Sixteen Maoists were killed during a clash between security forces and Maoists at Satyabati area of Palpa district on Sunday.

According to officials at the Directorate of the Public Relations (DPR) of Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), security forces recovered dead bodies of 16 Maoists from the incident site.

11 security personnel were also injured in the incident.

The Royal Nepalese Army had launched an aerial attack against the rebels in the area.

The clashes took place after a security patrol from Saljhundi of Rupandehi district encountered the rebels.

Meanwhile, Maoists apologized for Saturday’s incident when a bomb planted by them exploded at Chorepatan area leaving six civilians injured.

A press statement issued by Kaski secretary of the Maoists “Karna” stated that the bomb was meant to target security forces, but had accidentally exploded before the set time due to a technical error.

Despite the political unrest in the country and sharp decline in Indian devotees, the number of devotees thronging the temple of Lord Pashupatinath area on the occasion of Mahashivaratri festival, an important festival of Hindus, increased this year.

According to Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), around 250,000 people visited the temple on Sunday. The number of devotees was around 200,000 last year.

Report quoted Ram Prasad Dahal, coordinator of the publicity committee of the PADT, as saying that 150-160 devotees on average visited the temple per minute when all four doors, plus the main door, were opened; but 50-60 people visited the temple on average when only one door was open.

Only 10,000 devotees from foreign countries, including 7,000 Indians, came to pay homage at the temple this year. However, the turnout of Kathmanduties and people from terai areas was higher as compared to previous years, Dahal said.

The number of babas visiting Pashupatinath this year increased as well. According to reports, 1,900 babas, including Naga Babas, visited to the temple this year as compared to 500 last year.

The PADT claimed that it had made good arrangement for devotees as compared to last year and devotees have to spend less time to offer prayer.

Over a dozen persons were injured, some seriously, when police baton charged devotees who were trying to force their way out of the temple area at Gaushala after being blocked for around four hours.

Traffic and the flow of devotees were halted at Gaushala due to the royal visit to the Pashupati temple at around 6:15 p.m.

A team of CPN-UML leaders met Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala and NC (Democratic) President Sher Bahadur Deuba at their residences separately to discuss future strategy to intensify the ongoing democratic movement.

According to UML Central Committee member Subash Nemwang, the delegation discussed with Koirala and Deuba the future strategy and program of peaceful democratic movement for the restoration of complete democracy in the country, according to newspaper reports.

The seven agitation political parties are protesting against the February 1 royal takeover of last year demanding restoration of complete democracy in the country putting an end to what they call “autocratic regime”.

They also discussed about the 12-point pact reached between the seven-party alliance and bringing Maoists to the political mainstream.

Nemwang ruled out the possibility of rift among agitating parties and said Maoists should internalize the pact into practice.

After the finalization of extensive program schedules for next month by the joint movement coordination committee, the UML is going to organize an all-party meeting of top-brass leaders next week for discussion.

A gang of unidentified persons vandalised 11 vehicles, parked at bus park in Beni, district headquarter of Myagdi district on Saturday night.

Seven buses, two taxis and two microbuses were damaged during the time of curfew, according to reports.

Owners of the damaged vehicles said they collectively suffered a loss of around half a million rupees. All vehicles were left with shattered windowpanes.

The local administration has been imposing curfew in the night time citing security reasons.

At least two security personnel have been reported killed when Maoist rebels made a surprise attack at Kavre Bhanjyang along the Banepa-Bardibas highway Monday morning.

A civilian, Bikas Karki, has been injured during the clashes.

The rebels had attacked the security team that was on a regular patrol at around 8:30 a.m.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Public Relations of the RNA said they were yet to receive information on the incident.

Seven months after the controversial amendment of the Civil Servants Act, 1992, the government is mulling over seventh amendment of the Civil Service Regulations, 1993, which proposes extra facilities to the civil servants.

According to the Kathmandu Post daily, the government, for the first time, proposed to award dearness allowance equivalent to annual inflation to all civil servants.

Over 86,000 civil servants and their families will benefit from the plan.

Besides, the government has also proposed “children care allowances” to women civil servants for three years, increase in paid maternity leave, and paid post-natal care leave for male civil servants. The civil servants for the first time will have a treatment fund and see their transfer being made more systematically.

According to the draft of the amendment, the proposed dearness allowance will be reviewed before the end of April every year as per the recommendation of a salary-allowance review committee.

The committee will recommend the allowance on the basis of the consumer price index published by Nepal Rastra Bank.

The salary, however, will be reviewed before the end of April every three years.

Once the amendment comes into force, women civil servants will get 100 days maternity leave instead of the existing 60 days. Male civil servants will also get 15-day post-natal care leave to look after their wives.

However as per the new rule, civil servants aspiring to pursue their studies on their own initiative will have to obtain prior permission from authorized officials.

