September 30, 2005

Multi-national team to review Melamchi project
 

Kathmandu, September 29:

A multi-national review team is visiting Nepal next week to monitor developments in the Melamchi Water Supply Project (MWSP). “The review team will arrive in Kathmandu on October 3,” an officer of the project said today.
The team will study the recent developments and hindrances in the mega project and find out ways to carry on the work in a better way, the officer added. The $ 400 million MWSP project was dealt a severe blow when Norway withdrew its aid of $15 million in July 20 from the project.
The implementation and completion of the project was clouded after the Norwegian donors withdrew their support from the multi-national project. “In this connection, the team will discuss with the Nepali officials possible ways to complete the project in time by all possible means,” the officer said.
Posted by razen at 07:30:01 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

September 29, 2005

Demo against Indian leaders flayed

Kathmandu, September 28:
Political leaders today termed a protest staged by youths against the arrival of Indian leaders in Nepal an act of jingoistic nationalism.
Addressing an interaction at the Reporters’ Club, Jhalanath Khanal, a standing committee member of the CPN-UML, said that the protest against the Indian leaders bears the hallmark of ‘Mandale’ brand jingoistic nationalism.
“Those who chanted ‘nationalistic’ slogans and protested against the leaders do not understand bilateral relations. Their protest is insignificant,” he said, adding: “The political parties here want to improve relations between Nepal and India.” Khanal added that the leaders have come here to assess the situation and see if they can help us. “A good neighbour cannot stay calm when the house of a neighbour is in flame because his home can also catch fire anytime.”
CP Mainali, the leader of ML, said those who didn’t know the meaning of intervention were protesting against the arrival of Indian leaders. “It is crazy to claim that the leaders here are to intervene in our internal affairs. They are neither diplomats, nor government representatives. Neither they are here to support the movement, nor to facilitate talks between the King and the parties.”
Mainali said no one should be accused of intervention if he comes here and talks about democracy. “They (the Indian leaders) indeed learned a lot about the situation and the height of understanding after facing stones right at the airport,” he added.
An NC leader, Shekhar Koirala, said: “How would you interpret King Tribuvan’s visit to India in 1950 in an Indian plane and the compromise that followed”. He added that political parties needed moral support from Indian leaders who believe in democracy. Sagar Samsher Rana of the NC-D said the Indian leaders had come here to support the democratic movement.
Stating that Nepalis cannot tolerate any foreign intervention in domestic problems, Shashi Shrestha of the United People’s Front said: “Everyone can come here and advocate on democracy and human rights.”
“Democracy and human rights are worldwide phenomena and everybody should take interest in them,” said Bishwo Pradhan, a former diplomat, adding: “I cannot say whether the Indian leaders are intervening in our affairs without listening to them. I believe they are here on a goodwill visit.”
Dr Mohan Lohani, a foreign affairs expert, said Indian leaders could have been accused of intervening in our affairs if they had come here to support the terrorists.
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September 27, 2005

Govt to implement Euro II emission standards
 
Razen Manandhar
Kathmandu, September 25:

The Ministry for Environment, Science and Technology (MoEST) is preparing to introduce Euro II standards of emission for new vehicles entering the country. Lok Darshan Regmi, a joint-secretary at MoEST said, the ministry is making necessary arrangements to introduce the Euro II standards of emission for new vehicles in the country. “We will soon introduce Euro II emission standards. We should have gone for the Euro III standards but this is not practically possible in a country like Nepal,” Regmi said. In general, the Euro I standards allow emission of 2.75 gm/km of carbon monoxide while Euro II allows only 2.20. Thus, the new standards will make obsolete old vehicles and enable entry of new vehicles that emit less smoke and pollutant particles. However, the government’s recent move is drawing mixed reactions from the environmentalists, vehicle owners and dealers.
Dr Toran Sharma, the executive director of Nepal Environment and Scientific Services, said it mattered little whether the government introduces Euro II standards of gases because the Emission Standards 2056, which introduced the Euro I emission standards, is still under question. “The government implemented Euro I standards six years ago but we have yet to see its impact in the quality of air we breathe. We will have to see what changes the implementation of Euro II standards will bring in the quality of air,” he said. Implementation of Euro standards have close links with the quality of fuel used in vehicles, maintenance of vehicles and the quality of roads and at the present context here they are not yet compatible for Euro II standards, he said.
“It is good to introduce a new standard but the government must make necessary preparations to bring desired effect and make the change practical. Slogans are not enough to clean the capital,” he said. Dipak KC, the programme officer at Clean Energy Nepal said that the people should welcome the new step despite all constraints accompanying it. “Along with introduction of the new standard, the government should also put stress on implementation and making the country ready for the next step,” he said. The automobile dealers, however, claim the implementation of Euro II emission standards is impossible and not practical in Nepali context. Hikmat Bahadur Mali, the president of Nepal Automobile Dealers’ Association, said implementation of the Euro II emission standards is surely going to take some time because lots of other preparations have to be done before the standard is effectively implemented.
Posted by razen at 06:32:27 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Journalists call for scrapping Nepal Press Council
 
