Kathmandu, Jan. 2 : Former prime minister and President of Nepali Congress Girija Prasad Koirala felicitated noted historian and former minister Bhuvan Lal Pradhan at a programme organised by the ‘Literary Journalist Association’ here today. 77 year old Pradhan was active during the democracy movement of 2007 B.S.

Speaking on the occasion, former prime minister and NC President Koirala said that Pradhan is an important figure of post 2007 B.S era of Nepal. He said that the LJA should strive to explore about people like Pradhan who have made immense contribution in the field of literature, social uplift and also agreed that the funds from the government to the LJA should not be stopped.

Former minister Narhari Acharya said that the book ‘Saat Saal Ko Jana Kranti’ (Peoples Movement of 2007 B. S.) authored by Pradhan is still an important book for all the students of history and literature.

Hemant Shrestha, president of LJA shed light on the various works of the association and strongly advocated for resources from HMG to carry on the activities of the association.

Puspa Chitrakar, Radheshyam Lekali also spoke on the occasion.

Meanwhile, RSS adds: Nepali Congress president and former prime minister Koirala has said literature is unbriddled, free and without border.

Inauguraing a day-long seminar on Nepali literature in the 21st century organised by the millennium literary celebration committee here today, Mr. Koirala said litterati have played a laudable and guiding role in the political events that brought about change in the country.

On the occasion Mr. Koirala also released the new novel “Sahasrabdi Ko Antim Prem Katha” (last love story of the millennium) by Dr. Dhruvachandra Gautam.

MP Baldev Sharma Majgainya, Prof. Mohanraj Sharma, Dr. Dhruvachandra Gautam and other speakers also expressed their views on various aspects of Nepali literature at the function chaired by literatteur Govinda Bahadur Gothale.

Kathmandu, Jan. 1: Communication network meant for air service operation, flight assisting equipment, radar and airport support equipment were not affected by y2k date change-over and all services throughout the kingdom are operating smoothly without any snags.

According to information provided by officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (caan) Uttar Kumar Kafle, the authority had formed a y2k cell last year in view of the problems Nepal’s civil aviation is likely to face and it has all along been doing a lot of homework, has held consultations with concerned technicians at home and abroad, checked all equipment and have had the manufacturers certify y2k compliance.

Coordination was established with the neighbouring countries and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (icao), Bangkok from 6:00 P.M. yesterday till 8:45 this morning by establishing a national y2k traffic management centre at the Tribhuwan International Airport for monitoring potential y2k-triggered problems at domestic airports, airports of other countries and aircrafts in flight and also for maintaining coordination, the caan has stated in its press release.

The press release adds that we are y2k free since 8:45 am today in coordination with China, India and the icao and air services are operating without any hitches.

Likewise, the authority has also said that the contingency stage specified by the icao has now passed.

Kathmandu, Jan. 1 : Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga Centre, Nepal is to organise a Shree Pashupatinath Rath Yatra (chariot procession) on January 3 with a view to promoting and popularising the spiritual practices and experiences of essential unity and brotherhood of mankind.

Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is scheduled to launch the Shree Pashupatinath Rath Yatra procession amidst a special function at Open Threatre Tundikhel, 9 am on that day.

Prime Minister Bhattarai will be the chief guest of the talk programme on “Entering the golden age through spiritual empowerment” organised by the Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga Centre on the same occasion.

The Rath Yatra procession will make a round of various places of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Thimi, Lalitpur and Kirtipur on the same day.

The Rath Yatra, which covers a distances of about 3,000 kilometers, will reach the international headquarters of Brahma Kumaris at Mt. Abu Rajasthan, India on Feb 8.

The Rath Yatra will pass through nine major towns of Nepal and 32 various towns of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan of India.

A total of 22 Rath Yatras from various renowned pilgrimage sites with Jyotirlinga temples of Shiva in Nepal and India will reach Mt. Abu on Feb 8, covering a distance of 66,000 kilometers and providing spiritual message to about 330 million people of thousands of villages, towns and cities of Nepal and India.

These Rath Yatras which are part of the Brahma Kumaris on-going two year long mega project called “Entering golden age through spiritual empowerment” will highlight the present day need and efficacy of spiritual empowerment attained through the practice of divine knowledge, human values and Rajyoga meditation for realisation of universal peace, love and cooperation, holistic health, harmony and happiness, national unity and integration as precursors to the heralding of golden age early next century.

During the Rath Yatra procession spiritual talk programmes on various topics of spiritual awakening and empowerment will be held in different places in Nepal.

“Spiritual values for the establishment of divine society” in Narayangarh, “Moral and spiritual values for world peace” in Hetauda, “Spiritual empowerment for better world” in Birgunj, “The real meaning of religion: concept of divine virtue” in Janakpur,” Rajyog: the basis of character upliftment” in Rajbiraj, “Spiritual awakening for world transformation” in Dharan and “God realisation for character purification” in Biratnagar will be the topics of talk programme during the Rath Yatra in Nepal.

