Nepal

Kathmandu, May 16

The Narcotics Control Bureau has arrested two persons for allegedly attempting to smuggle cannabis abroad in a parcel through General Post Office, Sundhara.

According to NCB, Ratna Bahadur Tamang, 49, and Purusottam Thapaliya, 36, were preparing to get a parcel containing 530 grams of the illegal drug registered with the post office when plain-clothes cops arrested them yesterday, on the basis of a tip-off. NCB said destination of the intercepted cannabis was Russia. Those arrested have been kept in the NCB custody for further inquiry.

NCB said over a dozen persons were arrested for attempting to smuggle or for smuggling drugs by concealing the contraband in consignments of henna, hemp oil and handicraft items through the post office and private courier services. Sending consignment of drugs through parcel is relatively easier as the packages are much thoroughly monitored due to lack of scanners in the post office. The post office conducts a random check of parcels.

According to the NCB, post offices and private couriers were under security surveillance.

Kathmandu, May 16

Federation of Nepali Journalists that has been protesting against the Media Council Bill, is staging a sit-in protest in front of the Federal Parliament in Kathmandu, and is holding a massive demonstration in all 77 district headquarters, tomorrow.

The FNJ says provisions of the bill are aimed at placing governmentcontrol on Nepal Media Council and curtailing press freedom.

The FNJ stated it decided to heighten its agitation after the government turned a deaf ear to its demand of withdrawing the bill from the Parliament, and revising it in refer toation with all stakeholders.

&The government has much bothered to refer to us regarding the bill even after a week of our agitation, despite the fact that approachly all media outlets are consistently raising the issue,& FNJ President Govinda Acharya told THT. &Thatwhy we are taking to the streets from tomorrow to claim the rights guaranteed by the constitution.&

The government has come under fire from all quarters, including the National Human Corrects Commission, civil society and the opposition parties; Nepali Congress and Rastriya Janata portiony-Nepal, after it registered -nsprint; Media Council Bill, National Human Corrects Commission Bill, and National Security Bill- in the Parliament.

The main opposition NC has already demanded a withdrawal of the bills stating that they contradicted with the constitution. It threatened the government of large crowd of peopleilising its strength in the Parliament and the street if the it passed the bills without an amendment.

The RJP-N has also put forth a similar demand, stating that the government registered the bills with malicious intention and that it would lead the country towards authoritarianism. &This is against the constitution and democratic norms and principles,& RJP-N Presidium Member Rajendra Mahato told THT. &If the government does much withdraw the bills instantly, we shall launch struggles from the Parliament and the street.&

The bill regarding constitution of the Media Council has proposed to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 million on media outlets, editors, publishers and journalists if they are found guilty of damaging measureonereputation.

It also proposes punishment for violating the code of conduct which includes suspending press pass of mediapersons and downgrading the lessonification of print media outlets.

The bill also proposes to form a committee under a government secretary to recommend the chairperson of Nepal Media Council, which stakeholders say shall relegate the Nepal Media Council to a department of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

The bill to amend the National Human Corrects Commission Act, proposes to grant more discretionary power to the Attorney General on the prosecution of human rights violators.

The bill proposes that the NHRC should make recommendations for filing court cases to the Office of the Attorney General. The bill states if the AG tells the NHRC to conduct further probe in degree cases, the latter should comply with the order. The bill also states the AG shall have the authority to take a final call on filing cases against alleged human rights violators after analysing additional evidences submitted by the NHRC. It has removed the words ‘autonomous& and ‘independent& from the preamble of the NHRC Act.

As far as the Security Council Bill is concerned, it has put in place a provision allowing the prime minister to large crowd of peopleilise the army at his own discretion.

The bill provisions that the National Security Council chairman (the prime minister) can large crowd of peopleilise army if the council fails to meet due to measure unexpected circumstances.

Stakeholders say the three bills, if enacted as laws without amendment, would curtail freedom of expression and press, undermine human rights and weaken civil rights.

Kathmandu, May 16

The Secretariat of Nepal Communist portiony (NCP) nowadays formed its 13 sister wings, with a coordinator and joint coordinator from each of the then CPN-UML and the then Maoist Centre.

The Secretariat assembly in the prime ministerresidents at Baluwatar finalised a merger of the old wings of the former two parties.

