Kathmandu, Apr. 11:Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today said that power was the key to industrial development and called forth initiatives on part of all to harness the water resources the earliest possible.

“If we fail to exploit the water resources within 25 years, we will be left only with water and no power,” Koirala said inaugurating the 10th Himalayan Expo 2000 at Bhrikuti Mandap this afternoon.

Koirala said that the government would review why the nation was unable to exploit the available natural resources during the last ten years to make an effective move ahead.

“I am inspired by the enthusiasm that the business community has shown lately,” Koirala said. “The government will extend total support and total co-operation to sustain this spirit.”

Commerce and Industry Minister Ram Krishna Tamrakar said that the private sector was playing a pro-active role to promote trade and industry in the years following the advent of multiparty democracy in 1990. “The adoption of the liberalisation policy by the state has been instrumental in institutionalising the private sector.”

Stressing the importance of technology, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Pradeep Kumar Shrestha said, “The Expo will serve as a site to introduce the Nepalese business community to the latest technology.”

British Ambassador Ronald Nash stressed the government’s role to create an investment friendly environment and to promote the private sector while the US Ambassador Ralph Frank said, “We can use Himalayan Expo to measure our progress on our promises form year to year.”

President of Nepal-USA Chamber of Commerce and Industry Narendra Basnet stressed policy reform to attract investment. President of Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rajendra Khetan said that the nation needed to go aggressively for industrialisation.

Organised by the House of Rajkarnicar (HoR), the Expo has brought together over 180 exhibitors from Nepal, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Portugal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

HoR’s managing director Birendra Rajkarnicar said that Himalayan Expo was consolidating itself as a business event over the years. The composition of foreign participation grew slightly this year reaching around 60 per cent of the exhibitors. About 40 per cent of the exhibitors are joining the Expo for the first time.

Nepal-USA Pavilion, the British Pavilion, German Catalogue Show, the SAARC Information Kiosk and the National Small-scale Industries Corporation (NSIC) from India are the main attractions of the Expo.

The Nepal-USA Pavilion jointly organised by the Nepal-USA Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the US Embassy occupies about 300 square metres of space with about 23 companies. Catalogue show on infrastructure and environment will be one of the attractions of this Pavilion.

The British Pavilion, jointly organised by the British Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the British Embassy under the sponsorship of the British Trade International, also covers about 300 square metres of space with 22 companies and organisations. About seven of these companies have come directly from the UK.

The German Catalogue Show is organised by Nepal German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Show will be exhibiting numerous product catalogue of German companies. Similarly, the NSIC has 10 companies that have put on display small-scale industrial machines and equipment for the medium and small-scale industries of Nepal.

Expected to be visited by over 70,000 people with target 42,000 business visitors, the Expo will feature talk programmes on various business issues.

Shree Distillery, Radisson Hotel, Gorkha Brewery, Kwality Ice-cream and Bottlers Nepal are among the major sponsors of the event. Other sponsors include Gulf Air, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Pakistan International Airways, Standard Nursery and Nepal Samacharpatra.

Kathmandu, Apr. 10:German Football Association (GFA) has donated football materials to All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) today amidst a function at the ANFA complex at the Satdobato, Lalitpur.

The First Secretary of the Nepal based German Embassy, Michael Meyer, handed over the football articles to ANFA President Ganesh Thapa.

The donation, which included footballs, T-shirts, bags, track suits, shorts, socks, trousers and photocopy cartridges and which came from the Deutchser Fussball-Band, Germany, is the sign of the good relations between two nations and two football associations. “Because of this good relation, players cand coaches of Nepal have been benefited from the visits to Germany at many occasions,” he said.

This is also the reminder of the Germany request for the support from ANFA for Germany’s bidding to host 2006 World Cup Football, Meyer said. The good cooperation of Germany to Nepalese side will continue in future too, he added.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, ANFA President Thapa said that Germany has always been helpful for the cause of Nepalese football.

The preent donation, to be used for the ANFA’s development of youth football programme, will be of great assistance to ANFA’s football development programme, he said.

President Thapa also said that the ANFA Academy hostel has started facilitating players selected under ANFA youth programme.

Thapa further said that ANFA needs about ten million rupees for its Youth Football Development programme. He said that ANFA had been assisted from many affiliated members and other sponsors from whom it has collected about one million rupees in just one month. After the ceremony, the Germany Embassy’s First Secretary visited the ANFA Hostel building and inspected it.

