The government has agreed to increase the monthly salary of government employees from the upcoming fiscal year.

During the ongoing talks between the government and the agitating government employees at the peace ministry Sunday morning, the government has also agreed to the demand of the employees to allow joining trade unions to section officers as well.

The historic decision of the reinstated House of Representative last year states that the section officers will also be allowed to join trade unions.

However, it has not been made clear about the increment amount and the skills development programmes for the employees.

The commission formed to review the salary of government employees had suggested the government to double the pay scale.

But the agitating employees said they would continue with their protest programmes. As part of that, they halted works in their offices for an hour today morning.

The two-day meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) has begun in the capital on Sunday to finalise the three-year interim plan.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala inaugurating the two-day meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) organised by the National Planning Commission in the capital on Sunday, June 24 07. nepalnews/ANA

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala inaugurating the two-day meeting of the National…
Addressing the inaugural session of the council, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who chairs the council, stressed the need for regional balance in development programmes during the interim period to achieve the goals.

The meeting would seek suggestions from its members and give final shape to the ambitious interim plan which aims to invest Rs 587 billion in the next three years.

The interim plan period starts with the upcoming budget.

Ministers, parliamentarians, experts, businessmen and civil society members, appointed as members of the recently formed NDC, are attending the meeting being held at Hyatt regency.

The government aims to achieve a 5.5 percent growth rate during the plan period and reduce the poverty level to 24 percent.

Chitwan National Park has expressed concern over the increased involvement of local villagers in poaching rhinoceros and smuggling their hides and parts for immediate gains.

The park officials said that since the local residents themselves are involved in poaching wild animals instead of conserving them, it has posed a more serious challenge in checking poaching of rhino.

“This year, among the two dozen persons who were arrested on charges of poaching rhinos 22 poachers were from Chitwan district alone. We have arrested them with full evidence to show their involvement in the killing of wild animals for smuggling purposes,” Kantipur FM quoted acting conservation officer Kamal Jung Kunwar as saying. He further said, “This is indeed disheartening and shows the new challenge posed to the people involved in rhino conservation.”

The FM reported that after Amar Bahadur Tamang, chairman of Kalabanjar Forest Users’ Group of Chitwan National Park was found involved in poaching rare animals, it became clear that there was involvement of local people in this racket.

Chitwan National Park, which is one of the major wildlife sanctuaries in Nepal, has started searching for Tamang who is said to be absconding since.

A case was filed against him in the district court accusing him of being involved in smuggling of animal parts a week ago.

“We are surprised to see the chairman of forest users’ group involved in animal poaching and smuggling of their parts,” said Chitwan National Park’s assistant warden Annanta Nath Baral.

Only last month, three men from Chitwan were sentenced to jail after being convicted in smuggling of rhino parts.

Non-resident Nepalis Association (NRNA) has asked the government to set up a “separate mechanism” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to look after matters concerning the Diaspora.

Joint delegation of the NRNA and FNCCI meets with Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan, Sunday, June 24 07. Photo courtesy: NRNA

Joint delegation of the NRNA and FNCCI meets with Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan, Sunday, June 24 07. Photo courtesy: NRNA
A joint delegation of the NRNA and Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) met Foreign Minister Sahana Pradhan on Sunday and made the request. The delegation also asked the government to form a high level committee to facilitate the upcoming NRN conference.

A press statement issued by NARA said minister Pradhan responded “positively to the issues raised by the delegation and assured to form a high level organising committee comprising senior officials of Nepal Government and provide necessary support to the conference.”

The third conference of the NRNA is scheduled for this October.

“The minister also assured the continuous support to the take up the NRN issues and highlighted the need for continuous follow up on the matters,” the statement said adding, “There was unanimity of the view that the Nepalis residing outside of Nepal needed to be more involved in the socio economic transformation of Nepal.”

The delegation also met with Minister for Industry Commerce and Supplies Rajendra Mahato and briefed about the preparation of the third conference.

The government Sunday decided to hold the constituent assembly election on November 22 (Mangsir 6).

A cabinet meeting held at the PMO in Singha Durbar announced the much-awaited election date.

“The CA elections will be held on Thursday of November 22, 2007,” said Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara after the cabinet meeting.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Situala said the election date has been fixed in view of the country’s political conditions and the advice of the Election Commission.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala proposed November 22 as the election date at the start of the meeting, which got instant approval from rest of the cabinet members, it is learnt.

The cabinet announced the poll date a day after the eight-party taskforce suggested Prime Minister Koirala to fix the election date in the first week of Mangsir.

Meanwhile, the cabinet has instructed the Electoral Constituency Delineation Commission (ECDC) to review its report within 21 days.

The cabinet meeting also decided to mobilise the police force throughout the country to ensure security for the polls.

Earlier, the CA elections were scheduled to be held in mid-June but could not take place after Election Commission expressed inability to hold it due to lack of electoral legislations and law and order.

Maoist chairman Prachanda

Maoist chairman Prachanda (File Photo)
Maoist chairman Prachanda has warned that there would be very serious mass movement in the country led by his party if the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections do not take place in Mangsir.

