Lalitpur, Jan. 12 : Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek inaugurated the residential embassy of Norway here today.

Diplomatic relations between Nepal and Norway was estabished in 1973.

On the occasion, Norwegian Minister Vollebaek referred to the establishment of the embassy to further consolidate the already existing friendly ties between the two countries and said that as friends should be close to develop friendship, the residential embassy had been opened.

Stating that Norway was the third country making largest investment in Nepal, Mr. Vollebaek said that his country wanted to be partner of Nepal in not only development but also in trade and expand the sphere of cooperation.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat welcomed the inclusion of Nepal by Norway in the priority list of countries receiving cooperation and said that both the countries have similar perceptions at various international fora including that of the United Nations.

Stating that with the opening of the Norwegian embassy, relations at the governmental level would be promoted and it would be helpful in enhancing private investment and contact at the people’s level, he appreciated the increasing of the amount of assistance being made by Norway for the development of the developing countries.

Norwegian Charge d’Affaires Mrs. Aud Kolberg said there are ample opportunities for enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Talks held: Foreign Minister level talks between Nepal and Norway concluded at the Foreign Ministry today.

During the talks the Nepalese delegation was led by Foreign Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat and the Norwegian delegation by Norway’s Foreign Minister Knut Volleback.

Also present at the talks were Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh, secretary at the Foreign Ministry Murari Raj Sharma, and other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry and the Norwegian government.

During the talks views were exchanged on matters of mutual interest and cooperation as well as various other matters.

The talks held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere lasted an hour.

On the occasion, Dr. Mahat briefed the Norwegian delegation about Nepal’s position on various international, regional and national issues such as combating terrorism, narcotic drugs as well as human rights, the role of un Security Council for small countries like Nepal and Norway, saarc activities, Bhutanese refugees problem and Nepal’s accession to the wto.

The Nepalese side requested the Norwegian side to provide additional financial assistance for the Melamchi water supply project.

Dr. Mahat also highlighted the socio-economic activities undertaken by Nepal during the last 10 years and the liberal and open economic policy pursued by hmg particularly to attract foreign direct investment in Nepal.

The decision to open an embassy in Nepal is believed to be conceived in view of the growing bilateral relations between the two countries.

At the meeting, Norwegian Foreign Minister Vollebaek assured that his country would continue to provide development assistance to Nepal particularly in the energy and social sector in the coming years.

On the issue of Bhutanese refugee problem, the visiting Foreign Minister expressed his country’s willingness to facilitate the process of finding an amicable solution to Bhutanese refugee problem.

The Norwegian side also expressed its desire to provide any assistance that is needed for the establishment of Human Rights Commission in Nepal.

Both Nepal and Norway have also agreed to promote interactions of private sectors in order to enhance trade and investment between the two countries.

On the occasion, Dr. Mahat expressed Nepal’s sincere appreciation to the government of Norway for establishing its residential embassy in Kathmandu and for providing continuous development assistance to Nepal.

The Norwegian Foreign Minister invited the Nepalese Minister for Foreign Affairs to visit Norway.

Dr. Mahat accepted the invitation and said that he would visit Norway at a mutually convenient time.

Participating at the bilateral talks were Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh, Foreign Secretary Murari Raj Sharma and other senior officials of the Foreign Ministry while the Norwegian foreign minister was aided by Norwegian Ambassadors Por Stavnum and Knut Solem, and Mrs. Aud Kolberg, Charge d’Affaires of the Norwegian Embassy in Kathmandu and other officials from Norway.

Acharya holds talks: Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek met with Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya at the latter’s office today.

On the occasion, Mr. Acharya expressed gratitude to the Norwegian government for its assistance in Nepal’s development endeavours.

He also apprised the Norwegian Foreign Minister of Nepal’s economic situation and the measures pursued to improve the economy.

Mr. Acharya also sought Norwegian cooperation in areas of basic needs, poverty alleviation, social and private sector development, etc.

Mr. Vollebaek said Norway is the third largest investor in Nepal and is willing to invest in priority areas of Nepal.

On the occasion, Nepal’s views on the World Trade Organisation (wto) and the problems facing the private sector were also discussed.

