Kathmandu, Apr. 24: Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya has said that poverty alleviation will be the overriding objective of the forthcoming national budget.

Minister Acharya who was speaking at an interaction programme on the challenges to the formulation of budget 2000/2001 here today said law and order, good governance, civil service reforms, decentralization and corruption control will be accorded top priority while formulating the budget.

MPs and National Planning Commission members participated in the interaction.

The present Nepali Congress government is committed to effective mobilization of revenue, management of expenditures, strengthening of financial structure and making government’s role in socio-economic development and the overall fiscal management more effective, he said.

Stating that the government is equally sensitive to increasing productive investments and economic activities through privatization and liberalization, he said the government will focus its attention on establishing good governance, improving the financial sector, streamlining government expenditures, promoting the private sector and civil society and the well-being of the people.

Next year, a major part of government investment will go to agriculture and irrigation, poverty alleviation, social sector development, rural infrastructure development, women empowerment, upliftment of the backward section of society, balanced development and the like, Minister Acharya said.

The government will give a new impetus to promotion of trade and industry, tourism, water resources, telecommunications by encouraging private sector investment, he said, adding the privatization drive will be continued effectively.

Npc vice-chairman Prithvi Raj Ligal said the interaction was organised to increase the mps’ involvement in budget formulation and to ensure that plans formulated at local level receive priority.

Chairman of the parliamentary finance committee Smriti Narayan Chaudhari asked the government to bear in mind the feelings of the mps and increase the mps development fund.

Ex-finance minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari stressed the need for the government to increase investment in agriculture, irrigation and rural development, and formulate a concrete policy on revenue collection.

Rpp general secretary Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana spoke of the need to generate more employment opportunities and commercialize agriculture.

MPs Hridayesh Tripathi, Rajendra Pandey, Mrs Vidya Bhandari, Pari Thapa, Navaraj Subedi, Lilamani Pokhrel, Buddhiman Tamang, Dr. Ramman Shrestha and Dr. Dilli Raj Khanal also expressed their views.

Speaker Taranath Rana Bhat presided.

Kathmandu: Minister of State for Health Tirtharam Dangol has stressed the need to discourage the production of tobacco products as the revenue received from it is not sufficient for the treatment of the health problems created by consuming tobacco products.

Mr. Dangol was speaking at a programme organised at   Hanuman Dhoka Durbar area today on the second day of the  South East Asia flame publicity campaign against smoking.

On the occasion, director of the National Health Education, Information and Communication Centre Laxmi Raman Won said a person dies every eight seconds from the consumption of tobacco products.

President of Nepal Jaycees Ful Kumar Lalwani said   as the youths have a special role to play in quiting tobacco consumption,   organisations like the Nepal Jaycees and the National Sports Council are involved in this sacred  campaign.

Chief of division at the National Sports Council Ramesh Khanal said if the amount spent on tobacco is spent on the education of the children, the family, society as well as the country itself  will have a bright future.

President of the National Sports Council Kathmandu District Committee Chandra Binod Chalise said the policy adopted by Nepal regarding tobacco related products is unfortunate. One Ministry gives emphasis to the production of tobacco products while another Ministry says it should be discouraged. Such a contradictory policy should be abolished and the product should be banned, he added.

International Lions Club, district vice president Sriram Shrestha called on all to engage in the anti-tobacco campaign.

From the chair, Pushpa Hira Tuladhar of the Kathmandu Women’s Jaycees said that the women should be involved in the anti-tobacco campaign.

Kathmandu: Ex-prime minister and rpp president Surya Bahadur Thapa has called upon party leaders and workers to seriously work for strengthening the party organisation.

Rpp president Thapa, who was inaugurating the rpp Kathmandu district level workers gathering here today, said the party has currently taken various initiatives to consolidate the party organisation.

He stressed the need for the government to come up with a concrete programme for containing the Maoist insurgency.

Party general secretary and MP Pashupati Shumsher J. B. Rana described the poor law and order situation as the biggest challenge of the day and stressed the need for the younger generation to actively work for strengthening the RPP.

Central member and mp Krishna Charan Shrestha called on all the party leaders and workers to unite for the consolidation of party organisation.

