Kuntadevi (Kavre), Jan. 22:Ex-prime minister and NC president Girija Prasad Koirala inaugurated the newly constructed building of Umadevi Dairy Producers’ Cooperatives Ltd. at Kuntabesi, Mahadevsthan in Kavrepalanchok today.

In his inaugural speech, he said if anyone attempts at finishing off democracy it would be his daydream.

Since the violence being perpetrated by the Maoists has caused serious set back to the country’s law and order situation, the prime responsibility of the government now is to make the people feel secure.

It anything scares Nepali Congress it is corruption, immorality and unseen forces; no other force can scare it, the ex-prime minister said, adding NC has unflinching faith in constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy.

On the occasion, Mr Koirala distributed certificates and milk cans to Bhairab Malla, Muktinath Sapkota and Laxmi Prasad Nepal, who produced largest amount of milk in that region this year.

The cooperatives building was constructed at a cost of Rs. 598,269/-. The Cooperatives, which has 88 shareholders, has provided loans to various farmers for buffalo farming.

MP Shiva Prasad Humagain, highlighting the problems of the district, said 47 out of the 87 VDCs in the district do not have electricity facility. He also requested the government to blacktop the road from zero kilometer to Melamchi.

Farmers’ association president Dipak Poudel, NC general committee member Kumar Lamichhane and others also expressed their views on the occasion.

Cooperatives chairman Gangalal Shrestha presided.

Kathmandu, Jan. 21: Students of Tribhuwan University Central  Campus Kirtipur informed a press conference organised yesterday that the economics students agitation committee will stage an indefinite hunger strike at the office of the T.U.  vice chancellor from January 23 as the results of the M.A. economics second year examinations published recently were unexpected and incredible.

Bipin Regmi, who had secured first place in first division with 62 per cent marks in  the first year exam of 2054 and others in the top l0 slot were deliberately failed, and the  office of the examination controller and the T. U. administration had shown negligence regarding  the results at other campuses as well, Regmi told reporters.

On the occasion, vice president of the Free Students Union Taparaj Joshi accused the Examination Controller’s Office of examining the copies negligently and the T. U of politicising higher education. He assured the agitating  students of active help.

The economics students agitation committee coordinated by Bipin Regmi said a six point demand has been put before the scrutiny board  and all the student organisations have said they will also agitate unless re-examining of copies takes place for the relief of victimised students and the guilty are brought to book.

Kathmandu, Jan. 21: Three child labourers who were being confined in a cold room at Diamond Carpet Industry, Badegaun in Lalitpur district and compelled to work from seven in the morning to late at night in return for nothing but food have been rescued by the Ministry of Labour, child labour inspection division with the help of the Ilaka Police Office.

The children have been handed over to their parents.

Earlier, two child labourers had been rescued from Bhrikuti Carpet Industry at Lubhu, Lalitpur and handed over to their parents.

Meanwhile, some nine carpet industry outfits in Kathmandu valley have been subjected to legal action on the charge of using child labour, it is learnt.

Rajbiraj, Jan. 21: The traditional Koshi festival held every year this month began on the banks of the Koshi river today.

Thousands of people converged here from within and outside the country to take part in the religious festival.

Devotees take ritual dips in the river and fast after performing worship to cleanse themselves of sin, as per traditional belief.

Bhadrapur, Jan. 21: Local newspapers have protested the increase in postal charges for foreign delivery effected by His Majesty’s Government.

The district post office Bhadrapur had notified an increase in the postal charge for sending newspapers to India from l0 Paisa to Rs 6.

Internal rates used to be charged for newspapers going from Nepal to India. But now foreign postal charges apply for all material going outside  Nepal.

Member of the Nepal Press Council Dilli Ram Nirbhik has demanded that His Majesty’s Government reduce the postal charge for newspapers  despatched to India.

Biratnagar, Jan. 21: Assistant Minister for Land Reforms and Management Surendra Hamal has said that political unrest and terrorist activity in the Mid Western Region would not have occurred if  institutions  like the Nepal Jaycees had opened their branches in Maoist affected Rolpa, Rukum, Bajhang and Jajarkot districts 30 to 35 years back.

Speaking at a function organised yesterday by the Biratnagar Jaycees to distribute prizes to the best Jaycees of the year-1999, he  expressed  commitment to helping  the jaycees if they establish branches in the Maoist affected region as per their goal.

