protest from August 3 after the Indian central government gave recognition to Telangana as India´s 29th State.
Though the West Bengal government demanded 12 companies of CRPF from the central government to bring the worsening situation in Darjeeling under control, 10 companies are being deployed in the Hills for now, reported a highly-placed security official in Darjeeling.
According to him, a company of CRPF has already arrived in Darjeeling, while the remaining nine companies will arrive in the Hills by the next three days. Of the 10 companies of CRPF, one company will comprise women commandos.
Each company of CRPF comprises 100 security personnel
A news article published by a vernacular daily, Himal Darpan, in Darjeeling says that the state government of West Bengal is seeking additional security forces from the central government to suppress the ongoing protest in Darjeeling. The article further mentions that the state government is confident the CRPF personnel will be able to bring the situation under control.
Before the protests gathered momentum, there were only five companies of CRPF in Darjeeling. Now, altogether 15 companies of CRPF will maintain constant vigil in the Hill areas.
Criticizing the recent move by the state government to bring in additional security forces, Chairman of GJM, Bimal Gurung, said the state government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cannot suppress the peaceful protests carried out by Indian Gorkhalis.
“Seven years ago also when the protests for a separate Gorkhaland started, the state government had deployed CRPF security personnel to suppress the protests. This time, we are not going to remain silent over government atrocities,” he said.
In 1989, at least 1,200 persons lost their lives in Darjeeling in the mass movement for a separate Gorkhaland state. “We should not forget that loss of life. This time, we will not step back at any cost from our demand for Gorkhaland,” he said.
On Friday, the eight agitating political parties formed a ´Gorkhaland Joint Action Committee´ to pressure the government into meeting their demands.
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posted by Bhola Rana @ 8:33 PM
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