Former Home Minister and Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Kamal Thapa has refuted the report of the White Paper presented by Finance Minister Dr Ram Saran Mahat, saying that there was excessive misuse of state fund on the recommendation of the then Home Minister Thapa.

He said the statement of the Finance Minister that 500,000 rupees spent per day from 27th December to 19th April is baseless and fake.

A press statement issued by Thapa said that the Finance Minister tried to deceive people by presenting fake reports in the parliament.

The Home Minister of the Royal government also challenged the Finance Minister Rana and the government to prove the fact and take legal action.

The white paper presented by the Finance Minister said that the economic situation of the country is in very difficult situation, due to the unnecessary expenditure made by the previous government, under direct rule of the King.

Former Home Minister Thapa is in detention since Friday after the government arrested him on the recommendation of the high level commission formed to investigate atrocities committed to suppress the pro-democracy movement of the country.

A team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) discussed with Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula about the status of the people who were disappeared by the State.

A press statement issued by the NHRC said the commission discussed the complaints filed on behalf of 570 people arrested by the security forces, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The statement further said that the national rights watchdog also sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office with description of the people disappeared by the State.

Likewise, a team of NHRC also met five former ministers of the royal government in different jails.

The team received information about the human rights of the former minister.

Stating that the condition of Former Foreign Minister Ramesh Nath Pandey is weak, the NHRC urged the authorities to make appropriate provision for him.

The NHRC team also appealed the authorities to provide newspaper, radio and television facilities to the detained former ministers.

The government arrested former ministers Kamal Thapa, Ramesh Nath Pandey, Tanka Dhakal, State Minister Shrish Shumsher Rana and Assistant Minister Niksha Shumsher Rana in the charge of holding secret meetings to thwart the people’s movement.

The Democratic Tourism Society and other employees have agreed to lift the ten-day long lock out at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) on Wednesday.

The office reopened after the agitators and the NTB management reached into an agreement to investigate their demands.

The agitators are demanding the resignation of NTB’s chief executive officer (CEO) Tek Bahadur Dangi.

Reports said lock out was lifted after a meeting held at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in the presence of joint secretary Shanker Koirala.

The Democratic Tourism Society and junior employees of NTB had locked up the office of the NTB, demanding resignation of its CEO Dangi, accusing him of supporting the royal regime and not working for revival of the ailing tourism industry.

Dangi refuted such allegations and said a “vested interest” group was behind the latest protests.

The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has stated that Dr Suresh Chandra Chalise has been appointed advisor to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.

Dr Chalise had been the foreign affairs advisor of NC President Koirala for the last three years.

Earlier, Bal Krishna Dahal was appointed as the personal secretary of the prime minister and Basanta Gautam the principal secretary at the Prime Minster’s Office.

Maoist leaders and cadres detained in various jails around the country have ended the hunger strikes they had been carrying out since May 8.

The Maoist detainees ended their hunger strike today following a call from rebel commander Prachanda.

Maoist leaders and cadres detained in Katmandu’s Central Jail, Nakkhu Jail, Dillibazaar Sadar Khor and Bhandra Bandi Hriha [detention center] and various other jails around the country had been carrying out hunger strike, putting forward a four-point demand including immediate release of all political prisoners and disclosure of the condition of involuntarily missing persons.

Staring with relay hunger strikes, the Maoist prisoners had launched fast-unto-death few days ago.

In a statement yesterday, Prachanda stated that his party was in constant touch with the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government and had been assured of the release of all prisoners at the earliest.

Chief of UN Human Rights Mission in Kathmandu, Ian Martin, has stressed the need of laws in Nepal that guarantee the rights of the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

Addressing a programme organised by Blue Diamond Society on the occasion of International Day Against Homophobia in the capital on Wednesday, Martin said, “Discrimination against lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people, or metis, takes many forms and often results in violence against them.”

In Nepal, discrimination against sexual and gender minorities often results in them being ostracised by their families and forced to leave their homes, Martin said, adding discrimination in educational and work opportunities, public places and sexual violence by state agents were prevalent.

Martin further said, “The commitment to non-discrimination is required in law and to be enforced by the authorities. It is also for communities, families and each of us individually to make sure that as we live our day-to-day lives, we do not discriminate against anyone.”

Blue Diamond Society has been fighting for rights of lesbian and gays since a few years.

Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat has urged the donor community to provide budgetary support to meet the immediate liquidity crisis.

