Indian security personnel forcibly displaced 14 families who had been residing at the border settlement of Gobargadha-7 recently, a newspaper report said on Wednesday.
Indian security forces did so citing probable cross-border infiltration of Maoists, the report adds.
The families had been residing near the Koshi River before their settlement was displaced due to inundation and erosion by the Koshi River.
“They have been forcing us to move from our settlement, citing security reason,” The Kathmandu Post daily quoted Jogendra Mandal, a victim who is staying at the bank of the river as saying.
However, Chief District Officer of Saptari Tilak Ram Sharma said he was not informed about the incident.
The Patan Industrial Estate (PIE) has made arrangement of internal load-shedding to minimize the impact of daily power shortage in industrial production.
The industries will close their production for 12 hours per week. At present, the daily load shedding by Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is 35 hours per week.
The schedule is on a trial phase since Monday.
The estate consumes 250,000 units of electricity per month. With the new arrangement, the consumption has been reduced by about 25 percent. The arrangement has been made with the help of additional power generation through its three feeder sub-stations within the industrial site.
Meanwhile, NEA has said that the load shedding in Kathmandu during night time has been stopped from Tuesday evening. NEA has said that there would be no load shedding between 6 p.m. till 5:30 a.m. The arrangement has been made with the request of security agencies to maintain security during the night.
The NEA will be increasing load shedding during the day time instead.
Former US president Jimmy Carter is scheduled to visit Nepal in the second week of April.
According to the Carter center in Nepal, he will hold discussion with leaders about the current political situation of the country.
In the week long Nepal visit, the 39th US president will meet leaders of opposition political parties and Maoist rebels. He will also get an audience from His Majesty King Gyanendra.
The winner of Nobel Peace Prize 2002, Carter is also scheduled to meet civil society leaders and human rights defenders to discuss the human rights situation in Nepal.
The US has been closely watching the recent political developments in Nepal. In his recent visit to Nepal, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Camp asked the king and the agitating political parties to sit for dialogue. US ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty also stressed for unity between the king and constitutional forces to sideline the Maoist rebels.
As part of undertaking various social activities, the employees of Laxmi Bank, one of the leading commercial banks of the country organized an “Friends & Family” blood donation camp on Wednesday coinciding with the Bank’s 4th anniversary.
“The camp pulled hundreds of donors to be a part of this noble cause,” a press statement issued by the Bank said.
The blood donation camp was co-organized with Nepal Red Cross Society.
“Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) is embedded within the overall Laxmi Bank corporate values and such activity not only provides us with the forum to give back whatever little we can to the community but also help in fostering friendship and camaraderie between members of the staff as well as our customers and well wishers,” the statement quoted Richa Adhikari, Manager of Corporate Communications as saying.
Conceding that force was used ‘inappropriately’ against the innocent villagers of Imiliya in Rauteli Bichuwa VDC, Kanchanpur district, the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has initiated actions against officials involved the incident.
Reports quoting sources at the RNA’s far-western divisional headquarters said some army officials of the army barrack based in Arjuni area, including a Captain and a Lieutenant, have been taken under control after an inquiry board found them guilty in the manhandling of over 100 Imiliya locals inside the barrack on Saturday.
The Court of Inquiry Board chaired by Col Ram Krishna Adhikari of No. 24 Brigade is looking into the action to be taken against the officials involved in the incident.
Following media reports about the manhandling of innocent locals, the RNA had on Sunday constituted the inquiry board.
Army officials who were in Imiliya to inquire about the killing of an army soldier by suspected Maoists last Wednesday had physically assaulted the locals, mostly elderly people, women and children, after taking them to the barrack.
Leaders of major opposition political parties have dubbed the recent notice of the Home Ministry as baseless and result of defeated mentality of the government.
Talking to Nepalnews, Subash Nemwang, central committee member of CPN-UML, one of the members of the seven party alliance has termed the notice of the home Ministry as a result of defeated mentality of the undemocratic government and alleged that the government does not have authority to issue such notice.
“The incumbent government is undemocratic and unconstitutional so it is devoted to curtail the freedom of people,” he added.
The constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 guarantees people’s right to peaceful assembly, right to travel so nobody has authority to curtail such freedom, he said, adding, “The statement of the Home Ministry is irresponsible and undemocratic.”
Ruling out the possibility of Maoist infiltration in the April 8 showdown, he added that seven political parties are holding peaceful agitation so there will be no room for violent activities of the Maoists.
The statement will have no impact in the agitation of the seven political parties and instead will help in publicity of the protest programmes, Nemwang added.
In a bid to foil the proposed mass meeting of the seven opposition political parties, the Home Ministry yesterday appealed to the citizens residing outside the capital Valley to reschedule their visits to Kathmandu, in case they coincide with the protest programmes, except in cases of emergency
The Home Ministry has also called the industrial community, school operators, public transport operators, and businessmen to shun threats and rumours and run business as usual, without any fear.
The ministry has asked everyone to immediately inform the nearest security agency in case they see suspicious individuals or objects, or questionable activities taking place at the public places or in their neighbourhood.
“With the terrorists often found using private or public vehicles by either tempting the owners or issuing threats, the ministry also asks anyone affected in this way to contact the nearest security agency,” the statement adds
The ministry said that the Maoists can use the hotels, lodges, public rest houses and school or university hostels for shelter and advised the management of such institutions to take precaution and inform the security agencies in case they suspect anybody.
The ministry has said that as a measure to maintain order, the security forces could ask anyone about their identity and appealed to everyone to carry an identity card.
