It is hard to believe but true. As many as 40 thousand drivers have been found in possession of fake driving licenses, obtained without undergoing the required legal procedures.
Several of the fake license holders have come under police net. However, the number could go even higher as police have doubts of involvement of a huge racket behind fake licenses throughout the country.
Drivers are required to undergo a driving test and should have a sound knowledge of road traffic rules. However, an alarmingly significant number of drivers have been found to be possessing licenses sans the required legal procedures.
Police on last November 8 seized a fake driving license 06-055834 possessed by Man Bahadur Moktan from Kalimati of Kathmandu. Earlier, police seized a fake license possessed by Bhunsang Dorje Lama from Koteshwor in September, last year. These are some representative cases.
According to SSP Basanta Pant, chief of the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, Kathmandu, they have seized a total of 33 fake driving licenses in the last four years.
The number of seized fake licenses:
Fiscal Year 2014/15 – 14
Fiscal Year 2015/16 – 8
Fiscal Year 2016/17 – 8
Fiscal Year 2017/18 – 4
The Metropolitan Police Circle, Durbar Marg recently apprehended a group of fraudulent people involved in fake driving license racket. According to the police, persons involved in this racket had been issuing a license with a minimum charge of around Rs 20 thousand each. The group is active for the last six years, and has been found to be issuing at least 12 fake licenses a day. So far, this group has issued 26 thousand fake licenses.
According to police, the group involved in the racket uses fake documents, government stamps, and signatures. “These are criminal offences,” a traffic official said.
According to police, they are investigating the case to find out the location where these groups work on fake licenses. In fact, these groups basically target the people who are going abroad.
There are several groups involved in this business. According to the record of registered vehicles and legal licenses at the Department of Transport Management, around 40 thousand drivers are believed to be holding fake driving licenses.
However, Gokarna Prasad Upadhyay, spokesperson at the Department of Transport Management, expressed ignorance over the issue. “Yes, we have been reading reports on newspapers but we do not have any official information,” he informed.
He also brushed aside allegations about the involvement of Department officials in the scam. Traffic police authorities, however, suspect of the involvement of a huge racket adding that they have been working day and night to unravel the network.
According to police, they are investigating the case to find out the location where these groups work on fake licenses. In fact, these groups basically target the people who are going abroad.
SINDHULI: Agitating students have brought the vehicular movement along the BP Highway to a grinding halt in protest of unruly driving.
Students said that they resorted to halting the traffic services after a Tata Sumo jeep hit the college going girls and left the scene.
Rojina Karki and Manita Thapa, students of Sindhuli Multiple College, sustained injuries when the jeep hit them at Kamalamai Municiplaity-4, Dhungebas on Wednesday morning. Critically injured Rojina has been sent to Kathmandu for treatment while Manita is receiving treatment at Sindhuli Hospital.
Irate students hit the street and threw the vehicular movement out of gear calling for action against the guilty and arrangement of treatment to the injured students.
Meanwhile, Chakra Bahadur Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP) at the District Police Office Sindhuli, informed that they have taken control of the Sumo jeep (Ba 3 Cha 6751) and the driver.
With the traffic halt, the vehicular movement from Kathmandu to Tarai districts and from Tarai to Kathmandu has been affected.
The world is observing February 13th as the International Condom Day. Condom is used to control unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Moreover, the day is observed to create more awareness among the people regarding the condoms and benefits of using condoms.
Similarly, condom, which is made up of thin latex rubber, is a very cheap means of contraception and is better than having oral contraceptive pills. International AIDS healthcare foundations started observing the Int’l Condom Day to reduce the spread of HIV via safe sex practices in connection with the Valentine’s Day.
Mistakes to avoid while using condoms
KATHMANDU: About 200,000 sticks of rose are expected to be sold on the Valentine Day. On this day, there is a high demand of rose flowers that lovers buy to wish for their beloved ones.
According to JB Tamang, program co-ordination of Floriculture Association Nepal (FAN), for the day, Nepal imports rose flowers from India to meet the demands.
On a normal day, there is a demand of 8,000 sticks, which is mostly covered by the domestic market.
On an usual day, Nepal’s floriculture businesses increase its rose import by 20 per cent from India. But for the Valentine’s Day, more than 80 per cent of the market is occupied by roses imported from India, Tamang stated. The cost of rose flowers imported from India ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 300 per stick.
A day just before Valentine’s Day, February 14, is observed as Kiss Day. Kiss represents love and affection. Kisses can be different to express one’s love.
On this day, partners, especially youngsters, take the opportunity to express their love in a romantic way.
It is said that a kiss, like a picture, can speak a thousand words. Mastering the art of kissing is, for a first-time kisser, a Herculean task. The Kiss Day started in 2006.
KATHMANDU: Preparations to establish the ‘Forest Development Fund’ for the protection and promotion of forest area is underway.
The government is working on establishing the Fund following the endorsement of the ‘The National Forest Policy, 2075’ by the cabinet recently.
