Nepal Highlights

A new blog is coming to Nepal and Nepali readers soon.

The daily wages of trekking guides and porters will be increased by Rs 200 per day on all routes from next year. From the beginning of 2013, Trekking Guides will get Rs 1200 per day on Everest trek and Rs 1100 on Annapurna and Langtang Trek. Porters will get Rs 1000 per day on Everest Trek and Rs 900 on Langtang and Annapurna Trek. The umbrella organisation of the Trekking Agents and a consortium of three trade unions in tourism sector signed a pact to this effect recently. We decided to implement the new rates only from next year as the tourism season has already started this year, said Mahendra Singh Thapa, president of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN). Earlier, porters used to get Rs 700 per day for Langtang and Annapurna trek and Rs 800 per day for Everest. Guides used to get Rs 800 per day for Annapurna and Langtang and Rs 1000 per day for Everest. TAAN is also working on increasing the accidental death and medical insurance of guides and portars.

A team of Nepali women footballers that stood second in SAFF Women's Championship 2012 in  Colombo, Sri Lanka returned Nepal on Tuesday. Officials of All Nepal Football Association welcomed the footballers at Tribhuvan International Airport.  Talking to the journalists at the airport, Kishor KC, coach for Nepali team expressed sadness over the defeat in the final match. "Nepali team could not clinch the title though they did their best to win the match," he said. Nepal had lost 3-1 to India in the final match of the second SAFF Women's Championship 2012 played at CR&FC Grounds, Colombo on Sunday.

Nepal's Unified CPN (Maoist) has undergone a vertical split. Mohan Baidya Kiran is the head of the new party named CPN, (Maoist). Kiran was the first vice chairman in the mother party UCPN (Maoist). 

Deputy Inspector General of Armed Police Force (APF) Ranjan Koirala has been arrested Sunday afternoon on charges of killing his own wife, Geeta Dhakal. APF DIG Koirala was arrested from Thankot as he was returning from Kathmandu. A Nepal Police squad deployed from the crime investigation division, Hanumandhoka arrested DIG Koirala based on an FIR filed by Geeta's family at Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj. They have charged DIG Koirala of killing Geeta. Geeta has been missing since the past 10 days. In a previous interrogation with the police DIG Koirala had reportedly told the police that Geeta had lose character. Geeta’s family has charged DIG Koirala of having affairs with other women. They have also urged Nepal Police to stop Koirala’s impending visit to China speculating Koirala might flee from there. Koirala’s neighbours and friends said, they had problem in relations since many years.

Student bodies affiliated to various political parties including the one affiliated to the ruling UCPN (Maoist) have protested against the price hike in petroleum products announced by the government yesterday. Nepal Students’ Union, the student wing of Nepali Congress, All Nepal National Free Students’ Union, the student wing of UML, and All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union – Revolutionary, among others have announced condemned the price hike and urged the government to revoke it immediately for public welfare. Various 13-student unions are meeting Thursday to announce joint protest programmes against the price hike. Cadres affiliated to various unions have spontaneously started protest in front of their colleges Thursday morning. The student unions have blocked roads in front of some colleges in various places this morning in protest of the price hike. The government had hiked the price of cooking gas by Rs 175 per cylinder, petrol by Rs 10 per litre, and diesel and ...

The main opposition, Nepali Congress, is gradually giving up the position of a Westminsterial system inching closer to the Maoist position of a directly elected executive to ensure political stability in the country. Nepali Congress central executive committee is meeting at the party headquarters in Sanepa since Wednesday to determine the party’s position on the form of governance in the new constitution. Among the 17 central committee members who expressed their views on Wednesday, most of them spoke for an improved parliamentary system with a directly elected Prime Minister. Earlier, the party had been taking the position of a parliamentary Prime Ministerial system with prime ministerial elected and accountable to the parliament. Young generation leaders like Narahari Acharya and Gagan Thapa have been lobbying for reformed parliamentary system. The outcome of the ongoing central committee meeting of Nepali Congress is critical to determine the form of governance in the new constitu...

UCPN (Maoist) has started cadre training Thursday as per the central committee decision to take dissenting views at the centre for discussion up to the grassroot level. At the first phase of the cadre training, chairman Prachanda and vice chairmen Mohan Baidya and Baburam Bhattarai will train state committee members of Newa and Tamsaling on the recent decisions taken by the party central committee. The training is beginning at Khanna garments.

The Cabinet of Ministers has earmarked Rs 2 billion for former combatants choosing voluntary retirement. A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai Tuesday morning earmarked the amount to be used for golden handshake to the retiring combatants. The Army Integration Special Committee had decided to provide a sum of Rs 0.5 million to combatants opting voluntary retirement. The government earmarked the money given by China during the recent visit of Chinese premiere Wen Jiabao for the combatants.

A Nepali national running a restaurant in Osaka city of Japan was killed by a group of four Japanese youths, Monday. Bishnu Dhamal, 40, from Banasthali, Kathmandu was killed around 4 am local time, nepaljapan.com has mentioned. Dhamala used to run a Nepali restaurant named Nepali Bhanchha Ghar in Osaka city.

