Kathmandu, Feb 29: A workshop with an objective to contribute to the national assessment process of Beijing +5 review in Nepal was organised by UNDP here today. Speaking at the workshop as chief guest, State Minister for Women and Social Welfare Kamala Pant said, “the issue before us is not only the property rights and discrimination against women should be addressed as a whole.”

Stressing the need for the government to be sensitive to women’s issues, the State Minister said, “we need to work more as we are yet unable to change the laws in spite of the guarantee against discrimination provided in the Constitution.”

Deputy Speaker Chitralekha Yadav as the guest speaker stressed that State obligations expressed by Nepal in ratifying the CEDAW and Beijing Declaration must be met and the process of change hastened.

Expressing her commitment to an equitable society, Yadav said,” It is time for us to evaluate what we have achieved in the post-Beijing period about the twelve critical areas of concern.”

Sahana Pradhan, the president of Communist party of Nepal-ML said,” Rights of women are an integral part of human rights,” and lamented that the existing laws are not in accordance with the guarantee of fundamental rights in the Nepalese Constitution.

Deputy Resident Representative at UNDP Saraswati Menon delivered the welcome speech and shed light on the objectives of the workshop. A presentation on Beijing+5 Nepal review was made by Dr Suman Tuladhar.

Conducted by the Assistant Resident Representative (gender) Bharati Silwal, the  Nationa Consultation on Beijing+5 workshop concluded with emphasis on economic empowerment and immediate amendments in the existing laws that can only be achieved through greater activism and pressure for equality.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29: As summoned by His Majesty the King, the 17th session of Parliament will begin at parliament building, Singha Durbar tomorrow.

This session is generally called a bill session.

All necessary preparations for the parliamentary session have been completed, said spokesman of the Parliamentary Secretariat Bishnu Datta Upreti.

He also expressed confidence that like previous sessions this one will also be very fruitful.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29: Visiting joint general secretary of India’s Swayam Sevak Sangh Mr Kuppa Halli Sitarmaiya Sudarshan says ensuring happiness of oneself and others  is a special characteristic of Hinduism.

He also calls on all to rise above politics to preserve and promote Hinduism.

Speaking at a programme organised here Monday by Sapta Bharati Pratisthan, Nepal, he observed that if some basic elements of Hinduism were included Nepal’s university level textbooks this would help promote  Hinduism.

Writer Vijaya Mani Dixit presided over the programme.

Kalaiya, Feb. 29: General secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) Madhav Kumar Nepal has called upon the local people’s representatives to carry out development works in keeping with the people’s aspirations and the local self-governance act.

Inaugurating the 8th Bara district council meeting here, General Secretary Nepal hoped that the people’s representatives would also appropriately assess the performance of the district development committee and point out its shortcoming, if any.

Ddc chairman Chhathu Parsad Yadav, who presided over the meeting, presented a budget of Rs 632,517,429 for the coming fiscal year.

General Secretary Nepal also inaugurated a guest house of Bara district development committee built at a cost of Rs 460,000.

Pokhara, Feb. 29: The two-day agriculture bio-diversity exhibition organised by Nepal Agriculture Research Council (narc) at Sundardanda of Lekhnath Municipality concluded on Monday.

Altogether 1323 species of seeds and fruits from 22 community development groups in the region were displayed at the exhibition organised with an objective of generating public awareness on agriculture bio-diversity.

Giving away certificates to the participating farmers’ group, Minister for Agriculture Chakra Prasad Bastola expressed the view that such exhibition would help protect bio-diversity.

Narc executive director Dhruva Raj Joshi pointed out the need to protect bio-diversity.

Member of community development group Laxmi Shrestha presided.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29: Convenor of Maoist Problem Resolution High Level Recommendations Committee and ex-prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that if human rights activists, legal practitioners and others cooperated, he is, on behalf of the party and government, ready to make every effort for the resolution of the Maoist problem.

Mr Deuba, who was speaking at a discussion programme on the, “Basis for Possible Talks between Maoists and Government” organized by Nepal Bar Association Human Rights and Public Concern Committee here today, said in a democracy even if any group indulged in criminal activities, the government should not do anything, which violates human rights, in the name of controlling criminal activities.

He also stressed the need to implement the compensation act, provide proper education and human rights training to the police and include human rights as a subject in school curriculum.

Chairman of parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee Som Prasad Pandey complained that the government has not yet implemented the suggestions presented by the committee for resolving human rights violation and maoists problems.

Although, the government has delayed the resolution of the Maoist problems, it should now build congenial atmosphere for both sides to immediately stop violence, guarantee the security of the Maoists who come for talks, if at all they came, and launch development package programme in the Maoist affected areas.

From the chair, convenor of the Public Concern Committee and ex-speaker Daman Nath Dhungana spoke of the need to build an atmosphere conducive for negotiations between government and the Maoists. The government should be liberal for talks and it should disseminate information about activities being carried out for the resolution of the problem, he added.

