Wednesday, February 27, 2013

'Former crown prince improving gradually'

KATHMANDU, FEB 27 - The health condition of Former Crown Prince Paras Shah , who is currently undergoing treatment at the Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok after suffering from a major heart attack , is said to be improving gradually.

According to a press release published by Dr Parinya Kunawut of Samitivej Hospital on Wednesday it is said that some movements have been observed in his limbs. "His condition remains critical but stable. Some spontaneous movement of the limbs has been observed today. The blood pressure and heart rate are maintained without the need of medication," the statement reads.

Shah had been admitted to the hospital after he suffered a heart attack last Tuesday.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

11-year-old girl commits suicide


BIRATNAGAR: A girl committed suicide by consuming poison in Morang district on Monday evening.

The deceased has been identified as Himali Dahal (11) of Indrapur-7 at Birat Chowk in the district, according to the District Police Office, Morang.

She died while undergoing treatment at Koshi Zonal Hospital, said police.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

Egypt hot air balloon crash kills 19 tourists


CAIRO: A hot air balloon crashed near the Egyptian town of Luxor on Tuesday, killing 19 tourists who were aboard, a spokesman for companies that operate balloon flights in the area told Reuters.

Spokesman Ahmed Aboud added that one tourist and the balloon pilot had survived the crash, which happened after a gas explosion at 1,000 feet. He said the tourists were from a variety of countries but did not immediately have information on their nationalities.

"There were 20 passengers aboard. An explosion happened and 19 passengers died. One tourist and the pilot survived," he said by telephone. Aboud is the representative of eight companies that operate balloons in Luxor.

The accident happened over the west bank of the Nile river. Hot air ballooning at dawn is popular with tourists who go to Luxor to visit its pharaonic temples and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, including in Tutankhamen's.

Egypt's tourism industry has suffered a sharp downturn in visitor numbers since the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak, with two years of political instability scaring off foreign tourists.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Bangkok Hospital docs requested to join Paras treatment

KESHAV P. KOIRALA
KATHMANDU: A team of doctors from the Bangkok Hospital has been requested to assist with the treatment of Nepal's former Crown Prince Paras Shah, the Samitivej Hospital said on Monday evening.

After suffering a massive cardiac arrest six days ago, the 42-year-old wayward royal is receiving treatment at the Sukhumvit-based Samitivej Hospital in a comatose state.

In a medical bulletin this evening, Dr. Kunchit Piyavechviratana, intensivist at the hospital, described Shah's condition as very critical but stable.

He informed that there has been no bleeding from the high profile patient's stomach over the last two days. Shah had developed internal bleeding from his stomach on Saturday.

The 42-year-old, who suffered a massive cardiac arrest on February 19, is admitted to the CCU of the hospital and has been kept at the ventilator life support. Dr. Piyavechviratana said Shah's blood pressure is maintained without the need of any medicine, suggesting that his blood pressure is in the satisfactory range.

Yesterday, the doctors attending Shah had reduced the medicines needed to maintain the blood pressure.

"The doctors from both hospitals agree with the present line of treatment," the doctor said.

Meanwhile, former King Gyanendra and Queen Komal are preparing to fly to Bangkok on Wednesday to see their ailing son. Other members of the royal family, including Paras Shah's wife Himani and sister Prerana, are already in the Thai capital.

Banks rush to NRB for cash due to tight liquidity

KATHMANDU, FEB 25 -

A tight liquidity situation in the bank ing sector has prompted a number of bank s to obtain standing liquidity facility (SLF) from the central bank for the first time in a year. The SLF is a short-term cash injection by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) into bank s and financial institutions (BFIs) facing a short-term liquidity problem or mismatch.

NRB charges 8 percent interest on the SLF which is higher than the interest rate on the inter- bank lending and treasury bills. According to the central bank , the interest rate on inter- bank loans is more than 6 percent while the interest rate on treasury bills is above 4 percent.

“The first to obtain SLF was H&B Development Bank which has been hit hard by fraud committed by its employees,” said an NRB official. “Last week, Nabil Bank and the Bank of Asia also obtained the facility.”

H&B took Rs 1.59 billion under the SLF after it was nearly sunk by staff misconduct. “H&B is still continuing rollover of the SLF but on a smaller scale of Rs 247.9 million after repaying most of the amount,” said the NRB official.

Nabil took a total of Rs 5 billion on two occasions while the Bank of Asia received Rs 3 billion from the central bank , according to the NRB official. Meanwhile, Nabil’s chief executive officer Anil Gyawali said that Nabil didn’t take the SLF from the central bank because it was facing a liquidity tightness. “The money was taken in order to address the temporary mismatch in liquidity after major companies paid their income taxes to the government in mid-December,” he added. “We knocked on NRB’s door after liquidity was unavailable in the inter- bank market on the particular day we received the SLF.”

Although all the bank s are not facing a tightness in liquidity, a few of them are hard up due to sluggish deposit growth and a huge amount of money stuck in the government treasury as it has not been able to spend it, said the central bank .

The government has said that about Rs 45 billion remains unspent in its coffers. The central bank has asked a few bank s with a credit to deposit ratio (core capital plus credit to deposit) of more than 80 percent to submit a plan on how they are going to bring it down.

According to NRB, the credit to deposit ratio as per its directive remains at 75 percent in the bank ing system while the pure credit to deposit ratio stands at 80 percent. The central bank has barred BFIs from crossing the CD ratio of 80 percent.

However, a central bank official said that excess liquidity in the system had improved as of last Friday.

“There was excess liquidity of Rs 8 billion initially which went up to around Rs 12 billion on Friday,” said the central bank official. It is expected that a certain amount of excess liquidity is expected to remain in the bank ing system in order to address any shortfall.

After liquidity was found to be tight in the system, the government had provided Rs 5 billion to Rastriya Banijya Bank from the pension fund in order to ease the shortage.

“Although the government should not give the money meant for pension distribution immediately, we released the amount now to address the recent tightness in the liquidity situation,” said finance secretary Shanta Raj Subedi.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA) had asked NRB to issue repo (injection of liquidity by purchasing treasury bills held by BFIs) after liquidity tightened. The central bank , however, does not want to issue repo immediately saying that it would first allow the market to solve the problem on its own.

However, NBA president Rajan Singh Bhandari said that the central bank ’s refusal to entertain the request would result in a rise in the interest rate on both deposit and credit. “Hiking the interest rate on loans is not a pleasant choice, but we will be forced to do so if NRB refuses to issue repo,” he added.

