Kathmandu, Feb 29: In the Worldnet Dialogue billed as a scene-setter for the upcoming Energy Conference to be held from March 6-8 in Kathmandu, the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the US Department of Energy, T.J Glauthier, and the Deputy Director of the Global Office of Energy, USAID, Gordon Weynard, fielded a volley of queries from three Nepali panelists on the topic “Emerging Energy Market in South Asia” at the American Center today.
The three Nepali panelists were: Santa Bahadur Pun, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Water Resources, Ajaya M.Dixit, water resources expert with Interdisciplinary Analysts and Navin Singh Khadka, of this daily, The Rising Nepal.
The queries ranged from affordability of energy to prospects of investments in energy development, market possibilities of energy generated to industrial utilisation of energy, the supply side and the demand side of energy, integration of latest technologies in energy generation to applicability and the relevance of international accords on the sharing and utilisation of water resources.
To a query as to whether the energy generated by hydropower plants built with huge investments would be affordable, Glauthier said the integration of appropriate technologies along with an enhanced and efficient distribution system could help bring down the price of energy for everyday use. He further said that the US, which has collected a lot of experience in energy development, is ready to share its knowledge and expertise in not only generating power in a cost-efficient manner but has the technological capabilities.
To another query as to whether Nepal, which has tremendous hydropower potentials, should export electricity at its own expense and peril, Glauthier stated that though Nepal’s present capacity to utilise all its energy output is not there due to its low absorbing capacity, Nepal could reach such a stage by expediting its pace of industrialisation through the export of surplus energy. However, without adequate energy production, this would not be possible, he further pointed out.
The forthcoming energy meet will not only show-case a whole gamut of projects but also facilitate local and regional projects, Glauthier said while responding to the query as to whether the coming meet will help Nepali entrepreneurs to overcome financial hurdles in their bid to development small hydel projects.
The Deputy Secretary of the US Energy Department opined that any water resources utilisation accords should conform to international agreements on down-stream utilisation and advantages. He made this remark while replying to a panelist’s query as to whether the 1961 US-Canada Treaty that gave Canada the entitlement to half of power generated downstream and which it sold to the US on a long-term basis could be emulated in any other regional pacts.
While pointing out the need to look into the diplomatic aspect of such an issue, he said that all the US ambassadors in the region will also be attending the energy meet.
Gordon Waynard, Deputy Director of the Global Office of Energy, USAID, also said that the forthcoming energy meet will open up vast vistas for the US and the South Asian nations in the field of energy development as it is touted to bring together officials and representatives from the government, non-government and private sectors.
Phillip Hoffman, Director of the American Center, pointed out that the Worldnet Dialogue would act as a scene-setter for the upcoming energy meet to be held in Nepal. Since the production and marketing of energy is of great interest to all South Asian nations, the meet is expected to not only give fillip to energy development projects in the region but also to attract US investors as well.
The forthcoming energy meet, presented by the US Trade and Development Agency (TDA) and co-sponsored by the US Departments of Energy, Commerce and State and the Agency for Internation Development is expected to see government and energy industry leaders from the US and South Asian nations discussing and exploring project opportunities worth US$15-20 billion.
Kathmandu, Feb. 29: Speaker Taranath Ranabhat has said that the 17th session of Parliament beginning tomorrow would find solutions to the current problems through consensus.
“We are preparing for tomorrow’s session that would primarily discuss the 13 Bills tabled during the 16th session,” he said at an interaction organised by Reporters’ Club Nepal here this afternoon.
Speaker Ranabhat said that no new Bills had been registered for discussion as of now. “The two Bills that were registered earlier are technically defunct since the Ministers who introduced them have resigned. But we expect some 35 Bills to be tabled for discussion during this session that will last for about a month,” he said.
The two Bills are Road Board Bill and Nepal Scout Bill (second amendment).
Ranabhat appealed to all the legislator and cabinet members to act responsibly during the House proceedings. “All the parties, despite ideological differences, should forge consensus on the issues related to development, poverty, corruption, peace and security and common welfare in the country,” he said. “Such issues cannot be solved without collective efforts.”
