Nepalgunj, Apr. 12: Former central president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Mr. Kishor Nepal says that journalists whether they belong to the 21st century or the previous century have an important and equal role to play in the political, economic and social awakening of their motherland.

The former FNJ president said this while presenting a working paper on ” Nepalese journalism in the twenty-first century: a voice for the voiceless” at a workshop entitled “professional journalism for the 21st century” jointly organised by the FNJ central committee and the Frederick Ebert Stiftung in Thakurdwara of Bardiya district on other day.

He said journalism prior to the popular movement of 1990 was a “movement”, therefore, its “mission” was not over.

Rather the mission has started after the success of the 1990 Popular Movement and the mission is safeguarding and consolidation of democracy, he added.

‘Professionalism’ in journalism does not signify ‘business’ as is understood commonly, he said, adding that rather it denotes development of skills, the style of functioning and professionalism in work and the newsroom.

It also means a degree of responsibility and becoming mentally and physically strong so as to be able to make a living out of the profession. He further said.

Dinesh Kumar Shrestha of Bardiya commented on the working paper while senior journalist from Kanchanpur Ram Bahadur Chand chaired the session.

Presenting a working paper on “Professionalism and trustworthiness of the Nepali journalism” at the opening session, editor of the Nepal Samacharpatra national daily Kapil Kafle said that while talking of reliability and responsibility of the Nepali journalism in terms of its professional development, emphasis should be given to the elements of liberal organisation, implementation of the code of conduct and training and evaluation.

Presenting a working paper entitled “the challenges of journalism in the countryside in terms of professional journalism” in the second session of the workshop recently, Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) mid-west regional bureau chief Pramod Pradhan said that the government, journalists and the society, the three main players in the development of journalism, should make earnest efforts from their respective sides for facing up the challenges of journalism sector in rural and outlying areas.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: Minister of State for Women and Social Welfare Kamala Devi Pant today inaugurated a two-day children’s festival organised by the Lhyamha Pucha central committee at Bhrikutimandap on the occasion of the new year 2057 Bikram Era.

On the occasion, Mrs. Pant said that if the Bhrikutimandap area could be developed into a children’s park it would contribute to the mental and physical development of children.

She also distributed certificates to 25 participants of a training in public announcing organised by Lhyamha Pucha.

MP P.L. Singh, advisor to the Pucha Harsha Narayan Dhaubadel, Govinda Biyogi and Hiranya Lal Shrestha also spoke at the function chaired by central chairman of the Pucha Sahan Shila Shrestha.

The Social Welfare Council has provided land at Bhrikutimandap for 25 years for running a children’s park and the Pucha has invested Rs. 4,100,000 so far in the park.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: The Explorer Nepal Group today announced that with the beginning of a New Year of the Nepali calender it would launch new programmes towards improving ecological degradation of the country in general and the capital valley in particular.

“We have decided to begin the campaign from Nepali New Year (April 13),” the Group said at a press meet here this afternoon. “We played an important role in making the government take a decision last year to ban diesel-operated three wheelers from the capital valley and the decision drew positive responses from across the globe.”

The campaign includes boycotting plastic bags, closure of state-owned Himal Cement Factory, removal of two stroke vehicles from the country, fixing standards for gas-operated vehicles, phase-out of the old vehicles failing to meet the emission standards, said a press release circulated at the press meet.

The Group Managing Director Bharat Basnet appealed to all individuals and organisations to co-operate them in their campaign to make Kathmandu a pollution free place.

Stating that the growing problem of pollution could severely affect Nepal’s tourism sector and hence the national economy, Basnet said, “A collective effort of all can lead the campaigns to yield better results,” he said.

Janakpurdham, Apr. 12:The festival of Ramnawami was celebrated today at Janakpurdham with traditional gaiety and religious fervor.

Lord Ram, the eldest son of King Dasharath of Ayodhya was born on the Chairtashukla Nawami day during the Tretayuga age and the day is being celebrated as the birthday of Lord Rama (Ramnawami) since time immemorial.

Since early morning, devotees in large numbers performed ablution at the historical Gangasagar and Dhanushasagar, and offered prayers and worships at the Ramjanaki Temple.

As in the previous years, there were large number of sadhus and saints at the Ram Temple.