CJ-led govt influenced by western forces: Gajurel

NEW DELHI, FEB 25 - CPN-Maoist Vice Chairman CP Gajurel said that western forces have had an influence over the current floating proposal to form an election government under the leadership of chief justice.

Addressing a program organised by the All India Nepal Ekta Manch at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi on Monday, Gajurel said that the idea seems to have come through the European Union (EU).

Answering a query regarding the accusation of CPN-Maoist leaders that the CJ-led government was an Indian agenda, Gajurel said, "It looks like, the idea came floating from the EU nations; however, India also seems to support the idea."

Gajurel opined that forming a government under the leadership of chief justice is a conspiracy. "This is a move by the western forces to weaken the national bodies. It is an indication that the political forces have failed. This could also be an opportunity for the foreign forces to disable the judiciary and take control," said Gajurel.

Gajurel also raised question over CPN-UML's support for the same although many of the party leaders were not satisfied with the proposal. He further said that his party would protest against the decision. He claimed that the only option to solve the current political impasse is to have a round table meeting of all the forces involved in the Constituent Assembly (CA).

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project:Half of tunnel work completed


DOLAKHA, FEB 24 -
In an encouraging progress, 50 percent of the tunnel construction work on the Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project has (UTHP) has been completed on time.

Normally, tunnel construction is considered as the most difficult work on hydropower projects.

Of the 16km tunnel to be built, construction of the 8km section was completed on Friday, indicating that the 456MW project developed under domestic investment is on track for timely completion.

“If the momentum continues and things go as planned, we see the project complete by mid-April 2016,” said Bigyan Prasad Sharma, acting project chief.

In a bid to speed-up construction work, the workforce deployed at site offices, including in Charikot, were transferred to the main site in Lamabagar VDC, Dolkha, 10 months ago. Adoption of provisions like the “digital daily entry system” and punishment and reward to workers also contributed to the timely completion of the tunnel work, the project said.

Project officials said the project work, which was earlier estimated to get delayed by around one and half years, made a significant progress due to “effective management practice”. After the project implemented the allowance and electronic attendance systems, around 75 percent of the workers and almost all of the staff members of the Chinese contractor Sino Hydro started to report to work in time.

“Before the implementation of the systems, it was difficult to know who is working where,” said a project employee. “There were chances of cheating from dishonest employees.”

Site Engineer Bimal Gurung said efficiency of 80 percent of the workers has increased. “We have been able to complete construction of 8,002m section of the 15,960m tunnel,” he said.

Tamakoshi hydropower project is the country’s biggest under-construction project and its capacity is two-third of the total energy presently being generated in the country. The run-of-the-river type project will run daily for four hours in full capacity even during the dry season. “It will play a big role in solving the power shortage problem,” said Gurung.

According to the project, 48 percent of the civil construction work and 41 percent of the total construction work has so far been completed. Sino Hydro holds the contract for civil construction and employs 400 Chinese and 1,200 Nepali workers. Project chief Shrestha said they aim to complete 50 percent of the total work by end of this fiscal year. To achieve the target, the project is mulling continuing the work even during public holidays, including Dashain and Tihar holidays.

Progress on tunnel work

Section    Total length    Progrss

Main tunnel     7,846m    2,569m

Tailrace tunnel    2,986m    1,349m

Audit tunnels    1,475m    1,475m

Tunnels inside powerhouse    3,003m    2,609m

Other small tunnels     650m    not started

Total    15,960m    8,002m

Major parties meet underway, Regmi not interested


KATHMANDU, FEB 24 - A meeting of the major three political parties has started at the Special Committee for secretariat in New Baneshwor to discuss the formation of an election government under the sitting chief justice.

However, the leaders' arrangement to meet Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi today has been canceled following Regmi refusal. It has been learnt that the chief justice refused to meet the leaders unless the 8-member taskforce formed for the same presents its draft.

Earlier, Regmi had agreed to lead the election government after the prominent leaders proposed for it. However, Regmi has lately been showing reluctance to take the leadership, as some parties have been voicing against it.

 A writ has been filed against the same at the Supreme Court and the office bearers of Nepal Bar Association have also stood against it.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Armyman killed bike accident


SANTOSH SINGH

SARLAHI, Feb 24: A Nepal Army soldier was killed in a motorcycle accident at Laxminiya, Mohottari on Sunday morning.

Bhuwan Bahadur Chingring of Chandranigahapur-based Amardal Battalion was killed when his motorcycle (Ja 5 Pa 2018) lost control and rammed into a bridge in Laxminiya-5 along the East-West Highway.

The armyman, who hailed from Bardibas-1, Mahottari, was killed on the spot, police said.

Madhes leaders want 2008 voter list if polls by mid-June


GANI ANSARI

KATHMANDU, Feb 24: At a time when top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) are trying to forge consensus on fresh polls, second-rung Madhesi leaders have warned that the latest voters´ list, in which about 11 million voters have been included so far along with their photos and biometrics, will not be acceptable to them if Constituent Assembly (CA) elections are to be held by mid-June.

They maintained that the fresh polls, in case they take place by mid-June, should be conducted on the basis of the voters´ list prepared for the CA election in 2008.
Altogether 17.6 million voters were registered during the 2008 CA election.

“There is no point accepting the latest voters´ list in which millions of eligible voters are not registered,” Rameshwor Raya Yadav, senior vice-chairman of the ruling Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D), told Republica.

General Secretary of Sadbhawana Party Manish Suman claimed that two million eligible voters across the Tarai are yet to be registered in the new voters´ list as they do not have citizenship certificates.

“How can polls be accepted when a large number of voters will be unable to cast their ballots?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Spokesperson and General Secretary of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Sarvendra Nath Shukla stated that the voters´ list prepared during the CA election in 2008 should be updated if fresh polls are to be held by mid-June.

“Even if fresh polls are not conducted by mid-June, the new voters´ list should be completed,” he added.

Asked if fresh polls could be conducted on the basis of the previous voters´ list as the authorities are already working on a new list, EC Spokesperson Anil Thakur said, “The EC will take a decision on how to conduct polls under special circumstances.” He maintained that eligible voters should not be deprived of their voting rights.

Paras’ condition deteriorates further


KUALA LUMPUR, FEB 24 -

The health condition of former crown prince Paras Shah , who suffered a major heart attack last Tuesday in Bangkok, has deteriorated further and remains critical, doctors involved in his treatment have said.

A medical update issued by the Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital, where Shah has been undergoing treatment, said that the patient has developed bleeding in his stomach and undergone endoscopies.

