Kathmandu, May 1:Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kamala Pant gave away certificates to participants of an electrical training programme organised by the Nepal Electrical Association (NEA) in collaboration with the Balaju Technical Training Centre and the Janata Cable at a function held here this afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State Pant said that technical know-how increases one’s advantage in obtaining a job. “If these type of training camps are held more often and if more and more participants receive technical training, we will be reducing our dependency on plumbers, carpenters and electricians from across the border”, she said.

Ramesh Chandra Acharya of the Nepal Electrical Association while highlighting the objectives of the training programme said that the training enclosed altogether of four packages and that it was also held in Makawanpur, and Birgunj besides Kathmandu.

Prakash Man Pradhan of the NEA, Principal of Balaju Technical Training Centre Lekh Ratna Shakya and Programme Coordinator Niraj Surana also spoke on the occasion.

Kathmandu, May 1 In accordance with the decision of the 50th Board of Directors Meetig of the Association of Development Financing Institutions an Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP), the 23rd ADFIAP Annual Conference is being held from May 2 to 4, 2000 and it is being hosted by Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC).

The conference is going to be inaugurated by Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar. Altogether 44 delegates from 18 ADFIAP member countries are participating in the conference, this is stated in a press release issued by NIDC, today.

ADFIAP is a regional organisation of development banks and other financial institutions engaged in the financing of development. Founded on October 1, 1976 during the Sixth Regional Conference of Development financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific in Manila, Philippines under the auspices of the Asian Development Bank, ADB, ADFIAP is a non-government organisation (NGO) affiliated with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN), the press release feuthn stated.

With a vision to become the world’s leading association in development finance, ADFIAP’s mission isto foster closer relationship among members through provision of services and enabling member-institutions to improve and upgrade their activities to help sustain development of their respective countries.

From 31 charter signatories in 1976 including NIDC, ADFIAP has grown to a diverse membership gorup totaling 78 members ranging from very small to large financial institutions from 34 countries from the Asia-Pacific region and some institutions outside this region such as those in Egypt, Canada and Brazil which aim to establish closer links with financing institutions in this region.

As a strong catalyst of development, ADFIAP aims to help members to be a viabale financial institution through braining and development, networking, business opportunities and information technology. ADFIAP, up a regional it network called SEMENTRE COM in 33 countries so as to enable it to become the largest centre for SME’s in the region.

In this context, one of the highlight of the 23rd Annual conference, will be the switching on of the SMECENTRE. COM. NP, Nepal. This web site facility, initiated and made available by NIDC, will be the global gateway facilitating small and medium business enterprises of Nepal.

The theme for this year’s conference, “Development Banking in the New Millennium” brings to the fore the evolution of development banking in different countries in the regior. It is also a forward- looking event to “see” for ourselves what development banking will be in year 2000 and beyond.

With the advent of the third millennium, it is for DFI’s to restate their baisc purpose with the continuing challenge to remain viable and profitable institutions. It is the need of the hour fro DEI’s to be attuned to the wave of changes in the financial services industry in the years ahead. Only the most nimble and innovative banks and financial institutions will live to see tomorrow.

It is in this context members of ADFIAP are gathering in Kathmandu for their 23rd Annual Conference with the theme, “Development Banking in the New Millennium” which will give them a fresh impetus to face emerging challenges of the new millennium.

Inaruwa, May 1:A statue of the late Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to scale Mount Sagarmatha, has been installed at the local Kalabanjar Chowk of Bharaul VDC in Sunsari district.

The six feet tall granite-marble statue designed by architect Arun Katuwal was constructed and installed at the cost of Rs 50,000.

Central member of the CPN-UML Bhim Prasad Acharya unveiled the statue at a function organised here recently.

A three Bigha land worth about 1.5 million rupees has been donated for construction of a shrine at Madhesa village in Sunsari district.

The shrine is to be constructed under the chief patronage of the Jagadguru Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswoti of the Kanchi Kamakothi Peeth.

Besides the shrine, a Sanskrit High School, a homeopathic clinic and dispensary, yoga centre and a shelter for cows is also to be constructed on the land donated by Chakra Bahadur Karki, a resident of the locality, it is learnt from the Sanatan Sanskriti Sanrakshan Samiti, Sunsari.

Although a number of service-oriented works are being carried out in different parts of the country with the patronage of the Jagad Guru, the Shankarmath shrine at Madhesha Village will be the first of its kind to be developed for the protection and promotion of the hindu religion and culture, it is believed.

In biratnagar, the local Balkalyan Bidya Mandir High School at Ward No. 15, Biratnagar sub-metropolitan city, organised a school level competitive poetry symposium here Friday in honour of senior literary critic and essayist Dr. Taranath Sharma.

On the occasion, litterateur Dr. Sharma gave away prizes and certificates to the winners of the poetry symposium.

Addressing the prize-giving ceremony, Dr. Sharma said that he gave up the opportunity to earn money in the united states and returned back to Nepal out of its love and to serve the motherland and to promote its respect.

