Kathmandu, Feb. 24:Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, who started consulting with his party’s lawmakers yesterday, held talks with Parliamentarians representing far-western and the mid-western parts of the country.

Koirala’s talks with the Congress MPs are aimed to find an outlet to the current political crisis prompted by the no confidence motion tabled against the Prime Minister by 58 NC MPs. Today’s talks centred on the current political crisis and the ensuing situation in the country, the party sources said.

According to the participating MPs, Koirala had serious discussions with them on the issues related to the country’s peace and security situation and present challenges. “National interest is always above a person or the party,” they quoted Koirala as saying. “Nepali Congress has a long history of facing difficulties unitedly.”

Parliamentarians pointed at the government’s failure to maintain peace and security in the country and said that NC should give a strong leadership to the country.

Some Congress MPs hoped that talks between Koirala and Bhattarai in the absence of the second generation leaders were likely to find a solution before the Parliamentary Party met on Saturday as demanded by the Prime Minister early this week. If the deadlock continues, the motion is likely to come up for voting on that day.

“If the issue is unresolved at the leadership level, we should constitutionally go for polling and that should not be taken a sign of division within the party,” Parliamentarian Arjun Joshi said.

Parliamentarian Sabitri Bogati said that they should adopt a democratic method if consensus failed to find solution to the problem.

Parliamentarian Romi Gauchan Thakali said that the question of generation would play insignificant role  in forging consensus.

Koirala is to hold talks with the MPs of Eastern Region tomorrow.

PM Bhattarai, who has said he would respond to all charges during the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Saturday, is also planning to discuss with the Congress lawmakers tomorrow. The Prime Minister’s Office yesterday said he would start talks with the legislators early in the morning and meet the people’s representatives in different batches.

Kathmandu, Feb. 24:Quoting the data provided by the Home Ministry, Amnesty International’s visiting delegation today said that in the last four years, 862 were killed, 1,598 were put in jails and 2639 Maoist activists surrendered their weapons to the police.

AI human rights expert Ingrid Massage quoted the Ministry as saying 1,200 combatants are still fighting for the four-year old Maoist “People’s War” that began in early 1996.

She also said that the delegation team found “many political prisoners” in Nepal but there are no “formally declared prisoners of war” here. “However, ascertaining the prisoners’ involvement in violence is a difficult task,” she added. “We are checking the details on the detainees before anyone could be declared prisoner of conscience.”

General Secretary Pierre Sane said that his team was “alarmed” that no independent investigation was launched on the “killings in encounter”, bodies cremated and the evidence lost before any investigation. The Chief District Officers, prosecutors and district courts turned a blind eye as killings in “disputed circumstances” were reported, he said.

“Home Ministry and police authorities have undermined the authority of courts, failing to comply with habeas corpus orders to produce detainees held under the Public Security Act or re-arresting them after the court orders their release,” he said.

“We were promised that independent investigations would be carried out into 44 cases of disappearances recorded over the past two years,” he said.

Sane also expressed happiness that the government promised his visiting team to establish the National Human Rights Commission immediately. He told a press conference that the special committee to nominate the members of commission would meet tomorrow and pass its recommendations to the King. He also said that leaders of two major political parties – ruling Nepali Congress and the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (UML) — confirmed their support to the establishment of the commission.

Describing the on-going Maoist “People’s War” as a human crisis, Sane reported that political leaders spoke about the need for “national consensus” in dealing with the four-year old war. “But national consensus should not be at the expense of human rights,” he cautioned.

He further said that the Prime Minister and the political leaders of the major parties assured his team that the proposed bill extending powers to the police and Chief District Officers will be amended to reflect the national consensus and Nepal’s international human rights obligations.

Kathmandu, Feb. 24: Prime Minister and Education Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai today honoured the schools securing best results in the S. L. C. examinations of 2055 B.S. at national and regional level by presenting the birendra Vidya Shield, cash prizes and certificates at a function organised by the 25th National Education Day main organising committee to mark the occasion.

On the occasion, mr Bhattarai also presented the shields, prizes and certificates to the school securing best results from among the secondary schools in remote districts, and the players who were awarded in the 19th national Athletics Tournament for their good performance.

Budhanilkantha Boarding Secondary School received the national level Birendra Vidya Padak or medal.

Similarly, those receiving the regional level Birendra Vidya Padaks are Bijayapur Boarding Secondary School Dahran, Small Heaven Secondary School Chitwan, Gandaki Secondary Boarding School, Pokhara, Angels Secondary School, Nepalgunj and Aishwarya Vidya Niketan, Dhangadhi from the eastern, central, mid-western, western and far western development regions respectively.

Similarly, Ratna Secondary School, Bajura also received the shield, prize and certificate from among the secondary schools in remote districts for its best results.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister spoke of the need to promote the quality of education and engage in generating skilled manpower needed for the country.

The government has worked out programmes designed to remove illiteracy within the next seven years, he added.

Minister of State for Education Rajendra Kharel remarked that the government has laid stress on the need of quality and good education to have an edge in the 21st century.

Education secretary Jayaram Giri and Director General of the Department of Education Chandra Bahadur Khadka also spoke at the function chaired by member of the National Planning Commission Dr Nirmal Prasad Pandey.

On the occasion it was also informed that a total of 300 persons including university teachers, school teachers and employees contributing to education were awarded.