“He [Shah] has been on ventilator and his medical condition remains very critical,” said a statement signed by four doctors involved in his treatment.

Doctors started ‘therapeutic hypothermia’ from Friday to bring down his fever so that they can perform a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of his brain. However, doctors have not been able to conduct an MRI as Shah’s temperature had not normalised till Saturday evening. MRI reports could shed further light on the state of the former crown prince and determine the approach of treatment, according to the doctors. The patient’s heartbeat and blood pressure seem stable but his brain remains non-responsive.

Shah’s wife Himani and Dr Rajiv Shahi, former prince Dhirendra’s son-in-law, were allowed to meet the patient on Friday night.

Anti-corruption protesters rearrested at KATHMANDU

KATHMANDU, FEB 24 -

Police arrested four anti-corruption campaigners from Shanti Batika, Ratnapark, in the Capital on Sunday.

Anti-corruption campaigners Shyam Lal Sah, Sharada Bhusal Jha, Sangita Thapa and Binod Mandal were arrested at about 9 am from the Batika where they had launched fast-unto-death campaign.

The campaigners had also been arrested on Friday in front of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority where they had launched fast-unto-death campaign. They were released from the Kamalpokhari police station this morning.

The campaigners had staged the fast-unto-death campaign after the national anti-corruption body paid no heed to their demand of beginning an investigation into the corruption complaint filed four years ago. The campaigners had filed a complaint against the Banauli Damauli and Laharpatti VDCs at the CIAA, claiming that the concerned VDC secretaries had misused millions of rupees allocated for local bodies.

Norah Jones excited about Oscar performance


Jazz singer Norah Jones, the multiple Grammy winning daughter of sitar legend Ravi Shankar, is all excited about performing at the upcoming Oscars ahead of her first India tour in March.

The 33-year-old is set to perform the song Everybody Needs A Best Friend from the soundtrack of Ted at the Academy awards ceremony on Sunday.

The track was co-written by Norah and Seth MacFarlane, the director of 'Ted', and has been nominated in the Best Original Song category.

Norah also featured in the film Ted, and in the past has acted in movies like My Blueberry Nights.

Incidentally Seth is hosting the 85th Academy Awards this year in Los Angeles. "I'm excited. I think it'll be really fun. It's a really cool, unique experience for me to get to perform the song at the Oscars because Seth is hosting and he's my friend. To get to be a part of his film is super fun, but for him to be hosting and for me to still get to go and perform with my buddy hosting, that's super fun! I'm excited," Norah said in a statement.

The nine-time Grammy winner will begin her the three-city tour in India with a headlining performance at the new music festival A Summer's Day in Mumbai on March 3, followed by concerts in New Delhi on March 5 and 6 at Siri Fort Auditorium and Bangalore on March 8.

"I'm very excited to be playing in Delhi, and I'm excited to be adding a second show. I hope that we'll have a lot of fun at the shows, and that everyone else is as excited as I am!," said Norah.

WiMAX :: Wireless Broadband Internet Service


Nepal Telecom (NT) is launching the 4G WiMAX IEEE 802.16e service first time in Nepal. Nepal Telecom proudly offers WiMAX broadband internet service with greater flexibility at unmatched price offer. WiMAX service is available throughout the country.

NT as a market leader in Wireless Internet, will enhance its service, coverage and quality by delivering next generation technology to the subscribers. We will deliver high quality data and internet services and utilize the technology to encourage social and economic growth.

NT WiMAX enables broadband wireless anytime, anywhere using any WiMAX enabled devices, whether it is a laptop, desktop modem, digital phone or even a game device. Mobile WiMAX creates a seamless broadband enviroment at home, in the office and on the move.
                                                             Download Application Form     Download Pressrelease

WiMAX Tariff Plan


Registration Fee: Rs 200 (one time)
Available Device Type: Indoor and Outdoor
The Service is initially distributed to Corporate Customers Only (will be provided soon to general customers)

A. WiMAX Serivce, Corporate Customer Offers ( 3 Month Package)

Data Rate : 1 Mbps or Above

S.No.
Description
Package 1
Package 2
Package 3
1
Service Charge
8,700.00
12,900.00
15,570.00
2
Promotional Discount(50%)
4,350.00
6,450.00
7,785.00
3
VAT(13%)
565.50
838.50
1,012.05
4
Grand Total
4,915.50
7,288.50
8,797.05


A1. WiMAX Customer Premises Equipment(CPE) Cost

S.No.
Device type
Manufacturer
Price(Rs)
Remarks
1
Outdoor Unit(ODU)
Airspan N/w
16,910.00
VAT(13%)
2,198.30
Total
19,108.30
2
Indoor Unit ( IDU)
AWB Tech
11,570.00
VAT(13%)
1,504.10
Total
13,074.10


B. WiMAX Serivce, Corporate Customer Offers ( 1 Year Advance payement)
Data Rate: 1 Mbps or Above

S.No.
Description
Package 1
Package 2
Package 3
1
Service Charge
34,800.00
51,600.00
62,280.00
2
VAT(13%)
4,524.00
6,708.00
8,096.40
3
Grand Total
39,324.00
58,308.00
70,376.40


B1. WiMAX CPE is Free of Cost for these customers

Note
Package 1: 32 GB data volume per Month
Package 2: 48 GB data volume per Month
Package 3: 60 GB data volume per Month


Frequently Asked Questions

What is WiMAX Service?
"Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access" - A last mile wireless access technology capable of providing high speed broadband connectivity.

How does NT WiMAX Broadband work?
NT WiMAX Broadband service transmit radio signals from a base tower to a modem. The modem easily connects to your computer. Once you plug in your modem, your connection is always on and always secure.

Is NT WiMAX Broadband secure?
NT WiMAX Broadband runs on fully licensed and protected radio frequencies. This tecnology provides as much or more security than traditional wireless Internet solutions.

Where can I use WiMAX service?
WiMAX service is roaming enabled. This means that you can use it anywhere in the specified WiMAX coverage in a country.

What is the range of WiMAX base station?
WiMAX base station�s range extends from approximately 10 km in built up areas with lots of obstacles, to approximately 20 km in ideal conditions such as flat land.

Can I use WiMAX service at home & at work?
Easily! Subscribe a plan as per your need and you can primarily use the service. You should know whether the service is available in that perticular location where you are planning to use it.

How fast is NT WiMAX Broadband service?
Customers can get upto 20 Mbps depending upon the types of CPE used and the location of Base Station.