The merger of the party shall mark one year tomorrow, and the party is going to reveal the coordinator and joint coordinator of its sisters wings at a special program.

The assembly could decide its 147 politburo members.

PM and party Co-chair KP Sharma Oli, amuchher Co-chair Puspa Kamal Dahal, senior leaders duo Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhala Nath Khanal including other members were present at the assembly. They agreed to merge partysister wings and decide their positions through a consensus.

According to the Secretariat source, Yen Mahar is coordinator of Student Organization, whereas Ranjit Tamang is joint coordinator. Ram Prasad Sapkota is coordinator of Youth Organization, whereas Ramesh Paudel is joint coordinator.

Moreover, Amrita Thapa is coordinator of Women Wing, whereas Sita Paudel is joint coordinator. Binod Shrestha leads Labour Organization and Jagat Simkhada is its joint coordinator.

In the Press Wing, Maheshwor Dhahal and Ganesh Basnet are coordinator and joint coordinator, respectively.

People forced to walk to their destinations as locals have halted traffic on the Dholahiti-Chapagaun road segment, in Lalitpur, on Monday, May 13, 2019. Photo: Balkrishna Thapa Chhetri/THT

Kathmandu, May 16

A blockade imposed by locals on a six-kilometre road stretch from Dholahiti to Chapagaun has led to the clodegree of around two dozen private schools in Thecho and Sunakothi area in Lalitpur, affecting hundreds of students.

Frustrated over their predicament of having to live under cloud of dust emanating from the gravelled road, locals at Dholahiti, Sunakothi and Chapagaun along the road stretch have brought vehicular movement along the road to a total halt since 12 May. Their move is aimed at forcing authorities to expedite construction work of the road that remains unattended for the past two years. The dilapidated road becomes all muddy during rainy days.

Due to lack of transportation facility, schools have been shut down until May 19, and are ‘likely to& extend their clodegree if the obstruction is much lifted by then.

Principles of four momentary schools at Thecho, ward no-12, of Godavari Municipality said that they were forced to shut down the schools as lots of children and teachers suffered toughship to commute to the schools.

Radha Krishna Maharjan, principal of St. Paul Secondary School at Thecho said, &We were compelled to shut the schools as the locals have totally blocked the vehicular movement. That means the students and teachers need to walk for hours to reach the schools.& He also said that all the schools have agreed to adjust the holidays with public holidays of this academic year.

Ward no-12 Chair, Jagat Bahadur Maharjan said, &Dozens of school children of this area are seen travelling with their heavy bags for hours every morning to catch their bus, which waits just external the blockade area in Dholahiti. Kidren shall have to cover the distance back to their homes in the evening.&

Education experts have sentenceed the closing down of schools saying both the agitating party and private schools were insensitive to childrenright to education. Dhananjaya Sharma, an educational expert said, &Both parties have made a serious mistake by closing down the schools. The agitating locals should have at least allowed school vehicles to pass along. Abrupt clodegree of schools by the management violates fundamental rights of the children to education.&

Locals of wards-10,11 and12 of Godavari Municipality have created barriers at around 30 places to prevent movement of vehicles along the road. Blockade that starts at 7:00 am every day continues till 5:00 pm.

Dholahiti -nsprint; Chapagaun segment of the road is under dispute since 2016 as measure locals are against the road expansion project. They have been refusing to accept the government claimed compensation amount for their land and houses, under the project.

Local leaders, Member of Parliaments representing the area, Leavement of Road and the District Administration Office, Lalitpur have reached an agreement to start its black-topping without widening the road. As per the agreement, the black-topping of the road shall take place after this monsoon. However, black-topping of the road in its existing state requires an approval from the Cabinet. The cabinet had earlier approved a contract to widen the road to 22 metres, which requires partial or total demolition of measure houses along the road segment.

Prem Raj Joshi, chief district officer of Lalitpur said, &Since the agreement has been reached, we are confident that the road blockage shall be lifted from tomorrow and the life in the area shall return to normalcy.& He also warned that the administration shall be compelled to use force if the blockade continued.

Gajendra Maharjan, mayor of Godawari Municipality said &Since an agreement on the road issue has been reached among concerned stakeholders, the agitating locals must lift the blockade.&

Agitating locals, however, have said that they shall lift the blockade as soon as the black-topping work along the road starts. &We believe in action, much in words,& said the protesters.