A cultural programme was also presented on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Minister for Education and Chairman of the 25th National Education Day main organising  committee Krishna Prasad Bhattarai hosted a dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence, Baluwatar on the occasion of the National Education Day today.

On the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Communications Ram Chandra Paudel, Minister of State for Education Rajendra Kharel, former education ministers and personalities involved in the education sector were present.

By Nepal News Correspondent

Kathmandu, Feb 24:

The visiting international general secretary of Amnesty International (AI) Pierre Sane expressed his grave concern over the incidents of human rights violation in Nepal.

Sane said that despite government’s commitment and constitutional provisions for the protection and promotion of human rights in Nepal, cases of human rights violation have occurred in different parts of the country in connection of Maoist insurgency.

He said that both police and Maoist insurgents have violated human rights and asked both to maintain restraint and respect human rights.

All political parties were committed to human rights, but they have different views on particular cases especially about the armed insurgency launched by Maoist guerillas, he said.

By Nepal News Correspondent

Kathmandu, Feb 24:

Crown Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev returned to Kathmadu today after attending wedding ceremony of King Letsie III of Lesetho.

Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Ministers and high ranking officials welcomed the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince flew into Kathmandu from Dubai today. He had arrived Dubai yesterday.

Pokhara, Feb. 23: Speaker Taranath Ranabhat initiated the Apurba Srimad Bhagawat Saptaha Mahayagya and the special Dhandhanyanchal Parba-2056 organised at the premises of the Machhapuchhre Education Campus at Dhikur Pokhari village development committee, Kaski district.

Speaking on the occasion Speaker Ranabhat said the hearing of the Bhagawat will improve the mental state of a man and help banish malice, greed, sins and   dutilessness thereby giving peace.

At the function presided over by the chairman of the Mahayagya Organising Committee Pandit Ananta Nath Subedi, various other speakers including mp prakash Bahadur Gurung, Baachan Shiromani   Narayan Prasad Pokhrel, central vice chairman of the Sanatan Dharma Sewa Samiti Rabindra Makaju, ddc chairman Punya Prasad Poudel, campus chief Ram Chandra Subedi, vice chairman Mahesh Parajuli, Vednidhi Sharma, vdc chairman Kedar Nath Adhikari, vice chairman Karna Bahadur Gurung, ddc member Indra Bahadur Gurung, and Ramesh Raj Poudel also expressed their views. The Mahayagya organised to help in construction of the Machhapuchhre Education Campus and to set up a revolving fund will run until Fagun 19.

Kathmandu, Feb. 23: Ambassador of Thailand to Nepal Precha Pitisant today paid a farewell call on Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat on completion of his assignment in Nepal

During the meeting, they held talks on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

One person arrests over fake citizenship case

Itahari, Feb 23: Binod Thapa, 20, of Dharan Municipality ward No. 18 has been arrested after he applied for a passport on the basis of a fake citizenship certificate. An examination of the citizenship distribution records showed that his citizenship card No. 054lll7 was not included.

He is being kept at the district police office, Sunsari for necessary investigations.

Biratnagar, Feb. 23: Biratnagar Jute Mills, the first and largest Jute Mill in the country, is now running smoothly.

According to the publicity unit of the mill, it is producing 30-32 metric tones of jute a day. British ambassador Ronald p. Nash, who inspected the mill, has   assured it of technical aid in view of its systematic operation

The new management of the Mill has given priority to full discipline there in order to run the mill on a long term basis, it is stated.

Kathmandu, Feb 23: Chairman of the Landless Settlers Problem  Resolution Commission and Minister of State for Land Reform and management Gangadhar Lamsal has constituted additional district committees of the commission, it is stated.

Ram Chandra Biyogi Ghimire is thus district convenor in Ramechhap, Bishnu Prasad Adhikari is convenor in Nuwakot, Ram Manohar Singh in Mahottari, Kabil Muni Mainali in Sarlahi, Hikmat Bahadur Thakur in Dadeldhura and Bin Bahadur Singh in Jajarkot.

Ilam, Feb. 23: Construction work of the Puwakhola hydropower project has been completed and the task of releasing water from the intake tunnel to the headrace tank has been accomplished today.

Digging of the 4,380 metre long tunnel and the remaining construction work have already been completed, according to project chief Bishnu Bahadur Singh.

Seventyfive per cent of the investment has been made by the Nepal Electricity Authority (nea) while remaining 25 per cent cost has been met by His Majesty’s Government (hmg).

Construction of the project was initiated in 1994-95 and carried out by the Nepalese technicians.

The water of the Puwakhola stream has been channelled through the tunnel from the confluence of the Ghattekhola and the Puwakhola to the head tank at Ward No. 4 of Ilam Municipality.

The water is channelised through the penstock pipe and released to the power house where two turbines will be generating 6,200 kilowatt of power. Necessary machines have already been installed for the generation of power.

However, the water of the Puwakhola stream will not be able to sustain the generation of power for three months in a year, according project chief Singh.

While controlling the Puwakhola stream in this way, water at the rate of 240 litre per second will be released for the conservation of environment and the farmers who are dependent on irrigation project below the intake, it is learnt.

The Project will generate 40.8 million kilowatt hour of electricity on the average in a year.

The cost per unit of the power will be Rs 2.80 and the annual income will be Rs 200 million and the investment will be recovered in fifty years, according to project engineer Bhanubhakta Pokharel.