James F Moriarty
James F Moriarty (File Photo)
US ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, met Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala at the latter’s residence in Maharajgunj on Monday.
A statement issued by the NC said they discussed the ongoing democratic movement, Nepal’s current situation, bi-lateral relations, and issues of mutual interest.
Girija Prasad Koirala
Girija Prasad Koirala (File Photo)
Moriarty is also learnt to have discussed the just-concluded municipal elections, the 12-point understanding reached between the seven-party alliance and Maoists and the ongoing movement of the seven party alliance.
Reports quoted party sources as saying that Koirala explained to Moriarty that the 12-point understanding would be “action oriented” in the coming days. He also informed Moriarty that the “movement would be stronger in the future, as Prachanda has now become democratic”.
Moriarty is scheduled to address a talk program “Nepal’s Political Crisis: A Look Back, A Look Forward” on Wednesday.
Sher Bahadur Deuba
Sher Bahadur Deuba (File Photo)
Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and former minister for physical planning and works Prakash Man Singh, who were put under custody by the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) for alleged irregularities in the Melamchi Drinking Water Project (MDWP), were released at midnight on Monday after the Supreme Court (SC) scrapped the RCCC.
Deuba was freed from the Police Academy in Maharajgunj where he was detained, while Singh was freed from Pahara Gan in Tripureshwor.
Party leaders Dr Minendra Rijal, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Bal Krishna Khand, were present at the Academy to receive Deuba.
Former minister Prakash Man Singh (File Photo)
Former minister Prakash Man Singh (File Photo)
Immediately after the SC scrapped the RCCC, Deuba and Singh lauded the SC decision describing it “courageous decision” of Nepal’s legal system.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered to scrap the controversial RCCC saying the formation of the anti-graft body was unconstitutional as it contradicted with Articles 83 (3), 84, 85, 88 (3), 89, 105 (7) and 127 of the Constitution of the Kingdom (1990).
The controversial RCCC had slapped two years jail terms on Deuba and Singh on July 26 last year on charges of committing irregularities in the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.
The controversial RCCC had also fined Deuba Rs 45 million and was also told to pay up another Rs 45 million as repayment of the amount allegedly embezzled by him. He was arrested on April 27.
Others charged by the RCCC in the alleged irregularities in the project include former secretary Tika Dutta Niraula, executive director of MDWP Dhruba Narayan Shrestha, assistant executive director Deepak Kumar Jha and contractor Jip Tshering Lama.
However major donors stalled their assistance to the project expressing dissatisfaction over the RCCC’s verdict.
His Majesty the King formed the RCCC under Article 127 of the constitution to look after corruption related cases following the February 1 royal takeover of last year.
Home Minister Kamal Thapa
Home Minister Kamal Thapa (File Photo)
District Judge Om Prasad Mishra administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly elected Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Rajaram Shrestha amidst a function in the capital on Monday.
At the programme, Mayor Shrestha administered the oath of office and secrecy to deputy mayor Bimala Rana and ward chairmen and members of Kathmandu KMC.
Speaking at the programme, Home Minister Kamal Thapa said that the parties that did not take part in the municipal elections don’t have the moral right to question it by stating that the elections recorded a low participation of the people.
Stating that an atmosphere would be developed through reconciliation for the parties to take part in the election to the House of Representatives, Minister Thapa also appealed to the political parties and the Maoists to reform themselves for resolving the problems dogging the country.
Raja Ram Shrestha
Raja Ram Shrestha
(File Photo)
Speaking on the occasion Mayor Shrestha said that he stood in the municipal elections with the recognition that those with moral courage should not be afraid of going before the people.
He expressed the determination to move ahead for the development of the capital city with the support of the residents of Kathmandu.
Executive officer Padma Raj Regmi welcomed the new office bearers and expressed the confidence that the assumption of office of the elected office-bearers would speed up easy and efficient services for the people.
The newly elected office-bearers of Kathmandu KMC assumed their office on Monday after paying floral tributes to martyrs at the Martyrs Gate.
State-owned Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) decided on Monday to end its authority of administering retail prices of petroleum products and empowered the private sector for this purpose.
According to various reports, the NOC said that it will limit its role in deciding the wholesale prices on two major petroleum products – petrol and diesel. The corporation would make the products available at fixed wholesale prices at the custom points and depots to the whole sellers. The transportation costs would be managed by them.
The whole seller would be given the right to increase the retail prices in the areas where transportation was costly. However, the NOC said that existing retail prices of the products would not rise in places of easy access by road.
The NOC fixed wholesale prices for diesel at Rs 44.16 per liter in its Biratnagar, Amlekhgunj, Birgunj, Thankot, Pokhara, Dang, Surkhet and Dipayal depots. The wholesale rate for Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi is Rs 44.15 per liter.
Similarly, wholesale prices of petrol has been fixed at Rs 64.32 per liter in its Thankot, Dipayal, Pokhara, Dang and Surkhet depots; Rs 63.62 in Amlekhgunj and Biratnagar, and Rs 63.61 in Bhairahawa, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi.
NOC said that similar decision would be taken shortly for sale of kerosene and gas as well.