Poet Ramesh Khakurel, short story writer Parasu Pradhan and chairman of the Purbanchal Bahudeshyiya Sahakari Sanstha Limited Chiranjbi Dahal underlined the need for creating literature that was full of patriotism and upheld social morality.

Various poets and poetesses had also recited their poetry at the programme presided over by school principal Shaligram Dahal.

Kathmandu, May 1:The National Dairy Development Board has requested all the sides concerned to immediately cancel their scheduled programmes for relay hunger strike, sit-in protests and other such protest programmes saying these programmes of the Central Dairy Producers’ Cooperatives Association seem irrelevant in the context of the Dairy Development Board running various welfare programmes in favour of the dairy farmers.

In a press release issued by the board, it is said that discussions were being held for recommending an appropriate purchase and sales price of milk on the basis of evaluation and analysis of the current market price of milk.

It said measures were being taken for resolving the present problem regarding lactometres after studying the problem, arrangements were being worked out for keeping five elected members from the Central Dairy Producers Cooperatives Association in the board of directors of the National Dairy Development Board as against the present four members.

Similarly, it said tangible efforts were being made to terminate the provision of “milk holiday” within the next year by increasing the local milk consumption and works on restructuring the Pokhara Milk Distribution Project with main participation of the dairy producers’ association was in the final phase of its completion.

According to the press release, plans were also afoot for the gradual restructuring of the Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) according to the principles of cooperatives and works on the construction of a milk processing factory in Kohalpur of the mid-west development region would commence by the middle of this month.

Likewise, work on gradually handing over the milk chilling centres under the Dairy Development Corporation to the dairy cooperatives institutions has been started in connection with the restructuring of the corporation, the board said.

Fodder grass and pasture development programme and other such programmes were also being undertaken in an attempt to reduce the production cost of milk, according to the press release.

Kathmandu, May 1:Over 4 policy activists decided recently to give the voiceless a new voice. Activists from throughout South Asia gathered here recently to design a vehicle to affect change to improve the situation of the disadvantaged in the region.

South Asia is the poorest, most illiterate, malnourished, least gender sensitive, in effect, the most deprived region in the world. The human development issues in South Asia need to be heard.

In response, the South Asian Human Development Forum was officially launched to strengthen efforts to address these important issues.

Speaking to the audience of South Asian Civil Society leaders, government officials and representative from international donor agencies attending the two-day workshop, Ram Chandra Poudel, deputy Prime Minister of Nepal praised the value of this initiative.

This will provide a platform for engaging the region’s stakeholders and practitioners in a common effort to keep human development on the policy agenda in South Asia in the new millennium, he added.

Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Nihal Rodrigo also spoke at the inaugural ceremony of the workshop.

The forum will strengthen the agenda for human development in South Asia by increasing information, sharing dialogue, cooperation consensus building and policy advocacy —development issues and promoting accountability for related policies.

The idea for the forum was born out of the Mahbub Ul Haq commemorative conference held in Ottawa, Canada last year which brought together policy activists from South Asia.

Kathmandu, May 1:Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation Employees Union (RNACEU) has taken serious concern over a news item printed in a Nepali daily Sunday.

The news regarding the sale of two Boeing 757s to buy three Airbuses has drawn the attention of RNACEU, a Union press release issued today said.

The Corporation has lost over Rs. 5 billion in a series of aircraft lease scandals since it sold two Boeing 727s at a very cheap price eight years ago, read the press release.

RNAC not only has been serving the nation for the last 42 years but also is playing a crucial role to make Nepal known in the world, said the press release. “It’s unfortunate that the Corporation, instead of compensating for the two 727s, is taking a move to sell the remaining Boeing 757s.”

The Union also has demanded that the government, Tourism Ministry and the Corporation management make their stance clear about the issue.

Kathmandu, May 1: RPP President and ex-prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa inaugurated a colloquium on 10 years after the restoration of democracy, present situation of Nepalese employees and workers and the future role of National Democratic Trade Union Council on the occasion of the International May Day here today.

On the occasion, RPP President Thapa stressed the need for one and all to recognize the importance of labour so as to help bring about social reforms.

He called for timely improvement in labour laws and stressed the management to be responsible for the rights and well-being of the workers.

RPP Vice President Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani stressed the need for the government to launch programmes for enhancing the skill and efficiency of the workers.

RPP spokesman Kamal Thapa complained that the lives of workers have not seen much change even 10 years of the restoration of democracy.

Joint coordinator of National Democratic Women’s Organisation Durga Shrestha and others also expressed their views.

President of National Democratic Trade Union Council Jaya Kumar Khadka presided.

Kathmandu, May 1: Official talks were held between the delegations of Nepal and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea ) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today.

Foreign secretary Narayan Shumshere Thapa and the visiting North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil Yon had led the respective delegations, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign secretary Thapa briefed the dprk delegations on Nepal’s position on different national, regional and international issues such as the political and economic development taking place in Nepal after the restoration of democracy, liberal economic policy and the economic diplomacy pursued by His Majesty’s Government, terrorism, Bhutanese refugees, Non Aligned Movement and the United Nations.