During the meeting, high ranking officials of the Finance Ministry, high-ranking officials of Norway and business entrepreneurs were present.

Similarly, newly appointed Australian ambassador Crispin Conroy paid a courtesy call on the Finance Minister at the latter’s office today.

On the occasion, Mr. Acharya expressed gratitude for Australian assistance.

Mutual cooperation, foreign investment in Nepal and private sector development were discussed on the occasion.

Meeting with Joshi: Similarly, Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek paid a courtesy call on Water Resources Minister Govinda Raj Joshi at the latter’s office today.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Vollebaek said Norway has good experience in hydropower and his country is ready to cooperate with Nepal on the basis of this experience.

On the occasion, Minister Joshi noted that Nepal is considering further refining hydropower policy with a view to increasing foreign investment in this field.

Lahan, Jan. 12: President of the Nepali Congress (nc) and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the power of the nc is that of the people and vice versa and pointed out the need for the present nc majority government to understand the feelings of the people and carry out development works accordingly.

Addressing a mass meeting organised by nc siraha district committee here today, Mr Koirala said that if anyone has kept alive the Nepali Congress, it is the people of the rural areas. The existence, power and ideals of the Nepali Congress originated from the villages, he added.

Though the nc has a majority government, it has not gained momentum because of the wrong policies, nc president Koirala said, stressing the need to reassess the economic, educational and water resources policies to move ahead the development process.

Stating that he was of the view that ideological, economic and administrative initiatives should be taken to tackle the politics of murder, violence and terror, Mr Koirala said that the party and the government should resolve the Maoist problem ideologically as well as administratively.

The Maoists can be visualised but corruption is an invisible enemy, he said, adding that as it could not be defeated by moral power, all the nc rank and file should move ahead with moral courage to eliminate corruption.

Minister for Health Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said that various reactionary forces are active in creating factions within the Nepali Congress and all the party cadres should work in a united manner for the consolidation of the party and the institutional development of democracy.

Deputy speaker Mrs Chitralekha Yadav expressed the view that it was the duty of all the party cadres of the Nepali Congress, a historic party, to consolidate the party and fight for the stability of democracy.

On the occasion, nc president Koirala provided general membership of the party to 756 activists quiting the rpp (chand) to join the Nepali Congress without any conditions.

Earlier, nc president Koirala garlanded the statue of the late b. p. koirala at Kadamaha Chowk of Madhupatti vdc in Saptari district.

Likewise, party president Koirala inaugurated the liaison office of mp at Sitapur of Prasabani vdc of Saptari district and inspected the nc office at Bharadah vdc.

Former minister of state Padma Narayan Chaudhari, ex-chairman of Siraha ddc Chandra Narayan Yadav and various other speakers also expressed their views at the mass meeting chaired by president of nc siraha district committee Amir Kumar Yadav.

Kathmandu, Jan. 12: On the special occasion of the 278th Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day, a talk programme was organised under the auspices of the Prithvi Jayanti Celebration Committee here this afternoon.

Speaking as Chief Guest Vice-Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy Mohan Koirala said that the annual Unity Day has special significance among the people.

“The words of wisdom of His late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great bequeathed to the nation after the unification of the country still has immense practical value,” he said.

Talking about the freedom to exercise one’s language, religion and belief after the re-establishment of multi-party democracy in Nepal, Koirala however cautioned “We should never stumble to maintain the unity of Nepal, the unifier of which was late King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great himself.”

Member of the Academy and convenor of the talk programme Chitra Ranjan Nepali opined that late King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great’s contribution in unifying tiny states into one Nepal must always be remembered as it saved the country from going into the hands to the British.

Life Member Krishna Chandra Singh Pradhan said that His late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great would always be remembered and revered by the Nepalese people.

Another Life Member of the Academy Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha said that the nation will always unite at times of national crisis mentioning the stirring up of nationalistic feelings after the Indian media incorrectly mentioned Gajendra Tamrakar as one of the hijackers of flight IC 814.

Kathmandu, Jan.12: The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (sida) has decided to continue its support to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain development (icimod) for another three years, according to a press release from icimod.

A total amount of 4 million Swedish Kroner (us $ 475,000) will be provided for the next three years towards the Centre’s core programme for sustainable development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas.