“The government has come to know that the terrorists have instructed their cadres to take part in the general strike, following their agreement with the seven political parties,” the Ministry statement said.
It also requested people to avoid attending any such rallies and protest programs since the security forces could take necessary action.
Meanwhile, joint General Secretary of Nepali Congress, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, also dubbed the Home Ministry’s statement as totally baseless and ridiculous.
“As the government has failed to control the violent movement (insurgency) of the country, it is now using its power to suppress the peaceful agitation of the seven political parties,” he added.
He also said that the government’s statement that Maoists will infiltrate is wrong, adding the Maoists are only supporting the peaceful movement of seven political parties, not participating in it.
He further said that though the statement and repressive measures of the government will have some impact in the agitation of the seven political parties, the movement will have wider public support and succeed.
The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) honored “B” Division Champions Saraswoti Club, a Koteshor based Club, this morning at ANFA Complex, Satdobato, providing 50,000 cash, trophy, medals and certificates.
ANFA President Ganesh Thapa gave away the prizes to the champions and runners-up amidst a function where the ANFA boss also announced to increase the prize money from 50,000 to 200,000. “We have decided to increase the cash prize to 200,000,” Thapa said. Thapa also revealed that ANFA will try to bring about an semi-professional attitude in the “B” Division category.
On Tuesday, Pulchowk Sports Club defeated Tusal Youth Club 4-3 while Sano Gaucharan Youth Club thrashed Boys Sports Club 5-1 in the last day of matches in the Martyr’s Memorial ‘B’ Division League.
Manoj Lama, Sabir Chaudhary, Sadhir Shrestha and Bal Krishna Maharjan scored a goal each for Pulchowk while Nawaraj Ghale scored twice and Ashok Pun one for Tusal.
In the second game, Santosh Shrestha completed a hat-trick while Duryodhan Chaudhary and Milas Shahi added one each for Sano Gaucharan. Sriraj Maharjan pulled back a consolation goal for Boys Sports.
Friends Club was relegated to “C” Division on Monday.
Two civilians have been injured during firing in the eastern district of Ilam on Wednesday.
According to reports, a local businessman, Mukesh Agrawal, and taxi driver, Biswomani Khulal, were injured when policemen opened fire at them at Ilam chowk in district headquarters of Ilam at around 3:00 p. m.
Police said the civilians were injured when they opened fire in retaliation of firing by Maoist rebels.
Reports, however, quoted local people as saying that policemen opened fire at civilians without provocation.
The injured duo are undergoing treatment at the B. P. Koirala Institute of Medical Sciences at Dharan.
Earlier, unconfirmed reports said the civilians were injured in the firing by rebels.
Explosion at RBB office
Meanwhile, the Maoists carried out explosion at the Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB) in Gothalapani Bazaar in Baitadi district this afternoon.
Reports said the main door of the building and walls were damaged in the blast. The Maoists who came in a group of three or four fled the scene as soon as they detonated the bomb.
However, nobody was injured in the blast.
In a move that is likely to make India angry, the US is moving quickly to restore military supplies to the Himalayan kingdom, a news report said on Wednesday.
The Daily News and Analysis (www.dnaindia.com)– an Indian news portal – quoted unnamed government sources of India as saying that the US was set on restoring military supplies to Nepal.
“When contacted, the official spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs refused to comment on the developments. India and the US have recently begun to drastically differ over Nepal, especially on Maoists. The difference flows out of American view of Maoists as terrorists and India’s belief that the Nepali Maoists must be brought to the mainstream and should not be treated just as terrorists,” the news report said.
The US ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, has been at the forefront advocating the US policy, which is appeasing the Nepali monarch. The US administration has been critical of efforts to engage Maoists, especially the 12-point agreement between the seven parties and Maoists reached in November last year, the news report added.
Indian sources now say that the visit of the Pentagon team is taking the US policy a step closer to .resuming military supplies, “which would embolden the monarch and would be a serious setback to our efforts to restore democracy,” the website quoted an Indian official as saying.
“What do you gain by giving material to the Royal Nepal Army? Some more people would be killed and then the Americans will go home,” the news portal quoted Deb Mukherjee, former Indian ambassador to Nepal, as saying. “It will not solve the Nepal problem.”
The US embassy officials in Kathmandu could not be reached for comments.
During his visit to Kathmandu early this month—just a week after the President George W. Bush’s visit to South Asia—US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Donald Camp, had flatly denied reports that the Bush administration was likely to resume arms supply to Nepal. “First, we can not have a kind of cooperation with Nepal since February 1 last year. We would like to see the return of the situation of pre-February 1 where we were contributors to the security assistance,” Camp told reporters at a press conference. “The second legal aspect is that the Leahy amendment prohibits financing security assistance to Nepal until Nepal has returned to democracy and certain conditions on human rights have been fulfilled.”.
At least two children were killed and over 100 houses were destroyed in separate incidences of fire in various Terai districts on Wednesday.
Two girls died when fire engulfed a house at Ward No. 2 of Sisbani Badhara VDC in Morang district Wednesday afternoon, according to reports. Another girl was hurt in the incident.
Similarly, nearly 100 houses were gutted by fire in Bathanaha VDC-6 of Mahottari district this afternoon. Fire suddenly erupted from one house at around 1:00 p.m. and soon spread around the entire settlement.
Reports said fire was still out of control until 5:30 p.m. while the locals and firefighters from Janakpur Municipality were trying to put it out.
Likewise, 15 houses were gutted by fire in Koiladi Madhyapura VDC of Saptari district on Wednesday. Similar fire outbreaks were reported in Dhangadhi and Dheliya areas of the same district.