Addressing a meeting with donors at the Finance Ministry at Singha Durbar Wednesday afternoon, the minister urged Nepal’s bilateral and multilateral donors to revive projects either terminated or downsized in the past citing security reasons. He also sought support from the donor community to launch relief and rehabilitation of conflict victims and for their reintegration in the society.

Dr. Mahat said a new investment package would be needed with emphasis on public works and implement infrastructure and income-generating projects.

The Finance Minister said the principal agenda for the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government was political—that is to find a complete solution to the decade-long conflict, among others. He, however, said the economic agenda was equally important.

Dr. Mahat said the country was on the verge of facing serious economic crisis. Referring to the White Paper presented by him before the House of Representatives on Monday, the minister said in the past four years, security related expenditures were systematically raised, which had now exceeded 3.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is very high level for a country having annual revenues around 13 percent of GDP. Most of the liabilities created in this front have long-term implications, he added.

Dr. Mahat said this year the revenue shortfall could be around Rs eight billion. He said the only positive sign in the economy was the rise in remittance inflow. Trade deficit has increased by over 37 percent in the first eight months of this fiscal year compared to the same period of the preceding year.

The Nepali Congress lawmaker warned that democracy and peace might be at risk again in people saw that nothing was happening on the development side. He urged Nepal’s development partners to come forward generously in supporting the government’s peace, development and development endeavours.

Members of the donor community assured of their continued help to Nepal but asked the government to set its priorities first. They said they were ready to help Nepal based in its performance towards economic reforms and restoring peace in the country.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that the government will act as per the will of the people committed to fulfill the dreams of the martyrs.

Talking with the families of the martyrs in the capital on Wednesday, Koirala assured to provide compensation announce by the government to the martyrs’ families as soon as possible.

“I am committed to provide any kind of support you require,” he told the relatives, informing that a separate committee has been formed to make necessary arrangements for providing financial and other support the families of martyrs.

The gathering was arranged by All Nepal People’s Youth Association.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula informed that the compensation of Rs 1 million would be handed over to the relatives through District Administrative Offices.

At the program, Ganga Krishna Thapa, brother of Umesh Thapa, who was shot dead by the police on February 8 in Dang while protesting against the municipal elections, presented a memorandum to the Prime Minister on behalf of the martyrs’ families demanding long-term assistance to the families of martyrs.

The government has transferred the chief district officers (CDOs) of 32 districts.

A Home Ministry source told Nepalnews that the decision to transfer the district administrators was taken today.

CDOs of Dang, Kavre, Solukhumbu, Udaypur, Dhanusha, Khotang, Makwanpur, Paanchthar and Gorkha are among those transferred to other districts and while few of them have been recalled to the Home Ministry.

No reason was given for the transfer.

Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, E Ahamed has said that India will discuss security matters including the purported ‘activities’ of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Pakistani intelligence agency, with the new Nepal government.

“India will talk to the new government in Nepal on all security-related issues, including ISI activities,” media reports quoted Ahamed as telling the Lok Sabha, the lower chamber of the Indian parliament on Wednesday. He added that the new Nepal government has “assured not to allow any anti-India activities including those of ISI in Nepali soil”.

Both Nepali and Pakistani governments refute reports that ISI has been launching its activities from Nepali soil targeting India.

Minister Ahamed also said the Indian government was aware of links between Indian Naxal outfits and Nepali Maoists but he denied any operation linkages between the guerrilla outfits, reports said.

“India has consistently called for the process of genuine dialogue between constitutional forces of Nepal to find a peaceful solution to challenges facing the country,” the Indian minister said, adding that matter of safety of Indian nationals in Nepal was “forcefully taken up by the government through diplomatic channels with Nepalese authorities.”

However, Nepali authorities are yet to say anything on the future talks on security issues.

Supporting the recent political change in Nepal after the people’s movement, India has pledged support, including financial assistance, to the new government.

Meanwhile, amidst reports of encroachment of Nepali land by India in Susta area of Nawalparasi district, Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mujherjee has claimed that Nepal and India have “different perception on the alignment of their boundary in some areas”

In his written statement to Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament, Mukherjee claimed, “In the Susta region, shifting off course of the Gandak river, the mid-stream of which forms the boundary as per the Treaty of Sugauli, has resulted in claims and counterclaims by both sides.”

Reports say dozens of Nepali families have been forced to leave their places due to encroachment from Indians.

Explaining that India and Nepal have established a Joint Technical Committee (JTC) to resolve border issues, Mukherjee said India has reiterated to Nepal the need for early resolution of boundary issues, reports said.