The government has formed a probe committee to investigate into the mysterious murder of Dhangadhi-based journalist Jagat Prasad Joshi.

A cabinet meeting held Wednesday constituted a three-member probe committee under advocate Umesh Prasad Gautam.

Advocate Shailkram Sapkota and journalist Mahendra Bista are two other members of the committee. The meeting also decided to hand out “relief package” to the kin of the slain journalist.

Meanwhile, the government is all set to form a judicial commission to look into the instances of violation of press freedom.

The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) said that Minister of Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara has informed it that the soon-to-be formed commission will probe the murder of journalist Joshi and other instances of press freedom violation. nepalnews.com Dec 04 08

Local administration in Hetauda has said it will hand out Rs 500 as ‘monthly allowance’ to each member of the near-extinct Bankariya ethnic community in Hetauda.

The Maoist led government had in its budget presented a few months back announced that a monthly allowance of Rs 500 will be given to Dalits and ethnic communities that are at the verge of extinction.

Bankariyas feature in the list of ten ethnic communities of the country that are at the verge of extinction. Numbering around 77, they mostly live in and around Makwanpur district.

They will get the monthly allowance meant to save them from possible extinction from mid-June 2009. nepalnews.com Dec 04 08

The Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) has asked the Maoists to rope in Nepali Congress (NC) in the special committee on army integration.

The UML is a major ally in the ruling coalition led by the Maoists while NC is the main opposition.

A delegation of UML led by its general secretary Jhal Nath Khanal met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Wednesday, and made this request.

The UML team told the PM that without the participation of NC, the committee will become meaningless.

Although the government had formed the committee led by UML leader and Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam a month ago, the NC has stayed away from it demanding equal participation and implementation of past pacts.

The committee has two members from the Maoists and the NC has also demanded two members from its side. The NC has also demanded that terms of reference of the committee be same as was agreed in earlier pacts. nepalnews.com sd Dec 04 08

Richard Boucher

The visit by the United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Richard Boucher has been suspended.

The US official was slated to come to Nepal Tuesday next week.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources have said that the US Embassy has notified that the visit has been suspended, reports Kantipur daily. nepalnews.com Dec 04 08

The cabinet meeting, Wednesday, has formed a 15-member taskforce to study the prospects of generating 10,000 MW power in ten years.

The panel will be headed by Somnath Pokharel. According to government spokesperson and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the government will proceed with its target of harnessing 10,000 MW hydropower in ten years after receiving recommendations from the taskforce.

The cabinet has also formed a committee to probe the killing of journalist Jagat Joshi in far western Nepal. The three-member probe panel is headed by advocated Umesh Prasad Gautam.

The meeting also decided to carry out programme to eradicate illiteracy within two years. The programme will take off on December 16. nepalnews.com sd Dec 03 08

Inspector General of Nepal Police Hem Bahadur Gurung today admitted, although cautiously, that political pressure on the police force is real.

Speaking to media persons at the Police Headquarters, IGP Gurung said that as in the past the police force has had its share of political intervention at present, but its actions are not influenced by political interest. He said all concerned sides should cooperate in doing away with political intervention.

Alluding to the quasi-policing activities of youth groups of political parties like the Young Communist League of CPN-Maoist and CPN-UML’s Youth Force, Gurung said his department “won’t go after any particular political organisation, but criminals elements won’t be spared”.

He also unveiled a 12-point work plan to improve the security situation in the country. The work plan includes beefing up the presence of the police in sensitive areas including highways, increased patrolling, and enhancing of the communication system of the police. nepalnews.com Dec 03 08

The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) slashed the prices of petroleum products on Wednesday. The decision comes in the wake of constant decline in the price of crude oil in the international market.

A meeting of the NOC board decided to lower the price of petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel each by Rs 5 per litre. Petrol will now cost Rs 85 per litre, aviation fuel Rs 90 and diesel and kerosene Rs 60 per litre respectively.

However, the price of cooking gas remains same.

Likewise, the NOC has levied 50 paise ‘pollution tax’ on per litre of petrol, kerosene and diesel for Kathmandu Valley.

Earlier, the NOC had reduced petroleum prices twice within a couple of months. nepalnews.com mk Dec 03 08

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav on Wednesday said all caste, communities and linguistic groups should unite “to build a new Nepal”.

Speaking at a religious programme organised to commemorate the 99th birth anniversary of Kirat religion’s priest Guru Falgunanda at the holy site of Larumba of Ilam, Dr Yadav said that Nepal is “garden of various caste and communities” and that the dreams of new Nepal can not be realized by avoiding any particular group.

He made similar remarks at another religious function he attended in Jhorpokhari of Pacchthar district the same day.

Meanwhile, speaking at the same programme chairman of Constituent Assembly Subhash Nemwang stressed on need to maintain unity among all caste and communities to keep national integrity intact.

Organisers said more than 10,000 people from Nepal, Bhutan and India are participating in the programme. nepalnews.com Dec 03 08

In a continuation of high profile visits by foreign delegates in the recent weeks, the United States is also set to dispatch its envoy to Kathmandu for consultation with the Maoist-led government.

Richard Boucher (File Photo)

Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, is expected to arrive in Kathmandu next week and will hold consultations with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Foreign Minister Upendra Yadav and other political leaders, reports say.

Boucher is likely to be the last senior delegate of the outgoing Bush administration to visit Nepal for first-hand assessment of political developments here. The Bush administration, despite request from PM Dahal during his New York visit, is yet to remove the Maoist from its terrorist watch list.

Boucher’s visit succeeds the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who landed in Kathmandu on Tuesday, a week Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee left Kathmandu after a three-day tour.

Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Miller, British Minister for International Development Mike Foster, North Korean Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kim Yong II, a military delegation from China, British army chief Richard Dannatt completed their Nepal tour recently. nepalnews.com ia Dec 03 08

At a time when various political parties including the main opposition Nepali Congress have been arguing that the return of seized properties by Maoists is critical for the peace process, a senior Maoist leader has said no one including his own party has the “moral right” to ask for the return of the land “already distributed to poor farmers and peasants”.

C.P Gajurel, who is the central secretariat member of CPN (Maoist), said that only after the state makes alternative arrangement for the farmers will the [seized] land be returned to its rightful owners, clearly hinting that it will take some time for that to happen.

This remark from a leader who belongs to a more radical coterie inside the Maoist party contradicts Prime Minister and Chairman of Maoist party Puspa Kamal Dahal’s public avowal that his party will soon return the house and land property it seized during the insurgency period.

Speaking to a select group of journalists in Chitwan, the Maoist leader said that landlord activists and leaders of NC and United Marxist Leninist may have also grabbed some houses and land property.

On the issue of army integration, he said that it is getting very difficult to rope in NC into the Army Integration Special Committee because of the party’s “unusual stance” and dismissed any possibility of “equal participation” of NC and Maoists in it.

He also accused NC of violating past agreements by expressing dissatisfaction on the modalities for army integration. nepalnews.com ag Dec 03 08