Is NT WiMAX Broadband reliable?
Yes, With NT WiMAX Broadband you'll enjoy your connection that is "always on".

Will I be able to setup NT WiMAX Broadband services on my comoputer myself?
Our technicians will come to your home or place of buiness to install the anteena and run the wiring. They will connnect one computer upon installation. If you choose to opt for a wireless connection inside your home, such as laptops, smart phones, you will need to purchase a wireless router. Our Techincians can provide the wireless router at installation.

Can I have multiple computers on the internet simultaneously?
Our Residential customers can use a router or wireless access point so that multiple users can be online at the same time with only one subscription and no slow-down. Our Business customers should work with our dedicated sales team to find a plan that will support all of your business needs, no matter how big or how small

Contact Us at wimax@ntc.net.np



Free health camp in Gulmi


GULMI, Feb. 23: Thousands of service recipients have thronged a free health camp at Ranibas of Gulmi district.

The specialist health camp is being organized by the Civil Servant Women´s Association, Kathmandu. People from Baglung, Palpa and Arghakhanchi districts have also thronged the free health camp.

According to General Secretary of Association Urmila Bhusal, services on heart, maternity and gynecology, ENT, pediatrics, teeth, mental health, eye and others diseases have been provided for free.

Nephrologist Rishi Kumar Kafle, psychiatrist Mahendra Neupane, cardiologist Diwakar Sharma and Yadav Bhatta, among others are providing services in the three-day-long health camp.

Secretary at the National Planning Commission Yubraj Bhusal and Deputy Director at the Department of Health Service Dr Gunaraj Lohani had inaugurated the health camp.

Ministry of Health and Population, Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center, National Kidney Treatment Center, Universal College of Medical Sciences, Lumbini Medical College, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir Hospital and other organizations have extended supports to run the health camp

Class IX girl gang-raped in West Bengal


A class IX student was gang-raped inside a tea garden in Jalpaiguri district and the accused were arrested, the police said today.

The victim girl, along with her friends, were going from Kalchini to Hamiltonganj on cycles when they were chased by three men.

While others managed to flee, one failed and the accused picked her up and raped her inside Kalchini Tea Garden last evening, Alipurduar SDPO Biswachand Thakur said.

Later her friends returned with more people and took her to hospital and a complaint was lodged to the police.

The police arrested the three accused who were tractor drivers of the tea garden today, the SDPO said.

Brokers offer to show flats to 17-year-old girl, rape her


Two real estate agents raped a 17-year-old minor in a hotel on the pretext of showing her property in Kandivli late on Thursday. After receiving a tip-off about their location, the police arrested the duo from Virar yesterday.

The victim has been living alone in a rented apartment on Kandarpada, Dahisar (East), ever since her family returned to their hometown. Since she wanted to purchase a flat, she contacted two real estate agents operating in Kandivli on Wednesday morning. She got their numbers from a common friend Mohammad Saddam (22) who lives in the same colony as the victim.

Of the two agents, one has been identified as Krishna Mastud (25). Promising to show her some apartments in Kandivli Complex, they asked her to meet them near a mall on Akurli Road in Kandivli (East) on Thursday evening. The three met and went to a restaurant in Kandivli to talk. The accused then spiked the cold drink that the victim was sipping on. She lost consciousness. She regained her senses around 1.30 am yesterday, to find herself lying on the WEH in Kandivli (East).

She told the police that her clothes were torn and there were nail marks on her body. She felt pain in her private parts. She called one of her friends and went to Bhagwati hospital where she sought treatment. According to police sources, the accused confessed that they had raped her in a hotel in Virar when she was unconscious. Pravin Tiwari, assistant commissioner (Samta Nagar division), said, “We registered a rape case against the duo and sent them to Nagpada hospital for medical examination.

We arrested Krishna Mastud and his accomplice. They work as real estate agents.” The two have been booked under Sections 328 (poison), 376 (rape) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. They were produced at Borivli court and remanded in police custody.

Five years on, no justice for British teen raped in India


AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

NEW DELHI, Feb 23: The mother of a British teenager who was raped and left to die on a Goa beach five years ago has blasted India´s "rubbish" legal system over the stalled trial into her daughter´s death.

Scarlett Keeling was only 15 years old when her bruised and half-naked body was found on a beach in the Indian resort state of Goa in February 2008.

Two men were arrested and charged with homicide several weeks after the attack on the popular Anjuna beach in the coastal state which has long been a haunt for Western tourists.

But five years on, their trial has come to a standstill and the pair are out on bail in an echo of a wider malaise in the notoriously sluggish Indian justice system.

In an interview with AFP, Scarlett´s mother Fiona MacKeown expressed her exasperation at the delay, saying she will not be at peace until she has secured justice for the youngster.

"The system is just rubbish," she said by phone from her home in the county of Devon on the west coast of England.

"It´s ridiculous that it´s now five years and we are still waiting."

The delay is another embarrassing example of India´s failure to deliver timely justice for victims of sex assaults, with anger still smouldering over the deadly gang-rape of a 23-year-old student in Delhi in December.

Scarlett´s death also attracted international headlines, highlighting the dark side of a tourist destination still seen by many as a hangout for hippies.

Since the trial began in 2010 at the children´s court in Goa´s state capital Panaji, proceedings have hit numerous obstacles.

The court has not had a full-time judge since 2011 and the public prosecutor withdrew from the case two years ago saying he did not have enough time to devote to it.

Since 2012, the court has met just once a week as it struggles to clear a massive backlog of cases.

Police initially dismissed Scarlett´s death as an accident but opened a murder probe after MacKeown piled pressure on local authorities, pushing for a second autopsy which proved that she had been drugged and raped.

But the two defendants, Samson D´Souza and Placido Carvalho, were not charged with rape or murder after officers from India´s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said they lacked sufficient evidence to indict them.

Instead they were charged with culpable homicide, using force with "intent to outrage her modesty" and administering a drug with intent to harm.

Police allege that Scarlett was given a cocktail of illegal drugs and dumped unconscious in shallow water where she drowned, a theory MacKeown dismisses.

"I don´t believe for a minute that she was left to die," she said.

"Someone was brutal with her and held her face down hard in the water to kill her."

The family was on a six-month holiday to India when MacKeown and her other daughters went on an excursion to the southern state of Karnataka, leaving Scarlett in the care of a Goan family.

MacKeown came in for heavy criticism back home for leaving her daughter without parental supervision.