An agreement to this effect was recently signed by Ms. Eidi Genfors, head of Asia and Latin America division of SIDA, and Mr. Egbert Pelinck, director general of icimod.

Mr. Pelinck expressed his great appreciation for SIDA’s generous support, noting that Sweden is one of seven donors that provide core support to the centre.

Others are Austria, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.

The main focus of icimod’s present programme is promoting options for improved livelihoods for mountain households, gender balanced development, and management of common property natural resources.

These issues are also high on the agenda of Sweden’s development cooperation policy.

Dhangadhi, Jan. 10 : Fifty-year-old Tikaram Chaudhari of Beladevipur village development committee (vdc)-1, Kailali district, has decided that enough is enough and broke free from the age-old practice of bonded labour.

Chaudhari had been working as a Kamaiya (bonded agriculture labourer) at the house of Punna Rana in the same locality. He decided to give up the practice once he was able to repay the ancestral debt of Rs 4,000 that he owed to Rana.

Tikaram Chaudhari took loans from the mobile fund for Kamaiya upliftment conducted by the district land reforms office and repaid the loan to his master.

However, whether Chaudhari would work as a Kamaiya or would be a free man would be decided by his master on the day of the Maghi festival according to age-old practice among the Tharu community.

Not only Tikaram Chaudhari, three others who are among the ten remaining Kamaiyas in their village, have also decided to break free of the Kamaiya system of bonded labour.

Chaudhari believes that various awareness programmes launched by the land reforms office and a non-governmental organisation called the Backward Society Education (base) have helped improve the socio-economic condition of the Kamaiyas.

Twenty-year-old Bujhauna Chaudhari, who disassociated himself from the age-old practice two years back says that he was not facing any economic difficulty to make ends meet.

Similarly, 22-year-old Juhari Chaudhari of Ratanpur vdc-5, Kailali district has decided to quit working as a Kamaiya. Juhari Chaudhari, who does not own a piece of land, has started working as an independent wage labourer. He plans to construct a hutment on a piece of public land near the Mohana river.

Describing his life as a Kamaiya, Juhari says that he had to work the field of his master from dawn to dusk and even that was not sufficient to sustain his family of six.

Maghi is a time when new Kamaiyas are recruited. Prospective landlords begin to search for a new batch of Kamaiyas on a very cheap wage basis.

This practice is prevalent in Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke, Bardiya and Dang districts of West Nepal.

With the objective of uplifting the status of Kamaiyas and banishing the practice from the society, His Majesty’s Government has implemented the Kamaiya debt relief and skill development programme.

Under the programme, the district land reforms office has been conducting various skill-development, employment generation and economic assistance programmes aimed at the Kamaiyas in those districts.

According to a statistics made available by the district land reforms office, there are 5,557 Kamaiyas in Kailali and none of them owns land.

Kathmandu, Jan. 10: Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs Federation has demanded that His Majesty’s Government immediately stop the transport tax collected by some municipalities even after the cancellation of the tax in highways and sub-highways of the country.

At the press conference organised here today, the federation has also warned that the federation would close down all public transport if the demand is not met by Jan. 15.

His Majesty’s Government had in a press release issued on Jan. 3 prohibited municipalities from collecting the tax in highways and sub-highways.

The federation has also demanded that the government direct the municipalities to return the tax collected after Jan. 3.

Speaking on the occasion general secretary of the federation Hom Prasad Adhikari said that the federation submitted an eight-point demand to the Prime Minister today.

Kathmandu, Jan. 10:The British Government has given a grant of over US$ 36,000 to WWF Nepal for a tiger-monitoring project in Chitwan, Bardia and Shuklaphanta tiger conservation units.

WWF Nepal will use the funds to work with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation to monitor tigers in the wild, according to a British Embassy press release.

The technology of camera trapping has been applied in the Royal Bardia National Park since 1997 and was extended to Shuklaphanta in 1998. The field teams have been able to use the pictures to gather information about 28 tigers (24 in Bardia and 4 in Shuklaphanta). This data has been compiled and analysed to develop a comprehensive and unique record of a species threatened with extinction.

