GOVT. PROBE BODYTO INVESTIGATE KALIMATI FIRE

GOVT.PROBE COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE KALIMATI FIRE
Kathmandu, 4 March: Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Nandan Kumar Dutta has said that a probe committee would be formed at the earliest to identify the cause of fire that broke out at the Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market on Saturday night due to short circuit, RSS reports..

Inspecting the incident site on Sunday, Minister Dutta expressed commitment to provide compensation to the entrepreneurs and victims after receiving a report of the probe committee.

Six persons including four members of a single family lost their lives in the incident.

The deceased are Hira Bahadur Pun, 52, Nirajan Pun, 11, Shanta Pun, 16, and Nira Pun, 11. Identification of two others has not been ascertained yet.

Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, locals and fire engines had brought the fire under control at 8:00 this morning.

Political Advisor of the prime minister, Devendra Poudel also inspected the incident site and expressed sorrow over the incident. He said that will inform the prime minister about the incident.

According to a businessman Nabin Shahi, property worth Rs 80 million was gutted in the fire where there were around 300 stalls.

Police Inspector of Metropolitan Police Circle, Kalimati, Tulsi Bhattarai said that it was too late to control as it was a huge fire even if they had started to control it soon after receiving information.
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KHETAN GROUP SEEKS MAJORITY STAKE IN NEPAL BANK LTD.
Kathmandu, 4 March: With Nepal Bank Limited (NBL) working on the recapitalisation plan, the Khetan Group has expressed interest to purchase government’s shares in the bank, Mikul Humagain writes in The Kathmandu Post..
The group, which currently holds 9.5 percent stake in NBL, has said it would be ready to buy out the government’s stake (around 41 percent) if the latter wishes to sell. “If the government sells it stake in NBL, we (Khetan Group) along with other like-minded investors are ready to acquire it,” said Rajendra Khetan, chairman of the group.
The NBL management is currently holding discussions with the bank’s major shareholders on the recapitalisation process following the central bank nod.
The country’s oldest bank, NBL on Friday held discussions with its major shareholders on the plan. The NBL management is gearing up to issue 1:9.5 rights shares to raise its paid-up capital to Rs 4 billion from the existing Rs 380 million. If rights shares are issued, each shareholder will have to put money 9.5 times of his/her current stake to meet the set target. As per the bank’s capital increment plan, the Khetan Group needs to inject Rs 350 million as per the current capital structure.
However, in order to purchase the government’s stake, the group needs to invest Rs 1.5 billion more. “We need to invest Rs 1.85 billion in total if we are to purchase the government-owned shares too,” said Khetan. “Our plan is to raise our stake in the bank to 51 percent.”
Along with the government, groups like Khetan and Golchha, Pashupati Sumser Rana, Niranjan Kumar Tibdewala, Gajendra Bahadur Shrestha, Niraj Rajbhandari, Ramesh Raj Aryal, Nabin Narshing Rana, Indira Khatri, Kedar Narayan Manandhar and Bal Krishna Shrestha have sizeable shares in NBL.
According to the Khetan Group, which is also a promoter of Laxmi Bank, they are willing to take up NBL’s strategic management by increasing their stake to 51 percent in their quest to have a strong financial institution in the country. “Within a few years from now, a strong bank having a paid-up capital of Rs 10 to 15 billion is needed,” said Khetan. “Our effort is to merge all financial institutions un-der our ownership and have one solid bank.”
Finance Ministry Joint Secretary Baikuntha Aryal, who was present at the meeting, however, said the government has agreed in principle to invest Rs 1.5 billion in the bank.
Other shareholders proposed conditions like conducting Due Diligence Report (DDR) and formation of the board of director including investors before making additional investment. “We cannot inject additional capital in the current situation,” said another shareholder. Khetan also said there must be a guarantee of at least eight percent return as well as the stock should be listed on the stock exchange for capital increment.