Victim of India´s "rape culture"

Five years on, MacKeown is back home in Devon, with her remaining children and her "happy, nurturing" daughter never far from her thoughts.

"She loved life, she had so many dreams. She wanted to study art, she wanted to play in a band," she said.

"We miss her so much, she was my oldest girl and she was so good with her younger brothers and sisters."

She buried her daughter´s body only six months ago, when it was finally returned to her by Indian authorities after a long bureaucratic wrangle.

MacKeown´s Goa-based lawyer, Vikram Varma, told AFP the ongoing Delhi gang-rape trial which is taking place in a fast-track court held important lessons for the rest of India´s police and judicial establishment.

"In Delhi, police arrested the culprits within days, not weeks. And the court has promised a verdict soon. So clearly when we set our minds to it, we can deliver justice within a reasonable time frame," he said.

In Devon, MacKeown says she watched footage of the anti-rape protests in India with a sense of hope.

"I think it´s great that the younger generation is standing up and saying they have had enough. All women in India face the threat of this rape culture," she said.

"My daughter was a victim of this too and it´s time to put a stop to it. I won´t be at peace until someone is punished for what they did to her."

Traffic police to clean road every Saturday


KATHMANDU, FEB 23 -

The Traffic Police on Saturday launched a campaign of washing and cleaning the roads in the Capital.

The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division will undertake the campaign every Saturday. Under the campaign, some 300 personnel under the Valley Traffic Police Division will clean the roads for about two hours.

As part of the campaign, the Division today carried out road cleaning work on the Maitighar-Putalisadak section from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. today.

Deputy Inspector General of Police and chief of the Division, Upendra Kanta Aryal, led the road cleaning in which some 300 police personnel were involved.

As part of the road cleaning works, the traffic police personnel washed the road, cleaned it and also arranged the dividers and stuck stickers with various traffic signs on the dividers.

Launching the campaign, DIG Aryal said that the campaign has been started with the objective of reducing the risk of road accidents by cleaning the roads and keeping the different road furniture like signs, railings, dividers, islands and other structures systematic.

The Division plans to carry out the road cleaning works on selected road stretches in the Kathmandu Valley in the coming days.

Task force to hash out legal issues related to CJ-led govt


CHIRANJEEVI DHUNGANA
The task force will meet at 2 p.m. this afternoon
KATHMANDU: The major political forces have come to an understanding to let the eight-member task force to deal with the nitty-gritty of apparent legal and constitutional hurdles related to the proposed election government that the parties are mulling over to form under Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi.

The meeting of UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), held on Saturday at the secretariat of Special Committee for army intergration in New Baneshwor, also entrusted the four-party panel to recommend ways to resolve the legal and constitutional differences among the four parties.

The task force comprises of two members each from the four forces.

Emerging from the meeting informed that the task force, the leaders informed that the task force will meet at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

Talking to the media, UDMF Chairmain Bijay Kumar Gachhadar stated that the meeting of task force and senior officials at the Ministry of Law called for this afternoon will finalise the possible ways to overcome the legal and constitutional barriers in the formation of CJ-led government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha told THT Online said that the parties do not differ on forming the election government now. "But there are legal and constitutional hitches, and they will be resolved by tomorrow,” he added.

Though the parties have, in principle, agreed to form the new government to hold the Constituent Assembly elections, they are yet to agree upon some thorny issues like the preparation of voters' list and distribution of new citizenship along with the formation of Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The task force is expected to prepare its report by tommorrow and brief the top leaders of the parties.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

UCPN-M is anti federalist party: Lekhi


KAILALI: Chairman of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), Raj Kumar Lekhi said the Unified CPN-Maoist was an anti-federalist force.

Speaking at a press conference organised here today, he said the UCPN-Maoist leaders have talked about federalism superficially just to deceive the general public but in reality, they do not want federalism in the country.

He said the UCPN-Maoist leaders are just gossiping about many things and cheating the Nepali people. The UCPN-Maoist leaders have been in fact betraying the nation and its people.

NEFIN Chairman Lekhi said, "NEFIN is against ‘One Madhesh, One Province’, and one Tharuhat province as well.”

"It is good to make multi-states addressing the rights of the indigenous nationalities and backward people, " he added.

President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, and major four political parties including the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress and CPN-UML did not want the fresh Constituent Assembly elections, he said, blaming that President Dr. Yadav and Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai both have been caretaker, now.

In a different note, he said life threat to Gopal Budhathoki, the editor of Sanghu Weekly, was an anti-press freedom act and demanded that the person who threatened Budhathoki be brought to book.

Nepali rupee gains over Rs 2 against dollar


KATHMANDU, FEB 07 -

The US dollar has become cheaper against the Nepali currency, consistently over the last one month.  The value of US dollar has come down by Rs 2.62 in the last 25 days, coming down from Rs 87.90 on January 14, to Rs 85.28 on Thursday as fixed by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

Pegged with the Indian currency (IC), the value of the Nepali currency against the US dollar fluctuates in line with the movement of IC. On Wednesday, the US dollar was at its weakest against IC in the last three and half months as the greenback dipping to IRs 53.15.

The fluctuation in the value of US dollar has affected gold price heavily in the domestic market. The price of gold has been cheaper by Rs 300 per 10gm. On Wednesday, gold traders fixed the price of gold at Rs 48,100 per 10 gram, coming down by Rs 300 compared to the price on Tuesday.

With the wedding season on fullswing, the downfall in gold price has provided relief to the general public. The gold price had surged until a few days ago following the hike in customs duty on gold by Rs 700 per 10gam.

As the decline in the value of US dollar also reduces price of crude oil in the international market, it will help Nepal Oil Corporation to reduce its loss. With the dollar losing its strength, it will also reduce the price of imported goods, particularly those goods imported from third countries other than India. It also augurs well for foreign loan payment as the country should pay less whenever the domestic currency becomes stronger against the dollar.

Weakening of the dollar, however, may affect the remittance inflow as beneficiaries here get little in Nepali currency terms.