A 21 members central committee has been formed under the chairpersonship of Brahma Kumari Gita, president of Brahma Kumaris Centres Nepal. An advisory committee and seven sub-committees have also been formed to make the programme succesful.

Likewise, 51 to 101 memebrs reception committees and sub-committees have been formed at various districts including Narayangarh, Hetauda, Birgunj, Janakpur, Rajbiraj, Dharan, and Biratnagar.

Another Rath Yatra which will be launched from Pokhara covering different places of western Nepal, will also reach Abu Rajasthan on Feb 8.

Those participating in the rath Yatra from Nepal are 15 Brahma Kumars and Brahma Kumaris.

This information was given at a press conference organised here today, where directer Brahma Kumari Rajdidi and Brahma Kumars had shedlight on the Rath Yatra.

Kathmandu, Jan. 1: None of the Nepali passengers on board the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft IC-814 were found to have been involved in the hijacking.

In a telephone conversation with RSS, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Pakistan Kumar Gyawali said the widespread rumour about the involvement of a Nepali in the hijacking was found to be baseless.

This was confirmed by councilor Yuganath Poudel who returned from Kandahar following diplomatic talks aimed at releasing the hostages, he added.

Ambassador Gyawali also made it clear that the news published and transmitted by some private media of India accusing Nepali passenger Gajendraman Tamrakar of being involved in the hijacking is completely false and fictitious.

It will not be in the interest of anyone to transmit such one-sided news at a time when an investigation is underway, he further said.

Kathmandu, Jan. 1: President of the Nepali Congress and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the prime concern today for a developing country like Nepal is to control the growth of population and implement the long term master plan with total commitment in order to attain the goal of poverty alleviation.

NC president Koirala was inaugurating a talk programme on the topic “The development dilemma: challenges and opportunities in the new millennium” organised here today by Cosmos Engineering Service.

Plans and policy should be formulated in keeping with the nation’s geographical and social conditions for making maximum use of the available means and resources and indigenous technology, he said adding, we all have to move ahead with integrity, courage and firm determination in the nation building task.

Referring to the new millennium as more challenging for all Nepalese, he expressed the view that with the commencement of the new millennium there should be innovative ideas and vision in every sphere of development.

On the occasion, Mr Koirala released a directive on irrigation published by Cosmos Engineering Service.

He also gave away presents to various persons for their valuable contributions in different social activities organised by the engineering service.

Ex-member of the National Planning Commission Dr. Bal Gopal Baidya said that development does not merely connote economic growth but also means social transformation and underlined the need for every Nepalese to change his mentality.

Chairman of the Society of Consulting Architectural and engineering forums Bada Lal Nyachhyain said that administrators and technicians here have to rely on alternative resources for the lack of adequate payment for labour and noted that strong policy, able government and positive social changes are the major challenges for the new millennium.

Director general of the Irrigation Department Ratneswar Lal Kayastha underlined the need for making the monitoring and assessment system for development projects stronger and more transparent and effective.

Earlier, Dr. Govinda Shaha of New Era, presenting a working paper, pointed out the need for optimum utilisation of human resource for sustainable development.

The paper also pointed out that uncontrolled population growth, unsystematic settlement, social inequality, regional imbalances, poverty and unemployment as the major obstacles and suggests that the government give special consideration to sectors such as agriculture, water resources, forests and bio-diversity.

Managing director of Cosmos Engineering Service Subodha Timilsina presided over the function at which manger of the service Sher Bahadur Misra call on all to be serious in facing the problems and challenges of the new millennium.

Kathmandu, Jan.1:Five of the eight Nepalese passengers, who were released along with other hostages from the hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, returned home today. Hit Kumari Shrestha, Gajendra Tamrakar, Rojina Pathak, and Sanjaya Dhital arrived here at around five p.m. by RNAC’s scheduled flight while Roshan Dahal reached here at around 11:00 p.m. by another scheduled flight of the national flag carrier.

After waiting for more than a couple of hours at the Tribhuvan International Airport, family members, relatives and friends heartily received the Nepalese passengers. The kith and kin of the Nepalese, who remained hostages in the IC 814 for eight days, were all tears and smiles when they finally saw their beloved ones coming back.

Upon his arrival at the airport, Gajendra Man Tamrakar, one of Nepalese passengers on board of the IC 814, distributed press-releases denouncing the baseless accusation made against him by some sections of the Indian media.

Stating that the Indian media had charged baseless allegations against him, he demanded that the government take stern action against Zee News Channel that had alleged him as one of the five hijackers of the IC 814.

The Indian airliner was hijacked in the Indian airspace a little above half an hour after it took off around 4:30 p.m. from the TIA on December 24. The New Delhi bound plane, with 178 passengers and 11 crew members, was initially diverted to Lahore in Pakistan where it was denied landing. The airplane then flew back to Amritsar in India where one of the passengers was killed while the aircraft was being refuelled. After that, hijackers made the plane land at Lahore airport despite the absence of runway lights.

Still continuing its flight eastward, the Airbus landed in the Dubai airport at around two a.m. on Saturday from where it flew to Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan where it remained grounded till yesterday afternoon when hijackers released all 155 hostages in exchange of three militants and a cleric freed by the Indian government.