MP Buddhiman Tamang stressed the need for a collective effort for strengthening rpp Kathmandu district committee.

RPP spokesman Kamal Thapa stressed the need for drastic political reforms for ridding the country of the existing aberrations and anomalies.

Party central member Jog Mehar Shrestha, president of Teachers’ Council, Kathmandu Birendra Bikal and RPP youth organisation president Bikas Hamal also spoke about the need to strengthen party organisation.

RPP Kathmandu district president Bikram Bahadur Thapa presided.

Kathmandu: Sancharika Samuha (SAS) today launched a website on ‘Post Beijing Activities in Nepal’ coinciding with its 4th anniversary.

Launched formally by Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta this afternoon, Sancharika website will host news, reports, reviews, interventions and success stories on the twelve critical areas of concern of the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA) collected from organisations and networks throughout the country.

“SAS has shown a laudable performance for doing away with gender inequality,” Gupta said in his inaugural address. “I hope the website will be instrumental in supporting the cause of women.”

Gupta said that empowering women was a difficult task requiring seriousness on part of all. “The government, political parties, non-governmental organisations, media and the civic society as a whole should work hand in hand to achieve this aim.”

Gupta said that it was necessary to make an honest and objective analysis of the achievements and weaknesses of the post 1990 years to make an effective move ahead and appealed to the main Opposition to assist the ruling party to carry out this task.

Earlier, Spokesman of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) Pradip Nepal said that the quality of Nepalese media declined sharply during the last ten years. “Development remains a far cry in a society where media lacks credibility and responsibility.”

“I hope SAS will be able to acquire a distinct image and help redeem the Nepalese media from its present state of incredibility,” Nepal said.

Nepal said that institutions like SAS had a crucial role to play to change people’s attitude to gender.

SAS President Bandana Rana said that Sancharika website – launched with the support of United Nations Fund for Women – would contribute to increasing the participation and access of women to expression and decision making in and thorough media.

On the occasion, SAS also announced an award entitled ‘Sancharika Equality Award’ to be awarded every year to a journalist who writes the best gender sensitive news, feature or report based on the concept of equality. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 15,000 and a letter of acknowledgement.

Literateur Geeta Keshari released a book entitled ‘Nirutarit Prashnaharu (Unanswered Questions) written by SAS executive member Kamala Parajuli. A collection of short stories published by SAS, the book reveals the plight of women caused by gender discrimination.

Established four years ago by a group of women journalists working with print and electronic media, SAS presently claims of 53 members.

Kathmandu, Apr. 1:The number of passengers, cargo transportation and income of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation has   increased as compared to the sixth month period of the last fiscal year.

The number of passengers has increased by 15,000   this year as against last year’s 201,000 and reached 216,000.

In the domestic sector, 102,000 passengers have   taken the service or RNAC which is a decline of 13,000 passengers due to the lack of aircrafts.

RNAC had transported 1,623 tonnes of cargo within six months of last year which increased to 2,399 tonnes of cargo this year.

The corporation made a gross income of Rs 2,808 million with expenditures totalling Rs 2802.3  million and made a net profit of Rs 5,700,000 within six months of this current fiscal year.

Biratnagar, Apr. 1:United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Director for Nepal Arjun Kumar Upadhyaya has said that a new model work plan would be introduced at the pioneer industries of Duhabi, Sunsari, for workers’ safety and treatment of the industrial effluence.

Addressing a press meet organised by the Pioneer Tanning Industries Pvt. Ltd. here on Friday, Mr. Upadhyaya said that an agreement has been signed for introducing the work plan on the initiative of the Nepal Leather Industries and Trade Association with the cooperation of His Majesty’s Government, Ministry of Industries.

The UNIDO would invest in the project, he said.

National project director of the Ministry of Industries and joint secretary Kalyan Bahadur Pradhan, director of the Pioneer Tanning Industries Majhar Hussein, Nepal Leather Industries and Trade Association president Sanjaya Giri and UNIDO Nepal Director Arjun Kumar Upadhyaya signed on the agreement paper to this effect.