Smoker Canadian family cause flight to be diverted


A flight from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the Dominican Republic was diverted to Bermuda after a family of four were found smoking in the washroom.
The Sunwing flight was travelling from Halifax to Punta Cana Friday evening. According to police in Bermuda, a passenger informed a flight attendant that people were smoking in one of the aircraft's washrooms.
Dave Shellington, a passenger on the plane, is quoted by Bernews as saying, "They were smoking in the plane's washroom and when they came out they got into a bit of an argument with the attendants, they could not say where they put their cigarette butts and that caused a bit of a commotion. From there it kind of escalated..."
The people smoking in the washroom turned out to be a family of four; a mother, father and two sons, 16 and 22. All except the 16-year-old became verbally abusive and refused to extinguish their cigarettes. When incidents like this occur, safety regulations require the pilot to land at the nearest airport. The plane touched down in Bermuda around 9 p.m.
Daryl McWilliams, the vice-president of media relations for Sunwing, was quoted by CBC as saying, "I can't believe that passengers did this. I'll bet you it's been 20 years since smoking was allowed on aircraft."
After the plane touched down, the family was removed from the plane by police and the three uncooperative members of the family were taken into custody. They were later released on bail but their travel documents were confiscated.
Members of the family refused to tell the airlines whether there were cigarettes on board and what they did with the butts. As a result of this, the airline flew a mechanic to Bermuda to check out the plane. But by the time the aircraft had been examined and cleared, the flight crew had exceeded their maximum allowed working time. They needed a minimum of 12 hours off.
Around 2 a.m. the remaining 170 passengers were allowed to leave the aircraft and taken to Bermuda hotels to spend the night. The plane took off for the Dominican Republic later on Saturday.
In addition to the cost of diverting to Bermuda, flying the mechanic down and putting the passengers and crew in a hotel for the night, Sunwing is also on the hook for paying for the night the passengers paid for and missed in Punta Cana.
The National Post reports Sunwing has yet to decide whether the airline will attempt to recoup the costs from the family.
The 54-year-old man, 52-year-old woman and their 22-year-old son are expected to appear in a Bermuda court today. It is not known how they will leave Bermuda but according to McWilliams, they will never fly with Sunwing again.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/342780#ixzz2KDCFymaR

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Canadian agency to stop work in Nepal


KATHMANDU, FEB 06 -

The Canadian Cooperation Office, established in 1987, has decided to wind down its Nepal-based operations.

“The Government of Canada decided to wind down its direct country-to-country bilateral development assistance for Nepal on February 28, 2013. This decision is part of a Deficit Reduction Action Plan announced in the Government of Canada ’s 2012 budget,” said the Canadian Cooperation Office in a statement.

The purpose of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan was to make government operations more efficient and achieve greater effectiveness in the government’s programmes and services, said the statement, adding that based on these factors, Canada has decided to scale down its direct bilateral development assistance in a number of countries.

Although no further bilateral programmes will be undertaken, Nepal will remain eligible for Canadian assistance through multilateral organisations and Canadian NGOs.

Canada ’s New Delhi-based mission will look after Nepal affairs. “When a bilateral agency shuts down its office, we cannot expect the same level of assistance. This will definitely hamper future Canadian assistance to Nepal,” said a senior government official.

Present government will exit soon: Oli


KAILALI, FEB 06 -

Senior leader of the CPN–UML KP Oli has said that the tenure of the present government will end soon.

Speaking at an interaction programme organized in Kailali on Wednesday by the Nepal Intellectual Council Kailali, Oli said, as there is no reason for this government to remain intact, it will soon collapse.



The outlet of the present crisis is nothing other than exit of the present government, he said, adding that new government would hold election and a democratic constitution would be promulgated.

The UCPN (Maoist) has two alternatives either to correct or to perish, and if they do not correct they will be finished, he said.

The UML leader said the present government is unworthy and corrupt, it does nothing good and people will overthrow if it nurtures the aspirations of dictatorship.

Oli said as the UCPN (Maoist) has invited crisis it should itself open avenues for crisis mitigation.

34 Killed by Heavy Rain


SLAMABAD: Days of torrential rain have killed 34 people in Pakistan, mostly on the northwestern border with Afghanistan, officials said Wednesday.The worst-hit region was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest where 25 people were killed and 57 injured as a result of heavy rain from Sunday to Tuesday, the provincial disaster management authority said.

Three soldiers were also reported missing after they were hit by a snow avalanche in the northwestern district of Lower Dir.Eight people were killed in the central province of Punjab, said Shahzad Abbasi, spokesman for the Punjab disaster management authority.

One person died and another was injured when they were hit by lightning in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, said state official Shahid Hasan Malik.Pakistan has suffered devastating monsoon floods for the last three years, including the worst in its history in 2010 when catastrophic inundations killed almost 1,800 people and affected 21 million.

Monday, February 4, 2013

Two abductors gun down; child rescued

BIRGUNJ, FEB 04 - Police shot dead two persons who were allegedly involved in the abduction of Sulok Agrawal, eight-year old boy of Birgunj .

The police said they resorted to firing in retaliation against the abductors .

The deceased have been identified as Sanjay Giri and one Bindeshwor, police informed.

Giri and Bindeshwor, who were injured in police firing, were rushed to National Medical College in Birgunj where they succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, special police team led by SP Pitamber Adhikari freed the boy from the residence of Ram Nath Giri at Bhediyare-9, Parsa at around 3 this morning.

The boy is a son of businessman Ashok Agrawal.

Police constable Surya Bahadur Thapa and Bod Bahadur Tamang have also sustained injuries in the scuffle. They have been receiving medical attention in Birgunj .

Meanwhile, police have detained Ram Nath and his wife Ramba Devi, son Ajay, Kunal Agrawal of Birgunj -13, Rajan Babu Baniya, Panna Lal Sahani and Sikendra Yadav in connection with the investigation.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Panel to submit report on petro pipeline next week

KATHMANDU, FEB 03 -

A technical team entrusted with the task of holding study on the appropriate modality for the Nepal-India cross-border petroleum pipeline is scheduled to submit its report to the National Planning Commission (NPC) next week.

The team led by the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies (MoCS) Secretary Lalmani Joshi comprises experts from the Finance and Home Ministries and Public Procurement Office, among others. “We will hold a meeting soon and forward the project report to the NPC appropriate suggestion,” Joshi said.

The build, operate, own, and transfer (BOOT) committee of the NPC will evaluate the report before giving the final nod to develop the much-delayed 41-km petroleum pipeline . The BOOT committee is led by NPC Vice Chairman Dipendra Bahadur Kshetry.

The project, which was first proposed by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in 1995, has been the subject of much discussion. “The study will help fast-track the project as it has been put on ice for several years,” Joshi said, adding there are some positive indications that the project will be executed this time.

On Jan 3, the Cabinet had agreed in principle to develop the project. Subsequently, the NPC formed a committee to look after a number of legal and technical complexities.

MoCS officials said the IOC was keen to develop the project with its own resources. However, the committee will decide whether Nepal can utilise its own resources, go for a 50-50 percent ownership or ask India for grant to build the project.

