CREACDOWN

NEPALI RUPEE SLIPS FURTHER AGAINST DOLLAR UPDATE

Kathmandu, 23 Aug.: The Nepali rupee depreciated further against the uS dollar Friday.

It was trading for Rs.104 to the greenback.

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CIAA CONTNUES CRACKDOWN ON OFFICIALS
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.: CIAA Friday
arrested  13 officials from the Labour Unit of the Foreign Employment
Department and four others from the department’s final approval unit.
 of the same department.
Eighteen personnel of  Immigration Department. Wre also arrested
ntly, five people were arrested from the Immigration Department.

LAMA

BAIDYA SAYS POLITICS HAS TAKEN NEW TURN

Katthmandu, 23 Aug,: Chairman of the CPN-Maoist, Mohan Biadya, has said the country´s politics has taken a new course with the political parties agreeing in principle to hold a round table conference, RSS reports..

Receiving the memorandum submitted by Chairman of Reporters´ Club Nepal at the CPN-Maoist party headquarters in Buddhanagar, Chairman Baidya said that with the agreement for roundtable conference, all the old procedures for the election have ended and a new procedure has begun.

He said, "With the Thursday agreement, the country´s politics has taken a new course. They (leaders of major political parties), too, would not say that the government cannot be changed and election date cannot be deferred."

He claimed that no agreement would be made in the status quo and unless the current government remained. He added that all the problems would be settled by the round table conference.

He said no side could escape from talks and that the national political consensus should be forged finding out positive conclusion through it.

The political parties would forge consensus regarding the procedure of the round table conference and that it would make common concept on the 18-point demand kept by his party and 33-party-alliance.

The CPN-Maoist chairman said the nation should move ahead forging consensus among all parties and sides claiming that the current political crisis was followed by the unilateral behavior of four parties.

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IDIAN ENVOY SAYS GOODBYE TO CHAIRMAN REGMI

Kathmandu, 23 Aug.; Indian Ambassador Jayanta Prasad on Friday paid a

farewell call on Chairman of Interim Election Council of Ministers Khil

Raj Regmi.

They met at Singha Durbar.

Prasad is retiring after concluding his Nepal assignment.

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LAMA ELECTED

Kathmandu, 23 Aug.:  National Sports Council (NSC) Member

Secretary Yuvaraj Lama was Friday elected unanimously  president of

Nepal Equestrian Association..

The first general assembly of the association elected Lama.

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nea

NEPAL, CHINA MEET MONDAY

Kathmandu, 23 Aug, : Foreign Secretary Arjun Bahadur Thapa is leaving for Beijing on Friday evening leading a three-member delegation to attend the 10th Meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Mechanism to be held in Beijing, China, RSS reports.. Secretary Thapa is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of China on 26 August. Other members of the delegation include Joint-Secretary Ambika Luintel and Under Secretary Rita Dhital of the Ministry. The meeting will review pertinent issues in Nepal-China relationship and discuss new directions and dimensions of strengthening bilateral ties. In the meeting, a whole gamut of issues relating to bilateral relations and other issues of mutual interest will be discussed. Luintel told RSS that the meeting would also review the implementation part of the agreements of the ninth meeting held in Nepal last year. The Consultation Mechanism is an agreement between Nepal and China to establish regular contact between officials from the Foreign Ministries of both the countries which was set up in 1996 to provide a platform to discuss matters of mutual concern and cooperation. Meetings are held alternately in the capital cities on a mutually agreed date. Both the countries have set up three such mechanisms at the level of Foreign Minister, Foreign Secretary and Director General. During the meeting, discussions would be held on trade and commerce, investments, infrastructure construction and the projects run in Nepal in the Chinese assistance. Similarly, discussions would be held on ways and means to reduce the huge trade deficit with China, expand Nepali products´ market in China and attract Chinese investment in hydropower and tourism sectors and other potential hydel projects. Furthermore, the meeting would review the implementation of the agreements signed during Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi´s visit to Nepal held two months ago. Joint Secretary Luintel said that construction of the Regional International Airport in Pokhara and expediting loan process from Export-Import Bank of China, procurement of aircrafts for Nepal Airlines in concessional loan including grant assistance for two aircraft would also top the agenda for discussions in the meeting. Meanwhile, talking to RSS, Secretary Thapa refuted the news regarding China´s preparations to establish a consulate in Nepal and urged the concerned sides not to disseminate news in an irresponsible fashion. "I urge all to disseminate news by considering the seriousness and sensitivity of the issues," Secretary Thapa said. He was of the view that media should not disseminate news that destabilizes the mutual relations between the two countries.
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NEA ACTING CHIEF