Kathmandu, April 10: British Embassy in Kathmandu and Nepal-Britain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NBCCI) jointly organised a ‘Presentation on British Wool and Nepal’ to expedite the promotion of British wool that could be used in weaving Nepalese carpets exportable to world markets.

The one-day programme precedes the Himalayan Expo – 2000 beginning April 12 until April 16 in the capital.

The participants of the programme said that Nepalese carpets made of British wool had bright prospects of capturing world markets, including Europe and America. They said that the British wool would be displayed at British Pavilion in the upcoming Expo.

British Ambassador to Nepal Ronald P. Nash said that the export of British wool to Nepal would not only promote the bilateral trade but also strengthen the friendly ties between Nepal and the United Kingdom.

Presenting a paper at the programme Richard Poole of the British Wool Marketing Board highlighted the features of British wool and said that it could be used to weave finest quality carpets saleable all over the world.

NBCCI President Rajendra Khetan, NBCCI Sectetary Ashish Sengupta and CCIA President A. G. Sherpa also threw lights on Nepal-Britain bilateral trade relations.

Kalaiya, April 10: Central general secretary of the Rastrita Prajatantra Party (RPP) and MP Pashupati Shumsher Rana inaugurated the second district convention of the National Democratic Youth organisation, Bara district committee in Kalaiya recently.

Addressing the convention, Rana said the Maoist problem has emerged as a complex problem before the country in the ten years since the restoration of democracy.

Because of the fear of Maoist terror, hundreds of people in some districts have been forced to abandon their homes and take shelter elsewhere, he said and rapped the Nepali Congress for not being able to resolve the problem.

The Neapli Congress only knows how to organise revolts and win elections at any cost, he alleged.

The RPP general secretary observed that the youths should be actively guided towards creative activities for consolidation of the party organisation.

At the programme, RPP central member and MP Rabindra Nath Sharma stressed youth participation in the party activities and to enhance the quality of their knowledge and skills.

National Democratic Youth Organisation central president Bhuwan Thapa said that the problems in the country could be overcome only with the active participation by the youths.

At the programme presided over by National Democratic Youth Organisation Bara district president Paras Prasad Saha, organisation’s regional Vice-President Brij Lal Pathak, regional member Mohan Thapa and RPP district president Prayag Raj Pathak urged the youths to always keep in mind their responsibility towards the party and the people and move ahead to achieve the party’s objectives in a disciplined manner.

Inaruwa, April 10: Grains, jewellery and household goods worth Rs 600,000 belonging to shital prasad mehata was gutted in a fire that broke out at his house at Ward No. 2, Inaruwa Municipality recently.

How the fire started is not known. It is learnt that the fire was brought under control by using fire engines from inaruwa, Itahari and Dharan.

In Biratnagar, six houses and property worth Rs. 576,515 were destroyed in two incidents of fire recently in Thamjung VDC, Taplejung and Madhya Sarlahi VDC, Sunsari.

According to eastern regional police news room, a fire erupted Saturday at the residence of Taranath Pokharel of Thamlung-3, Taplejung gutted property worth Rs. 424,175 including jewellery and food grains.

In another incident in Madhya Sarlahi VDC, Sunsari, five hutments belonging to Tunulal Pal, Phakani Lal Pal, Bhawani Pal, kabutridevi Pal and Kusumlal Pal and their belonging worth rs. 155,340 were destroyed.

In Itahari, property worth Rs. 5 million includings jute, corrugated sheets, rice, wheat, lintel and oil was gutted in a fire which broke out suddenly last night in the goowons of Bulbul Prasad Rauniyar and Laxmi Raya in Jhumka at ward No-2 of Bhadgaon VDC of Sunsari district.

The fire was put out with 18 hours of efforts by fire brigades from Itahari, Dharan and Inauruwa.

Likewise, the fire which broke out from the house of Prahlad Chauhan at Ward No-2 of Letant VDC engulfed three other neighbouring houses destroying property worth Rs. 2.5 million.

The fire was brought under control through a joint effort of fire brigades from Biratnagar, Bhadrapur and Damak, and local police and people.

In Nepalgunj, paddy, rice, mustard seeds and other foodgrains worth about Rs. 1,800,000 were destroyed when fire broke out at the Jayabhawani rice mills at Shumshergunj VDC Ward No. 8 Parbatipur in Banke district recently.

The fire also gutted machinery and electric goods.

The fire was caused by electric short circuit at 9:45 at night and was brought under control after four hours with the help of Nepalgunj fire brigade, local people, police and volunteers.