The amendment also plans changes in the transfer process of the civil servants. As per the amendment, Ministry of General Administration will transfer civil servants only between July 16 and August 16 every year. Ministry level transfers will be done from August 1 to September 1 while transfers by government departments would be done during September 1 and October 1, the paper adds.

The new proposal will allow civil servants to open accounts in foreign banks even if they do not work or study abroad, but they are required to get approval from designated authorities.

As per the new provision, only one professional organization will be permitted in one service. Such an organization is required to be registered at District Administration Office.

Newly appointed head of the US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher has said that Nepal’s present political turmoil would be addressed if the king steps back to the position prior to February 1.

US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher.
(Photo source : fpc.state.gov)

During his speech to the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee in the US Congress on February 16, Boucher spoke about the challenging issues in dealing with each of the countries of the region including Nepal.

The success of US foreign policy in South and Central Asia is “critically important” to US economic and security interests, he added.

Referring to US policy in Nepal, Broucher said, “We also face a difficult situation in Nepal,” adding, “We believe Nepal’s internal struggle can only be addressed by the King taking steps to reverse the course he embarked on over a year ago – last February 1st – and to return to democratic government.”

“Many of the world’s most difficult threats are found in this region: narcotics, terrorism, corruption, weapons proliferation, HIV/AIDS, failing institutions, ethnic strife, stunted economies and natural disasters. But, the people of this region also enjoy tremendous potential, in each of the countries individually as well as through regional cooperation in energy, education, transportation and trade. There is a generation of young people across the region with unprecedented dreams and, if given the chance to use their talents productively, they can create enormous benefits for themselves and for others around the world, “ he added.

The US has been critical of the king on his coup and the political parties on forming alliance with the Maoists rebels for restoration of democratic government in Nepal. US Ambassador in Kathmandu recently said that the seven parties should end the agreement with the rebels and begin the process of reconciliation with the king.

Boucher was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs on Feb 21 replacing Christina Rocca, according to the US State Department website.

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has said that the concerned government authorities have not responded to over 100 orders given by the CIAA.

The Annapurna Post daily quoted spokesperson of the CIAA Ratna Kaji Bajracharya as saying that over 100 orders for departmental actions and recovery of the losses incurred by the state from offenders has not been implemented.

Most of unimplemented cases are related to recovery of property from the offenders. He said that most cases were related to with the ministry of land reform and management.

According to the 13th report of the CIAA released recently, 13 orders for departmental action and recovery of losses sent to the ministry of land reform and management have not been implemented.

The ministry of finance has nine such cases, ministry of industry, commerce and supplies eight, ministry of agriculture and cooperative and ministry of culture, tourism and civil aviation six cases each, ministry of education and sports eight cases, ministry of local administration seven cases and the ministry of physical planning and works has five cases waiting for implementation, the paper adds.

The record states that over 150 government employee names have been forwarded to be taken action against by the CIAA, but not implemented. Similarly, more than Rs 10 million has to be recovered from cases of financial irregularities pointed out by the commission.

Bajracharya said the concerned authorities have not informed the CIAA about the reason behind the delay in implementation of the orders.

Bajracharya said that the commission has been investigating the implementation of its orders, requesting the concerned departments to send details of the action at the earliest.

He said the government has rather been awarding the guilty employees than taking action against them. The commission, according to him, has already ordered the government not to award such employees.

Three security personnel and one civilian were killed when Maoist rebels made a surprise attack at Kavre Bhanjyang along the Banepa-Bardibas highway Monday morning.

Officials at the Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) of Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) said, “The Maoists opened indiscriminate firing at a regular patrol at around 8:30 a.m. from a nearby jungle where locals were collecting fodder,” adding, “The security forces retaliated with patience to avoid civilian causalities in the incident.”

The casualties on the rebels side are yet to be confirmed.

A search operation around the area has been intensified to nab the Maoists, the DPR added.

Suspected Maoists shot and killed a taxi driver at Dulegaunda area of the western district of Tanahun Monday morning.

Reports quoting police said three assailants shot taxi driver Balram Shrestha, 26, “for defying the general strike” called by the rebels in the area. Shrestha, who sustained three bullets, died while being rushed to Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara.

Dulegaunda area remains tense following the incident while security forces have been deployed in search of the assailants, reports added.

Meanwhile, at least nine general people were injured when Maoists detonated a bomb at the busy road of Chipledhunga in Pokhara on Monday afternoon.

Our correspondent Bikram Thapa, told us from the scene that six of the nine injured persons are in critical condition.

Maoists detonated the bomb targeting a vehicle of the Royal Nepalese Army. Whether any RNA personnel received injury in the blast was not immediately known.

All injured persons are undergoing treatment at the Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara.