Kathmandu, Apr. 6:Minister for Water Resources and Works and Transport Khum Bahadur Khadka, spoke on “Nepal’s Hydropower Policy and Prospects for Investment in Nepal,” Minister for Industry and Commerce Ram Krishna Tamrakar on “Prospects of business and investment in Nepal” and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Datta Chataut on”Tourism and its prospects in Nepal” at the Export Promotion Meeting-2000 here today.

Minister Khadka, speaking on Nepal’s hydropower policy and prospects for investment in Nepal, said that the attractive export-oriented projects in Nepal can bring great benefit to both Nepal and India if decision makers and developers alike capitalise on the evident of synergy between Nepal’s abundant resources of hydropoewr and north India’s seemingly insiatiable appetite for energy to drive the motors of industry.

Stating that with the adoption of the policy of free market economy, positive indications are being seen in the hydropower development scenario of Nepal, Minister Khadka said that it had been realised that rapid development of vast hydropower potential of the country beyond its needs was essential if the country was to make a quantum jump in the economic development ladder.

He said, “I can see that the economic development trend in the hydropower sector is already shifting to private sector thanks to the timely hydropower development policy of 1992 of His Majesty’s Government which has opened up new avenues to develop the hydropower of the country by motivating national and foreign private investors in this sector.”

The hydropower development policy has made provisions of sole or joint venture of one or more national or foreign investors, joint venture of the government and one or more national or foreign investors, hundred per cent investment of one or more than one foreign investors and joint venture of national or foreign investors, he added.

Stating that  the power trade agreement between Nepal and India had further opened up the export opportunities, Mr Khadka said “the main features of this agreement are that any party (government, semi-government or private) may enter into power trade agreement, parties themselves determine the agreement parameters (including quantity and tariff), parties will be afforded assistance in accordance with the existing laws and regulations and parties will be granted all incentives and concessions prevailing in both the countries for the generation and transmission of power.

As a result of the initiatives in creating a liberal investment climate, hydropower projects totalling 285 megawatt of installed capacity were  being developed of which 120 megawatt was being developed in the private sector, he added.

In order to harness and develop Nepal’s water resources for hydropower generation, he said it has been experienced that policies and legal framework need to be redefined and amended in line with new concepts and trends emerging in the world market with due consideration of technological development, export of electrical energy, possibility of promotion of foreign investment and commitment to environmental conservation.

Hmg is in the process of revising the present hydropower development policy on the basis of the experiences gained in this sector so far, he added.

Speaking on prospects of business and investment in Nepal, Minister for Industry and Commerce Tamrakar said that since 1990 Nepal had been pursuing economic reform measures to liberalise financial, industrial and trade sectors in order to create favourable environment for promoting export, attracting foreign investment,  and developing tourism.

Stating that in the finance sector liberal and market-oriented economic policies have been consistently followed by the governemnt, he said that the policy of liberalisation had been instrumental in improving Nepal’s trade performance.

Minister Tamrakar said, “the government sees export promotion as an essential condition for industrialisation and economic growth of the country. The trade treaty signed between Nepal and India in 1996 has provided preferential treatment to Nepalese products in huge Indian market. As a result, the trade deficit between Nepal and India has reduced considerably in the recent past.”

Nepal had very recently undertaken a multi-model transit and trade facilitation programme which is aimed at reducing the transport and transit cost in the import and export of Nepalese products, he said, adding that the construction of inland container depots in three major commercial zones of the country was executed to enhance the trade position of the country.

In order to further improve the transportation system, the government is making arrangements for railway line up to the Nepalese borders, he added.

Referring to the implementation of the policy of privatisation of public sector corporations in order to enhance the productivity and efficienty, he said that the current trade policy emphasises the lead role of the private sector in expanding both the domestic and foreign trade.

He said that various facilities have been provided to the private sector for the diversification of foreign trade of Nepal.

Minister Tamrakar said, “Nepal had already initiated the process of accession to the World Trade Organisation (wto). The government has started modifying its policies and regulations to be in line wtih WTO requirements.”

Referring to the slow industrial development and its contribution being only around 10 percent in Nepal, he said that Nepal had initiated economic reform measures to make the domestic industries competitive by liberalising imports as well as making them efficient for exports.