Kathmandu, September 25:

The controversy over the classification of newspapers, initiated by the Nepal Press Council (NPC) two days ago, has raised the hackles of pro-democracy journalists and fresh protests are likely to erupt. Addressing an interaction here, organised by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), journalists said the NPC should be dismissed as it remains a tool of the state for muzzling the Press. FNJ president Bishnu Nisthuri, charged that the NPC was biased against all those newspapers which raise their voices for press freedom. “Action against the NPC is necessary to continue our fight for a free Press,” he said. Former FNJ president Suresh
Acharya said that the significance of NPC had ended with the recent result, adding, “It should no more be there.”
Devendra Gautam, president of Nepal Editors’ and Publishers’ Society, said victimised newspapers should go to court for justice. He also claimed categorization of newspapers was “biased”. Meawhile, in a press release the FNJ demanded the government to dismiss the classification and the report. It also announced protest programmes against the controversial decision of the NPC. “The movements will be of various types — media activities, demonstrations, and all these will be completely legal,” it added. In support of the FNJ decision, the Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur sections of the federation today issued ultimatums against NPC chairman Mathabar Singh Basnet and demanded he dismiss the report and resign his post within seven days. “Basnet will be responsible for the consequences if he fails to heed this ultimatum,” a joint statement of the FNJ’s three district chairmen said. Earlier, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur sections of FNJ locked up the office of the NPC in protest against classificaion on Friday, after hustling out NPC chairman Mathbar Singh Basnet from the office.
Posted by razen at 06:26:15 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

September 25, 2005

Writer Satya Mohan Joshi gets Bhupalman Karki prize
 
Himalayan News Service
Kathmandu, September 24:

Vice-chairman of the cabinet Kirtinidhi Bista today gave away Bhupalman Singh Karki Literary Prize to writer Satya Mohan Joshi, who has so far written 18 books, for his contribution to the field of literature amid a function here in the capital today. Bista also gave away Bhupalman Singh Karki Creation Prize with the purse of Rs 50,000 to Bulu Sharma for her work
‘Chhuteka Paila’. While Chief Justice Bimal Kumar Paudel gave away the prize for ‘Religion and Social work’ to Sri Krishna Pranami Sanrachhan Sewa Samiti and Subarna Baidya,
the patron of the prize trust Bhuma Karki awarded the prize on music to Mira Rana and Shubha Bahadur. All these prizes had purses of Rs 50,000 each.
At the same time, the young literary prize went to Yubaraj Nayaghare, while youth prize was grabbed by Bandana Rana and Rishi Dhamala. Each received Rs 25, 000. Dr Damodar Pokhrel and Baidya Laxmi Bal Samaj Kosh were also recognised for their works. Minister for Information and Communication Tanka Dhakal made public the postage stamps on social worker Bhupalman Singh Karti on the same occasion. Addressing the function, vice-chairman Bista said Karki had been a true royalist and nationalist till his last days. Dhakal said that Karki’s commitment to the King and country was unshakeable. Yet he was a humble man, Bista said.
Posted by razen at 06:23:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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