The Guthi Sansthan provides cash to the sadhus to buy food, firewood and vegetable. Arrangements have been made for the stay of the sadhus and saints for nine days.

The number of pilgrims visiting Janakpurdham on the occasion of the Ramnawami festival has decreased this year.

Rasuwa, Apr. 12:A fire at about 6 p.m. at the official quarters of the chief district officer in Dhunche, the headquarters of Rasuwa district, gutted the entire building including all official documents and furniture on Tuesday.

The fire broke out all of a sudden from the six-room building and the chief district officer was not present in the house at that time, the security guard at the quarters Krishna Bahadur Bogati said.

The fire was extinguished through the joint efforts of the Royal Nepalese Army personnel, police and the local people.

It is suspected that the fire might have started due to an electric short circuit.

Details of the extent of loss caused by the fire is not yet known. Likewise, a fire is said to have broken out again at the Jayabhawani Rice Mills godown at ward No. 8, Parbatipur, Shamshergunj village in Banke district, it is learnt.

It is not yet clear about the circumstances of the fire and the total damage caused by it. It is only known the godown had 6-7 thousand rice sacks in store at the time of the fire.

The fire was doused after five hours of efforts by the Nepalgunj fire brigade.

Similar fire had also broken out at the godown on April 8.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Poudyal has stressed the need of character building among the youths.

Distributing the prize to the winners of nation-wide open folk dance competition programme, organised by the Reiyukai Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Poudyal expressed concern over the deterioration of values in the society. He asked the social organisation like Reiyukai Nepal to work in the field of inner-self development.

Chobar, Kathmandu and Banepa branches of the Reiyukai Nepal were awarded first second and third prize respectively.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: Chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi has underlined the need to raise awareness among the people for preservation of Hindu religion and culture.

Dr. Rayamajhi made this remark while inaugurating the first great religious meeting and the fourth general assembly of the world Hindu religion unity federation here today.

On the occasion, Dr. Rayamajhi gave away certificates to life members of the federation.

A host of other speakers including MP Shanker Pandey and Bada Gurujyu Keshari Raj Pandey had expressed their views at the function chaired by federation president Rhita Bahadur Budhathoki.

Addressing another function organized by the World Hindu Federation Nepal National Committee here today, Dr. Rayamajhi remarked that efforts made by the federation for the preservation of Hindu religion and culture are praiseworthy.

He also gave away this year’s Panini Award to Pandit Bhimkant Panthi for his remarkable contribution to Hindu culture and Sanskrit language and literature.

The award carries a purse of Rs 25,000.

Similarly, Dr. Rayamajhi presented letters of honour to chairman of the Sanatan Dharma Sewa Samiti Prof. Mukunda Sharan from the vedic sect, chief Lama of Namobuddha Kavre Sonam Gelbung from the Buddhist sect, Swami Manibhadraji from the Jain sect, Man Mohan Singh Sethi from the Sheikh sect and Bijayashree Gautam from among women.

A host of speakers from different sects had expressed their views at the function chaired by committee secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel.

A message from His Majesty the King wishing for the success of the programme was also read out on the occasion.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: Janakpur Cigarette Factory (jcf) was on the verge of closure about three years back. But it now contributes revenue of Rs 442,707,000 to hmg.

Jcf, which paid the maximum revenue of Rs 471,000,000 in 1991-92, suffered a loss of Rs 110,000,000 in 1996-97.

General manager Hari Gautam attributes the dismal performance by the factory at the time to inefficient management.

Besides, the management and employees were under the false impression that there was no competitors, and jcf would survive whatever the quality of its product. The management could not pin-point effective ways of running the factory.

After the restoration of democracy, people started to talk of rights, but not of duties and responsibilities. This was the main reason the factory nearly closed, according to Gautam.

The factory, set up by the first elected government of the Nepali Congress in 1960, was once the most successful and the biggest in the mid-Terai region. It made significant contributions in terms of revenues.

The losses that the factory incurred continuously since 1993-94 reached Rs 110,000,000 in l996-97. With improvement in management and efforts to regain the lost market, it is not incurring any loss at present.

The factory first started production 37 years ago and now produces five cigarette brands.

With no profits, the factory could afford replacement, repair and maintenance of machinery to produce only 10,000,000 cigarettes daily in two shifts.