Earlier, hijackers had released some women, children and a male passenger in Dubai airport.

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 16:Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) and the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu have jointly put up a photo exhibition here to mark the return of Macao to Chinese sovereignty on December 20. In April 1987, the governments of China and Portugal signed the Joint Declaration on the Question of Macao that declares that China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macao from December 20, 1999.

Portugal occupied Macao over 400 years back. The Portuguese set an autonomous organ in Macao with a governor appointed by Portuguese government as its supreme administrative officer. In November 1885, Portugal declared Macao a ‘free port’ to permit entry of foreign merchant ships into Macao for trade.

After the founding of People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government initiated pressure for return of Macao under its administration. In February 1979, China and Portugal established official diplomatic relations and subsequently reached an understanding in principle that Macao is a part of China and to settle its hand-over through friendly consultation. Under the “one country two system” principle introduced by late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to China in 1997; the same model is being applied to resolve the Macao question.

Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture Sharat Singh Bhandari expressed his happiness over the return of Macao to its motherland. “By adopting one country two system principle, China has ensured the right of Macao people even as they are united with their motherland,” Bhandari said inaugurating the photo display.

“For many years, Chinese people and Macao compatriots have been expecting the coming of this occasion,” said Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zeng Xuyong adding that the Macao people had maintained “flesh-and-blood close ties” with mainland China. “We are convinced that the return of Hong Kong and Macao is bound to be followed by the early solution to Taiwan question, and the complete reunification of China is certain to be realised ultimately in near future,” he added.

A Macao Special Administrative Region will be established under the “one country, two system” principle and the socialist system and policies will not be practised in Macao after the hand-over.

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec. 16:The Himalayan Pavilion – consisting of parts of a pagoda temple and a stupa locked in a sculptural embrace – is to represent Nepal in the World Expo-2000 to be organised in Germany’s Hannover from June 1 to October 31.

“We are erecting life size pagoda style temple combined with stupa as Nepal’s national pavilion for the five month long Expo,” pavilion promoter Amrit Shakya told the reporters here this afternoon. “Preparations are underway at full scale to make the project a success.”

About eight hundred craftsmen and their families have been working with the project that began two and a half years ago. To be spread in 2,500 square metres, the construction will take 12,000 cubic feet of wood. The total cost of the project is estimated to be 220 million rupees.

The project aims at promoting Nepal’s rich cultural heritage abroad and give the foreigners an impression that Nepal is endowed with wonderful natural and cultural gifts, Shakya said.

Shakya heads the Implementing Experts Group, the private body to represent Nepal in the Expo to be participated in by 172 nations and 27 international organisations with 400 thousand visitors everyday.

The Himalayan Pavilion will serve as a platform to acquaint Nepalese art and culture to the world, Commerce Minister Ram Krishna Tamrakar said.

Tamrakar said that the government believed in private sector’s initiatives and lauded the Group’s performance.

Commerce Secretary Mohan Dev Pant hoped that the Pavilion would be instrumental in bringing more tourists and attracting foreign investment.

The Pavilion will present live demonstrations by artisans of national repute in the trades such as carving in wood and stone, metal sculpture casting. It will also feature thanka painting, carpet and traditional textile weaving, pottery making and musical performances.

First of its kind to be erected outside Nepal, the promoters want the unique Nepalese architectural masterpiece to remain permanently in Germany in the form of Nepal Promotion Centre. “We intend to retain the Pavilion in Germany as a symbol of Nepalese contribution to the Expo 2000,’’ Shakya said.

Kathmandu, Dec. 16 (RSS):His Majesty’s Government has constituted a nine-member minimum wage fixation committee with the director general of the Department of Labour as the convenor to fix the minimum wages of the workers and employees of the exterprises.

According to press release of the Ministry of Labour, representatives of the ministries of works and transport, industry, Federation of the Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Nepal Trade Union Federation, Nepal Democratic Trade Union Federation and Nepal Trade Union Congress are the members of the committee.

Kathmandu, Dec. 16 (RSS):Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar returned home today after completing a three-week visit to United States of America and Japan.

Talking to journalists at the Tribhuwan International Airport, Mr Gachchhadar said an office of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has been opened after five years of its operation in Osaka of Japan which has been taken positively by the Japanese tourism entrepreneurs.

The RNAC office will go a long way in attracting Japanese tourists, the tourism Minister said, adding the decision to purchase wide-body aircraft aims at promoting tourism.

Staitng that he scrapped the tenders called twice by the air support transport services functioning under the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority to purchase aircrafts on the ground that these were not transparent and consistent with the rules, Mr Gachchhadar, who is also chairperson of the Nepal Civil Authority, said the third tender is to be called in a legal and transparent manner.

His trip to United States of America was for treatment of his eye, he added.

Minister Gachchhadar had left for United States of America on Nov 26.

Assistant Minsiter for Tourism and Civil Aviation Narayan Singh Pun and officials of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation had welcomed him at Tribhuvan International airport.