Kathmandu, Mar. 25:Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya inaugurated a one-day All Nepal Rotary Inter City meeting here this morning.

Appreciating Rotary Club’s social service campaign, Acharya in his inaugural address said that the government was committed to assist the Club in pursuing its cause.

Past District Governor Vijay S. Bhandari said that Rotary should target its services to them who are most in needy.

President of Nepal National Polio Plus Committee Tehmas Manekshaw said that Rotary was conducting widespread campaigns to fight polio. It is administering polio vaccine to babies nation-wide tomorrow in one of its anti-polio campaign.

Rotary District Governor Shekhar Mehta said that today’s meeting aimed at better informing the Rotarians about Rotary. The theme of the meeting is ‘Know Rotary Better.’

The meeting centred on the issue of ‘club service’. The Rotarians shared views on efficient management, membership extension and retention, programme preparation and public relation.

The Inter City meeting organised by Rotary Club of Kathmandu (RCK) brought together representatives of most of 22 Rotary Clubs nation-wide.

Rotary Club is a service oriented institution with its focus in the field of health and education. “Its because these areas require the topmost attention,” said RCK’s past president Kristhna Timilsina.

Club, community, international, vocational and youth are five different avenues of Rotary service.

Kathmandu, Mar 25:Every thing in this universe is made up with the five elements—earth, fire, water, wind and sky. Nothing except these things exists in this cosmos. This truth, which was revealed, in the ancient time, by the sage philosophers from the Oriental civilisation was also affirmed by the modern science.

When this abiding verity is sketched into a canvas with colours, then certainly the viewers have double pleasures-one is the aesthetic delight from the artistic creation and another would be his or her encounter with the knowledge.

The painting display by the sage like artist Ram Aqbal Sah in Siddhartha Art Gallery offers this opportunity. About a dozen of art works by Sah is also the display of spiritual and metaphysical themes inherent in the eastern philosophy. The paintings appear as a linkage between the artist and the spiritual force.

His works entitled Sri Ganesh,” “Buddha,” “Ekadash,” “Sarswoti,” and others are not only the series of portraits of Gods and Goddesses from Hindu and Buddha mythology, but they also convey the message that calm and spiritual serenity is right path for the human beings.

Although this is his second art show, the Terai based artist Sah had already stamped his name in the Nepalese art world by making alluring portrait of King Prithivi Narayan Shah and Mahatma Gandhi some years ago. Seemingly the humbled artist has dreamed to set up a school of Creative Arts at Jaleshwor, his hometown in Mahottari district.

Likewise, the Belgian artist Alanne De Vuyst decorates the Gallery’s downstairs room with “The Tribal Connection”. His 41 art works in oil, acrylic and mixed colour is the artistic presentation of what the pornography and sex performance are in human society.

“Sex is an indispensable element of life,” he said, interpreting his works. By displaying the paintings of sex organs, especially of the male, he tries to persuade the viewers to remove hesitation in dealing with the sex matters. His works entitled ‘Love Sucks,” “Freedom of Sexual Performance,” “A Bachelor Pleasure,” “Oedipus Complex,” ‘Original Sin,” and “Fatherly Kiss” are put on the ongoing show that will remain open till April 1. Thy also remind the viewers about the fall of man described in the Bible.

However, while a traditional male or female folk come and sees these works, he or she might be blushed. Thus, would be very unusual experience for those who hold the sex matter under the tightened religious, ethical and social framework. The artist seems to invite the people for open discussion of sex from the perspective of current Western views.

Likewise in Kathmandu, the Kastha Mandap art studio organised an art exhibition at Nepal Art Council recently.

A total of 139 paintings and artworks by the studio artists were kept on display at the exhibition.

Senior artists Kalidas Shrestha, Utam Nepali, Sashi Shaha, Bijaya Thapa, Krishna Manandhar and Bhairaj Maharjan were present at the programme.

The art exhibition was organised in memory of the late artist Prashant Shrestha.

Meanwhile in Rajbiraj, senior journalist Shishu Prasad Devkota inaugurated an exhibition of paintings by artist Govinda Prasad Saha “Ajad” in Rajbiraj.