Over the last 10 years, the bank went through the much-talked about reform programme, under which a foreign management team led its operations for some time. The programme that began in 2002 saw NBL getting into automation, working aggressively in loan recovery and reducing non-performing loan (NPL) level. Ever since the foreign management—ICC Group of Scotland—left NBL, it is being run by NRB. Although the privatisation of the bank was the ultimate goal of the reform programme, the government, of late, has not pushed that agenda aggressively. Therefore, the government eventually selling its stake in NBL looks unlikely unless it changes its mind.
Following the financial sector reform programme, the bank’s non-performing loan (NPL) level has come down to 5.17 percent from 60 percent. However, the
bank is still facing a negative net worth—Rs 4.22 billion. However, for the healthy operation of the bank, a capital of about Rs 9.74 billion is required, according to the bank management.
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CAPITAL ROAD EXPANSION COULD BE COMPLETED IN 2 MONTHS
Kathmandu, 4 March: The ongoing road expansion campaign in the Kathmandu Valley, initiated a few months ago, is likely to conclude within two months, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Prime Minister Baburam Bhattrai has directed all the stakeholders, including Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) and Kathmandu Valley Town Development Implementation Committee (KVTDIC), to accelerate and complete work within a couple of months without further ado. The sluggish pace of expansion has turned roads ugly and dusty.
Electricity poles alongside roads and spider web-like electric wire elsewhere have hindered gravelling and blacktopping work. The prolonged negligence of stakeholders in resuming construction work after bulldozing illegal structure alongside roads has make many roads and footpaths unsightly. According to DIG Ganesh Raj Rai, reconstruction and blacktopping of the razed roads has already begun in some areas. He said construction work would resume in other routes as well.
According to official, Prime Minister Bhattarai has directed authorities to gravel and blacktop roads in various sections, including Maitighar-Tinkune, Kamalpokhari-Kalopul, and Bijuli Bazzar-Naya Baneshwor. Similarly, Kalimati-Balkhu, Kupondole, Lainchaur, Padmodaya-Kalikasthan, Ranipokhari- Maharajgunj routes will also be gravelled and blacktopped very soon. PM Bhattrai himself has played the lead role in managing budget and forging coordination among stakeholders to ensure continuity of reconstruction work.
“The Prime Minister has asked us to continue the expansion campaign and complete the work in time. We are planning to work accordingly,” said Ganesh Raj Rai. Officials are planning to shift the existing electricity poles and telephones wires within two weeks and relocate them within the end of this Nepali year.
Acting on the direction of the Prime Minister, all offices, including Ministries of Energy, Information, Nepal Electricity Authority, and Nepal Telecom are jointly working to speed up work. Officials have also decided to wrap up the remaining bulldozing work along Kamalpokhari-Ganeshwor route.
A whopping Rs 450 million has been allocated for the road expansion drive. PM Bhattrai has called on officials not to nip the road expansion drive in the bud for want of budget. He has also directed the Ministry of Physical Planning and Construction to manage required budget. The government also wants to expand the Lazimpat-Budhanilkantha route.
The Prime Minister’s dream to widen roads and complete construction by the end of Chaitra may not come true, as Shyam Kharel, chief of the road expansion drive, said reconstruction of most of the roads cannot be completed within Baisakh. He said that they could finish blacktopping just few small roads in the given period. “It will take three months just to finish the process of bidding. How can we complete the work within two months?” questioned Kharel.
He informed that they have just stepped up the initial process of the bidding work.
Kharel estimates that it would cost more than Rs 450 million to finish the construction of all roads. The government has planned to broaden roads in all five municipalities of the Kathmandu Valley and 37 VDCs aspiring to be municipalities in near future. Officials say the demolition move is in line with the government decision in 1976, which was revised again in 1988. According to the Department of Road, the breadth of main highways, ring roads, main roads and sub roads must be 50, 62, 22, and 14 meters respectively.
The government wants to convert the Tinkune-Maitighar section an international standard road by making a separate lane for pedestrians and cyclists among others facilities.
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FURTHER DETAILS OF PM BHATTARAI’S THREAT SPEECH





