@A GALLERY: UNIQUELY AN UNTOLD LEGEND:

Bad governance continues unabated in local bodies

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 13:46:00 +0000

Political parties major elements of fiduciary risk; MoLD to issue warning letters soon

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Lalitpur, November 5

About Rs 45 billion is allocated for the local bodies every year but the budget is widely misused in the involvement of the political parties.

A government official belonging to an union said that only 30 per cent budget allocated for development is properly utilised in the local bodies. "Some 70 per cent is misused in the involvement of political parties by preparing fake documents of development activities," he claimed.

Dr jagadish Chandra Pokhrel, former Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, also said that the political parties were involved in distributing development budget equally in many districts. "Political parties have captured the tenders in local bodies. This chaos is very serious problem, which should be immediately addressed from national level with political debate," he said. "The governments are centralised but local governance is falling down and down," he added.

The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) assesses the performance and development activities of about 25 District Development Committees (DDC) every year. The MoLD has recently monitored 20 DDCs in the current fiscal year. Among them, the ministry has received reports of 16 districts--Gorkha, Lamjung, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Rautahat, Dang, Dailekh, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sunsari, Jhapa, Gulmi, Rupandehi, Syangja and Baglung, according to the MoLD. The reports of four districts--Makwanpur, Lalitpur, Dhading and Sankhuwasabha are yet to be compiled.

The violations of rules and regulations, and bad governance are rampant in the majority of districts, said the members of the monitoring teams. "Only Some districts such as Makwanpur have better improved the performance," said Rishi Raj Acharya, chief at the Monitoring and Evaluation Section, MoLD.

There are 75 DDCs and 99 municipalities including 41 newly declared but unauthorised municipals and about 3,770 village development committees across the country. The government has allocated about Rs 45 billion including some Rs 15 billion foreign aids for the local bodies.

The monitoring reports revealed that the misuse of development funds, rampant distribution of budget under pressure of political parties, violation of Local Self-Governance Act--2055BS, unethical selection of plans and implementation and poor auditing system.

Glimpses of bad governancehttp://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Bad+governance+unabated+in+local+bodies&NewsID=308199

Lawmakers intervening into plans and misusing funds
No records of plans and auditing system in VDCs
No gross record of internal income and sources
VDC secretaries taking extra 35-60% of allowances from allocated budget
Lack of enforcement of , manuals, rules and regulations and government direction
Plans and users' committees under capture of political parties
Lack of people's participation in planning
Political parties involving in tenders
Local bodies not reporting to centresDispute among political parties
Lump-sum allocation of budget without specific plans
Duplication of development programmes

For example, Rautahat DDC was found allocating Rs 100,000 for Nepali Congress convention, Rs 10,000 for astudent union--ANNFSU, three thousands for Madhesi Youth Forum, Rs 478020 for different organisations and Es 886494 for miscellenous heads while Rupandehi DDC distributed Rs 50,000 for a political party and Rs 41,000 for Federation of Nepali Journalists against rules, the reports revealed. Tenders captured in Gorkha by Maoists and in Morang by CPN-UML along with in Mahottari, Siraha, Danusha and Jhapa similarly.

Bad governance and violation of rules and regulations in local bodies continue unabated encouraging irregularities despite annual monitoring. However, the government has failed to take any significant action to control the situation except issuing warning letters.

Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD, said that the ministry was preparing to issue warning letters to some DDCs soon as actions. "We are unable to disclose the names now," he added.

Local election a must to check misuse of devt funds

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:57:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
KATHMANDU: July 2
The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has rejected the proposal of the Ministry of Local Development that seeks to restructure the political mechanism at the local bodies on the basis of votes that political parties bagged in the Constituent Assembly elections.

The NC was responding to the ministry’s call for suggestions from 30 political parties represented in the CA on whether to go for fresh elections or revamp the mechanism on the basis of CA votes. The deadline to offer suggestions expires on July 9.

The ministry is set to table the proposal to the cabinet, stressing restructuring of the political mechanism in all 75 district development committees (DDCs), 58 municipalities and 3,915 village development committees (VDCs) on the basis of CA votes, presenting fresh elections as an option, according to ministry secretary Sushil Ghimire.

NC Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel said the revamping of the political mechanism on the basis of CA votes is not acceptable as the votes will not mean much once the CA’s term expires on August 31.