This project is part of an on-going programme of conservation activities funded by the British Government which includes a study of Nepal’s compliance with its CITES obligations which was published in May 1999, the statement stated.

Lahan, Jan. 10 :Kerosene is not available in the local market since last Friday and even if available, it costs Rs 25 to Rs 30 a litre, the local consumers disgruntle.

Almost all the petrol pumps of the Municipality have claimed that they have no stock of kerosene and are unable to say from when it will be available.

When administrative officer Murari Prasad Sharma of the Ilaka administration office, Lahan, was contacted in this connection, he said that stern action would be taken against those hoarding kerosene and action of raiding the godown of the kerosene dealers are being undertaken.

Biratnagar, Jan. 10 :A team of the democratic working journalists of the Nepal Press Union, Morang, today met President of the Nepali Congress and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and presented various demands to him.

On the occasion, President of Morang district branch of the Press Union, Hem Raj Regmi said that there has been no security of the profession of the democratic working journalists active in the protection of democracy.

The team drew the attention of NC President Koirala towards the demands made by the Nepal Press Union for the protection and promotion of the rights and interest of the working journalists and stated that these have not been redressed.

The team also sought the bill on rights to information as guaranteed by the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990 be presented in the forthcoming session of the Parliament.

It has also demanded granting immediate permanent status to the journalists working for years in the mass media and prevent replacement in their post.

Demanding the changes in the weaknesses and shortcomings in the working journalists act and regulations, the team has requested the government to be serious towards the increasing insecurity among those working in the mass media and sought provision for inclusion of journalists outside the capital also in the entourage of the prime minister and other ministers during the foreign visits.

It has also called upon HMG to make necessary provision of higher studies and scholarships in the realm of journalism.

On the occasion, NC President Koirala assured the team that he will seriously take initiative to fulfill the demands as far as possible.

He also said that he will hold consultations with HMG to make provision for the protection of the rights and interest of the working democratic journalists.

The delegation led by Morang district branch of the Nepal Press Union Hem Raj Regmi comprised of central treasurer Soorya Nepal, former Sunsari district branch chairman Yam Pradhan and others.

Bhadrapur, Jan. 10 : Nepali Congress General Secretary Sushil Koirala has said that everyone has been expressing concern over the institutionalization of corruption in the country.

Chief guest Mr Koirala made this remark while addressing the talk programme on the role of the press in checking increasing corruption organised by the Nepal Press Union, Jhapa here today.

The nc General Secretary expressed the view that the Nepali Congress and other political parties should shoulder equal responsibility for checking corruption.

Stating that the mafias were taking advantage of the political instability in the country, Mr Koirala said the extreme rightists and leftists were plotting to weaken democracy in the country.

Stating that the mediapersons should carryout their duties in a more responsible manner to encounter the challenges of corruption, aberrations and terrorism faced by the country, the nc general Secretary said that party and the government would extend all possible cooperation if the mediapersons involved in this task were threatened.

Assistant Minister for Commerce Narendra Bikram Nemwang said that the Nepali Congress party has issued clear directives to the government to remove corruption and aberrations and to run the government in a transparent manner.

Mr Nemwang said that the government had taken steps to resolve the problems faced by the country despite some weaknesses.

Expressing the view that the people had handed over to the Nepali Congress the responsibility of building the future of the country, nc central member and mp Krishna Prasad Sitaula said that improvements had to be made at Singha Durbar to check corruption.

mp dr Gopal Prasad Koirala said efforts should be made from the village to the central level to contain the problem of corruption which is becoming more complex in the country.

Former nc central member Bhubikram Nemwang said that the mediapersons should not hesitate to express their views in connection with corruption and other aberrations taking place in the society.

Chief of the Nepali Congress central office press section Purusottam Dahal, president of the Nepal Press Union (npu) Kulchandra Wagle, former president npu Tara Baral, npu founder member Shobhakar Parajuli, npu central council member Chintamani Dahal expressed their views on the inter-relations between democracy and the press.

At the function chaired by npu district president Lok Raj Dhakal, nc district president Sudhir Shivakoti, chief district officer Dilliraj Joshi, Krishna Dharabasi of npu and others also expressed their views.