A bold and privatisation programme had been implemented by giving private sector an important role so that private enterprises could enhance efficiency and productivity in industrial sector, he added.

Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Datta Chataut, speaking on “Tourism and its prospects in Nepal” said that in Nepal, planned tourism develoment approach was initiated with the formulation of first master plan in 1972 and since then tourism had developed as an industry recognising its potentiality of generating much needed foreign exchange, employment opportunities besides balancing regional disparity and upholding the image of Nepal in the outside world.

Stating that development efforts were relying more on private sector participation in tourism industry while focussing government’s role to be more of catalytic nature, he said in order to institutionalise the existing partnership between government and private sector, an autonomous statutory Nepal tourism board is made functional since 1999 disssolving the Department of Tourism.

In order to expand tourism industry countrywide, developing tourism sites and spots involving local communities, local governing bodies were being motivated with the creation of a tourism development fund at the centre to finance partially the tourism infrastructure projects identified and to be implemented by those local bodies, he added.

He said “tourism is established as one of the most potential and significant economic sector with nearly four percent contribution to the national gdp. Basically, after the restoration of multi-party democracy in the country, government has accorded priority to this sector as an industry realising its comparative advantages.”

Stating that gross revenue from tourism in terms of convertible currency reached us $ 152.5 million in the year 1998 recording an increase of 10 percent annually since the last 10 years, he disclosed that average length of stay of tourists in 1998 was 10.76 days with average spending per tourist per day of us $ 44.2.

Adoption of liberalised aviation policy since 1992 brought a significant breakthrough in the field of air transport both in the international and domestic network, he said, adding that there were 14 online international air services in operation with the annual seating capacity of nearly one million connecting Kathmandu to 23 cities abroad.

Eighteen domestic air operators were providing services along the network of 44 air/STOL ports and number of helipads inside the country and hmg had concluded bilateral air services arrangements with 31 countries with the possibility of operating around four million seats per year.

Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission Prithvi Raj Ligal presided over the session.

Kathmandu, Apr. 6:Mr Rajeswore Acharya, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China has stressed the need to further expand cordial and friendly relations subsisting between Nepal and China in the economic development sector.

Talking to rss, Mr Acharya said that the very cordial relations existing between the two countries in the political sector had to be expanded in the areas of bilateral trade and joint investment sectors.

There is possibilities for joint investment in the fields of water resources, tourism, agro-industries and production of construction materials, he said.

The Royal Nepalese Ambassador that as the trade treaty signed between Nepal and India allows free entry of Nepalese goods into India, it would help to increase joint investments.

In the context of the vast water resources potentials in Nepal and the growing demand for electricity in India, Mr Acharya said there is a great possibility for joint investment in the hydro-electricity sector.

He also referred to the possibilities for joint investment for the development of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Gautam Buddha as well as close religious and cultural sectors.

Mr Acharya said that the Royal Nepalese Embassies should be provided necessary resources and manpower as well as information relating to policies and regulations to enhance investment in accordance with the concept of economic diplomacy, and the administrative machinery made more efficient.

Stating that he had been making all possible efforts in this connection, Mr Acharya said that contacts are being maintained with the academic and the business community in China.

Stating that the Rasuwa-Kerung road can be built for expansion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Mr Acharya said that efforts are being made to install the statues of Lord Buddha and Arniko on the premises of the Royal Nepalese Embassy in Beijing as Buddhism and Arniko have played an important role in the promotion of relations between Nepal and China.

The Royal Nepalese Ambassador said that efforts are being made to establish B.P.-Chou En Lai Foundation and increase contacts between the people of the two countries for promotion of bilateral friendship.

Stating that goods like carpets, handicrafts, gold and silver jewelry could be exported to the China, Mr Acharya said that the government and the private sector should give attention towards promoting Nepalese goods at the trade fair to be organised in Beijing.

Kathmandu, Apr. 6:A workshop  seminar to discuss and interact on the problems of the disabled in Nepal was organised here Wednesday  under the joint auspices of the Swedish International Disabled Assistance Association (siaa) and the Aiaa-assisted associations of the disabled in Nepal.

Member-secretary of the Social Welfare Council Dr. Tika Pokharel and member of the siaa board of governors Miss Ulla Lindberg jointly inaugurated the workshop.

