KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Ishwor Pokharel is serving a cake to the Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of National Security Council, at Putali Garden, Singha Durbar.

Photo: RSS

Photo:RSS

MUGLING:  Majority of the Chepang students enrolled at a primary school at Icchakamana Rural Municipality in Chitwan do not attend their school regularly in lack of stationery materials. Students at the School in remote area are mostly from the Chepang community. Shree Surya Jyoti Primary School has as many as 35 students but only 20 of them are regular.

School Principal, Shakila Joshi shared that the Chepang students do not attend the school regularly. Those who attend the school do not bring stationery materials such as books and note books with them. The school faces resource crunch to meet the needs of the students.

Poor number of students has affected teaching and learning activities. Given its remoteness representatives from social organizations shy away from visiting it. Thus the school is deprived of additional supports.

Another school in Mayataar, at ward no 2 of the Rural Municipality also shares the same fate. Majority of its students are also deprived of note books, books and pencils. Principal, Padam Bahadur Chepang informed that of the 173 students, 75 percent of them are from Chepang community.

Likewise, Shree National Primary School at ward no 6 has a total of 125 students – from Gharti and Chepang communities. Many students here too attend the schools sans stationary materials and text books.

School’s Assistant, Krishna Bahadur Gharti explained that majority of the Chepang and Gharti students come from very impoverished families. Beside poverty, lack of awareness among the parents is also attributed for not prodding their children to send to school regularly.

National Primary School Principal, Bhawana Khaniya reasoned that the students do not attend the school that due to financial constraints. Absence of students is utterly felt especially in the winter. The school is unable to attract students for its failure to provide warm clothes and snacks to the needy students.

Deepak Sigdel, an education officer at Icchakamana Rural Municipality admitted that attracting students to school from Chepang community is challenging. He underscored that the government needs to continue its meal program at such schools to attract and retain students. Government earlier had been providing mid-day meal to primary level students of community schools.

Kathmandu: Government in cooperation with an international body is launching a program towards restoring the health of forests in some districts.

The project named, ‘Catalyzing Ecosystem Restoration for Climate Resilient Natural Capital and Rural Livelihoods in Degraded Forests and Rangelands of Nepal (EbA 2)’ is launched in Achham, Salyan and Dolakha districts. Forest cover in these districts are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The project is a joint work of the Ministry of Forests and Environment and the Global Environment Fund. The four-year project has a fund of approximately Rs 550 million.

The project will contribute towards the conservation of bio-diversity, restoration of ecosystem and support livelihood, among others, according to the Ministry.

Speaking at a workshop of the project here today, Minister for Forests and Environment, Shakti Bahadur Basnet said that the project will create employment at the local level and will contribute to poverty reduction through livelihood supports.

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli has said that the secessionist and separatist mentality and movement has come to an end following the agreement reached between the government and the Alliance for Independent Madhesh.

PM Oli opined that the termination of the separatist activities in a smooth manner was an important and positive achievement towards the national peace and security.

The government and the Alliance led by CK Raut inked an 11-point political agreement on March 8. The Alliance had been waging a movement in the Madhesh putting forth various demands.

Stating that the agreement which encourages giving up secessionist activities and joining the mainstream politics is a big thing, he said adding that only those with personal dissatisfaction and vested interest are opposing the deal.

The Prime Minister made it clear that there could not be a referendum on issues of national sovereignty, indivisibility and independence. “There are some people who have become restless like the fish without water when the separatist activities were curbed. Holding a referendum on topics that undermine the national integrity and sovereignty is unthinkable,” he asserted.

Issue of national security should not be viewed from a singular or narrow mindset but should be understood as a wider dimension, Prime Minister Oli said.

Addressing the 18th anniversary program of the National Security Council Secretariat here today, Prime Minister said that the National Security Council had an important role in ending the separatist activities, the prime minister said, “The council will play a role to the extent of guaranteeing the national security.”

Kathmandu: Budget is earmarked to expedite reconstruction of earth quake damaged heritage sites in the country. The budget released by National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) comes to around total Rs 120 million. The budget is allocated to conduct study on six sites – three within the Kathmandu valley and three outside the valley. Similarly, Rs 300 million is earmarked for the reconstruction of the sites, according to the Central Project Implementation Unit.

The 7.8 magnitude Gorkha Earthquake on April 25, 2015 had damaged several monuments and settlements of historical and archeological significance in and outside the Kathmandu valley. Delays in their reconstruction, retrofitting and renovation were attributed to the lack of budget, artisans and lack of coordination among the concerned bodies.

To carry out study, Rs 2 million has been spared for each heritage settlement, said Project Director, Nawaraj Pyakurel. In the first phase, Rs 50 million will be released to reconstruct or renovate each quake-damaged heritage within the current fiscal year.