The new session of the House would seek political solution to the Maoist problem that has claimed more than 1100 lives since it began in early 1996, he said. “I will personally take initiatives to find peaceful solution to the problem.”
He expressed happiness over the Maoists’ positive response to the government’s appeal for peace talks. “The talks should begin as soon as possible.”
He accused the government of paying least attention to the infrastructure development and of misusing the resources. “The government that is accountable to people should fulfil their aspirations and take the fruits of democracy to the lowest strata of society.”
By Nepal News Correspondent
Kathmandu, Feb 29:
President of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Surya Bahadur Thapa said today that the root cause of all political and social perversions and distortions in the country is Nepali Congress and its leaders.
Addressing RPP workers in Kathmandu, Thapa said that Nepali Congress started and promoted all kinds of political, social and economic perversion in the country.
He accused the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML of failing to govern and play the role of an effective opposition.
In the programme, other leaders of the RPP including Lokendra Bahadur Chand and party spokesman Kamal Thapa addressed the party workers.
By Nepal News Correspondent
Kathmandu, Feb 29:
The health condition of opposition leader in parliament and general secretary of CPN-UML Madhav Nepal has improved.
Dr Arun Sayami, a cardiologist who is attending Mr Nepal, said his condition is completely normal.
Mr Nepal was admitted to TU Teaching Hospital Tuesday after he suddenly fell sick.
He had a high blood pressure. Nepal undergone heart check-up today.
By Nepal News Correspondent
Kathmandu, Feb 29:
The parliamentary party of the ruling Nepali Congress met in Kathmandu today and discussed the strategy of the party to be adopted in the forthcoming 17th session of parliament.
The 17th session of parliament begins Wednesday.
According to secretary of NC parliamentary party Benup Raj Prasai, the party instructed its lawmakers to study the bills to be presented in the parliament and discuss with the opposition lawmakers for the passage of the bills.
In the meeting Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and party president Girija Prasad Koirala asked the lawmakers to play an effective role in the 17th session of parliament.
Kathmandu, Feb. 28: Tenzing Ngudup, Buddha Lama, Ganga Thapa, Saroj Mulmi entered the final undefeated as they won the preliminary finals at different outlets under the All Nepal Carlsberg Snooker Championship being organised by Gorkha Brewery Ltd in association with Billiards, Snooker and Pool Association of Nepal here Monday.
Gnudup, once again playing with precision and poise, defeated Hitesh Bista 5-2 in the best of nine final at Hong Kong Snooker House. After reeling off first two frames, while trying to finish off the match quickly played quite erratically in the middle to drop the third and significant breaks in the last two frames, winning them on 102-27, 119-19 win the match and cash prize of Rs. 5,000.
He also collected Rs. 2,000 for his highest break of 73 points that he registered in the semifinal.
In the close final held at Black and White Snooker Club, Buddha Lama, after dropping an opening frame finished off the final in nerveless way for a 4-3 win over Prem Tamang.
Tamang gave him a good fight as he took the fourth set on 62-29 to level the match at 2-2 after Lama won the second and third with the score of 86-23, 54-32. The match entered the interesting moment, hobbling at 3-3. But it was Lama who rode the luck at the end of the day to clinch the match as the award for the highest break, 27, that was only a point more than what Tamang achieved in the match.
A lot was expected of the best of eleven final at Everest Snooker House but it only turned out to be a one-sided after with Ganga Thapa winning by relative ease as he dropped only one frame to Tenzing Gurung.
Thapa got off to a flyer which completely unsettled Gurung, who apart from taking the fourth frame, 92-5, failed to make a match. Besides winning the final, Thapa’s break of 39 points in the sixth frame also fetched him the cash reward for highest break.
Likewise, also to march into the final round without any defeat were Saroj Mulmi from Black Stallion, Utsav Shrestha from Narayangardh’s Revilal-that House of Pools.
Mulmi made a good start, taking the opening frame at 101-28 in which he also registered the tournament’s bigest break of 55 in the final against Diken Suwal. The next four frames brought some exictement as Suwal, staging a fightback took second and fifth frames, 55-27 and 68-29, to narrow the margin to 2-3. But Mulmi replied strongly in the remaining frames by taking them 57-35 and 112-21 to wrap up the match. In the other final, Utsav Shrestha beat Gopal Rasaili quite comfortably to enter the final round with a clean sheet.