On the occasion, Mr. Devkota said it is the duty of us all to preserve and promote art and culture since art and culture is our national treasure.

Chief district officer Balkrishna Prasai said that art is a medium to express human emotions and it was the responsibility of all to contribute to its promotion and preservation.

On the occasion, chief district officer Prasai presented a token of love to artist “Ajad”.

At the programme presided over by president of the Rajbiraj Jaycees Shankar Kumar Das, chairman of Saptari district officers’ club Badri Lal Rajbhandari, Shankar Prasad Sharma “Dipak” and others also expressed their views.

The exhibition organised by the Rajbiraj Jaycees will remain open for two days.

Pokhara, Mar 25:  CPN-UML Kaski district committee organised a rally and mass meeting to protest against price hike, corruption, violence, insecurity and terrorism.

Addressing the rally, CPN-UML standing committee member Jhalanath Khanal said as the country was faced with the problems of price hike and terrorism the present government should take a significant step to maintain law and order situation and banish anomalies.

CPN-UML district unit secretary Somnath Adhikari Pyasi presided over the rally.

Likewise in Syangja, CPN-UML Syangja district committee held a meeting here to protest against price hike and corruption.

Lawmaker and whip of parliamentary party of CPN-UML Parashuram Meghi Gurung said that people were facing difficulties due to corruption, deteriorating law and order situation, administrative delay and accused the government of being indifferent to these matters.

Earlier, a protest rally proceeded from the party office at Thado line and converged to a mass meeting as it reached the premises of the office of district development committee.

During the meeting held under the chairmanship of district secretary of the party Prem Narayan Poudel, a host of speakers including DDC president Ram Bahadur Thapa, Putalibazaar Municipality Mayor Umesh Chandra Thapa expressed their views.

Meanwhile in Dolpa, day-to-day functioning of the Laun VDC in  the most remote Dolpa district is being hampered by absence of the VDC secretary over the last 8 months.

The absence of the secretary, Pradip Giri, a resident of Ward no 2 of Matapur Mainapokhari VDC, Bardiya district  is posing difficulty in holding regular village council meeting.

For this reason, the VDC chairman Bhim Prasad Rokaya has to visit the DDC chairman in the district headquarters  time and again for even a small recommendation.

When contacted in this connection, local development officer Dilip Kumar Chapagain said  a unit concerned had already been requested to take departmental action against the absentee.

Biratnagar, Mar  25: Morang district with an area of 1,855 square kilometres has been recording increase in agricultural production over the last few years.

The increase is due mainly to active initiative taken by agricultural technicians and farmers of the district in keeping with a 20-year agricultural policy introduced by the HMG Ministry of Agriculture, according to the Morang statistics office.

The district is divided into 65 VDCs and one sub-metropolitan corporation. Eight VDCs are located in the hill area, three in inner Tarai and 54 in VDCs in Tarai areas.

Playing a prominent role in agricultural sector, particularly paddy, wheat and vegetable farming, Morang produced 230,510 metric tons of paddy in the fiscal year 1998-99 as against 226, 733 metric tons in 1997-98.

According to the statistics office, winter paddy is grown on 10,000 hectares and summer paddy on 87,890 hectares in the district.

It produced 32,890 metric tons wheat on 14,950 hectares and 26,858 metric tons maize on 14,500 hectares in the fiscal year 1998-99.

Their production the year before figured at 32,200 metric tons and 23,252 metric tons respectively. Besides, 1,475 metric tons of millet was also produced particularly in northern Morang last fiscal year.

Fruit production, which comes second to its grain production, was estimated at 5,415 metric tons last fiscal year (as against 4,563 metric tons a year before), while winter and summer fruit production in that years stood at 57,806 metric tons as against 53,288 metric tons a year before).

Mahottari, Mar 25 : Minister for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mahantha Thakur has said that since it is the primary duty of the government to ensure security of public life and property and maintaining the law and order situation in the country, the present government was serious in this regard.

Talking to RSS in Jaleshwar recently, Minister Thakur stated that the present government was prepared to resolve the Maoist insurgency problem keeping with the parametres of the constitution.