Kathmandu, 23 Aug.:: The government has assigned responsibilities of carrying out the day-to-day functions of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to Laba Bahadur Ghimire so that the daily works at the state-owned power utility are not affected in the wake of the arrest of high ranking officials there on corruption

Charge, RSS reports..

Minister for Energy Umakanta Jha today assigned the responsibility on Deputy Managing Director Ghimire to carry out the functions as the Acting Executive Director.

Ghimire has been given the responsibility of the Acting Executive Director after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) took 22 high-ranking officials at NEA, including Executive Director Rameshwar Yadav in custody in connection with investigation, spokesperson at the Ministry of Energy Keshav Dhwaj Adhikari told RSS

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MAOIST CHIEF ASSURES MAJORITY FOR PARTY

Kathmandu, 23 Aug : UCPN (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has described the election to the Second Constituent Assembly slated for November 19 as the event that would make historic decision either in favour of the ruling class or the

oppressed castes, RSS reports from Pokljara. .

Declaring open the Third National Convention of the Tamu National Liberation Front Nepal on Friday, he stressed that the Nepalis should give his party a clear majority in the elections for writing a constitution with federalism and federalism with identity.

He said that the voting process would be employed straight away to decide if consensus is not reached on the contentious issues within few days after the CA election for ensuring a new constitution is promulgated.

The UCPN (Maoist) chairman claimed that the country will never get a constitution if it was not made by the Constituent Assembly.

Party leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai said that the First Constituent Assembly was dissolved as some forces did not want to go for identity-based federalism.

Another leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha cautioned the party cadres to be cautious as some forces were conspiring to foil the CA election and push the country towards uncertainty.

He stressed that his party was for federalism with identity alone and called on all to not go after any hearsay being spread against federalism.

Coordinator of the convention organizing committee Bakhat Singh Tamu presided over the programme in which other leaders of the party including Lilamani Pokhrel, Gopal Kiranti, Onsari Gharti and Lokendra Bishta Magar also expressed their views.

The three-day convention brings together 50 representatives and observers of the party from 40 districts,

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lil;ed

TWO KILLED IN ACCIDENT
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.: Two persons were killed and 17 others injured Friday
when a truck with passengers overturned at Jarsing Pauwa in the
city outskirt in the east.
Sukra Bahadur Banjam and Mothe Muktan (died, according to police.
The truch was plying between Sankhu and Lapsifedi.
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ESSENTIAL SHORTAGE IN ACCHAM
Kathmandu, 23 Aug,: Locals belonging to distant areas of the district have been hit hard owing to acute shortage of daily consumptive food stuffs, RSS reports from Accham..
The landslide-triggered disruption of local road has caused the short supply of daily essential goods .
The Timilsain- Rama Roshan, Mangalsen-Baligaun and Chaukhute-Siudi road sections have been obstructed for the past couple of months.
Locals of Mujabagae, Darna, Khalgada, Jupu and Chaurpati villages are facing tough time with acute shortage of daily consuming food items. The road sections have been badly damaged, even tractor cannot ply on the road, said Lok Bahadur Rawal, Chairman of the Mugabazaar Management Committee.
About 50,000 people in the localities are said to have deprived of getting cooking oil and salt for the past two weeks.
Though it was frequently reported to the concerned authority, no action has been taken till this date, complained locals.
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SUSPECTED MURDERER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN ARRESTED
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.:  Police have arrested a fugitive who has been in its most wanted list for the murder of two school boys that took place three years ago. The accused is also facing charges of series of other killings in the district, The Rising Nepal reports from Banke..
Police arrested Zia-ul Manihar alias Wakil Darji, who had been involved armed underground activities, collecting forceful ransom, murder and forceful donation drive in the district.
District Police Office, made the arrested Manihar public organizing a press conference today. Manihar is a permanent resident of Indrapur-3, Banke.

