The Interim Legislature Parliament has begun debate on the programmes and policies of the government presented by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Wednesday.
Taking part in the discussion Sunday, most of the MPs described the government’s policies for the new fiscal year as “continuation of the previous ones”.
MP Lila Mani Pokhrel criticised the policy document saying that it “looks like the Congress party’s agendas” and that it has been brought in without adequately consulting the coalition partners. He said there is no objective approach in the policies and programmes to resume the stalled development activities.
MP Tilak Pariyar commented that the government had not been able to change its policies and programmes since the Panchayat era. He claimed the new policies of the government were against the spirit of the people’s movement of April last year.
Maoist and Nepali Congress MPs had some verbal tussle after NC MP Ananda Raj Kandel blamed the Maoists for continuing the criminal activities across the country.
Maoist and Jana Morcha MPs were more critical of the government plans, arguing that they are regressive and do not reflect the need of the hour.
The debate on the policies will continue for three days before PM Koirala answers the queries raised by the MPs on Wednesday. 23 MPs have filed amendment proposals on the policies and the programmes of the government.
Similarly, Bharat Mohan Adhikari presented the report of the parliamentary finance committee before the House. The report has been prepared to facilitate the government for finalising the upcoming budget.
When Home Minister Krishna Sitaula was lecturing on his security plans at a programme in Kavre Sunday, a murder was taking place in broad daylight in Bara at almost the same time, and there were series of bomb blasts in the commercial town of Birgunj.
Violent gangs in Terai seem to be unmoved by the government’s warning to deal with them with an iron hand if they do not comply. However, for several weeks now, there have been reports of killings and abductions taking place on a daily basis. Law enforcement agencies look helpless.
Apart from nearly a dozen armed outfits of questionable political motives, untold number of criminal gangs are engaged in murder, abduction and extortion in Terai.
On Sunday morning, an unidentified gang shot and killed a local trader in Bariyapur village in Bara district. Shyam Kishor Kushwaha, 32, of Pattharhatti, Bara, was shot by four gunmen who came on two motorbikes. Kushwaha, who owned a bicycle shop in Bariyapur, died while being rushed to a hospital in the district headquarters Kalaiya.
In Siraha district, one Rakesh Kumar Nandan, who was abducted by unidentified gang from Siraha Bazaar Thursday night, was found dead in Chatari VDC today.
Similarly, one alleged dacoit was killed in a clash with Armed Police Force (APF) personnel in Banarmula area of Saptari district, last night.
Reports from Birgunj say six bomb simultaneous blasts occurred in front of a commercial building Sirpur this afternoon while an exploded crude bomb was found in front of a school in the town. No human casualty was reported in the explosions.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but police said one of the several criminal gangs involved extorting money from local businessmen might be behind this.
Chief Justice Dilip Kumar Poudel has said that the current practice of conducting parliamentary hearing to appoint judges of Supreme Court (SC) is inappropriate.
“It is neither legally nor practically appropriate,” said CJ Poudel, talking to reporters at the airport as he returned home after completing a brief visit to China.
“But since the interim constitution has the provision (of parliamentary hearing), we have to follow it,” he added.
On Friday, the Parliamentary Special Hearing Committee (PSHC) confirmed the appointment of four permanent SC judges after conducting a hearing on them. This was the first time that judges recommended by Judicial Council were subjected to parliamentary hearing.
Various legal professionals have criticised the provision of parliamentary hearing of judges saying that it could undermine independence of judiciary and subject it to unnecessary legislative and executive domination.
Breaking with the long tradition, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala witnessed the ‘Bhoto Jatra’ ceremony organised at the end of the chariot procession of ‘rain God’ Rato Machhindranath in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Sunday evening.
PM Koirala, who enjoys the powers of the head of the state, witnessed the Bhoto Jatra amidst a huge public gathering.
Earlier, the King would witness the traditional ceremony.
A squad of Nepal Army presented guard of honour to the Prime Minister when he arrived at Jawalakhel to witness Bhoto Jatra. Speaker Subash Nemwang, Chief Justice Dilip Poudel and some ministers were also present there.
Thousands of people joined in the Bhoto Jatra, which concluded after several weeks of chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath.
The government announced public holiday in the Kathmandu Valley on the occasion of the Machhindranath Bhoto Jatra today.
The three-day celebrations of King Gyanendra’s 61st birthday kicked off with dinner reception in the palace on Friday night amid protests by student and youth activists of eight political parties.
According to Kantipur daily, 125 of the 800 invitees attended Friday’s dinner. The attendees included former Panchas, royal relatives, some Major Generals of the army who are going to retire soon and former army officials.
It added that former prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, Marichman Singh and Kirti Nidhi Bista attended the dinner.
Prime Minister, ministers, Speaker, army chief and other senior officials of the government stayed away from the party.
The Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) organised a rally in Ratnapark on Friday evening protesting the King’s party.
Meanwhile, monarchists are planning to gather in Tundikhel and travel to royal palace to extend birthday greetings on Saturday. On the other hand, student activists including the YCL have vowed to foil the monarchists’ party. The YCL has vowed to block roads to palace on Saturday.
The palace has already asked for security from the Home Ministry in view of likely confrontation. The Home Ministry has issued orders to the District Security Committee to make necessary security arrangements.