Efforts are on for consolidating the law and order situation which is a big problem for the country and to make the administration more people-oriented keeping it aloof from politics, he added. The minister reiterated the government’s resolve to introduce new legislation on corruption control with the belief that such an anti-corruption campaign should begin at the centre.

Replying a question, Minister for Law and Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Thakur said that a new government had to be formed and leadership changed in order to resolve the existing problems in the country since the previous government could not ensure the security of public life and property as a result of the Maoist violence which has intensified in some hill districts. He said the government was moving ahead with programmes like “B.P. With the Poor”, Rural Self-Relaince, Women Empowerment and Skill Development Trainings for the unemployed youth in order to resolve the twin problems of poverty and unemployment.

Meanwhile in Rautahat, Nepali Congress central member and former minister Bal Bahadur Rai has said the time has come for all political parties to sit together and find a solution to the Maoist insurgency. Rai, speaking at a meet-the-press programme organized by the Nepal Press Union, Rautahat in Chandranigahapur recently, noted that as the politics of violence has been rejected everywhere in the world, the so-called “People’s War” will not be sucessful.

He also called on the Maoists to give up violence and come to the negotiating table.

Charikot (Dolakha), Mar. 25:After Dolakha District Agriculture Development Office specified Suri and Marbu VDCs as the pocket areas for cardamom cultivation, the farmers have started cultivating it.

Cultivation of cardamom has been started on 15 hectares of land in the area since 2054 B.S.

Cardamom is produced three years after its cultivation. The farmers of the pocket areas have succeeded in producing 900 kg of cardamom and earned Rs 150,000 from it.

As the land in Dolakha district is suitable for growing cardamom, there is good prospect for its cultivation there.

About 150,000 cardamom seedling of Ramsai and Golsai species were brought from Cardamom Development Centre in  Ilam and distributed to the farmers of the pocket areas.

As cardamom, once sown, can be produced continuously for 15 years, Tamchet, Dudhpokhari, Jhule, Sundrwati, Sumsukhami, etc VDCs, which are also suitable for growing it, will be developed as pocket areas and it will be cultivated there, it is learnt.

Cardamom Development Centre, Ilam has set up a model garden at Bhimeshwar Municipality ward No. 2 Tikhatal to make cardamom cultivation effective in the district.

The dried ginger and cardamom development section, Khumaltar has constructed a cardamom kiln at the same place.

Kathmandu, Mar. 25:Chairman of Raj Parishad   Standing Committee Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi while inaugurating the second annual programme on the Primary Education of Nepal for the 21st Century organised by the Centre for  Education Development in Nepal (cedin) here today stressed the need for a new vision of the country’s development.

Dr. Rayamajhi said that the state should invest more in education sector and give emphasis to science and technology to enable Nepal to compete with the outside world as a better future of the country is not  possible without the development of education.

Presenting a working paper, researcher Dr. Bidyanath Koirala dwelt on the strength and weaknesses in primary education policy, and ways to resolve the problems.

Former vice chairman of the Higher Secondary Educational Council Dr. Tirtharaj Khaniya, commenting on the working paper said that we should be able to take maximum benefit by mobilising the resources as there is no possibility of radical change in education.

Another commentator and ex- director of the primary education project Arjun Bahadur Bista said there should be no political intervention in the management.

The function was presided over by the chairman of the institution Toyanath Khanal.

Chautara, Mar. 25:The farmers of Golche Village Development Committee ward No. 1 Sangagulinga and ward No. 8 Sindurche village have been earning a living by making bamboo goods.

The one crop of wheat and potatoes received by the farmers living in the remote foothills of Jugal Himal is sufficient for them for only three months a year.

Majority of the people living in the VDC which falls within the Langtang National Park bring “Nigalo” (a kind of bamboo species) from the nearby forest and weave baskets, mats, trays and other goods and earn a living by selling them.

The people walk a distance of four days to the villages near the district headquarters and barter their goods for foodgrains rather than money.

The bamboo mats are used by the people of the hilly areas for storing foodgrains and making cowsheds during winter.

Dawa Tshering Tamang, a resident of ward No. 1 of Golche VDC, says that Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 a year can be earned by making bamboo goods.

Karpu Sherpa, a resident of ward No. 8 of Golche VDC, says that he earns about Rs 40,000 a year through this vocation.