It is said that the safety of factory workers in Leather and Tanning Industries in Biratnagar and Duhabi would be ensured and they would be prevented from health hazards resulting from toxic wastes and effluents at the   factories after treatment of the industrial refuge following the implementation of the 517,500 action plan.

Kathmandu, Apr. 1:A delegation of the Nepal Factory Workers Congress  led by its president Indradev Mishra  met Minister of  State for Labour Surendra Hamal and  discussed the   11    point    demands    put forward   by    the   Congress   to the Ministry, according to the private secretariat of the Minister of State.

As the minimum salary fixing committee has already been constituted and works have reached its final stages, if an agreement is not reached by the committee HMG would fix the minimum salary immediately.

Similarly, the ministry and the    factory   workers   reached an agreement as the demands  relating to annulment of the arrangement on gratuity 2019, formation of the national labour welfare fund, the district level tripartite labour committee and tripartite supervision committee, holding election of the official  trade union, and implementation and supervision of the  labour act and regulations have already been made.

Also the same day, the representative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Fonseka called on Minister of State Hamal and discussed current issues in the Nepalese labour sector.

Kathmandu, Apr. 1:Nepal Tourism Board took part in the 25th SMT (Salon Mondial du Tourisme) travel trade fair held in Paris, France from 23-26 March.

Now running into 25th year of its operation SMT is the largest potential travel trade fair, in terms of buyers and sellers,  to be held in France.  There were altogether 615 exhibitors from around 107 destinations.  A total of 86,730 visitors and 6,597 professionals attended the fair during the four days, according to NTB press statement.

NTB stand covering an area of 12 square metres was decorated by a huge painting on canvas depicting different aspects of Nepal, Buddhist prayers flakes, different photos of Nepal, maps, wooden windows etc which drew a large number of visitors and professionals. NTB stand was visited with approximately 5,000 visitors and 200 professionals  seeking information on Nepal concerning new visa regulation, present scenario of tourism in Nepal, mountaineering royalty, trekking etc. The visitors were provided with the brochures regarding the information for tourists in French  language, maps of Nepal, posters, giveaways like money bag and lokta paper bag etc.

A set of press kit containing guide book, brochures on general information about Nepal, Travel manual, Interactive CD ROM, Video Documentaries, slides,   tourist    map   of   Nepal and other informative brochures were distributed to the potential professionals and media people during the fair. The visitors and professionals gave a good response and appreciated about the information brochures and media kit which NTB distributed in the fare.

Furthermore, a delegation of Nepalese participants in the West Europe Road Show which was organised in 10 cities of 6 countries from 17 to 31 March also visited the fare in the two concluding days.  The participants under the leadership of Nepal Tourism Board, got the opportunity to establish contact with the potential tour operators from France other countries taking part in the fare.

France is the 6th largest market in terms tourist arrivals in Nepal. There were altogether 21,303 tourist arrivals by air only in the year 1999.  It is further expected that the arrivals will increase by a greater percentage in the years to come.

Butwal, Apr.1: Nepal Netrajyoti Sangh has the objective of   extending eye care services to all the districts in the Kingdom in the coming ten years.The Sangh has currently been extending eye care services in 36 districts across the country through its 13 eye hospitals and 27 eye care  centres including eye treatment extension services.

Established in 2035 B.S. on Guthi Sansthan land at Tripureshwar, Kathmandu, the Netrajyoti Sangh has now expanded its services to many places across the country from Jumla to Taplejung and Bitadi to Jhapa district.

Eye hospitals and eye care centres have become widespread in the country as a result of the promotion of awareness work carried out by the Netra Jyoti Sangh, central president of the Sangh Dr. Ram Prasad Pokharel said.

According to him, whereas people had to go to India or other countries for eye treatment in the past, Indians are now coming to Nepal for such treatment.

It is learnt that the Sangh has been spending Rs 120 million annually from internal and external sources on the treatment and care of eye patients.

The Ministry of Health has given recognition to the Sagarmatha Chaudhari Eye Hospital, Lumbini Rana Ambika Eye Hospital, Himalaya Eye Hospital and Geta Eye Hospital, all run by the Sangh as high level modern eye hospitals where all eye care services are available.