Addressing the inaugural function, member-secretary Pokharel said that the government had been providing financial assistance to the disabled to help them set up skill development and income generating programmes aimed at making them economically self-reliant.

On the occasion, general secretary of Nepal Disabled Association Tirtha Raj Wanta complained that the legal provisions and regulations formulated to ensure the social well-being and safeguarding of the rights and benefits of the disabled were not being implemented in earnest.

He also stressed proper representation of the disabled at the policy formulation level.

Chief guest of the programme and member of the Swedish International Disabled Assistance Association Miss Ulla Lindberg underscored the need for maintaining a working unity among all the disabled persons throughout the world and said mutual coordination and cooperation would help in the efforts aimed at their development.

At the programme, director of the Social Welfare Council Jeevan Bhattarai presented a working paper on “the functional structure, evaluation and monitoring of the international assistance and financial stability” while under-secretary at the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare Ritu Rajbhandari presented a working paper entitled “Nepal’s status and the decade of the disabled in the Asia-Pacific region”.

Similarly, officer of the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare Balram Soti presented a working paper entitled “the use of UN recognised regulations in Nepal”.

According to information given at the workshop there are 300 million disabled people in the world and 2.7 million disabled persons in Nepal.

Siaa has been assisting the Nepal Disabled Association, the Kathmandu District Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing,   Nepal Federation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Nepal Hemophilia Society in various sectors.

The seminar is being attended by  60 persons including the blind, the disabled and the hearing impaired from Nepal and Sweden and representatives of concerned institutions.

Kathmandu, Apr. 6 :No untoward incidents took place in Kathmandu valley and other districts during the Nepal Bandh today.

According to the spokesman of the Home Ministry, no violent activities took place in Kathmandu valley and other district today.

The shops being opened and the vehicles running were safe, life was normal throughout the country, the spokesman added.

The Nepal Bandh called by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) passed off peacefully today.

Most of the shops in the main parts of the city in Kathmandu valley were closed while few vehicles were seen plying the roads.

Employees and members of the general public from distant places were on foot to their destinations.

Educational institutions could not function in a smooth manner and effect of the bandh was clearly visible in most business enterprises or institutions.

Sajha and trolley buses operated smoothly in Kathmandu valley, sources said.

According to manager Kiran Kishore Ghimire, nine trolley buses provided services to the passengers from 5:30 a.m. today.

Similarly, six Sajha buses were plying on the Ratnapark-Lagankhel route, according to Ram Bahadur kc of the Sajha Transport.

Buses were seen taking tourists to and from the airport.

Pokhara: Pokhara remained totally closed today. Employees were seen going to their offices on foot.

According to Gandaki Regional Police Office, means of transport completely stayed off the road in the headquarters of Tanahu, Gorkha, Lamjung, Kaski and Syangja districts.

No unfavourable incidents took place in the six districts of Gandaki zone, an SSP said.

Baglung market remained totally closed today.

Mugu: Today’s bandh programme had no impact in Mugu district and the shops, hotels, offices and schools and other organisation  remained open as usual, according to rss correspondent in Mugu.

Khotang: Diktel bazaar remained partially closed  today.

Nepalgunj:   Life  in  Nepalgunj was fully affected by the Nepal Bandh called by the cpn-maoists.

The Nepalgunj  bazaar remained fully closed and the vehicles of long and short distance routes, and the rickshaw, ekka and tanga also didn’t ply.

The schools and cinema halls were closed whereas the hospital, government offices and medical shops were open.

Janakpurdham: The Janakpur-Jayanagar railway services were run as usual and the Janakpur Cigarette Factory  remained open today.

But the Janakpurdham  bazaar and most of the small towns of the district were closed and the traffic remained standstill.

Chitwan: Chitwan was peaceful during the bandh called by the Maoists until  this afternoon.

The main bazaars of Narayangadh, Mungling, Bhandara, Khairahani, Parsa, Ratnanagar Tandi have been peaceful, the police said

The schools, campuses and cinema halls remained closed today.

Though aircrafts of four different airlines used to come  here daily, only an aircraft of the Cosmic Air came here and took nine foreign passengers to Kathmandu today.

Humla: Simikot, the headquarters of Humla district saw the closure of hotels and shops during the bandh today.

A few shops were opened but no untoward incident took place.