“There is rampant corruption in local bodies and misuse of development funds. The only solution is holding local body elections as soon as possible,” Paudel argued at a meeting with Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal today after submitting a report on the proposal to Khanal.

“We are also for holding local body elections as per Article 139 (1) of the Interim Constitution,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the ministry.

“If the government is not ready to hold elections, an interim local body mechanism should be formed to regulate the activities of local bodies till next local elections,” he said.

“We should either go for election or form a new mechanism to check massive misuse of development funds in local bodies,” Thapaliya reasoned.

After the abolition of monarchy, five major political parties had decided to nominate their representatives in local bodies in the absence of elected representatives.

The civic bodies have been running without elected representatives for about nine years.

If the ministry has its way, the revamped mechanism will have one representative each for 3 per cent of CA votes with a catch that a political party cannot claim more than 50 percent of total seats in each mechanism.

The proposal has proposed five representatives in each VDC and seven

in each DDC and municipality. “Moreover, the executive coordinator or the deputy must be a woman and other members should be selected so as to make the body inclusive,” Thapaliya said.

Govt intending to distribute Rs 900M to political cadres

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:31:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, June 9

The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) under political pressure has created new development plans of Rs 900 million at the end of the fiscal year intending to distribute the amount to the cadres of the ruling political parties.

The MoPPW created new 393 road plans of Rs 220 million about a month ago under 249 of the Budget Book at the end of the fiscal year. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the National Planning Commission have already approved the plans, according to the MoPPW.

The plans of Rs 220 are said to be approved under the pressure from MoPPW Minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi. Of Rs 220, some 35 per cent will go for Rayamajhi's district Arghakhachi and about 20 per cent for Law Minister Prabhu Sah's district Rautahat while remaining portion for other districts, the government officials requesting anonymity told exclusively. Both Rayamajhi and Sah are from UCPN-Maoist party.

Following the first step, the cadres of the ruling parties--UCPN-Maoist, CPN-UML, CPN-ML, Madheshi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal among others demanded the MoPPW to create similar new programmes of Rs 680 million. The MoPPW approved these programmes and sent to the MoF and NPC for approval two weeks ago. "It will take about two weeks for approval. "How will the allocated budget be properly implemented in last two weeks of the fiscal year?" the officials wondered.

The government allocated Rs 500 million for about 3,000 road programmes under 249 of the regular budget programme for the fiscal year. The budget allocation varies from Rs 50,000 to Rs 300,000 to each of such plans. If such a road project links two districts, up to Rs 2 million is allocate for one programme.

The government officials are skeptical over the implementation of the new budget allocated in the last hour in development activities. "The regular budget allocated for the current fiscal year is unlikely to be spent more than 80 per cent. So the new budget is impossible to be implemented in time and more likely to be misused by the political cadres," they said.

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has been preparing to transfer the budget of a development region to another region against the fiscal budget speech. Rs 60.7 million allocated for road development in the Far-West Development Region and an unknown amount of Mid-West Development Region are being transferred to other regions, said MoPPW officials. "The MoF did not provide additional budget for well undergoing projects as in the past years despite its commitment owing to low revenue collection and government plan to allocate unused budget for energy bank," they said. --

A meeting of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on June 7 directed the MoPPW and the MoF not to transfer balance of payment to the smaller projects except national priority P1 and natural disaster rescue programmes. It also ordered the government not to release any budget to the NGOs in the remaining period of the current fiscal year.

NPC Vice-Chairman Dr Dinesh Chandra Devkota said that the NPC approved the MoPPW programmes of Rs 220 about a month ago thinking the programmes of new government. "The government can allocate additional budget up to 10 per cent of the total national budget," he said. "We approve only programmes. The MoF and MoPPW are responsible for budget implementation. I cannot say how they allocate the budget," he added.

"There is no chance of approval of the remaining programme of Rs 680 million following the PAC direction," said Devkota. "We will discourage ill-intentions."

Minister Rayamanjhi, who is in Gulmi district visit now, said on phone that the projects of Rs 220 were already started and going on. "The government is yet to approve Rs 680 million. We will monitor and not let them misuse the development funds," he claimed.

