News from Nepal December, 2011 (consolidated)

Marsyangdi Power House close for maintenance

Dec 6, 2011 @ 20:07

Chief of the power house Chandra Shekhar Chaudhary informed that marsyangdi  power house, Hydropower Project at Anbukhaireni VDC of Tanahun district has been shut down for four days.

The 69 MW capacity power house has been closed in order to construct doors at dam areas.  Due to decrease of water level in marsyangdi river the power house has been generating electricity around 60 MW only.

Two girls found dead in Banepa, Kavre district

Dec 8, 2011 @ 16:49

Under mysterious condition, two girls of a family have died at Janagal VDC-1 of Kavre district.

A mother and her two daughters were found unconscious and the two girls died while undergoing treatment at Schir Memorial Hospital, Banepa.

According to the Area Police Office, Banepa, the deceased have been identified as Asmita Yadav, 8, and Priyanka Yadav, 11 of Siraha district. Santa Devi, 35, mother of the deceased, is undergoing treatment at the same hospital.

The family has been working at a local noodles factory .Investigation into the incident is underway, said police.

Good governance club honours journo Thapa

Dec 11, 2011 @ 03:59
A Nepalgunj based NGO, Bageshwori Asal Shasan Club, working in anti-corruption movement and good governance, has honored Hari Bahadur Thapa, news editor of the Kantipur daily, for his contribution against corruption.

A function organised to mark the 11th anniversary of the club on Saturday, Kedar Khadka, director of Pro Public, an NGO dedicated to the cause of public interest, and Poshan KC, adviser of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, conferred the certificate of honour to Thapa. “It is imperative that everyone should join the fight against corruption, as it affects all,” Thapa said. Khadka said corruption was widespread, for the lack of implementation of laws that were enacted to stem corruption.  “Fight against corruption is the major challenge of the country right now,” he said.

Anybody who give information on King Birendra’s property to get reward

Dec 12, 2011 @ 17:08

The Nepal Trust which was founded on November 22, 2007, has announced rewards for those giving information related to the movable and immovable property owned by late King Birendra and his family inside and outside the country.

Under-secretary of the Trust, Birendra Bahadur Baniya said the Trust has so far found records of 6,244 ropani of land owned by the late royal family members of which ownership of 1,179 ropani has already been transferred to the trust.

Likewise, 44,116 pound sterling and around 120 million rupees has been deposited at the accounts of the Trust.

Ministry sends case to police for missing NAC aircraft parts

Dec 14, 2011 @ 17:55

The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police has been entrusted the responsibility of investigating a series of mysterious disappearances of aircraft parts belonging to Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) at the airport.

Less than a year, equipment worth of Rs. 150 million has lost a fly away kit and spare wheels of its Boeing 757 and the landing gear of its Twin Otter aircraft.

The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) had requested the Home Ministry to conduct a probe after earlier investigations done by the ministry and the national flag carrier were fruitless.

The ministry’s move comes after the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) directed it to take strong action against those involved in the thefts within seven days.

CIB chief DIG Upendra Kant Aryal said the Police Headquarters had formally received the case file to investigate the thefts at NAC. “We received the file on Sunday and the CIB is currently doing a study.”

While the MoTCA had formed a four-member high-level committee to look into the thefts, a ministry official said that they were a “criminal case” rather than abuse of authority and thus a case for the Home Ministry.

On March 10, an investigation committee had been formed as per the directives of the MoTCA to probe the theft of a fly away kit of NAC’s Boeing 757. However, the probe team did not come up with anything, and unabashedly mentioned in its report that the staff on duty did not show up to answer questions. The fly away kit is estimated to cost around Rs 45 million.

NAC had turned to the government for help after its probes turned up blank. “A big nexus within NAC is involved in these thefts, and the government should step in to investigate them,” NAC’s Executive Chairman Manarup Shahi told lawmakers at the PAC meeting on Nov 30.

NC and PM meet inconclusive, Nepal Bandh on Monday

Dec 18, 2011 @ 16:53

Organizing a press conference at Nepali Congress (NC) president Sushil Koirala’s residence in Maharajgunj after the meeting with the prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, NC called upon all to support its protest programmes including Nepal bandh (nationwide general strike) that has been already announced for Monday.

NC informed that the meeting with the prime minister ended inconclusively. The meeting was for consulting him before announcing the protest programmes. During the meeting, NC presented its four-point memorandum to PM Bhattarai over the death of Chitwan Tarun Dal chairman Shiva Paudel in an attack by inmates of Chitwan Jail on December 6.