Dolpa: Life was normal here though 5/6 shops  were closed in the district during Nepal Bandha called by the Maoists. Chief district officer Rudra Nath Basyal says the bandh made no impact and  life was normal here.

Birgunj: All the shops including  drug stores, hotels and lodges  remained closed today as per the call of Nepal Bandha by the cpn-maoists.

No vehicle plied except for the bi-cycles in the town areas. The teachers of schools and campuses returned home after signing their attendance and green vegetables coming from the villages was not available and the mini bazaar vegetable market was  empty.

Bhadrapur: The bandh in Jhapa district was peaceful.

All the main market areas of Bhadrapur, Birtamod, Chandragadhi, Dhulabari, Kakarbhitta, Damak, Gauradaha and  Gaurigunj remained closed and the public vehicles including the rickshaw and tempo didn’t ply.

No violent activities were reported during the bandh but the police arrested some persons for inquiry and investigation, according to cdo of Jhapa Dilli Raj Joshi.

Rasuwa: The Nepal Bandh was peaceful and life was normal here today.

Hetauda: During the Nepal Bandh called by the cpn-maoists, the Bhimphedi, Palung, Manahari and Hetauda bazaars and the Hetauda industrial district were affected.

Life in Makwanpur district including Hetauda municipality was normal, according to the police.

Meanwhile,   one of the two bombs thrown by the Maoists at Rajaiya of Manahari vdc along   the Mahendra Highway in Makwanpur district exploded while the police patrol team despatched  by the Manahari Ilaka Police Office was returning in the afternoon but no loss was caused by the explosion, Makwanpur district police office said.

Police is investigating the incident.

Mahottari: Today’s Nepal Bandha programme called by the Maoists was peaceful here.

In this connection, the main bazaars of Jaleswor, Matihani, Bardibas and Gaushala  of the district remained closed and shops of the rural areas were affected by the bandh since   early morning.

In various places of the district including Janakpur-Bhittamod route, no vehicles plied except for bicycles.

Kapilbastu: Kapilbastu district remained peaceful during the Nepal Bandh today.

The main bazaars of the district were totally closed during the bandh and private and public vehicles didn’t ply except for the government vehicles.

Similarly, the employees going to government offices of the headquarters were very low and all the educational institutions remained closed today.

No violent activity took place during the bandh, Kapilbastu district  police office said.

Biratnagar: The Nepal Bandh called by the Maoists today concluded peacefully in Biratnagar, the headquarters of Morang district and life was normal here.

Biratnagar Jute Mills and few medical shops were open, but no incidents of violence or vandalism have been reported so far.

Similarly, long and short route buses stayed off the road and no aircrafts of private airline companies including that of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation landed here today.

Likewise, the main market area of Sunsari district and shops in rural areas remained totally closed today.

Kalaiya: Different places in Bara district were closed and all means of transport remained off the road today.

Medical shops, teastalls and hotels were also closed.

Dhangadhi: In Dhangadhi, Tikapur, Joshipur and other areas of Kailali district, all the shops, transport services and educational institutions were closed but  most of the shops in Chaumala bazaar remained open and life was normal there.

Similarly, all the shops in Mangalsen bazaar were closed  and 20 per cent of the shops in Doti and Dipayal bazaar were open.

Meanwhile, the cpn-maoist workers went to the rural housing company office at Jugeda village at ward   no. 13 of Dhangadhi municipality and raided it and set fire on the important documents in the office.

Dadeldhura: The impact of the Nepal Bandh called by the cpn-maoists was partial here.

Armed police vehicles were seen plying in Dadeldhura but the traffic was completely closed and even no motorcycles were plying.

Similarly, at Khalanga and Bagh Bazaar of the headquarters all the shops except for one or two were closed until 10 in the morning, but after the emergency meeting of all the  business community held at the office of the chambers of commerce and industry the bazaar opened.

The other bazaars of Laldhunga of Jogbuda, Pokhara, Bhatkanda and Kirtipur bazaar were all open except for one or two shops.

According to chief district officer Dilli Prasad Shiwakoti, no tense situation was reported in Dadeldhura.

Dailekh: All the educational institutions, small industries, teastall and other shops remained closed but life was normal here during the Nepal Bandh called by the cpn-maoists.