NOC has been running at a loss of over Rs 570 million per month. Donors have suggested that private sectors should be empowered in petroleum marketing to reduce the loss of the corporation. The corporation was financially weakened when the commercial banks denied any loans in fear that corporation would not repay it back.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has decided to increase the air fares of domestic flights by 17 percent in average.
Annapurna Post daily quoted the assistant secretary of the ministry Yagya Prasad Gautam as saying that the new fare would come into effect from February 17. However, fares paid in dollars have not been increased.
The fares of remote areas have been increased by 11.8 percent and that of other areas by 17.6 percent in average.
Gautam was quoted to have said that the fare was increased due to increase in the management of air services and increase of fuel prices in the international market. The price of the air fuel has increased by over 87 percent since 1998.
The prices of tickets would also include surcharge and insurance charges. Earlier, they were charged separately. Disable persons, certified by the Social Welfare Council, would get 50 percent discount in the fare in the new proposition.
This is the first time that air fare has been increased after 2003. The ministry and air operators had agreed to review the fares every two years.
In the meantime, Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC), the national flag carrier, has said that it has decided to increase the allowance of pilots, the daily reported.
According to the report, the allowance of pilots flying 70 to 75 hours a month would increase by Rs 45-50 thousand.
An allowance review committee last week reported to the management board of RNAC to increase the salary and allowance of pilots. The pilots had been demanding increase in their salary and allowances and said that they would quit the jobs if their demands were not met.
Two people were killed and four injured in different insurgency related incidents.
A press statement issued by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that the Maoists shot dead Top Bahadur Raskoti of Kavre area of Salyan district in Kohalpur area of Banke district on Monday.
Likewise, one woman was killed and another severely injured when a bomb planted by Maoists went off at Murgiya section of the road in Rupendehi district on Sunday.
Likewise, the statement further said three civilians were injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Maoists went off in a road at Beli area of Kailali district on Sunday. According to the MoD, the injured people are undergoing treatment at Seti Zonal Hospital.
The search is on to locate the two Nepalis who were kidnapped from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan on Saturday morning.
Talking to Nepalnews on Tuesday, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shankar Das Bairagi said that the Royal Nepalese Embassy at Islamabad, Pakistan is actively working to find the kidnapped Nepalis.
Those kidnapped in Afghanistan are Chet Bahadur Pun of Pokhara and Tham Singh Rana of Kathmandu, who were working as security guards in Kabul.
Bairagi informed that the Embassy has discussed with the Afghan officials about the issue and appealed for assistance to release the kidnapped Nepalis.
The kidnappers have not presented any demands for their release.
President of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba (r) and general secretary Prakash Man Singh (l) talking to journalists in their first press conference after release from six month long detention on charges of corruption, at Deuba’s residence in Budhanilakantha, Tuesday, Feb 14 06. nepalnews.com/rh
Former Prime Minister and President of Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sher Bahadur Deuba, has said his sole concern is towards the restoration of peace and democracy in the country rather than monarchy.
Talking to reporters a day after he was released from months-long detention, Deuba accused that the state machinery had been misused to take revenge against him and his party.
He said the decision of Supreme Court to dissolve the Royal Commission for Corruption Control (RCCC) has heightened the prestige of the apex court and reasserted people’s sovereign power. This has also opened doors for the restoration of peace and democracy, Deuba added.
He further said that international solidarity was essential for e-establishment of democratic processes and human rights in Nepal.
Deuba, however, did not furnish any fresh outline that his party might take to accelerate movement for democracy. ‘I have to discuss with party cadres and alliance for fresh agitation programmes’, he said. ‘But the ultimate goal is to establish people’s supremacy and democratic process that could not be ‘recaptured’ by the King under any pretext,” he added.
Deuba and his general secretary Prakash Man Singh were released on Monday after the Supreme Court ordered to dissolve the controversial RCCC with immediate effect and scrapped all its previous decisions. The two leaders had been kept in jail for the last seven months for their alleged involvement in irregularities while awarding contract in the Melamchi water supply project.
Both of them denied any wrongdoings.
Amidst reports of growing Maoist activities in bordering Nepali areas, India has decided to beef up security presence along the Nepal-India border.
Indian media reports said that presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a para-military force, would be intensified along the 200km stretch of the border.
About 100 km each of Darjeeling district and West Sikkim are patrolled by the SSB forces, reports quoted Deputy Inspector General of the SSB, Ganga Singh Seyana, as saying at a press briefing on Monday. He added that the existing 26 SSB camps established along the border would be increased to 36 along with two more battalions.
According to Seyana, it was difficult to identify the Nepali Maoists crossing the borders as the nationals of the countries were free to cross the border without any passport or any kind of identification procedure.
The SSB forces are also assisted by trained sniffer dogs in detecting explosives and narcotics, reports said.
The SSB forces, Seyana informed, have captured five central Maoist leaders and have seized narcotics and smuggled items worth rupees Rs 40.8 million in the past four years.
The local authorities of Kathmandu and Lalitpur on Tuesday released 115 detainees including leaders and cadres of the seven-party alliance, some human rights activists and journalists, who were detained from anti-poll campaign.
According to reports, the local authorities freed 106 political activists from Kathmandu and nine others from Lalitpur on Tuesday afternoon.
The government detained human rights activists, journalists and professionals along with leaders and cadres of political parties from their peaceful demonstration ahead of the municipal polls held on February 8.