8.1 tones waste dumped in Mt Everest collected

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Tue, 31 May 2011 14:26:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Namche (Solukhumbu), May 30
About five metric tonnes of waste dumped in the Everest region will be brought to Kathmandu within two couples of days.
In the initiation of Everest Summiteers Association (ESA), the government of Nepal, Eco Himal, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee were involved in the collection of the waste from April 17 to May 27. The government provided Rs 7.5 million, Carlsberg Beer Rs 2 million, NMA Rs 2 Million, Laxmi Bank Rs 500,000 and donors from Sweden US$ 110,000 for the Saving Everest Campaign attempted from 2008 by ESA.
A total of 29 mountaineers were involved in collecting waste from base-camp to 8,700m of Everest more than a month.
They collected 8.1 metric tonnes of waste dumped in the Everest region since 1953 at Namche where 3.2 metric tonnes of waste, specially plastics and papers will be disposed within month at Namche and rest of the amount including oxygen cylinder, helicopter debris, metals, cans and bottles will be send to Kathmandu.
Wongchu Sherpa, president of the ESA, said that 4.9 metric tonnes of waste would be brought to Kathmandu by air by tomorrow. “We will suggest to keep some of the materials in museums and others will be handed over to the government,” he said.
Sherpa further said that the campaign was initiated after the foreigners asked me garbage dumped in Everest dirty persons who dumped the
waste at Everest. "Then we started campaigning to clean Everest targeting to collect at least 8 tonnes of garbage dumped in the highest peak of the world," he said.
"We will continue to clean the region next year too," he said. "Cleaning once is not enough but the government should make policy to discourage abandoning waste on the Himalaya," he said.
Carrying about 150kgs of materials each person, about 35,000 foreign visitors accompanying some 80,000 porters and helpers trek to the Everest every year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA).
Pasang Sherpa, mountaineer involved in collecting waste, said that they had to work up to minus 40 degree Celsius amidst challenges of death threats. "We had to spend 18 hours at a camp of about seven hours at the high altitude," he said. "We slept only two hours few nights on the high snow during the campaign."
Everest climber Pema Diki Sherpa, 23, the only woman involved in the collection of waste from Everest, said that the collection was challenging
more than a death. "While climbing we go up on the fixed root but we had to search the waste covered with snow along the roots," she said.

However, the government was indifferent to clean the waste for about six decades, Wongchu blamed. “It failed to address the issue taking legal action,” he added.
Murari Bahadur Karki, joint secretary at the MoTCA, said that there was law of confiscating desposit of US$ 4,000 to trek on Everest if they throw waste on the Himalaya. "However, it is yet to be implemented fully," he said. "Both private and government should work jointly to get success," he said.
Karki also said that there was a need of cleaning other Himalayan peaks of the country.
About 2,000 metric tonnes of waste has been dumped in the Himalayan peaks and some 80 metric tonnes of waste at Everest region since 1953.

Simply a green art crafted naturally

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:17:00 +0000

Home makes a difference in nesting

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:17:00 +0000

Sun is not only too hot but also pretty cool

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:52:00 +0000

Corruption in local bodies continues unabated

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 06:45:00 +0000

Monitoring efforts go down the drain

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, March 30

The local bodies, in consort with government agencies and political parties, are misusing public funds and resources in many districts, according to a government monitoring team.

The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) has just completed the monitoring of the performances in 15 district development committees and eight municipalities. The monitoring in four districts are undergoing.

It monitored the performances of 25 districts and 11 municipalities in the last fiscal year for the first time. Two local development officers were suspended for irregularities.

There are 75 DDCs and 58 municipals in the country. The MoLD has planned to complete the monitoring in municipals within current fiscal year and DDCs in the next fiscal.

In its report last year, the MoLD team said local bodies were embezzling development funds by distributing them to political parties and duplicating programmes.

The trend continues unabated despite monitoring, according to the MoLD officials. "We have been unable to control corruption despite our monitoring efforts," said the high ranking MoLD officials.

In Sunsari, Rs 4.2 million meant for development activities was shared among government offices including the CDO, the police, Women Development Office and Land Revenue Office in the last fiscal year, according to the MoLD assessment report.

Prem Prasad Bhattari, local development officer in Sunsari, claimed that no fund was distributed to any office or party without process but provided fund for the Nepal Police to buy corrogated zink plates.

Similarly, in Rajbiraj, the municipality board meeting decided to provide public land for the building construction of all political parties including UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML in the municipality in the current fiscal year, according to the MoLD report. However, Hari Narayan Ram Rauniyar, executive chief of Rajbiraj, denied making any decision to provide public land for any political party despite their several applications.

The MoLD monitoring team headed by under-secretary Dhan Bahadur Shrestha, had assessed the performance and overall activities in Sunsari District Development Committee and Rajbiraj Municipality in Saptari district recently.