Reconstruction of heritage settlements, monuments and other archeological structures in Khokana (Lalitpur), Bungmati (Lalitpur) and Sankhu (Kathmandu) in the valley would be prompted as soon as the budget is released.

Similarly, budget will be released for the reconstruction of the Seven-storey Durbar at Nuwakot, the Gorkha Durbar in Gorkha district and Dolakha Bazar in Dolakha district that houses Bhimeshwor Mandir – all lying outside the valley.

Likewise, research and development works will be conducted in the Pashupati Area, Changunarayam Temple Area, Swayambhunath Area and Bouddha Area upon the allocation of budget. The Durbar Square Areas in all three districts in Kathmandu valley – Kathmandu Lalitpur and Bhaktapur – would be conserved and promoted under this project.

EJERE, Ethiopia: Black box of the crashed Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 jet is recovered, said the airlines officer. However, it is not sure whether data could be retrieved from the black box since it is ‘partially damaged’ according to the officer.

Meanwhile, the airlines has grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 8 air crafts to what it says is a precautionary measure. The reason of the air crash is still a mystery since the weather condition at the time of accident was clear.

(Agencies)

KATHMANDU: The government is making preparations to form a five-member committee under the coordination of a former chief justice of the Supreme Court to select office-bearers to the transitional justice commissions.

Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs,  said the committee shall pick new office-bearers to the two transitional justice commissions constituted to establish the facts and truth of the conflict-time incidents.

“The committee will select the persons to be nominated to the two commissions. Twelve years have already elapsed and now there should not be any delay in providing justice to the conflict victims,” he said.

The Law Minister said that the committee is being formed in keeping with the constitutional provision of forming a five-member committee under the convenorship of former Chief Justice and comprising the former chair of the National Human Rights Commission or any other person recommended by the Chair and three members from among the conflict survivors.

The government had extended the term of the two transitional justice commissions by one year after the term of the commissions concluded on February 10, through an amendment to the related Act.

CHAUTARA: A mountaineering team led by Everest summiteer Maya Sherpa is all set to climb Gyalgen Peak that lies in the Jugal massif in Sindhupalchowk district.

The Jugal massif, that has many unclimbed peaks perched on the border between Nepal and Tibet, has a chain of 11 peaks. It lies in the Gumba village of Jugal Rural Municipality-3 in Sindhupalchowk district.

Sherpa’s eight-member team including another Everest summiteer Saral Sahayatri will leave Kathmandu on March 29 for climbing the 6,151 m- peak, shared team leader Gurung.

The Gyalen Peak is named after Mingma Gyalgen, the lead Sherpa of a three Scottish women team led by Monica Jackson that made the first ascent of then remote and unclimbed peak in the spring of 1955, according to a journal published by the America Alpine Club.

Gurung informed their estimated climbing period is 21-days. Sindhupalchowk is home district to Gurung and Sahayatri.

During the climb, their team will conduct research on the technical intricacies of climbing the Peak that is less frequently climbed by mountaineers given its remoteness despite its proximity with Kathmandu.

According to the Department of Tourism, the highest peak in the Jugal Himal range is Lyangpo Gyang Peak standing at 6,979 meter.

Gurung is not only Everest summiteer, she has also climbed the seven Summits, the highest mountains on the seven continents.

It takes a five-day trek to reach the first base camp of the Gyalgen Peak from Kathmandu to Paula Danda in Gumba of Sindhupalchowk, shared Jugal rural municipality ward member Himal Tamang.

Meanwhile, a commercial paragliding service was launched at Malachaur of Kadambas of Sagachowkgadhi Munciplaity-9 in Sindhupalchowk district for the first time.

Sagachowkgadhi Municipality Mayor Aman Singh Tamang on last Saturday launched the service introduced in the district by Nepal Paragliding and Hand-Gliding Association.

The paragliding service is believed to boost the local tourism in the district. Service seekers get to fly over the Sunkoshi Gaurishankar and Jugal Himal range from Lamachaur and land at Siranchaur of the same ward.

KATHMANDU: Central member of the main opposition, Nepali Congress, Shekhar Koirala has taken exception to the agreement signed between the government and CK Raut-led Alliance for Independent Madhesh (AIM) saying that it is against the national sovereignty and independence.

Issuing a press statement on Monday, NC influential Koirala said, “Even though the move to bring the rebel group into the main steam politics is positive, the term ‘public opinion’ laid down in the second point of the agreement is against the integrity and the national independence of the country.

“Nepali people cannot accept it,” Koirala stated vehemently, adding, “The use of term  ‘public opinion’ in the second point of the agreement indicates ill intention of both the sides.”

Meanwhile, the turn of events in Janakpur after CK Raut’s arrival has also been objectionable and a matter of serious concern.