At the function national president of Nepal Jaycees Ful Kumar Jalwani, national vice president Ganesh Shakya, former national president Kishor Pradhan and former president of Biratnagar Jaycees Kishor Dhanawat  said the Jaycees will bring about positive changes in establishing democratic and moral values in society.

The function was chaired alternately by outgoing president of Biratnagar Jaycees Sushil Dhanawat and newly elected president Manoj Lakhe.

Bhadrapur, Jan. 21: The l0 member parliamentary team led by National Assembly social justice committee chairman Jeevan Prem Shrestha  today made an on the spot inspection of Jhapa district jail.

Jailor Dinanath Dahal, briefing the committee on conditions at the jail, said it now has 26l inmates, the jail building is dilapidated, there is a shortage of clothing for the inmates, the drinking water tank leaks, and there is no separate quarters for the jailor who is on duty around the clock.

There are also no arrangements for health workers and barbers, he said.

Also today the committee visited the Jhapa district police office and acquired information on girl trafficking and efforts being made to counter this activity.

On the occasion, dsp Keshar Bahadur Ghartimagar said cases have been filed against 27 people for abduction since the past three years and a women police cell has been set up to control girl trafficking from Kakarbhitta.

He also named the localities most affected by girl trafficking.

Also present were committee members Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Surendra Pandey, Bijul Kumar Bishwakarma, Kaiya Chaudhari, Rishi Babu Pariyar, Rabindra Lal Shrestha, Bishweshwar Dahal, Shanta Manabi and Ambika Pant.

Pokhara, Jan. 21: Nepal Habitat for Humanity Pokhara is to build l52 inexpensive houses for the poor in need of housing in Pokhara Sub-Municipal Corporation and nearby VDCs by 2002.

By the end of l999, 33 such houses had been completed and this  number will rise to l82 by 2004.

Nhfh provides interest free loans of Rs 80,000 to homeless families with one ropani of land but no land elsewhere.

The loans are repayable in eight years, according to coordinator Subas Bhandari.

Nhfh has implemented its programme in Dibyanagar, Chitwan,  Tikapur, Kailali and in Surkhet also.

So far, 53 houses have been completed in Tikapur and 34 in Dibyanagar.

Habitat for Humanity International (hfhi) to which nhfh is affiliated, was founded by Millard Fuller in Georgia, usa 22 years ago.

So far hfhi has built over 80,000 houses in 64 countries, and another 20,000 houses are to be built in 2000.

Meanwhile, hfhi founder Fuller yesterday inspected the houses of Dev Raj Giri, Sarbe Pariyar and Sagar Giri at ward No l5 in Pokhara Sub Municipal Corporation and also handed over the keys to a house built at Kazipokhari in ward No l8 to Meena Kumari Gurung.

Addressing a function, fuller lauded the work done by the nhfh in Pokhara.

Gaur, Jan. 21: Rautahat district court has imposed a fine of Rs. 200 on Mridula Sharma, editor of Navakoras weekly published from Hetauda, Makwanpur district.

Januka Sapkota of Dumariya VDC had filed a defamation suit against the editor in connection with a news item titled “Raid on much talked about red light house ” published by the weekly on August 20, 1999.

Tanahu (Damauli), Jan. 21: Minister for Water Resources Govinda Raj Joshi has called upon all to support the government in its campaign against anti-democracy and development elements harbouring instability in the country.

Initiating the formal opening of a campus at the Tribhuvan Higher Secondary School in Manechaur of Rupakot village development committee (VDC) here Thursday, Minister Joshi spoke of the need for the maximum utilisation of the budget released to the villages in local development works in order to address the problem of  rural-to- urban migration.

Minister of State for Labour Ram Bahadur Gurung said that violence and terror tactics cannot change  the political system in the country and the activities of the Maoists were directed against the entire development process of the country.

Assistant Minister for Tourism Narayan Singh Pun highlighted the important role education has in shaping the personality of the students, in the consolidation of democracy and national development.

At the programme presided over by chairman of the campus management committee Mr. Sundar Adhikari, mps Haribhakta Adhikari, Dil Bahadur Gharti, Nepali Congress central publicity department member-secretary Ramchandra Pokharel, Nepali Congress Tanahu district president Raghunath Poudel, Byasnagar municipality mayor Dhurba Wagle and others also expressed their views.