The project has been estimated to cost Rs 1.6 billion, besides the costs for the land acquisition. A pre-feasibility study in 2004 and a technical study in 2006 had termed the project economically viable on condition the pipeline is operated unhindered for 20 years.

The pipeline , if developed, is expected to save Rs 300-350 million annually in transportation costs alone for Nepal Oil Corporation, which currently spends around Rs 500 million annually to transport petroleum products from Raxaul of India, to Amalekhgunj.

The annual operation cost of the proposed pipeline is estimated at Rs 120 million.

The project is envisaged to reduce leakage and ensure the supply of cleaner and cheaper fuel. It could also bring relief to Nepali consumers from frequent shortages caused by strikes.

A report of the High-Level Petroleum Reform Committee had also suggested immediate construction of the pipeline .

A joint-venture model with equity participation of the NOC and IOC was planned when the government approved the project in February 2010. But in March 2011, Nepal and India dropped the JV model and agreed to a new modality, whereby the two countries would construct the pipeline separately on their respective territories, and it would then be linked after signing a bilateral pipeline treaty.

Three Star champions

POKHARA, FEB 03 -

Three Star broke the hearts of 15 thousand home crowd to lift the title of Rara Aaha Golf Cup on Saturday.

League leaders Three Star, who had also won the trophy of the mofussil’s most popular football tournament back in 2008 and 2011, edged hosts Sahara 1-0 in the final to emerge champions for the third time.

The confident Sahara side who were playing the title decider for the first time did well to contain the Patan outfit with their stern defense until Femi Joshua’s header seven minutes from time denied the hosts a chance of creating history.

Joshua had headed a rebound ball from the near post after substitute Anil Gurung had headed Jeevan Sinkeman’s corner kick. Sahara goalkeeper Ajit Prajapati, who was later adjudged best goalkeeper,  stretched his fingers to push a ball little wide, and it went on  to hit the crossbar, but the ball ricocheted off the crossbar only to find Joshua.

Incidentally, Joshua was sent-off after he recieved his second yellow card in the dying minutes of the match.

Sahara, having defeated Tribhuvan Army, who are second in the A Division League, third placed Machhindra and Manang Marshyangdi Club (fifth) on their way to the final, were unable to repeat the match winning performance. In contrast to the previous games, the home team concentrated more on defense and failed to capitalise on the few chances that came their way.

Along with the winners’ trophy Three Star pocketed a cash prize of Rs 351,000 while Sahara received Rs 2,50,000. Sahara’s goalie Prajapati adjudged tournament’s best player and he recived a TVS motorcycle along with Rs 10,000 for his feat.

Three Star’s coach Pradeep Humagain said the winner’s trophy was the result of the hard work his boys had done.

“We were able to execute our plan into action,” jubilant Humagain said, “We had planed not to let Sahara’s foreign players settle down.” This is Humagain’s first trophy after taking over the team four months ago.

Subisu has led Nepal into the Internet Age

Sudhir Parajuli, CEO of Subisu Cablenet, was born into a family of bureaucrats. So when he aborted a nascent but promising career in the civil service to become a businessman, he ran into immediate resistance from his relatives.


Today, Subisu is one of Nepal's leading information and communications technology firms. Parajuli has no doubts about his career trajectory. "It gives me immense pleasure to have grown from a person who used to work for others to a person who is leading an organisation," he says.

Subisu provides state of the art cable TV and internet and data connectivity services across 33 districts, and employs 300 people in the Kathmandu Valley alone. The company is an out-and-out industry leader, having pioneered the use of several key technologies in Nepal, and even counts a few competitors among its clients.
The path to its current perch at the top, however, hasn't been smooth. On the eve of the new millennium, Nepalis were still using dial-up modems to connect to the internet. Parajuli and his peers reckoned that cable connections, which had already proven their worth in the west, would serve internet users better. Together, they started Subisu Cablenet in 2000 with the intention of introducing and marketing this technology in Nepal.

National regulatory bodies thought differently and didn't allow Subisu to operate cable internet in the country. Unfazed, and convinced of the technology's virtues, Parajuli and his team decided to set up a cable TV service instead, hoping to build the infrastructure for a cable internet service some time in the future.

The plan worked. In 2004, Subisu received a license to operate cable internet and in 2006, data connectivity services as well.

Subisu has done so well partly because it has been very quick to identify and resolve service problems. It has a record-setting Mean Time to Restore (MTR), a measure of the time taken to respond to service disruptions, within the industry.

"We study service problems our customers face very closely to ensure they don't happen again. Fast service delivery and response to problems really sets us apart," Parajuli says.

Underwriting Subisu's commercial success is a commitment to help ordinary people take advantage of the latest in information and communications technologies. Parajuli laments the backwardness of the Nepali countryside, where many don't have access to electricity, but believes that technology firms are well-positioned to help.

"Sixty per cent of Nepal doesn't have electricity, forget about internet. However, being in the field of ICT services,
we have tried our level best to change this."

Subisu has worked with NGOs to connect remote villages to cable TV and internet, and distributed laptops to needy educational institutions free of cost. It has also helped doctors and teachers deliver diagnoses and lectures remotely, through internet and telephones.

These inroads into the countryside aren't just humanitarian gestures, but part and parcel of Subisu's commercial strategy. Subisu plans to reach at least all district headquarters in the future, and is fully prepared to invest in the necessary technological innovations to negotiate Nepal's rugged and varied landscape. Subisu will also introduce digital television services in the near future.

A fully connected Nepal, of course, remains a distant prospect. But with bright stars like Subisu and Parajuli leading the way, we're getting there.

NT ADSL Service, a review

Introduction



Baisak 17, 2065, Nepal Telecom launched its broadband services by use of ADSL 2+ technology to its valued customers. The service is initially available for Kathmandu valley but now it is available in All 75 districts accross the Country.

The services will be provided by use of existing copper cable network infrastructure. Initially only high speed Internet Service shall be available and gradually services such as VPN, multicasting, video conferencing, video-on-demand and broadcast application etc. shall also be added in future.

This service is available in most of PSTN Offices. For availability list, please check sites where ADSL service is available (Distribution Counters).

Broadband service is being provided through the deployment of ADSL 2+ technologies, a type of digital subscriber line (DSL).

Attention !!!
Please check your payment receipt for user name and password of customer care interface.
Example
Login ID: wsc_12345

Since the default user name and passwords are set to be same, customers are requested to change it soon as they log into the portal.
click here to access new customer self-care URL.