Police took it nearly a month to confirm that Manihar was the one placed in the most wanted list of police crime profile as he was concealing his real identify using different names and addresses, said Superintendent of Police Bhupal Singh Bhandari. Initially, he had provided that he was an Indian citizen from Rupadiya.

Later police investigation proved that Manihar was none other than the murderer of a school boy Kapil Duwedi, 15. Dewedi and his school friend Liladhar Bhatta had been abducted and killed by the Manihar and his accomplices even after taking ransom of Rs.1 million.

 Similarly, Manihar and his group had their hand in alleged murder of Ganga Ram Pasi alias Munna Yadav at Indrapur-7 that took place four years ago, said Bhandari. Cases against Manihar would be filed under Abduction and Hostage charge-2033 BS and Drugs and Narcotic charge.

Police had claimed that Manihar was involved in collecting forceful donation of Rs.5 million from Mahendra Shahi of Nepalgunj-1 after taking him to India last year. Shahi was later safely released from the clutches of Manihar group with the help of Indian police.

Eight other accomplices of Manihar are presently passing a combined jail term of 78 years following the Banke court's final verdict. Manihar has, however, been remaining at large since the murder of the two school boys. Those who are currently passing jail sentence include Meraj Ahamad Seikh, Ibrahim Maniyar, Kailash Gadariya, Rajitram Kurmi, Ramsovit Barma, Insaf Ali Seikh, Rajjab Ali Sai, and Najir Kha.

The court had announced life imprisonment against Meraj Ahamad Seikh. Regarding the school boys' murder case, police had filed cases against 16 people including those all arrested. Six other accused are still at large. Police had, however, given clean chit to C.P Singh, central committee member of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Democratic on the case.


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TUPEE

NEPALI RUPEE DEPRECIATES FURTHER AGAINST DOLLAR
Kathmandu, 23 Nov. The depreciation of the Nepali against the US dollar
which gained against the Indian curreccy Thursday continued.
The Nepali legal tender was devalued to maintain a cross exchange rate
with the Indian ruppe against which the exchange rate of  the Nepali rupee
is fixed.
Neplai rupee is floated against convertible currencies.
The rupee posted a Rs 2.03 per dollar fall.
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UCPN MAOIST CANDIDATES FROM SINDHUPALCHOWK
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.:: Amidst mounting election fever, political parties have begun selecting and recommending candidates for the CA poll scheduled for November 19. UCPN(Maoist) in Sindhupalchowk, on Thursday recommended 15 different names as candidates for three election constituencies. Dhruba Dangal writes in
Republica from Sindhupalchowk..

According to the party, the candidates were chosen in alphabetical order and they represent Dalits, Janajatis and women as well. Among those recommended, five are from the Janajati communities, four are Dalits and three are women. Candidates recommenced from constituency no. 1 are Raj Kumar Shrestha, Saral Sahayatri, Lal Kanchha Tamang, Amrita Nepal and Sahadev Khati. Shrestha was elected to the previous CA also and Sahayatri is in charge of the party in the region and a former PLA commander.

Candidates recommended from constituency no. 2 are former lawmaker elected from the same constituency Agni Prasad Sapkota, who is now party spokesperson, Dhurba Parajuli, Madhav Sapkota, Aman Singh Tamang and Bimala BK.

Among them, Parajuli is a central committee member, Sapkota was a former PLA commissar, and Tamang is deputy in-charge of the party in the district.
Similarly, Chandra Bahadur Thapa Magar, Bidur Rayamajhi, Rohini BK, Shree Lama and Laxmi Dhimal have been recommended as candidates from constituency no. 3.