The people living in the upper hills and foothill make an extra income by weaving bamboo mats, trays and other goods.

Chandra Bahadur Shrestha, 74, a resident of ward No. 1 of Siruwari village development, who has been involved in this profession since the age of 10 says that his requirments of salt and edible oil are fulfilled by making and selling bamboo goods.

Chet Bahadur Shrestha, 65, a resident of the same ward, says that  the wages earned by him by weaving bamboo baskets has helped him to run his house and save Rs 30,000 in the bank.

The farmer, who sells bamboo baskets at prices ranging from Rs 35 to Rs 80, is involved in making bamboo baskets during his spare time.

Meanwhile the people involved in making “Damlo” (head support used for carrying goods in bamboo baskets) and ropes   have been disappointed as the people have started using nylon ropes for the purpose.

Rasuwa, Mar. 25 :Twenty-five percent construction work of Chilime hydroelectric project launched with internal resources and technical personnel has been completed.

The target is to construct a small dam at Chilime Thampucheta of Rasuwa district, and channelize 7.50 cubic metre of water per second through one kilometre long canal and 2,286 metre headrace to the power house and generate 20 megawatts of electricity.

Managing director of the Chilime Hydropower Company Dr. Dambar Bahadur Nepali expressed determination to make the project successful and prove that Nepali technicians are capable of harnessing the water resources of the country.

At present 16 Nepalese technicians are working in the project.

On completion of the project, 13.7 million unit of power will be generated and rs 500 million will be earned annually.

Sixty percent of the estimated cost of Rs 2.32 billion required for the project will be met through loan investment of financial institutions and the remaining 40 per cent cost  by floating shares.

The specialities of the project are the establishment of 20 megawatt capacity power house. The project, being underground, will be safe from flood and landslide and the environmental impact will also be minimum.

The construction of a 37-metre high tank has already been completed at a cost of Rs 3.2 million a few months back.

Nepalese contractors are undertaking construction of the headwork of the portion at the source and 80 per cent progress has been made in this regard, according to site in-charge Madhav Prasad Koirala.

Project chief Lilanath Bhattarai says that he is confident that the project would be completed in time. A sum of Rs 600 million has been spent on the project so far, he added.

The construction work is believed to be completed by July, 2001. After repaying the loan and its interest in six years time, the project is expected to start making profit from the seventh year onwards, according to project sources.

The contracting companies are transporting heavy equipment and bulldozer in vehicle and transporting to the project site through a bailey bridge, according to engineer Bishnu Bahadur Thapa.

The heavy equipment will be dismantled and taken across the bridge in the future, it is learnt.

Of the 495 workers involved in the construction of the project, 50 are from Rasuwa district and rest from Nuwakot district and the Terai region, according to engineer Rajendra Prasad Acharya.

Four hundred ropanis of land in and around the project site have been acquired and compensation worth Rs 4 million already been provided to the local people.

The project has provided physical and educational materials to the nearby schools and also built a school.

The project will also be organising skill-oriented training for the local people with the objective of providing them employment.

Lalitpur, Mar. 25:Minister for Education Amod Prasad Upadhyaya has said that the present Nepali Congress government aims to provide education to every citizen for overall development of the nation, promote skills of the people and upgrade their socio-economic condition.

Mr Upadhyaya, while inaugurating the two-day fourth national general convention of the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation (pabson) here today, remarked that providing security to the people from those who are living in the nooks and corners of the country and those who are sitting in palaces fall within the government’s responsibility.

Stating that private schools and government-run schools have their respective roles in educational development, the Education Minister noted that lack of quality education at schools and complaints of parents can be linked to the weakness and inefficiency of the management.

Minister of State for Education Dilendra Prasad Badu said that private and boarding schools have a crucial role to play in educational development and stressed the need to identify weaknesses and shortcomings in the education system in order to tone up this sector.

MP Raghuji Pant, director general of the Education Department Chandra Bahadur Khadka and education expert Dr Tirtha Khaniya also expressed their views at the function chaired by pabson president Rajesh Khadka.

In Nepal there are some 8000 private and boarding schools. Established eight years ago, the pabson has branches in 37 districts.