According to the government officials, both of the decisions are against existing laws. "The government development fund cannot be given to other government offices under the different ministries," Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD, said.

"In another case, only the cabinet can decide upon the public land to provide to any organisation or institution," he added.

Thapaliya said that the Monitoring Unit headed by MoLD secretary would evaluate the report and would report it to the national monitoring committee coordinated by chief secretary that includes representatives from the Office of Prime Minister and the National Planning Commission.

"The national committee will direct them to correct the minor mistakes. If there is serious corruption, Governance Unit in MoLD will either take departmental action or recommend to the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority for the action," he explained.

Poetic moments play with Spring colors

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 10:12:00 +0000

Love is a crime at Pashupati Temple vicinity

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Some 150 love-pairs taken action for amorous activities since Valentine's Day

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, March 12

The bells are ringing and conch shells are honking loudly in siren and religious atmosphere. The Hindu devotees in sober and traditional attires and long-beard sages smeared with ashes in shaggy costumes come to the vicinity of holy shrine Pashupatinath Temple to worship, meditate for peace and eternity and cleanse theirs hunched hearts.

Meanwhile, youths are openly intoxicated in cannabis along with sages and sadhus who consume it as a Prasad from Lord Shiva to relieve them from physical pains. There can be seen another scene of love birds who are undauntedly busy in amorous activities kissing each other and even having physical relationship in the area.

About four million people live in the the Kathmandu valley. However, there is not an open and beautiful park for the recreational activities in the valley. Dozens of couples enter the Pashupati area just bordering with the core area of the Kathmandu city at the heart of the Valley daily.

At a time when criminal activities are rising alarmingly in the country, which is mute spectator to check them, the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) is busy in taking action for dating couples. It has taken action against 150 pairs of love birds for involving in amorous activities in the area since it campaigned to restrict such activities from Valentine's Day on February 14.

"This is the religious shrine and indecent activities are strictly prohibited in the premises and adjoining Shleshmantak forest," said Sushil Nahata, member-secretary at the PADT. "We have found some couples having such activities in the forest and in temples in the vicinity," he said.

There are hundreds of temples in the area. "We caught 100 couples till Mahashivaratri on March 2 and 4-5 couples everyday after then," said Nahata. "We issue warning first and charge Rs 200 each person if repeated," he said. "Nepal Police has assisted us to take action."

A couple from Maiti Devi in Kathmandu said that they came here as a dating pair. "We come frequently here as there is no park in the city and we can't date at our homes," they said. "Even Gods were involved in love and we are following them," they added.

Nahta said that the pairs sometimes claim to be married couple too. "If they are married couples, why they did come here to indulge in such activities in the shrine. They can do at their homes," he wondered.

Narrottam Baidya, treasurer at the PADT, said that they were not extremist. "They can visit the place and show decent behaviours at the shrine, which is enlisted in the UNESCO world heritage site," he said. "Such activities are decreasing gradually after their action," he said.

There are only two public parks--Ratna Park and Balaju Park in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) but they are in a sorry state. While asked Ganesh Rai, chief of the KMC, about the development of the public parks, he was unanswered.

Pashupatinath, Shivaratri and bizarre beggar

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 08:31:00 +0000

A 75-year old man from Silligurhi of India with begging bowl at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Difference between relationship and business

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Dear Lord Krishna,

Thanks a lot for being cooperative and offering me friendship and help from you. I am completely positive towards you even if you slap me twice on my cheeks, I never mind. Please, lead me towards a good path by nurturing my wounds. I want a better friendship and relationship with you. I also want more help from you if you like to extend towards me, I will accept whatever you offer me. I will not oppose you. I also want to sacrifice anything for you and compromise in my life for the better friendship. I am ready to accept whatever you offer me and i still need your help. Please, don't take me negatively and treat me kindly.

Any relationship is tied and connected to two-way traffic. But relationship is different from business. I mean there is give and take in business and also give and take in relationship or friendship. I will tell you clearly.

In business: Give=pay and take=buy: We pay Rs 20 and get a half kg of tomato.

In relationship: Give=offer and take=accept: We offer love and acceptance adds more love and better relationship.