This area has been impacted by the party division. Former lawmaker Dawa Tamang, who defeated then RPP President Pashupati Shumsher JBR, is currently in the Baidya-led CPN-Maoist.

According to Maoist leader Madhav Sapkota, the party was able to recommend names for candidates following a month-long election campaign in the district. He said that the names will be formally presented at the upcoming CC meeting of the party and a candidate chosen from the five for direct representation. "The rest of them will be participating in elections under the proportional representation system.”

Among other parties, the RPP and Rastriya Janamorcha have also announced some candidate names. RPP has announced a single candidate from each constituency whereas Janamorcha has recommended six names.

Among the RPP candidates are Dharma Raj Bhandari from constituency no.1, Bishnu Bikram Thapa from no. 2 and Pashupati Shumsher JBR from 3. Rana was candidate from constituencies 1 and 3 in the past.

Likewise, Janamorcha has recommended the names of Krishna Subedi, Laxman Upreti and Bhagwati Paudel from constituency no. 1, Nirmal Dangal and Jeet Bahadur Yangjo from 2 and Mangal Singh Tamang from 3.

Other major political parties such as the CPN(UML) and Nepali Congress (NC) have also been mulling names for the upcoming CA election. “Once the party circular is received, we will recommend the names without delay," said CPN(UML) District President Jhamak Nepal.

According to NC District Secretary Krishna Neupane, they are to receive names from all the constituencies within a week and forward them to the party central committee.
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FEWA LAKE WATER BANNED

Kathmandu, 23 Aug.: To stem the possibility of water-borne diseases, Pokhara Sub-metropolitan Office (PSMO) has decided not to prohibit the hotel entrepreneurs to pump the water from Fewa Lake, Santosh Pokhrel writes in Republica from Pokhara.. Of late a lot of hotels and restaurants operators in the tourist town are pumping the water from the scenic lake, which is polluted to a certain extent, for laundry and other cleaning purposes. Moreover, such pipelines could tangle and capsize the boats that ferry tourists and locals alike. According to a PSMO spokesperson, Ananta Prasad Koirala, the sub-metropolitan office has asked the hotel entrepreneurs to stop pumping water from the lake by the next three days. Over a hundred hotels and restaurants in the vicinity of the lake directly supply water from the lake. While many hotel entrepreneurs directly supply the lake water to their hotels and restaurants, using machine pumps, some hotel operators have even laid underground pipelines. “It has been found that the polluted water of the lake is being used for various purposes in the hotels. It can have adverse effects upon the health of the public as well as the tourists,” Koirala said. “Thought the hotel operators claim that they purify the water before using it, our health experts have found that the lake water is not eligible for daily use purpose,” he further said, adding that waste materials from drainages, canals in Pokhara have seeped into the lake. Apart from this, the locals are further polluting the lake by bathing, washing clothes, swimming and cleaning their domestic animals. If the hotel operators do not take out their water pipes and pump sets within the next three days, the PSMO will confiscate the materials and take action as per Local Self Governance Act -2055 B.S., informed Koirala. The act stipulates a fine up to Rs. 15,000. On the other hand, the hotel entrepreneurs complain that they were compelled to pump water from the lake as the water cooperation in Pokhara does not supply water sufficiently.

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TRAITAHAR

RAUTAHAT WOMAN RAPED MURDERED IN INDIA
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.: A Rautahat woman has been raped and murdered across the border in India.
The body pf
Nisariya Devi Sah ,45. of Laukaha VDC, Rautahat was found in
in Sudurpur Village of east Champaran district in India, Thursday, police
said.
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UML CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETS 31 AUG.
Kathmandu, 23 Aug.:  UML the central committee is meeting on
31August to solely discuss election-related issues.
This was decided by the standing committee Thursday.
The meeting will discuss manifesto, candidates for the vote,
Formation of  a central panel to steer the election and other issues,including differences between establishment and KP Sharma Oli on the party youth wing..
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