Jcf’s annual requirement of tobacco is 2,500 tons, and the domestic supply meets only 25 percent of the demand.

Tobacco has been grown in Sarlahi, Siraha, Dhanusha and Mahottari districts with the cooperation of the tobacco development and research centre, Belachapi. Fifteen to 20 thousand farmers are engaged in the tobacco cultivation, it is learnt.

The factory imports a large quantity of tobacco from India. One kilogram of tobacco is sufficient to produce almost 1,000 sticks of cigarette. The average cost of production of all brands is Rs 0.51 per cigarette.

Owned solely by hmg, jcf occupies a sprawling area of 36 Bighas at Janakpurdham, Dhanusha district in the central development region. Its assets throughout the kingdom total over two billion rupees.

Production increased by 6.18 percent, sale by volume by 7.34 percent, sale by value by 12.37 percent, and revenue by 9.43 percent in 1999-2000 as compared to 1998-99.

Under the erstwhile Panchayat regime the main function of jcf was felt to be to provide employment, general manager Gautam says adding that the number of employees has now been reduced from 2,800 to 1,853. The factory could be run efficiently with just 1,000 employees.

He adds “the management should not be changed frequently if the factory is to run efficiently. The wrong notion here seems to be that the management is the sole factor. There have been l0 general managers during the last ten years.”

From the production data, it can be seen that 251,640,000 sticks were produced in the month of Falgun, an increase of 52.70 percent over the preceding month.

Likewise, 206,716,000 sticks were sold and Rs 105,868,214 received from the sale. Sale increased 13.37 percent over the previous month.

The other cigarette factories in Nepal are Surya Tobacco Company, Nepal Tobacco, Seti Cigarette Factory and perfect blend. These produce six different brands.

Kathmandu, Apr. 12: The South Summit opened today at the Palacio de Convenciones, Havana under the Chairmanship of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria. The focus of the Summit is on the broad themes of Globalisation, Knowledge and Technology, South-South cooperation, and North-South relations, according to the UNDP statement. An interactive high-level dialogue would also take place on the role of the United Nations in the 21st century. UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan is scheduled to address the Summit this week.

The Chairman of the Group of 77, Chief Arthur Mbanefo of Nigeria, described the event – the first ever Summit of the Group of 77 – as “a unique opportunity to renew the South’s commitment to international cooperation and development and an occasion for developing countries to galvanize their strength and solidarity into a truly energetic force capable of conditioning the international economic order in which the Group of 77 must operate.”

The Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mark Malloch Brown said that UNDP is strongly committed to further strengthening its support to programme countries and to building on its strong partnership with the Group of 77. Brown noted that UNDP had a strong history of cooperation with the G-77 that dated from its establishment in 1964, and regarded itself as the development agency of the developing countries. He said UNDP was in the process of reforms aimed at further strengthening its services to programme countries.

More than 120 countries and 60 Heads of State and Government, are expected to attend the four-day meeting. The Summit of Heads of State and Government will take place from 12-14 April.

The Group of 77 is the largest coalition of developing countries within the United Nations, providing its members with an important platform for the discussion of economic and social issues. It currently comprises 133 developing countries from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Nigeria is the presiding country for the Group for 2000.

Biratnagar, Apr. 12: Minister for Finance Mahesh Acharya honoured journalist Yogesh Upadhyaya, environmentalist Sebai Lal Chaudhari and Prof. Bikram Rai by presenting them shawls at a function organised by public felicitation committee here today.

On the occasion, Minister Acharya said that a lot more had to be done to banish poverty and employment, provide social justice, protect human rights and honour creative personalities.

Pointing out the need to review and evaluate the works carried out in the last 10 years following the restoration of democracy impartially and in a transparent manner, he said that though some distortions and inconsistencies have been seen during the period, abundant doors for the development have been opened up.

Finance Minister Acharya pointed out the need for all concerned to move ahead with commitment to protect environment, raise the standard of education and enhance the dignity of journalism.

At the function, Rajparishad member Meghraj Sharma, former minister of state Radha Prasad Ghimire and industrialist Jagadish Prasad Rathi said that the work performed with dedication and spirit of services will be evaluated by the society.

Journalist Shankar Kharel, organising committee member Rabin Dahal and felicitated personality and social activist Sebai Lal Chaudhari expressed their views on the occasion.