A group of inmates assaulted Paudel inside the district jail and died while undergoing treatment at Neuro hospital, Bansbari, Kathmandu on Saturday. He was detained at the jail for custodial remand for his alleged involvement in the murder of CPN-UML aligned Youth Association Nepal central member Sanjaya Lama.

NC has termed the incident “premeditated” and demanded immediate judicial investigation into it in the released statement. The NC has formed a five-member committee headed by Krishna Prasad Sitaula to look into the incident and has asked the government to declare Poudel a martyr and withdraw all impending charges against him.

However, PM Bhattarai has requested to wait till the probe committee formed by the cabinet on Saturday evening comes up with its report on the incident. The cabinet also decided to provide Rs 1 million to the family of Paudel.

Following Poudel’s death on Saturday, NC youth wing, Tarun Dal had staged protests nationwide calling bandh which was called off from 4 pm at the request of the NC leaders after the party called bandh for Monday.

Meanwhile, on Sunday evening, supporting the protest programme, a torch rally was organized in Kathmandu.

NC bandh concludes at 4 pm after crippling life nationwide

Dec 20, 2011 @ 02:23

Nepal bandh (general strike) called by main opposition Nepali Congress on Monday has affected normal life across the country for the whole day. All schools, colleges and major marketplaces, industries remained closed in the most of the parts of the country and vehicular movements were halted.

The protesting NC cadres vandalized a water tanker at Chabahil, two private cars at Tilganga and Gaushala and a motorcycle at Putalisadak for defying strike this morning. Meanwhile, police detained dozens of NC activists who were found enforcing banda.

Meanwhile, the NC called off bandh at 4.00 pm and has withdrawn its other protest programmes following the fresh commitment of the government to begin the process to meet its demands.

The government issued a press statement announcing to withdraw the charges against Tarun Dal cadres and declare Shiva Poudel, Chitwan Chairman of NC youth wing Tarun Dal, a martyr.

Vehicles began to ply the roads after the strike was called off.

21-yr-old arrested for harassing girls on Facebook

Dec 20, 2011 @ 11:30

The Metropolitan Police Crime Division on Monday arrested Shyam Prasad Timilsina, a 12th grader at Cambridge College, Kalanki for creating Facebook accounts of girls of his acquaintance and posting illicit videos.

The 21-year-old of Kavre had even added friends and relatives of the girls in the fake accounts as friends and posted low-down contents.

The media writes quoting the police that offender Timilsina has created a fake Facebook account to take revenge on the unidentified woman by trying to end their “relationship”.  Timilsina has even posted the mobile phone numbers of her and other girls from her cell phone asking people to contact them for “physical relationship”.

After a number of complaints about fake accounts from victimized girls received, police traced Timilsina. It is also found to have sent obscene text messages from Nepal Telecom’s free Web SMS service to various girls.

NEA to increase electricity tariff by 20 percent

Dec 21, 2011 @ 11:53

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Wednesday has agreed in principle to hike the electricity tariff by 20 percent effective from 1st Magh.

A meeting was held at PM’s Office in Singhdurbar with the personnel from the Electricity Bill Determination Commission. Chairman of the Electricity Tariff Determination Commission Ganesh Prasad Subba informed that during the meeting, the prime minister urged the commission members to curb irregularities in the NEA and strengthen the management.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) had proposed an increase of 30 percent power tariff, but, the Commission has recommended to increase electricity tariff by 20 percent for the time being. The NEA is bearing cumulatively Rs 28 billion losses in a year.

The NEA will increase power tariff after taking official consent from the government.

One died and six injured while countering dacoits

Dec 22, 2011 @ 10:59

14 years old boy died and six others got injured when villagers countered armed dacoits in Belaha VDC-3 in western part of Siraha district on Wednesday night.

Suresh Kumar Yadav died on the way while being taken to Siraha Hospital for treatment, RSS writes quoting Jaya Sapkota, DSP of Siraha. He got injured from the bullet of the dacoits.

Other injured in the incident, Shivanath Shah, 50, his wife Sunita Shah, Geeta Saha, Chandrika Saha, Chandan Shah and Pramod Saha are receiving treatment at District Hospital, said Sapkota.

The dacoits, some 10-12 in numbers, had looted property worth Rs one million from the houses of Jogindra Shah and his brother Raghunath Saha.