Butwal, April 10: Marking the historic popular movement day, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Rupandehi district chapter organised an interaction programme around the topic ” The 1990 people’s movement and the past ten years” here recently.

On the occasion, MP Pari Thapa said the country has not been able to take a definite direction of progress because of the dominance of the anti-nationalist and anti-people power centres following the restoration of democracy through the 1990 popular movement.

He said the very people on whom the people reposed their faith and respected have fallen like the angels on moral grounds and these very people were demeaning the moral basis of the country and the society.

Deputy Mayor of Butwal Municipality Bimal Bahadur Shakya said all hopes of better life and development following the success of the popular movement of 1990 were belied.

Senior journalist Surya Lal expressed the view that democracy cannot become successful until and unless the political parties and their leaders are honest towards the country and the people.

Litterateur Dil Sahani, CPN-ML national council member Tej Prasad Kadel, president of the Progressive Journalists’ Forum Lal Krishna Chapagain and former Deputy Mayor of Butwal Ram Prasad Khanal also evaluated the ten years of democracy in the country.

The programme was presided over by FNJ Rupandehi district chapter president Binod Pahadi.

Likewish in Kapilbastu, the Nepal Tarun Dal, the youth wing of the Nepali Congress, organised a “Youth March” and mass meeting in the district headquarters of Taulihawa recently to mark the historic popular movement day.

Addressing the mass meeting, central member of the Tarun Dal Basudev Junglee said that the youths of the country have extra responsibility of ridding the country from widespread corruption and irregularities and they should move ahead with this mission in mind.

Chairman of the District Development Committee (DDC) Ramesh Sharma said that there have been some lapses in governance by the Nepali Congress belying the people’s expectations and the party should rectify its acts of omissions and commissions.

At the programme presided over by Nepal Tarun Dal Kapilbastu district president Mukti Raj Pokharel, Nepali Congress district secretary Lalit Singh Baskota, former district president of the Nepali Congress Aditya Raj Gyawali, the Landless Squatters’ Problem Resolution Commission district committee convenor Arjun Bahadur Rayamajhi, Tarun Dal district secretary Hari Acharya, Nepal Students’ Union district president Rajesh Gyawali and Tarun Dal district members Kamal Dev Malla and Mrs. Indira Bhattarai expressed their views.

Earlier a procession of the Tarun Dal went around different parts of the town.

Nepalgunj, April 10: Twenty-eight years old man Kumar B.K. of local Khaskushma VDC-8 was killed when knocked down by a mini-truck (BA. 1 KHA. 5922) on the Mahendra Highway recently, it is learnt from the Ilaka Police Office, Kohalpur.

The man said to be in an inebriated state was walking on the road when the accident occurred.

He was severely injured and taken to the medical college teaching hospital for treatment. But he died after a while, according to police inspector Prem Poudel.

The truck has been seized and the driver Mani Bahadur Thapa of Sano Kothi VDC-2, Chitwan district arrested for investigation.

Meanwhile, two persons were injured in a collision between a truck (NA.1 KHA. 5318) and a Toyota van (BA. 1. CHA. 6544) on the road to Kohalpur, 1 kilometre from Dhambojhi Chowk.

The injured have been identified as Kisan K.C. and Bhaikaji K.C. both of whom were traveling by the van.

It is learnt that the Ilaka Police Office Kohalpur later intercepted and took control of the truck which sped off after hitting the van.

Siraha, April 10:Australisn Ambassador Crispin Conroy inaugurated a solar-opeated drinking water project built with the help of the Australian government at Todke Lalpur recently. The project was completed at a cost of Rs. 1,828 million, of which Rs. 1,575 was provided by the Australian government and the rest by the ECCA a local social institution.

A total of 1,200 people of Lalpur VDC Ward No. 1,3 and 4 have benefitted from the project. On the occasion, Ambassador Conroy urged the local people to show the same spirit and enthusiasim in preserving the project as they did in its construction.

Chairman of the drinking water project management committee Bhakta Bahadur Rai.

Itahari, April 10:The community health cooperatives institution, Itahari, organised a colloquium on “The health of the Nepali people in the twenty-first century and our responsibility” marking the World Health Day-2000 here recently. the colloquium was inaugurated by Dr. Rupa Singh.