Due to the bandh, the main bazaars of Dullu, Dandimadi, Naumule, Bestada, Chupra, Dungeswor, Lakandra and Ghumnekhali outside the district headquarters were affected by the bandh.

Though the government offices at the district headquarters were open, number of people   coming for work was very low.

The Maoists had set fire to an empty building  of  the ilaka police office, Dullu Wednesday night.

The ilaka police office was shifted six months ago to Dullu Durbar some 200 metres away out fear of Maoist attack.

Kathmandu, Apr.6:Indian Airlines has requested Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to introduce additional security measures, within the parameters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), at the Tribhuvan International Airport for the resumption of the Indian Airlines flights, Manoj Kumar Bharati, First Secretary at the Indian Embassy, here has said.

“Such security measures have nothing to do with Nepal’s sovereignty,” clarified Bharati. “Such measures have already been made available to many international airlines in Indian airports and many international airports also have such facilities.”

He further added that India was ready to provide facilities like secondary check and passenger frisking for Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) or any other Nepalese airlines flying into India if they seek for such arrangements.

After holding talks for five days last week on the resumption of the Indian Airlines flights, Nepal and India decided to meet again within few weeks. Officials here involved in the talks said that the meeting agreed on many issues while few of them were yet to be refined. Neither of the sides – each headed by Nepalese and Indian civil aviation joint secretaries – elaborated on the discussed issues even after the talks held here were over.

The Indian team arrived here three months after Indian Airlines suspended its inbound flights since December 24 last year when IC 814 was hijacked in the Indian aerospace around half an hour after it took off from the TIA. The scheduled passenger carrier with above 160 passengers hopped to several airports in the region reaching as far as the Middle East the same day it was hijacked.

The following day the Indian Airlines Airbus reached Kandahar in Afghanistan where it remained captured by the hijackers for seven days. Having killed one Indian passenger earlier and having freed more than 20 passengers, most of them ladies and children, the hijackers freed the remaining passengers on the eighth day in exchange of three prisoners in India.

Even if Indian airlines had suspended its inbound flights citing security reasons at TIA after the IC 814 hijack, a high level investigation commission formed by the government has made it clear that there was no security lapse at the country’s only international airport on the day when the hijack took place.

Kathmandu, April 5: Swedish International Travel and Tourism trade fair was recently held in Gothenburg, Sweden from march 23 to 26 2000. The TUR 2,000 attracted 2,036 exhibitors from 101 different countries, covering a net area of 16,100 square meters. TUR provides a golden opportunity for representatives of the travel trade sector in particular to do business with exhibitors from all over the world. The Fair attracted 20,000 trade visitors and 30,000 travel-minded members of the public. There is a big potential in Scandinavia market due to its strong economy amd high-end long-haul tourists, which is NTB encorages private sector to participate in the Fair.

On the opening day of the Expo, there was a joint destinatin presentation programme co-ordinated by PATA Sweden Chapter and Sri Lankan Embassy in Sweden , in which Sri Lanka, India and Nepal participated. This is the first time that Nepal was invited to make a destination presentation in Swenen. Tek Bahadur Dangi, Director Marketing & Promotion gave presentation on Nepal by showing multi media presentation. NTB distributed CD Rom, travel manual, guide book, slide along with Lokta bag as souvenir to all the travel-trade people and journalists who were present on the occasion.

At the fair Nepal Tourissm Board’s stand was decorated by huge painting depicting different scanaries of Nepal, Buddhist prayer flags,posters, laminated photos of Nepal, flags and masks which attracted many visitors to the stand. The visitors were given maps of Nepal, CD Rom, slides, lokta paper bag, travel manual, posters, guide book and many other brochures.

The Swedish International Travel and Tourism Trade Fair lasted four days, the first two days were trade only, whereas other two days were for the public.

Kathmandu, April 5: Phuchche Pepsi (200ml.) was launched by Pepsi Cola Nepal Pvt. Ltd. on 12th March. at Kathmandu, has proved to be a great success. To keep up the momentum of Phuchche Pepsi, Pepsi Cola Nepal launched a caravan of 25 decorated vehicles loaded with Phuchche Pepsi on April 3. The caravan was plying on the following routes from 1 P.M. onwards:

Pepsi Cola office to Maitighar; Maitighar to Kalimati via Thapathali; Kalimati to Lagankhel via Kuleswor; Lagankhel to Boudha via Airport; Boudha to Balaju Chowk via Marajgunj; Balaju Chowk to Balkhu via Kalanki and Balkhu to Kupondol via Sanepa.