In an exclusive interview with Karan Thapar of CNN-IBN (to be broadcast on Monday), Prachanda said, “I think if we’ll not be able to hold elections in December, it will be disaster in this country. The whole political scenario can change to a very serious anarchy in this country.”

Prachanda reiterated that despite the passage of second amendment of interim constitution, which allows the parliament to abolish monarchy if the latter is found conspiring to derail CA elections, his party pushes for immediate announcement of republic.

“We want that Parliament should take initiative and monarchy should be demolished immediately,” said Prachanda.

He also said Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala will be to blame if elections to the constituent assembly elections are not held on time.

Meanwhile, zeenews.com adds that Prachanda also expressed hopes to be the President of Nepal after the next elections. He hoped that he would be the President of Nepal with executive powers as he expected his party to get majority in the next election. He added that he would not become President for life, but only for a single five-year term.

“Maoist chief Prachanda has favoured special relations with India with the two countries having open borders and close cultural ties,” the report says.

Appreciating India for helping the peace process, the Maoist leader said, “There are ups and downs, twists and turns in our relations with India….(but) there is a sort of unity in interest between the two countries.”

“Delhi played a very positive role in the ongoing peace process…We want special relations with India in the sense that we have open border, close cultural and traditional ties,” said Prachanda.

He, however, said that his party wants equidistant relations with India as well as China.

Prachanda criticised PM Koirala for lacking clear view about monarchy. “He always vacillates between the question of monarchy and Republic.”

“When I had conversation with Koirala five years back, I thought that he was trying to find artful ways to abolish monarchy but now I feel that he was trying to save the monarchy artfully,” he said.

The report adds that when asked about possible “dangers from the military as Army chief Rukmangad Katuwal has close relations with the King,” Prachanda ruled out any possibility of coup, but admitted that some sections of the Army may be active towards that end.

The central committee meeting of the CPN (UML), which will determine the party’s strategies for the upcoming constituent assembly polls, began on Sunday.

Party general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who inaugurated the five-day long meeting at the UML headquarters in Balkhu, will present his political report on Tuesday.

The UML general secretary, who has been more vocal in criticising the Prime Minister of late, said at the meeting that the government had failed to maintain security. He also lashed out at the Maoists for continuing their acts of intimidation.

At the central committee meeting some leaders are set to push their demand for early general convention to elect a new leadership.

Party insiders said the central committee is unlikely to go for the 8th general convention prior to the CA election.

The government and its employees have reached a five point understanding on Sunday evening following which the latter have withdrawn their agitation.

As per the understanding, the government has agreed to increase salaries based on revenue growth. Likewise, employees up to section officer level will be allowed to join trade union.

“Promotion of employees will be guaranteed based on report of taskforce (of Ministry of General Administration),” said Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, who led the government team in the talks. According to a representative of the employees, promotion of those who have served for over 10 years will be guaranteed.

“We have also assured them of reliable security,” Poudel added.

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal (File photo)

CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal.
(File photo)
General Secretary of the CPN (UML) Madhav Kumar Nepal on Saturday said the election environment would already have been created by now if the eight parties had agreed to replace Koirala by another person after he failed to hold constituent assembly polls by mid-June.

Speaking at a training session of the leading party cadres in Dolakha district, Nepal said Koirala would be responsible for all the failures if constituent assembly election does not take place in November.

Nepal allegorically said Koirala as a Prime Minister was on the driver’s seat and he would be responsible for any accident while moving in the path to the CA.

He also claimed that no other parties in the government and the parliament were serious towards holding the election. “It is as if only the UML needs CA polls,” he added.

Nepal has more vocal in criticising Koirala since his return from New Delhi. Media reports had then said Indian establishment had hinted Nepal as an alternative to Koirala.

In keeping with its past commitments, the government is all set to sell 15 percent shares of Nepal Telecom (NT), the country’s biggest and most profitable company, to general public and NT employees.

The decision to this effect was taken by the cabinet Thursday on the basis of the proposal presented by Privatisation Committee of the Finance Ministry. As per the decision, the government will sell Rs 2.25 billion worth of NT shares for now. The paid up capital of this fully state-owned company stands at Rs 15 billion.

The privatisation committee had reached to the decision of selling the shares of the NT, which comes under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Information and Communication, three weeks earlier, according to Kantipur daily. Information minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara had taken the proposal of selling the telecom’s share to the privatisation committee of the Finance Ministry.

Minster Mahara who represents the CPN-Maoist in the government, finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and other senior officials had participated in the meeting which decided to sell 5 percent shares to the ‘employees’ and 10 percent to the general public.

The government had decided to sell its shares as per its policy of reducing its involvement in it. The government had three years ago turned the then Nepal Telecommunication Corporation into a company with the view to gradually privatise it.

Nepal Telecom is the biggest telecommunication service provider of the country occupying the largest market pie. More than 1.7 million people subscribe to its services that include mobile telephony, landline phones and CDMA. ‘