In this way, relationship is purer, heartily, humanely and connection of two hearts. It is a spiritual bond, which adds the hearts and nurtures us in love. We will be closer and more friendly. Relationship should come through mutual understanding and caring. Once we are connected, there is no disconnection. We share each other's pain and pleasure and problems and help each other solve their problem. Love brings sacrifice and closeness and hate brings distraction and distance. So, I made mistake in the past for not joining hands with you.

I again want to be connected with you for better friendship and relationship. I am sure you understand my pure intention of friendship, help, relationship, sacrifice and compromise. Hoping that you will share me your feelings and problems as well for the better relationship,

Sincerely
Bishnu Prasad Aryal

Light comes to wake up dreamers

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:23:00 +0000

A moment just aside plays poetic strings

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 02:29:00 +0000

A view of Kathmandu valley and pigeons having snacks with men at a canteen in Lalitpur, Nepal.

Rising sun in Pokhara reveals an art of beauty

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:56:00 +0000

Decentralisation defunct for two decades

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 09:11:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal

Kathmandu, January 4

All the governments after the restoration of democracy in 1990 have crippled the decentralisation policy, an effective tool of good governance in democracy. Only four meetings were held on the issue in two decades.

Meetings of the Decentralisation Implementation and Monitoring Committee (DIMC), the ever-biggest body headed by Prime Minister took place in Janury 17, 2000; March 28, 2001; January 8, 2002 and October 14, 2009, according to the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD), a focal ministry. The meeting should take place at least once a year. The schedule of DIMC meeting was increased to three times a year on March 28, 2001.

The Decentralisation Implementation Action Plan2058BS is in helpless situation. DIMC meetings decided to amend all contradicting rules and regulation with laws, give priority to local level plans in all ministries, establishment of local service commission, projection of line agencies under District Development Committees and review on number of local bodies. These serious issues are yet to be implemented, said Narayan Thapa, chief at Decentralisation Section, MoLD. “However, other petty decisions have been practiced to some extent,” he said.

“Not a single meeting was held in 2010 too,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD. “This has badly affected in decentralisation and governance,” he said.

The policy of decentralisation was included in 1991 constitution. The Local Self Governance Act 2055BS and Regulation 2056BS clearly provision the objectives of the decentralisation on empowerment of local bodies, effectiveness, accountability, rights and use of resources in local level. They also include democratic process, transparency, people’s participation in development, financial resource management, local leadership and establishment of civil societies.

Bimal Koirala, former chief secretary, said that it was the result of government’s non-commitment towards the concept. “All the governments were centralised in Singhdurbar instead of reaching to people,” he said . “The local bodies should be empowered with political, administrative and economic rights,” he said.

Koirala further said that there was no option of decentralisation in any system either federal or unitary one. “No government willed to devolve power in local level. As a result country had to face conflict owing to the people’s frustration,” he added.

DIMC list
Prime Minister: Chairperson

MoLD Minister: Vice-Chairperson

Govt Ministers: Members

Chiefs of the Parliamentary Committees

NPC Vice-Chairperson

NMC members

Govt Chief Secretary

Govt secretaries

Each representative from political parties elected in parliament

Presidents of local bodies union and federations

MoLD secretary: Member secretary

Working Committee
MoLD Minister: Coordinator

MoLD secretary: Member

Six experts from decentralisation, revenue, accounts, rural development, administration and law sectors

A Special Class Govt secretary

The working committee on decentralisation was formed once in the beginning, leaving it defunct for all. Interestingly, Minister for Local Development Purna Kumar Sherma Limbu, Vice-Chairman of DIMC, was ignorant about his position and the role of the committees. “It is the time of federalism and power projection to central, regional and local governments,” he said.

“The vacuum of elected representatives in local bodies for eight years affected in the implementation of the policy,” he said. “It is difficult to implement laws and rules in transitional phase,” he added.

PADT bans Christian graves in Hindu shrine

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 11:38:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, December 29

The Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) has decided to remove the remains and concrete structures of more than 200 Christian burial sites inside Pashupatinath Temple premises on religious and environmental grounds.

"Hundreds of bodies have been buried in the Shleshmantak forest area, and the concrete structures are causing deforestation in the area. Also, dead bodies of non-Hindus are not allowed to have their rest in the holy site," said Sushil Nahata, member secretary of the PADT.

Non-Hindus started cremating bodies in a large scale after the People's Movement in 2006 became successful and the country was declared secular in 2006.

Non-Hindu groups like Kiratis also claim the area as their heritage, and started burying the dead in the area about a decade ago. The PADT had demolished 67 structures then.