On the occasion, Dr. Singh said that the human society can improve the status of the health of the people only with the adoption of the health policy of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Representative of the World Health Organisation Dr. Gangaram Chaudhari said that mankind needs to be serious to rid itself of various kinds of diseases afflicting it.

Presenting a working paper, Dr. Nilambar Jha said the health status in the country has deteriorated due to the lack of village-centred health policies and programmes and lack of proper evaluation of programmes already implemented.

On the occasion, Dr. K.S. Thakur, Nepali Congress Sunsari district member Khemraj Dahal, Dr. Suman Dahal, Rabindra Gurung and others expressed their views.

President of the cooperatives Gopal Prasad Gurung presided.

Likewish, central president of the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) Sunil Kumar Bhandari, MP, inaugurated the 23rd general meeting of the FPAN Sunsari district chapter recently.

On the occasion, Bhandari expressed satisfaction at the FPAN’s population control activities but said a lot remained to be done.

He said the status of reproductive health was not very satisfactory and there was high mother and child mortality rate in the rural areas due to lack of awareness. The FPAN has a lot to contribute in this sector, he added. Professor Govinda Subba, Jibnath Bastola and Shyam Regmi also expressed their views on the occasion.

FPAN Sunsari chapter secretary Shyam Pradhan presented the annual progress report of the FPAN branch while treasurer Shyam Singh presented the financial report. FPAN Sunsari district president Mrs. Til Kumari Limbu presided over the programme.

Kathmandu, Apr. 10: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that His Majesty’s Government is committed to preventing and eradicating anti-social and harmful aspects of human civilisation such as terrorism and smuggling.

Prime Minister Koirala, inaugurating the annual conference of senior police officers here today, stated that the police force had to bear the big responsibility of dealing with such issues facing the country.

Stating that terrorist activity in the name of the so-called Maoists had affected some parts of the country, he said it is the prime duty of the government to guarantee security and create an atmosphere for exercising the rights provided by the Constitution.

Hailing the efforts made by the Nepal Police to combat terrorist activity in the past with its limited means and resources, he said despite the active involvement of the police, terrorism could not be brought under control on account of various shortcomings and weaknesses.

The shortcomings and weaknesses of the past have to be rectified and effective and united action would be taken in the near future against the so-called Maoists unleashing their terror, he added.

He said that pursuant to the policy of providing for the welbeing and security of the most people and adopting the spirit of rule of law, the Nepal Police would be mobilised to combat terrorism and at the same time other related measures would also be initiated.

Mr Koirala said, ” I am of the view that not only the government but the whole nation should honour the sacrifice made by the police organisation in combating terrorism. I assure you that there will not be any decrease in the facilities provided in the case of police personnel who die, sustain injuries or are incapacitated during action.”

The Prime Minister expressed determination that hmg would make every possible effort to provide education, employment and additional facilities to dependents of police personnel who die while on duty.

The Prime Minister called upon the participants of the conference to face the challenges in the country with high morale and professional resolve.

The National Security Council will be further empowered, Prime Minister Koirala said adding that consensus would be sought among the political parties to put an end to the terrorism unleashed on the pretext of Maoist activity, law and order would be maintained, development endeavour carried out on the basis of all-party consensus and the perks of the police force also increased.

Referring to inactivity at the Special Police Department, he issued an order to make that department more dynamic and effective.

Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi said the Nepal Police had to play a significant role in maintaining law and order, preventing corruption and ensuring success for the priority given by the government to good governance.

The Nepal Police should make its effort to combat terrorism and smuggling more effective, he said adding that the government’s views on increasing the perks and raising the morale of the police are positive.

Home Ministry Secretary Padma Prasad Pokharel voiced the commitment of the government to maintaining law and order, combating corruption and ensuring good governance.

Inspector General of Police Achyut Krishna Kharel said the Nepal Police was always physically and mentally prepared to effectively combat undesirable and terrorist activities infringing on the constitutional rights of the people and pointed out the need to make the Nepal Police physically well-equipped.

Stating that 165 police officers and other ranks had laid down their lives while fighting terrorists, igp Kharel said if hmg creates an atmosphere for assuming guardianship for policemen making the supreme sacrifice for the sake of the country, it would motivate them greatly.

Additional inspector general of police Ramkaji Wantawa said the police organisation was committed to fulfilling the commitment of the government.

The two-day conference will hold discussions on the achievements and evaluation of police activity against terrorists, an assessment of the law and order situation, strategy adopted by the police, effectiveness of training to meet the challenge to the law and order situation and other relevant topics, it is learnt.