Among these, the Sagarmatha Chaudhari Eye Hospital, Lahan, is learnt to have provided eye care services to the maximum number of patients and established itself as the hospital serving the largest number of patients.

These eye hospitals which have been recogniSed as such by the health ministry can provide all kinds of eye treatment have been serving  people even areas in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and west bengal states of India Bordering Nepal. According to Dr. Pokharel, the sangh on the one hand faces the challenging task of making all institutions under it self-reliant while on the other it has to expand its services to areas not yet covered.

General secretary of the Sangh Dr. Sambhu Prasad Lakhe pointed out that resource constraints, lack of modern tools and equipment, the gradual reduction of assistance by donor agencies, the poor economic status of people, lack of subsidies and very low investment in eye care services from the government, lack of ophthalmologists and other trained manpower, donor interference in the affairs of the hospitals, managerial and administrative lacunae and lack of planning and project formulation were the challenges and difficulties facing the Sangh.

This year, the Sangh is learnt to have provided eye care services to a total of 640,051 persons through eye hospitals, district eye care centres and the community eye programme being run by the Sangh.

Out of these, 66,272 underwent cataract, corrective and other eye surgery. Intra-ocular lenses were also implanted on the eyes of 58,953 persons, it is learnt.

Compared to last year, the number of out-patients has increased by 0.63 per cent this year and that of persons undergoing eye operations by 19.88 per cent. Similarly, people with intra-ocular lenses have increased by 41.12 percent.

Meanwhile, when the Sangh examined the eyes of 5,508 children under five years of age from 3,885 households in 88 different villages across the Kingdom in connection with looking for possible ways of reducing blindness and child mortality caused by vitamin “A” deficiency, it was found that 153 children or 2.8 percent of the sample population were at risk of becoming blind in the near future due to the deficiency. According to world health organisation (WHO) categorization, villages or districts where diseases due to vitamin “a” deficiency exceed 0.5 per cent are classified as “Grave Health Hazard Areas”.

Similarly, the sangh conducted a study as part of its school health programme under which the eyes of 5,543 children from 69 different schools within Kathmandu Valley were examined.

The study found that 26 percent of the total sample population was suffering from one or the other eye disease while 4.8 percent were vitamin “ A” deficient.

It is further learnt that the Sangh has conducted a total of 57 eye relief camps in different parts of the country this year, benefiting 28,875 people.

Nepalgunj, Apr.1: The Informal Sector Services Centre (INSEC) mid- and far- western regional office here has reported 2,957 instances of human rights violations in the mid-western development region in 1999.

According to a report of the INSEC, out of the total cases of human rights violations reported in the region for the year 1,790 were on behalf of the non-state sector while 1,167 were on behalf of the state.

Of the total reported cases of human rights violations, 119 were murders, 21 concerned rape, 39  were abduction cases, 309 detentions, five related to women trafficking and 95 concerned suicides.

In a press communique the office said that the state of human rights situation in the country has deteriorated in the past some years and it was ever declining due to the lack of seriousness on the part of the state and organised groups about their responsibilities towards safeguarding and respecting of human rights.

Meanwhile, National Assembly Member Rishi Babu Pariyar  issued a communique otherday expressing regret that inhumane treatment of the downtrodden and oppressed communities and the practice of untouchability still take place in the country a decade after the restoration of democracy.

The communique says that the downtrodden and oppressed, who comprise 20 percent of the total population, are still at the receiving end of social malpractices and ill treatment at the hands of the upper castes both in the capital and other parts of the country, adding that the downtrodden have yet to really benefit from democracy.

Referring to incidents of untouchability and discrimination that took place at various times at Bhotenamlad in Sindhupalchowk district, Durgauli in Kailali district, the women’s development branch in Dailekh district, and Budhanilkantha, Naikap and Badbhajyang in Kathmandu, he drew the government’s attention to the economic boycotting of the chamar  community in Saptari and Siraha districts when they refused to dispose of animal carcasses.

He also pointed out that the four million downtrodden and oppressed in the Kingdom have not been able to enjoy the rights provided  by the constitution, and are humiliated at public taps and wells, temples and gatherings in various places.

He has urged His Majesty’s Government to investigate past incidents of untouchability and communal discrimination and take action against the guilty.