The government in participation of Department of Archeology (DoA) made an agreement with Rai-Kiratis a decade ago. PADT Standards 2050BS restricts non-Hindu activities inside the area.
Only Hindu Sadhus of Giri, Puri and Dashanami societies, children of Hindus can be buried, but without constructing structures, inside the premises.

Dr KB Rokaya, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Nepal, said they were forced to bury the dead in the PADT as the government did not allocate them land for a cemetery.

Said Rokaya, also a member of the National Human Rights Commission: "The government should provide land for the Christian cemetery."

Nahata informed that a three-member committee to look into the issue has been formed at the PADT Council meeting held today at the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC). The committee headed by Nahata includes Chief District Officer of Kathmandu and chief of DoA.

"The Committee will study on the cases and find out the solutions," said Bhola Prasad Sitaula, director at PADT. "This will seek appropriate alternatives and present to the government as soon as possible but time frame has not been fixed for it," said Nahata.

Dr Minendra Rijal, Minister for MoFACAPAC and chairman of PADT said that the procedure would be forwarded as per the gravity of the issue. This concern will be discussed with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Local Development to solve the problem of cemeteries.

Nature matters-Nepal-Himalaya-3

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 06:51:00 +0000

Nature matters-Nepal-Himalaya-2

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 06:25:00 +0000

Nature matters-Nepal-Himalaya-1

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:15:00 +0000

Himalayan Views around Pokhara captured from high hills of Syangja, Nepal.

Nature makes a sense of art

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:22:00 +0000

Jungle scences at Danda in Nawalparasi district along the East-West Highway (2, 3, 4, 5 & 6). Fog engulfing at Rampur Valley [Bordering with Palpa, Rampur and Chapakot, Syangja] (1).

Remodeled TIA arch becomes an eyesore

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:51:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal

Kathmandu, November 19

The 15-year old entrance gate, erected to commemorate golden jubilee of then king Birendra's coronation, is being remodeled for the Nepal Tourism Year 2011. If successful, one million foreign visitors will pass through the gate in the next year.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has invested Rs 15 million to reconstruct the arch.The gate built 15 years ago to commemorate the 25th year of then King Birendra’s coronation cost some Rs 3 million.

Visitors to the airport are confused and put off by the design. "It looks unpleasant and odd," said Prakash Pokhrel, a visitor from Naya Gaon in Gulmi. “It might surprise a stranger, but one who can appreciate a work of art will be shocked," he said.

The experience of local Raj Kumar Pradhan from Sinamangal, Kathmandu was not similar to Pokhrel. "This gate is uglier than the older one," he said. "It is unnatural an unaesthetic."

The arch of the 72 feet high structure designed of modern architecture using metal cladding blending with Stupa and Pagoda styles, designer of the gate Shesh Krishna Shrestha said.

Architect Prajwal Haada said it was entirely inappropriate to mix modern and traditional techniques. "Either it should be completely traditional or modern," he said. "It looks terrified due to lost proportion."

Metal cladding technique was completely horrible and disastrous for Nepal, said architect Varun Rana. "The wood carving, or brick or plaster technique must be used to represent the traditional culture," he said. "There may be vested interest of commission behind importing the metals instead of using local materials."

The designing of the arch was approved by the Civil Maintenance Division (CMD), the supervising and approving body under CAAN after the Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism okayed it.

The design seeks to represent eyes of Buddha (peace) on the main arch, and pagoda style Pashupatinath on the right and left pillars along with metal cladding pillars and wings. Yellow symbolises stupa, brick colour, the Nepali tradition, and golden colour seeks to give continuity to the old golden gate, according to the architect.

Narayan Giri, chief at CMD, admitted that the form of the arch looked odd. “We are discussing internally to modify the top of the arch but it is yet to be decided,” he said.

The contract was signed in 2009 with joint venture Biruwa-Azad-Uma and Pratima, Kathmandu to complete the work by mid July. “It was delayed as the architect provided us the design after seven months. The construction began only in May and will be completed within a month,” said Dinesh Prasad Shrestha, general manager at CAAN.

Designer Shrestha claimed he submitted the design within three months. “Their internal causes including budget row made the construction delay,” he said.

Giri said that 95 per cent work has been completed. “We will install two pagoda mini-temples and a brass pinnacle soon,” he said. “It will look beautiful after completion.”