Kathmandu, 4 March: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Saturday said that peace and constitution drafting should be the common goal of all. Bhachu Prasad Yadav writes in The Rising Nepal from Lalitpur.
Speaking at a condolence meeting organised on the first death anniversary of founding leader of Nepali Congress and former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, he said that the country could plunge into unexpected crisis if the new constitution and the peace processes were not concluded by the May 27 deadline.
"We should not seek alternative to peace and constitution in the country, such an alternative will push the country to an unimaginable political accident," he said.
Dr. Bhattarai also urged the journalists not make negative comments about peace and constitution drafting processes.
"Although the parties have differences on some points of peace and constitution, there should be no disagreement among us about drafting the constitution," Bhattarai, the vice-president of UCPN-Maoist party, said.
He informed that the parties were holding intensive discussions on peace and constitution.
Stating that some 13-14 thousand Nepalese sacrificed their lives for abolition of monarchy and property worth billions of rupees was lost, Dr. Bhattarai said the failure to draft the constitution would be costlier.
He said that the politics of the country was moving on the basis of the consensus after the 12-point agreement.
He added that the parties should give an outlet to the present crisis on the basis of give and take among the political parties.
Recalling his meeting with late Bhattarai in 1978, the Prime Minister said that late Bhattarai was a leading personality of the democratic movement.
"Though ideologically, we had differences, we were close on democratic norms and values," he said.
Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang said that the true tributes by any individual would be to follow the path of late Bhattarai.
He said that unless the political parties and Himal, mountains and Terai Madhes came together, the new peace and constitution would be impossible.
"Concluding the peace and constitution writing process will be the true tribute to late Bhattarai," Nembang said.
Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala claimed that the peace and constitution drafting processes would be concluded within a week if the political parties moved ahead honestly.
He said that the parties should implement the 7-point deal to conclude the twin tasks before the nation.
"Consensus and co-work are the only path to end the current transition," Koirala said. "The Maoists should understand this."
He stated that Nepali Congress was always committed to peace and constitution and added that his party was treading the path shown by late Kishunji.
In the function chaired by PL Singh, NC leader Pradip Giri, Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic leader Sarat Singh Bhandari, senior journalist Yubraj Ghimire and others paid tributes to late Kisunji.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Saturday said that the peace process was at the

final stage and it would be concluded by mid-March.
Receiving a memorandum from the Reporter’s Club, Dr. Bhattarai claimed that more tasks of peace and constitution were accomplished during his premiership than in the five years before him.
He said that there was no alternative to peace and constitution and no one could prevent these from being achieved.
Stating that some minor elements were trying to affect the peace and constitution writing processes, he urged all to be aware of them.
He also objected to the moves of former king Gyanendra and flayed others for expressing views against peace and constitution.
Stating that national unity government was a must to conclude the tasks, Dr. Bhattarai said that the new government should be formed under the Maoist leadership.
He assured that the peace process would not be obstructed due to the bargaining for the posts in the Nepal Army.
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MoHP SET TO Bring IN NEW HEALTH POLICY





Kathmandu, 4 March : The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has been waiting for the restructuring of the country to formulate the new health policy, Gita Sapkota writes in The Rising Nepal..
The MoHP is all set to form the new health policy as soon as possible. However, the MoHP could not decide about the policy before the political parties reached an agreement about the federal structure of the country.
The MoHP is conducting a series of discussions in different places of the country in order to formulate the new health policy.
The MoHP had already held discussions in all five development regions.
Health workers, health volunteers, journalists and political leaders participated in the discussions making suggestions about the health policy, Dr. Bal Krishna Subedi, spokesperson of the MoHP said.
"We are waiting for the structure of state and its health priority," Dr. Subedi said.
The existing health policy is about 20 years old. Minister of Health and Population Rajendra Mahato many times said that existing policy was already outdated and it could not meet the needs of the present population.
The government’s health services are unable to address the needs of rapidly growing population and their increasing health concerns.
Presently, a very few doctors are working under the government health service. The government has not increased a single post of doctors at the government hospitals for the past 20 years.
According to the MoHP, a total of 1250 doctors have been deployed in the government hospitals across the country. Among them, around 250 are on their study leave. However, Nepal Medical Association claimed that only 885 doctors are working at present.
According to the census held in 1991, the nation’s population was around 17.5 million and the number of doctors then was the same as it is now. Now the total population has increased to 26.5 million.
Surya Acharya, joint secretary at the Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), said that the number of doctors at the government hospitals was utterly insufficient.
The present number of doctors cannot impart health services to the population that is growing by leaps and bounds. The task of imparting health services has become all the more difficult owing to new emerging diseases and people’s new behaviour of seeking health services at the hospitals, he said.
Dr. Subedi said that the government was preparing to increase the posts of doctors including all health workers but the number was not certain now.
On the other side, the government’s existing health policies and emerging health burdens contradict.
The policy focuses on communicable diseases but non communicable diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes and kidney aliments are being a major killer and threat for the people.
Dr. Pravin Mishra, secretary at the MoHP said the policy should focus the non communicable diseases in coming days.
Dr. Mishra said the new health policy would fulfill all these shortcomings in the government health services.
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MEDIA GOOGLE

“The NC and CPN-UML were staying back during the anti Rana revolution and Jhapa revolution," Baidhya said. People have no alternatives to staging encounter if a conspiracy is hatched against a pro-people constitution."

(Maoist leader Mohan BAidhya, The Rising Nepal, The Rising Nepal, 4 March)
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