According to locals, police did not arrive on time though the police post was close to the site, so, the dacoits fled towards the Kamala River.

Further investigation is underway, said police.

Another attack in Jewellery shop

Dec 24, 2011 @ 13:34

A jeweler, Harka Bahadur Diyali, was shot down at Kapan, Kathmandu on Friday at around 7 pm by a gang of robbers when he was closing his Mata Manakamana Gold shop.

Diyali died while undergoing treatment at the nearby Om Hospital and Roshan B.K, 17, the craftsman at the jewellery shop also got injured and his treatment is going on at the TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj.

Two weeks ago also, Jujukaji Bajrachayra, an employee of Guna Jyasa Pasa, a Pulchowk-based jewellery shop was murdered.

The assailants fled the scene as soon as they opened fire. Police have arrested one person on suspicion of involvement shooting. Police said, though it was termed a robbery bid, nothing was burgled from the shop.

Locals of Kapan demonstrated on Saturday against the murder of Diyali. They halted the smooth flow of vehicles in a bid to protest against the government’s failure in providing security to its citizens.

Gold and silver dealers have announced that tomorrow all jewellery shop in the Kathmandu valley will remain close.

Jeweler Diyale’s killer arrested

Dec 25, 2011 @ 12:53

The mastermind behind the murder of jeweler Harka Bahadur Diyale, Shambhu Chaudhary, was arrested from Chitwan on Sunday morning.

On the basis of information provided by two culprits arrested earlier in connection with the same crime, Police held Chaudhary at Godrang from a bus when he was heading for eastern region. The two culprits were Prem Sunar and Shankar Ghising who had given the statement that Chaudhary had shot dead Diyale.

Man, supposed to be carrying bomb, dies

Dec 26, 2011 @ 14:27

A man believing to be carrying bomb died when a bomb went off at a hotel at Chainpur of Sankhuwasabha district on Monday.

The identification of the deceased is yet to be ascertained. His body has been destroyed beyond recognition, police investigating the incident said.

It has been learnt that two youths had arrived at the Madi hotel of Chainpur and the bomb exploded while they were eating their meal inside the hotel today morning.

The three-storied building has been damaged in the blast. However, there are no reports of further casualty.

Police said investigation is underway.

Govt decides to provide 1.5 billion to NOC to ease petro supply

Dec 27, 2011 @ 12:20

The government on Tuesday decided to provide Rs 1.5 billion as loan assistance to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to ease supply of petroleum products.

Again long queues are seen at gas stations to refuel vehicles due to problem of fuel shortage in Kathmandu valley. According to the Nepal Petroleum Dealers’ National Association (NPDNA), currently private petrol pumps are receiving only 20 percent of the total demand for diesel from NOC, while petrol deliveries have been slashed by 50 percent.

Suresh Kumar Agrawal, officiating managing director of NOC, said “NOC has credit worth Rs 160 billion to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and because of the cash crunch, it is not in a position to ensure smooth supply.” Currently, NOC is incurring a loss of Rs 1.25 billion per month as it is selling petroleum products below the cost price.

As per the December 23 agreement between Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun, Commerce and Supplies Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta and NOC officials, a Cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar today morning decided to support the cash strapped state-owned NOC instead of readjusting the price of fuels for the time being.

NOC officials said that they will use the money to pay up IOC and the loan assistance would help in supplying fuel for at least three months. (Photo Credit: Kantipur)

Leaders criticize SC for not registering govt petition on CA term review

Dec 28, 2011 @ 13:02

Leaders of the major political parties have accused the Supreme Court (SC) of going beyond its authority by refusing to register the petition seeking review of the SC’s ruling on Constituent Assembly (CA) term extension.

The SC on Tuesday has refused to register the government’s petition. The Legislature-Parliament and the Cabinet had filed petitions on Monday at the apex court seeking provision for the term-extension of the CA one more time. Earlier on November 25, the Apex Court had directed the government to extend the CA term for one last time. The term was extended till May 30.

Speaking at an interaction in Kathmandu on Wednesday, UCPN (Maoist) politburo member and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s political advisor Devendra Poudel accused the judiciary of entering into politics by turning down the review petition.

Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak said the move of the judiciary invited complications as it undermined the rights of the parliament.

According to CPN-UML leader Pradip Gyawali, the SC’s decision will invite proxy war between the judiciary and the parliament.

Minister for Law and Justice Brijesh Kumar Gupta said that the apex court breached the principle of the separation of power. “Deciding the tenure of the CA does not fall within the SC’s jurisdiction and that by rejecting the review petition the court invited further controversy”, he added.