Nepal heading towards political collision?

noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 02:31:00 +0000

Bishnu Prasad Aryal

KATHMANDU (Nepal), Nov 16-- Nepal’s struggle to become a Federal Democratic Republic makes no more a mirror reflect a thin hope for writing new constitution after the major political parties involve only in their partisan interests rather than national responsibility. Nepal in between two big nations—India and China-- is on verge of failed state leading to political uncertainty and anarchy.

Monarchy, some 240 years old, was abolished from Nepal on May 28, 2008 from legislature. The historical change came as a result of 19-day peaceful People’s Movement II 2006, following Royal take-over of the democracy on February 1, 2005 by then king Gyanendra Shah, who was crowned throne as successor of king Birendra, along with queen, two princes and a princess, who were massacred inside the Narayanhity Royal Palace in Kathmandu on June 1, 2001.

The incident took place during the last phase of a decade-long armed conflict ignited by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M) under the chairmanship of Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda, killing some 15,000 people, including security forces and Maoist cadres. It announced ceasefire in late 2005. CPN-M was tagged terrorist by the Government of Nepal, USA and India among other countries. Although other countries withdrew the terrorist tag, the USA is yet to lift label tagged on the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPN-M), then CPN-M.

Seven-party alliance including Nepali Congress (NC), a full-democratic party and Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Marxist and Leninist (UCPN-ML), middle path party, joined the hands in 2005 with CPN Maoist, ultra-leftist by signing 12-point pact to overthrow the monarchy from Nepal. The later agreed to follow democratic path while NC and UCPN-ML pledged to set up federal democratic republic of Nepal.

Constituent Assembly (CA) of 601-member poll was held on March 10, 2008 to write the new federal democratic constitution. The two-year tenure ended on May 28, 2010, which has been extended for one year. However, six months have just passed but there is no sign of dealing with the new statute, said constitutional expert Dr Bhimarjun Acharya. “The CA tenure can’t be extended again as per the constitution. Another CA election can be an alternative.”

On the other hand, the political parties have failed to form a new government by electing Prime Minister. The caretaker government led by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who resigned on June 30, 2010, is struggling to bring the fiscal budget for the current fiscal year that began on July 17.

The major political parties have been flexing muscles in blame games by neglecting to conclude peace process and write new constitution for a way out of impasse. The NC and UCPN-ML have criticised the UCPN-Maoist for failing to abide by past agreements. While Royalists are for reviving monarchy in the country.

More than 19,000 Maoist combatants, who are inside the cantonments supervised by United Nations Mission in Nepal, are desperate for their settlement. The political parties are yet to finalise the actual number of combatants to be integrated and rehabilitated as per their qualification.

The leaders of UCPN-M, the largest party in CA with 238 members but not with simple majority, have frequently reiterated their opinions over public places to launch another movement to capture state power and enforce communist rule exploiting transitional phase. Maoist chairman Prachanda have usually warned to ‘take over power through people’s revolt’ and appealed people to be ready for the change. UCPN-M senior leaders Mohan Baidya ‘Kiran’ and Dr Babu Ram Bhattarai have sung similar rhythm but are still uncertain of dates to usurp state power. They said that ‘foreign agents and anti-reactionary forces’ have blocked the Maoists to head the government and termed it as ‘feudalistic forces plotting conspiracy’ against them.

UCN-ML senior leader KP Sharma Oli lambasted the Maoists for conspiring to capture state power. “They will be responsible if the nation falls to a failed state,” Oli said a few days ago. “The dictatorship ultra party or another power is unavoidable unless a consensus is forged on the contentious issues.”

Meanwhile, NC leaders are firm on their stance not to allow the UCPN-M to lead the government ‘unless it ensures to implement past accords, enshrine new statute and conclude peace process logically.”

The conflict among three major political parties has reached to climax by overshadowing the national interests, each party claiming to head the government. “They have overlooked the national interests for writing new constitution,” said Acharya. “If they fail to write new constitution and conclude peace process to a logical end before May 28, 2011, the country might have to face an abyss leading to political instability in the context of constitutional void,” he added.

Thus, the Himalayan country will have to face hard times of totalitarianism or autocracy unless the situation turns to positive tunes by understanding national need and accountability. The jarhead politicians are yet to be enlightened with visions and realise the national interests for the sake of people and country to relieve from rising impunity.

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noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 02:09:00 +0000

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noreply@blogger.com (B.P. Aryal) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 04:09:00 +0000