Kathmandu, April 5: The Everest Hotel has announced that it would organise a more than a weeklong food fare to mark the Nepali calendar New Year that is on April 13.

The nine-day Punjabi Food Festival beginning April 7 would include 55 varieties of the Punjabi cuisine famous for spicy tastes, the Hotel sources said at a press meet yesterday.

The non-vegetarian selection would include siyalkoti murga, doabe wala kukkad whereas the vegetarians could enjoy sarson ka saag and makki ki roti, which are some of the famous Punjabi dishes for the present season, stated a press release circulated at the meet.

The food festival would include famous Punjabi Bhangra music, they said.

Kathmandu, April 5: There is no dearth of opportunities for enterprising persons in the capital. Ram Bahadur Pandi, 25, who came to Kathmandu all the way from Chakkar village of Dhanusha district, is earning his livelihood by taking rope, broom and other similar items from a wholesaler to various retail shops in the valley.

Educated up to class ten, Pandit earns Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 a month. He sends more than half his income to home. Pandit says he is very much satisfied at his job and it is better to conduct one’s own business instead of going for job hunting.

“As the conventional profession in the village is hardly sufficient to make both ends meet for a recount his tale of sorrow. In the beginning, he used to sell fruits from on a basket carried on his head but now he has purchased a bicycle and takes various articles from one shop to another.

Pandit says the money that could be earned by working as a watchman or washing dishes and utensils in alien land can be earned within the country if one works hard.

“We are not facing serious problem here. Somewhat more work has to be done but this is tolerable when we have to leave our villages to come to the city to work,” says Mahendra Yadav of Sunsari. He earns Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 a month by selling vegetables and fruits and sends home a part of the income. He further says “no matter how much one may each, one can hardly be content. but i am quite satisfied at whatever I earn.”

The exact number of fruit and vegetable vendors in Kathmandu is not known but their number is estimated at eight to ten thousand. Most of them are from Motihari, Sitmadhi and Madhubani districts of India.

The Nepalese labourers do hard manual work carrying sand, bricks and other loads and crushing gravel, but they think that selling fruits and vegetable for livelihood is inferior form of work. This notion in the society has caused flight of millions of rupees to India. Rajendra Chaudhari of Siraha says “I roam door to door selling vegetables and earn enough. So I need not go to money-lenders for self-sustenance, educating children and meeting medical expenses.

Chaudhari onece went to one of the Arabian countries and returned   home earning money to repay his debt. He says it is not necessary to seek job abroad to earn money. If one has skill, efficiency, initiative and will, even by running small business in the country can one earn money sufficient to sustain one’s family with dignity.

“The rumour that indians are discriminated against in any trade in nepal is not true but the metropolitan corporation harasses fruit and vegetable vendors time and again, seizes our cycles and baskets, imposes fines without proper receipts,” disgruntle Indian vendors.

According to them, the full amount of the money paid as fine, which should have been deposited in the fund of the metropolitan corporation, is not mentioned in receipts and vouchers and thus, consequently financial irregularities are taking place.

On   the   other   hand,    the municipal corporation has called upon the vendors to pay the amount of money as mentioned in   the   receipts   and    vouchers and see to it that these are duly signed.

When the vendors display their goods for sale at the busy footpaths, streets, lanes and chowks of Kathmandu, the means of transport are obstructed and the people at large suffer and as the roads have to cleared, this kind of difficult situation arises.

Pokhara: The Ward Police Office, Baidam, is learnt to have arrested seven persons for setting off a fire at the Raniban forest opposite the local Phewa Lake.

Those arrested are Subash Karki of Pokhara-8, Rajesh Shrestha, Arun Shokh, Bir Pun, Dinesh Pun, Deepak Sherchan and Suresh Karki.

The fire allegedly started when the seven boys who crossed over to the forest by using a boat wanted to smoke the fish they had caught.

The fire was brought under control with the joint efforts of the regional armed police force, the Ward police office, Baidam, the Royal Nepalese Army  personnel and the local people. The fire damaged some 15 ropani patch of forest, it is learnt.