The Chisapani Bridge & on Karnali River designed by Dev Lal Moktan of Sarlahi District has been approved as the logo for Fifth National Games which will be held at Dhangari in 2001.
Kathmandu, Feb. 28: Jawalakhel Youth Club, Chitwan and Parsa emerged victorious today in the first phase matches played under the Khukuri Gold Cup National Leauge Tournament in Chitwan.
Jawalakhel’s Meghraj KC, Niraj Sunuwar scored two goals each while Madhav Thapa score one goal to make the score 5-0 against the lowly Saptari. In the second match, Parsa defeated Kavre 2-1. Kavre’s scorers were Ghanshyam Shrestha and Hari Kumar Thakuri. From Parsa Sulav Rana hit home the only goal for his team.
Likewise in the third match of the day, Chitwan annihilated Rautahat by wide margin as Chitwan players slammed eight to Rautahat’s three. Chitwan’s Rabindra Shrestha scored five goals while Santosh Karki slammed another hat-trick in their goal spree. Rauthat’s Ram Chandra Chaudhari scored twice for his team while Raju Chaudahri scored the third goal for his team.
MPC Vs Morang Tarun Club girls playing soccer at the Dasarath stadium, Monday. MPC outplay Morang 3-0.
Kathmandu, Feb. 28: Chandra Bhandari of Youth Sports Club of Kailali slammed first hat-trick of the Women Football Committee-Mangala Devi National Women’s League Championship as her team annihilated Makwanpur’s Yuwa Club 8-0 to earn some vital points of the league fixtures.
Earlier in the first match, Mahendra Police team outplayed Morang’s Tarun Club 3-0.
The First phase champion of Far-Western Region-the Kailali girls took control over the game from the beginning of the match and never looked threatened by the Makwanpur girls. In fact, all eight goals of were scored with little efforts as the Makwanpur team were never seen making any inroads into the Kailali’s citadel.
So rampaging were the Kailali’ girls that out of eight goals, five were scored in the first half. Mamta Gurung scored first goal from a free kick outside the penalty area in the 7th minute of the play while Sita Thapa hit second goal in the 16th minute. In the 26th minute Madhu Thapa scored third goal. Bhandari and Mamta added fourth and fifth goal in 29 and 26th minutes of the game respectively.
After the lemon break, the Makwanpur girls have tough time blocking the harrowing Kailali forwards. Just three minutes into the second half, Bhandari scored her individual second and her team’s sixth goal. She added another in the 60th minute to register herself as the first hat-trick scorer of the tournament. Sita scored the eighth goal in71st minute to complete the whitewash of Makwanpur girls.
Earlier, during the Morang-MPC encounter, the physically superior MPC girls made effective forays to beat the skillful Morang girls. Rita B.K. gave MPC the lead in the 6th minute while Arpana Dewan consolidated the lead in the 12th minute. After the lemon break, Bhagawati Rana scored MPC’s third goal to seal the fate of the Morang girls. In the first encounter tomorrow Saptari girls will play Kathmandu girls while in the second Banke will take on Jhapa girls.
Mahendranagar, Feb. 28:The District Forest Office, Kanchanpur, has started evicting illegal settlers who have settled by encroaching forest areas by setting fire to their houses.
In this connection, the district administration has set fire to 63 houses owned by the illegal settlers encroaching on 75 bigaha land in Khula Machhiti, along the banks of the Mahakali river some two kilometres east of Brahmadev Mandi of Mahendranagar Municipality.
The extreme step of setting the illegal houses and sheds on fire was taken by the district administration after repeated notice to vacate the land were not heeded to by the settlers. A team of police and forest guards led by forest officer Dipak Gyawali set the illegal houses on fire.
Cattle, grains and other household goods were safely taken out from the houses before setting them afire.
It is learnt that the forest Mafiosi from Dadeldhura, Baitadi and Kanchanpur districts had encroached on the virgin forest land there and built houses, schools and cleared forest for farming. They had also applied to the district administration office for registering the land in their names. According to local people, many of them were Maoist workers.