Eleven persons were killed when a tractor they were traveling in fell off the road into an irrigation canal in Manusmara in Sarlahi district on Friday.
The tractor was transporting persons of a marriage party from Sisautiya village to Tandi of Barahathwa when it fell off the road at around 10 pm .
Superintendent of Police Ganesh KC has informed that they have taken out 11 dead bodies including nine kids and two adults from the canal.
Twelve students of the Nepal Fine Arts campus have joined hands to organise group exhibition under the Heart Beat Series to help disadvantaged children.
The artists have put together 35 paintings and a few sculptors at the gallery inside Baryo Fiesta in Naxal.
With themes ranging from human emotions to nature to semi-abstract paintings, the young artists have shown their talent at the exhibition.
Using various media like acrylic, oil, water and pastel, the young artists have proven that the country has no dearth of creative talents.
And they have also drawn accolades for coming together on a noble purpose. “We have decided to contribute 30 percent proceeds of this exhibition for Children’s Art Project 2007. Children of Jana Kalyan Primary School in a village in Nagarkot will be taught the art of painting and given educational materials,” said Juju Kaji Maharjan, program coordinator of the exhibition. “We also welcome other contributions from those who are interested,” he added.
Twelve talented artists including Sapana Shah, Pramit Dhakal, Manju Shyaula, Anil Maharjan, Uday Karmacharya, Rajan Maharjan, Raj K. Prajapati, Sujan Dangol, Aabhushan Duwal ‘Bhusan’, Sachin Yogol Shrestha, Santosh Shrestha ‘Rashav’ and Mekh Bahadur Limbu Subba have put their paintings at the exhibition.
The exhibition, which kicked off on July 2 will continue till August 2.
As the central bank is likely to unveil new monetary policy for the fiscal year 2007/08 later this month after the budget announcement, bankers and economists debated the contours of the policy at a programme held in Lalitpur on Friday.
Speaking at a programme on “Review and Pre-Discussion On Monetary Policy” organised by Independent Business News (IBN), acting governor of the central bank KB Manandhar hinted that the forthcoming monetary policy will not change the existing foreign exchange pegging regime anytime soon. Responding to queries raised by bankers, he said the central bank was positive on allowing investment in foreign countries in certain areas, but he said the existing act that prohibits any kind of capital investment in foreign land needs to be amended first.
Manandhar also hinted that the central bank could provide some subsidy on Cash Reserve Ratio to the commercial banks who open branches in remote areas.
Earlier, Radhes Pant, president of Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA), spelled out a number of suggestions for the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) including providing ways to let the excess liquidity be utilized in investment in foreign countries; facilitating commodity exchange practice; and strengthening the central bank’s supervision and monitoring capacity.
“The policy should also pay due attention towards controlling inflation,” he said, adding that the monetary policy needs to address the issue of setting up Asset Management Company; strengthening Loan Recovery Tribunal; implementing anti-money laundering bill, among others.
He also said that directing commercial banks to serve remote region or poor sections without incentive could be counterproductive to economy.
Dr. Shankar Sharma, former vice chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC), expressed worries about the negative real interest rate.
“We should be careful not to affect the financial sector reforms,” he said.
Hridaya Raj Gautam, managing director of IBN – which produces Artha Ko Artha programme for Nepal Television – said that the programme was a part of series of debates that IBN has been holding with economists and stakeholders on issues that affect the national economy.
Gokarna Raj Awasthi, programme producer of IBN, highlighted the salient features of the macro-economic situation in the country.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is holding its general convention in August end this year.
The convention will be held on August 25-27, according to the decision by party central committee meeting. The venue is yet to be fixed. The party has asked its district units to complete their district conventions by mid-August.
The RPP remains few of the mainstream parties that have not sided with outright republican agenda. The coming convention could debate its policy on monarchy, though, say political observers.
Meanwhile, the RPP central committee passed the political resolution tabled by its spokesperson Parshuram Khapung with some changes.
The party has also decided to table amendment proposal on government’s policies and programmes at the parliament.
Supporters of king Gyanendra take out a small rally at Durbar Marg, in front of Nayanhiti royal palace, on Saturday morning on the occasion of the king’s 60 th birthday.
Few hundred people gathered at Durbar Marg, and chanted slogans against the eight parties and in support of the king, who has been stripped of all his powers.
Cadres of the Maoist sister organisations, All Nepal National Independent Student Union Revolutionary (ANNIFSUR) and Young Communist League (YCL, staged demonstration at Ratnapark in the morning in an attempt to foil a rally planned by king’s supporters. The royalists, however, didn’t organise the rally in the area.
Known royalists like former prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Kirti Nidhi Bista and former royalist ministers Niranjan Thapa, Roshan Karki, Buddhi Man Tamang and Mohammad Mohsin were among those joining a grand birthday party hosted by the king this afternoon.
While the royalists proceeded towards the palace from Durbar Marg, the Maoist cadres were demonstrating around Ratnapark, Bhadrakai, Shahid Gate and New Road. Large number of Nepal Police and Armed Police personnel were mobilised in and around Durbar Marg in view of possible confrontation.
On Friday, the palace had requested the government to provide security during the Diamond Jubilee birth celebration of the King.
A daily newspaper today published a photo showing barbed wire fences at the south gate, indicating heightened security at the palace.