New Customer Care Interface Snapshots

Important Note:
If you are using your ADSL Connection in Routing Mode, Please change your authentication mode to AUTO or PAP in your ADSL router

ADSL Modem Venders
ADSL Modem(CPE) Configuration

Subscription
Monthly and 3-monthly packages are avaliable for subscription. Two speed schemes are available: 128kbps and 256 kbps. The subscription can be done at Nepal Telecom counters where the ADSL services are available. Monthly port charge for the subscribed ADSL service shall be included in the regular Telephone Bill. Subscription charge shall be paid at the time of registration. Recurring usages charges (monthly or 3-monthly) shall be on prepaid basis.

For Information on Volume Based ADSL Subscription Click Here

The services are available on first come first serve basis.
For information, contact your nearest telecom office or phone no. 5010722, 5010726, 4246488.

Attention (Very Important):
To check if your ADSL line is working, the ADSL led will first blink and then glow continuously after you connect your Modem/CPE to the phone line.

If there is no response showing (no continuous glow) in the ADSL Led of your Modem/CPE, Please contact the corresponding NT MDF (local exchange) to query if there is any problem in your ADSL line.

ICAN seeks new model

KATHMANDU: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nepal (ICAN) has said that ‘one person, one profession’ is the best model for the auditing profession.

Speaking at the third Kathmandu district convention of Auditors’ Association of Nepal (AUDAN), president of ICAN Madhu Bir Pande opined that the government should form a separate mechanism if it wants to amend the provision of ‘one person, one profession’.

The regulation will come into effect from mid-July, he said, adding that auditors will be responsible for following the regulation once it comes into effect.

The concept of ‘one person, one profession’ has already been implemented globally by chartered accountants, said Pande. One profession is an international practice in the auditing profession, he informed.

Director general at Inland Revenue Department Tanka Mani Sharma asked auditors to adhere to professional standards. A new opportunity has been created in the profession due to increased economic activities, he said.

Currently, there are 625 chartered accountants and around 7,000 registered auditors in the country, according to ICAN.

Meanwhile, Auditors’ Association of Nepal has elected a new executive committee in Kathmandu district. Bahadur Singh Bista has been elected as president in 15-member committee.

Himalayan Bank‚ OMA join hands

KATHMANDU: UAE's financial service provider company OMA and Himalayan Bank are to launch financial transactions jointly.

At a press meet organised on Sunday in the Capital to inform about the co-work, UAE Non-Resident Ambassador Mohamed Sultan Abdalla Al Wais expressed the confidence to give relevance to the entry of OMA in Nepal, and he was committed to helping Nepal in her economic development.

He said there was nominal trade between the two countries but it will increase if proper environment is created for investment.

The two institutions will start transaction from today through electronic medium of debit and credit cards as per the integrated banking system.

Rampant drug abuse amongst school children

PABITRA SUNAR
KATHMANDU, Feb 3: When Ram Shrestha (name changed) from Bhaktapur was studying in class eight, he started doing drugs under the influence of his friends. Yet, he continued his studies and while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree, he was caught using drugs which got him expelled from the college. For the past three months he has been receiving treatment from Mukti Kendra Rehabilitation Centre in Nakhipot, Kathmandu. He says, “I started out with my friends thinking I’ll use it just once and then stop. But later, I just couldn’t stop myself.”

Another youth from Ramechhap district is undergoing treatment at the Youth Vision Gothatar Rehabilitation Centre. According to him, his family situation led him to drug abuse. Apart from these examples, there are many school children who are trapped in the quagmire of drug abuse.

There are many examples of youths and their substance abuse problems. However, in recent times, it is the school students who are coming under the influence of drugs, say the organizations who are working to treat drug abusers. Youth Vision Gothatar Rehabilitation Centre’s Director, Rajendra Puri estimates that there has been a 3% growth amongst drug abusing school children compared to the past 10 years.



According to the Narcotics Control Bureau’s recent survey, 28% of school students are drug abusers. The report was prepared after a survey of 100 drug dealers and abusers.

How do children start using drugs?

Experts say that it is the weakness of schools and parents that lead to children turning to drugs. At 13 or 14 years of age, children’s curiosity is at its peak. This is due to the hormones that accompany them as they step towards adolescence. The absence of good guidance at this stage of their lives will lead them towards bad habits, and also drug abuse, states experts.

A parent who smokes will ignite the curiosity of the child and a few tries at smoking can turn them into drug abusers. A taste brought upon by curiosity can lead to a lifelong habit that is hard to curb. Mukti Kendra Rehabilitation Centre’s counselor Thapa, who has 22 years of experience, shares that some taste the drug for the first time and instantly experience pleasure. Later, they get hooked on to it. Yet, there are some who don’t go for a second taste after experiencing nausea during the first attempt.

Thapa goes on to say that though there is awareness regarding drug abuse; it is the carelessness of the guardians that results in children taking this route. “Children often feel lonely when their parents fulfill only their materialistic wants and misunderstand what they really want,” he says.

Depression, as a result of quarrels between parents, a divorce, or unfulfilled basic wants, also lead to children indulging in drugs, puts Thapa.

Director Puri adds that not being able to own the expensive products like a motorcycle, or a mobile phone as advertised on television can make them miserable and vulnerable to their friends’ misguided actions. According to him, the education system also has a big role to play. The pressure from parents and school to score high marks can make the children turn towards drugs to relax. Experts say that the open border between Nepal and India is an easy way to procure drugs from India and children often fall prey to them.

What to do when children star enjoying drugs?

As soon as parents come to know of their child’s drug habit, it’s extremely important to take them for treatment, suggests the expert. According to counselor Thapa, the treatment should be done looking at the stage of the user’s addiction. In recent times, numerous rehabilitation centers are being established in Nepal. Thapa says that since many of them are not up to the mark in terms of service and treatment, the right rehab centre should be chosen with care.

He adds that a drug abuser needs to be mentally and physically fit before taking him for further treatment. If the child is in the initial stage, then a psychiatrist can also heal him. But for serious addicts, it is of utmost importance that they be taken to a rehabilitation centre for treatment.

Drug abusers finds it extremely difficult to kick the habit, says Director Puri. He says that there is no guarantee that an abuser will make a complete recovery, and he advises parents to prevent their children from being trapped in the habit. He says, “In my 24 years of experience, I have probably seen only 75 people kick the habit completely.” He has treated hundreds of patients. It’s estimated that there are 70,000 drug abusers in the country.