Mr Thapa also welcomed the upcoming North South summit between the two Koreas.

Dprk Vice Minister Pak briefed the foreign secretary on the dprk’s domestic issues as well as their perception on different regional and international issues including the socio economic development in the dprk, the reunification of the Korean peninsula, nam and international scenario after the end of the cold war.

Responding to foreign secretary Thapa’s request, the leader of the dprk delegation committed their support to Nepal’s candidature for the ecsoc membership during the upcoming election at the un general Assembly.

The talks also focused on enhancing cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.

Foreign secretary Thapa was assisted by joint secretaries Arjun Bahadur Thapa and Pushkar Man Singh Rajbhandari and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and visiting dprk Vice Minister Pak was assisted by the dprk ambassador Kim Thae Jong and other official of the North Korean Foreign Ministry and North Korean Embassy in Kathmandu.

Earlier on arrival here, Foreign Secretary Thapa had received the visiting dprk Vice Foreign Minister at Tribhuvan International Airport.

North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak is paying a four day visit to Nepal at the invitation of His Majesty’s Government.

Kathmandu, May 1 :An 11-member delegation led by Nepali Congress Bharatpur town community chairman Pramod Kumar Shrestha called on Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar today to apprise him of various problems facing the Bharatpur town.

During the meeting, the delegation demanded that new telephone lines be installed at Ramnagar-Thimura area of Bharatpur, telephone lines be extended to ward No. 13 and 14, a suspension be built at the B.P. Shantinagar forest and drinking water facility be provided at wards Nos. 5, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14.

The delegation also stressed the need to build a city hall, construct embankment along Narayani River from the existing lift irrigation to Dashimal and resolve the town’s other problems.

The delegation included Ten Prasad Gurung, Umesh Poudel, Mukti Lal Chuke, Keshav Kandel, Bamdev Khanal, Badri Acharya, Maiya Devi Shrestha, Jaya Ram Shrestha, Hari Bhakta Khanal and Devendra Gurung.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Rukum district led by Nepali Congress Rukum district president Gopalji Jung Shaha met Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter’s residence today to apprise him of the problems created by the Maoist activities in the district.

The delegation asked the Prime Minister to take immediate measures to restore peace in the district, increase the financial assistance being provided to the Maoist victims and pay due attention to improving education, health, electricity and transport facilities in the district.

The delegation included mp Keshar Man Rokka, ex-mp krishna Gautam, nc district treasurer Navaraj Gautam and member Prem Prakash, Chuwang vdc chairman Nanda Bahadur Bista and other representatives.

Kathmandu, May 1 :Cpn-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal inaugurated the Manmohan Labour Building and Health Co-Operative Clinic of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (gefont) on the occasion of the third national convention of gefont.

The building has been purchased by gefont with its own resources at a cost of Rs 8,640,000 to commemorate founder leader of the labour movement of Nepal late Manmohan Adhikari.

The building has 50 rooms. The health co-operative clinic aims at providing health services to gefont members and the public at large.

At the function, as general secretary Nepal said that a well-managed organisation and dedicated and disciplined cadres could not only instil confidence into the people, but also help resolve the problems arising out of the mismanagement of the national affairs.

Noting that gefont had not only led the trade union of the country in a planned manner, but had also been making remarkable contributions within a very short time, he suggested that attention be paid to the welfare of the labourers for the development of the national industries.

At the programme, general secretary Nepal thanked various persons extending co-operation for acquiring the Manmohan labour building and gave away certificates to those donating eyes during the third national convention.

Cpn -uml leader and MP Ishwar Pokharel said that gefont had done a commendable work by establishing a building to commemorate Manmohan Adhikari who gave new dimension to the labour movement not only within the country but abroad also and worked for the well-being of the labourers throughout his life.

Speaking from the chair, gefont general secretary Mukunda Neupaney said that the new building acquired to commemorate late Manmohan Adhikari was a symbol of unity of the labourers of the country.

Gefont vice-president and convenor of the building establishing committee Lalit Basnet and Shar Panta of Model Hospital shed light on the importance of the Manmohan Labour Building and Gefont Clinic.

Also today, Cpn-uml general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal inaugurated the third national conference of Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions here today.

In his inaugural speech, general secretary Nepal said labourers should also have some control in the politics of the nation.

Stating that the labourers were in the frontline during political changes that took place in the country in 2007, 2036 and 2046 Bikram year, Mr Nepal said they should also play an important role in workers rights and welbeing, social changes and democratic development.

All Nepal Women’s Association President and MP Mrs Vidhya Bhandari said division in political parties affected the federation but it still has been working actively for the professional rights and welbeing of the labourers.

President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (fncci) Pradip Kumar Shrestha said many experiments were carried out in the industrial sector during the past 10 years but development works have not moved ahead.

Messages of best wishes from the People’s Republic of China, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Denmark, New Zealand, and other related organisations in Nepal were read out on the occasion.

The representatives of the labour unions of various countries and other speakers also expressed their views at the function chaired by the federation president Mukunda Neupane.