The police incorporates the provision of setting up the Fund under which the government will not have mandatory responsibility for the conservation and other promotional programs regarding the forest area.
Ministry Spokesperson Dr Sindhu Prasad Dhungana informed that the budget to be obtained from the development projects related to the forest area will be deposited to the Fund, which will be spent for conservation efforts.
The Ministry is currently planning to develop the working procedure for the operation of the Fund.
JANAKPUR: Around 300,000 Nepalis have been suffering from the autism in Nepal, according to Autism Care Nepal Society.
A recent report made public recently, every child out of 59 births is born with autism throughout the world. It is a disease that affects the brain and hampers the day-to-day activities of a child, and cannot be cured.
Dr Sunita Maskey, a doctor involved in treating autism, informed that patients of this disease need special care since they become dependent throughout the life. Speaking at a program in Janakpur today, she said a patient can be independent to some extent provided that the disease is identified on time.
“There are no medical tests for diagnosing autism. The accurate diagnosis is based on the observation of the individual’s level of communication, behavior and development,” Dr Archana Kayastha informed. Doctors recommend occupational therapy, communication, vocational training, social therapy and special and distinct education to make the patient’s life better.
Though autism is considered to be a heredity disease, the reason is still under ambiguity. A patient with autism has symptoms such as lack of or delay in verbal language, repetitive use of language, motor mannerisms (hand-flapping, twirling objects), little or no eye contact, lack of interest in peer relationships, lack of spontaneous or make-believe play, and persistent fixation on parts of objects.
KATHMANDU: The House of Representatives (HoR) today endorsed the Bill designed to amend Some Nepal Acts, 2075.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal presented the Bill seeking its passage during today’s meeting of the HoR.
Today’s meeting also approved unanimously a proposal seeking deliberations on the Bill along with the report of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee.
Minister Dhakal said the bill was necessary to make the existing laws compatible to the new Constitution. The HoR will meet again at 3:00 pm on Friday.
NEW DELHI: Yamuna (name changed), 25, who came to Delhi some two months back in pursuit of a bright future, now leads a dejected life. The agent’s assurances of sending her abroad for a handsome salary is nowhere to be fulfilled.
Hailing from Gorkha district, Yamuna had earlier returned to Nepal after working as a housemaid in Saudi Arabia. She was looking for an abroad employment opportunity since she could not go back to Saudi Arabia again. It was then she came in contact with Rabi Gautam, an agent from Gorkha.
Dilli Maya (name changed), 28, who hails from Morang, too has a similar story to share. Dilli Maya said that Lalita Magar, an agent, ‘dumped’ her in Manipur three months ago.
Gautam assured her of higher pay in Dubai compared to Saudi Arabia. Convinced with the assurances, she accompanied him to New Delhi with the hope of flying to Dubai. However, upon landing in Delhi, her hopes of reaching the destination are shattering gradually.
“I handed over Rs. 75 thousand to him (Gautam) who promised me that he would send me to Dubai in 15 days. It’s been already two months now and he is nowhere to been seen,” complained Yamuna over a chat from JB Road in New Delhi. She is panicked to learn that she has been deceived after she learned that Gautam has gone missing. She has earlier entered India in a group of some 17 women via Birgunj.
Dilli Maya (name changed), 28, who hails from Morang, too has a similar story to share. Dilli Maya said that Lalita Magar, an agent, ‘dumped’ her in Manipur three months ago.
“Promising me of a decent job in Macau, she (Magar) asked me to pay Rs.2,680,000 as her fee. She has gone missing now,” she lamented.
Another lady, Dilli Maya, who has been duped by an agent, too, recounts her afflictions saying despite frequenting to the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi, she has not been able to get a way out. She said since she has no ‘guts’ to return home empty-handed, she has started working at a local tire company.
Alisa (name changed), 26, from Pokhara too was duped in a similar way. Arjun KC, an agent from Pokhara, lured her of sending to the UK for a cultural program on a tourist visa. “He then took me to Delhi saying that applying for a visa to the UK would be easier from Delhi, and air tickets cheaper,” she told Khabarhub.
Currently, she has been staying at her relative’s house in New Delhi after her agent went missing.
These are some of the representative cases. A significant number of Nepali women are undergoing similar fate in various Indian cities. An investigation by Khabarhub had earlier revealed that some 4,000 Nepali youths, lured by agents, are languishing in different parts of the Indian capital. Of these, 500 are women.
“The issue of human trafficking under the cover of foreign employment is increasing at an alarming rate. The government needs to take it seriously, and act on time,” said Raj Kumar Silwal, Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Aspiring workers continue to be cheated in the name of foreign employment mainly due to the fact that the Foreign Employment Act 2007 lacks stringent punitive measures.
KATHMANDU: Som Diyali, station manager of Radio Sarlahi sustained injuries in an attack by an unidentified gang today. He was attacked at Sukhepokhari area of Hariwan Municipality. The journalist is undergoing treatment at local Swavim Hospital. Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has issued a press statement condemning the attack.