Nepal Bar Association president Harihar Dahal said legal practitioners are ready to cooperate in the resolution of the Maoist problem.

Participants at the programme also stressed the need to make public the names of those killed and missing in course of the insurgency, form human rights commission, set aside adequate resources for maintaining law and order, stop killings during the negotiations, include other sectors concerned in the negotiations and fulfil the demands put forth by maoists for the resolution of the people’s problems.

President of Human Rights Organization of Nepal Prof. Kapil Shrestha, secretary of Nepal Bar Association Agni Kharel, senior advocates Basudev Dhungana, Krishna Prasad Bhandari and Bishwo Kant Mainali, advocates Tikaram Bhattarai, Ishwori Dahal, Mukti Pradhan and Laxmi Upreti and human rights activists Sushil Pyakuryal, Gopal Shivakoti Chintan and Gopal Krishna Shivakoti also expressed their views on the resolution of the Maoist problem.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29 : Former prime minister and president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (rpp) Surya Bahadur Thapa has said rpp is seriously concerned about the burning issues of widespread corruption, politicization of the administration, the law and order situation, the problems of the people and the Maoists, and mockery of the principles of rule of law.

Rpp president Thapa made this remark while addressing the rpp bagmati zonal workers convention at the party’s office, Naxal today.

Stating that the rpp had been unified in accordance with the wishes of the people and the party workers, Mr Thapa urged the party workers to take the programme adopted by the party to the people with new vigour and enthusiasm.

Former prime minister and rpp leader Lokendra Bahadur Chand said that even though the party had split tdue to various reasons in the past, the party had unified for safeguarding and preserving the nation and nationalism.

Calling on the outside party workers to join the rpp, mr Chand said it is the duty of all the party workers to strengthen the party’s organizational structure and make it more  competent.

Rpp vice-president Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani said that ideology, organization and personalities are the very basis of our party. We can fulfill our objectives if we move ahead by merging these factors, he added.

Rpp spokesman and convenor of the rpp central regional committee Kamal Thapa said it is the first duty of all the party workers to remove the shortcomings and weaknesses seen in the party and to take the message of party unification to the villages in the form of a campaign.

Member of the rpp central committee and mp buddhiman Tamang said that all the party workers should unite and go to the people for the consolidation of the party.

Member of the rpp central committee and chief of the rpp local unit mobilization committee Rabindranath Sharma said that political abberations and anamolies had risen due to the failure in putting into practi

ce the concepts of the rule of law.

At the convention chaired by president of  rpp kathmandu district working committee Bikram Bahadur Thapa, rpp central members Jog Meher Shrestha and biswobandhu Thapa also expressed their views.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29 : CPN(UML) leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari has said that during the 17th session of parliament beginning March 1, cpn-uml will together with other opposition parties effectively raise issues concerning serious problems facing the country and the plight of the people.

Mr Adhikari told rss today that his party will draw the government’s attention to the non-implementation of the resolution on price hike which was passed by the special session of the parliament.

Efforts will be made to pressurize the government into implementing the report of the revenue leakage investigation committee, declaring corruption control programme and implementing it honestly, he said.

According to Mr Adhikari, Maoist terrorism, killings, violence, poor law and order situation, prevalent social injustice, excesses, human rights violation are some of the major issues to be raised during this session of parliament.

Since the bill proposed by government in the name of suppressing the Maoists is against the spirit of democracy and the Constitution, cpn-uml remains opposed to it, he said.

He also complained that the level of revenue mobilization is far low compared to that of the previous year, the amount of foreign loans and grants is decreasing and the entire economy is facing a crisis.

This being the situation, he added, his party will make efforts to pressurize the government into maintaining fiscal discipline.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29 : Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Finance Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has said that a liberal economic policy should be adopted in order to accelerate the pace of financial activities in the country.

Inaugurating the 25th annual general meeting and silver jubilee function of Nepal Overseas Export and Import Association here today, Dr. Mahat said economic growth rate of the country has been increasing as a result of government’s effort of making the economic sector more competitive and liberal.

On the occasion Minister Dr. Mahat also released a souvenir published by the association and presented letters of appreciation to ex-president and office-bearers of the association.

President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (fncci) Pradip Kumar Shrestha said the export trade has recorded a deficit of about rs 51 billion while the industrial and commerce sector is currently undergoing a lingering state.

President of Nepal Overseas Export and Import Association Lokmanya Golcha shed light on the activities carried out by the association in development and enhancement of foreign trade. Vice-president Akhil Kumar Chapagain and Ashok Kumar Agrawal also spoke on the occasion.

Kathmandu, Feb. 29: Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai visited leader of the main opposition party Madhav Kumar Nepal at T.U. Teaching Hospital to inquire about the latter’s health condition today.

Mr Nepal has been admitted to the hospital for treatment of high blood pressure.

On the occasion, the prime minister said the government is ready to make necessary arrangements and provide assistance for Mr Nepal’s treatment.