Gupta also said that the government is going to seek reconsideration over the SC’s rejection of the review petition.

Child rapist gets 13-yr prison

Dec 29, 2011 @ 11:54

Dailekh District Court on Wednesday sentenced a man to 13 years in jail along with Rs 100,000 fine for raping a minor.

A single bench of Justice Narayan Prasad Dhital convicted Keshav KC, of Kuikan Narayan Municipality-1, for the rape of a seven years old girl.

According to locals, KC had taken the child to a nearby forest and raped her in August.

Tamu Lhosar being celebrated today

Dec 30, 2011 @ 14:36

The Gurung communities across the nation are celebrating Tamu Lhosar today. The Tamu Losar marks the beginning of the Tamu Sambat or Gurung Calendar Year.

Tamu Lhosar is celebrated on Poush 15 (mostly fall on 30th December) as per the lunar calendar by, Gurungs, who call themselves ‘Tamu’. They are indigenous inhabitants of west-central parts of Nepal. Some also live east of Kathmandu. There are numerous clans of Gurung, the members of which are all well known for their valor, humor, singing and dancing skills.

During Lhosar, the Gurung communities visit Buddhist shrines and exchange greetings with friends, relatives and well-wishers throughout the country. On this occasion, elders also offer blessings to their younger kin.

Various cultural programmes including rallies, sports and traditional dances are being organized to mark the day. These days, especially in major cities, Gurungs come together to celebrate Tamu Lhosar at a common place and rejoice in various cultural processions, feasting and merry-making. In the old days in the villages, they gathered in courtyards to celebrate Lhosar.

On the day of Tamu Lhosar, the government is providing a national holiday as it has been accepted as national festival since 2064.

Meanwhile, President Ram Baran Yadav, Vice President Paramananda Jha and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai have sent out greeting messages on the occasion of Tamu Lhosar. (Photo Credit: File photo from CRIEnglish)

Teenage Boys stood first and third in and International award on conservation

Dec 31, 2011 @ 18:11

15 years old Roshan Yadav, studying at ninth grade at Budhanilkantha School in Kathmandu, has won the 2011 International Young Eco-Hero Award. He stood first among all the winners of this year in the worldwide eco-hero competition in the age group 14 to 16 for initiating a project on ‘Nationwide Signature Campaign on Climate Change’.

 In the same competition, 15 years old Anup Chalise, Pokhara, stood third for planting sacred trees to protect the environment.

According to information provided in the website, Action for Nature, a US-based non-profit organization has been recognizing innovative works of young people between the ages of 8 and 16 who have done creative environmental projects.

To make people in Nepal aware of issues related to global warming, Roshan created a club called JSA (Junior Social Awareness) that worked to obtain climate change petition signatures. He led a number of promotional campaigns that hosted guests like former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, the Chief District Officer, and the Minister of the Environment of Nepal. President Ram Baran Yadav commenced his Nationwide Signature Campaign. Roshan approached many government officials and traveled all over Nepal to promote his campaign and hold press conferences.

Roshan reached out to thousands of students and showed them how important global climate change is and found 75 student district representatives to collect signatures from their respective districts.

Roshan said, he have been inspired to organize bigger programmes in the upcoming days in the field of climate change and other environmental issues and in future, he plans to start a tree-planting programme to mobilise youths to take action against global climate change.

Whereas Anup used the Peepal tree (a sacred tree which is said to be the incarnation of the God Vishnu according to the Hindu religion), as a tool to explain global warming as religious, spiritual, or traditional language could be used to convey climate change information in a more productive way. This tree also has important environmental value. Anup began to collaborate with the Bandobasta organization, used his artwork and photography to enlist students to participate in the program and to teach youth in a practical way.

According to Anup, at first the rural people did not want to give up their land for the trees to be planted, but they agreed when they realized the spiritual significance of the tree as well as its ecological value. His efforts have resulted in the planting of many Peepal trees.

Happy New Year 2012

We would like to wish our readers a very happy new year, 2012.

In the New Year we celebrate love, life and friendship and thank all our readers for their love and feedbacks to make the website, xNepali, a wonderful destination for entertainment.

In the following photo, Ashish Acharya had asked 2012 to bring the new constitution (I guess, everybody wants it)

Let’s wish for the ray of light towards a peaceful and prosperous Nepal and lives filled with happiness!

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