२०६८ कर्तिक १५ गते गरिएको सात बुँदे सहमति पार्टीको निर्णय तथा जनताको भावना विपरीत हुन गएको विषयबारे हामीले कार्तिक १६ गते सम्पन्न पत्रकार सम्मेलन मार्फत आफ्नो धारणा सार्वजनिक गरेको कुरा सर्वविदीतै छ । विशेषतः सेना समायोजन संबन्धी संझौता सारतः जनमुक्ति सेनाको निम्ति अत्यन्तै अपमानजनक र शान्तिविरोधी समेत भएकोले हामी स्वाभिमानी जनमुक्ति सेनाका कमाण्डर सहित सम्पूर्ण योद्धाहरुलाई यस प्रकारको आत्मसमपर्णवादी प्रकि्रयाबाट पूर्ण रुपमा अलग हुन हार्दिक अपिल गर्दछौं । मितिः २९ कार्तिक २०६८ ………………………। ………………………। रामबहादुर थापा बादल मोहन वैद्य किरण महासचिव उपाध्यक्ष एनेकपामाओवादी एनेकपामाओवादी

Mohan Vaidya faction of the UCPN (Maoist) has appealed the former Maoist combatants staying in cantonments not to comply with the regrouping process being conducted by the Army Special Integration Committee secretariat as part of the army integration and rehabilitation. The press statement signed by Maoist vice chairman Vaidya and general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ terms the agreement on Kartik 15 anti-peace, humiliating and surrender. Through the statement Thapa and Vaidya have urged all commanders and members of the former PLA to stay away from the surrendering process. 

सिन्धुलीको सितलपाटी गाविस वडा नं। ३ सइनटारका इन्द्रबहादुर थापाले माओवादीले २०६३ सालमा कब्जा गरेको आफ्नो जग्गा फिर्ताको माग गर्दै जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालयमा निवेदन दर्ता गराउनु भएको छ । थापाले आफ्नो ३ रोपनी ८ आना जग्गा माओवादीले कब्जा गरि स्थानीय राजबहादुर थापालाई भोगचलन गन दिएको भन्दै निवेदन दर्ता गराउनु भएको हो । चलनचल्तीको मुल्यअनुसार आफ्नो जग्गाको मूल्य ६ लाख रुपैयाँ पर्ने पनि थापाले दावी गर्नुभयो । कब्जा गरिएको सम्पत्ति फिर्ता गर्ने सहमति पछि गृहमन्त्रालयबाट कब्जा घरजग्गाको निवेदन संकलन गर्न थालिएको निमित्त प्रमुख जिल्ला अधिकारी विमलराज पोखरेलले बताउनुभयो । उहाँले थापाले दिनुभएकॊ निवेदन उपर छिटै छानविन हुने पनि जानकारी दिनुभयो ।

पर्यटकको लागी रमणिय स्थल कालिगण्डकी नदिमा र् याफ्टिङको लागी बिदेशी पर्यटकको संख्या बढेकेा छ । पर्वतको पाङ गाबिसको नयाँपुल तथा पर्वत र बागलुङको सिमानामा पर्ने मालढुङ्गाबाट शुरु हुने र् याफ्टिङको मज्जा लिन पर्यटकहरु आउने गरेका छन् ।  कालिगण्डकीमा पानीको छालमनोरम दृश्य´रनाबनस्पतीजलचरहरुको अवलोकनप्रदुषणरहित हावापानीबाट पर्यटक आकर्षित हुने गरेका छन् ।sालिगण्डकी नदिमा अहिले दैनिक करिव दुई सयको संख्यामा पर्यटकहरु आउने गरेका छन् ।अहिले अमेरिकाइजरायलडेनमार्कजर्मन लगायतका मुलुकबाट पर्यटकहरु आउने गरेका छन् । पोखराका पर्यटन ब्यबसायीहरुले पर्यटकलाई कालिगण्डकीसम्म ल्याउने गरेका छन् ।

माल्दिभ्समा रोजगार गरी बस्ने नेपालीहरुको संगठन नेपाल माल्दिभ्स मैत्री समाजले त्यहाँ रहेका नेपालीहरुको समस्याको विषयमा प्रधानमन्त्री डा बाबुराम भट्टराईलाइर्् ध्यान आकर्षित गराउँदै ज्ञापन पत्र बुझाएको छ । ज्ञापन पत्रमा उनिहरुले माल्दिभ्समा नेपालको दुतावास नहुँदा पासपोर्ट सहित विभिन्न समस्यामा पहल गर्ने आधिकारीक निकाय नभएको भन्दै तत्काल दुतावास खोल्न पहल गर्न अग्रह गरेका छन् । त्यसैगरी नेपालमा पर्यटनको विकास र नेपाली दक्ष कामदारहरुलाई माल्दिभ्समा रोजगारीकोलागी सहज अवस्था बनाउन नेपाल रमाल्दिभ्सवीचको सिधै फ्ल्याटको ब्यवस्था गर्नु पर्ने माग पनि ज्ञापनपत्रमाउनीहरुले गरेका छन् । त्यसैगरी नेपाली कामदारलाई अधिकार र पहिचना दिनमाल्दिभ्ससँग श्रम सम्झौता गर्न पनि उनीहरुले प्रधानमन्त्रीको ध्यान आकर््षितगरेका छन् ।  माल्दिभ्समा ५ हजारको संख्यामा नेपाली कामदारहरु रहेको नेपाल माल्दिभ्स मैत्रि समाजका ुसल्लाहकार चित्रराज पौडेलले जानकारी दिनुभयो । जसमध्यै धेरै होटलमा र केही निर्माण र घरेलू कामदारको रुपमा रहेका छन् । पौडेललेहोटलमा नेपालीको माग धेरै रहे पनि विभिन्न असुविधाका कारण आवश्यकताअनुसार नेपाली कामदा...

नेकपा एमालेका नेता केपी शर्मा ओलीले दलहरुबिच भएको सात बुँदे सहमति कार्यान्वयन नगरे माओवादी समाप्त हुने बताउनु भएको छ । माओवादीले सबैखाले बिकल्पलाई नजिकबाट हेरेर कुनै उपाय नभएपछि बाध्यात्मक अबस्थामा सात बुँदे सहमति उहाँको भनाई थियो । उहाँले सातबुँदे सहमति कार्यान्वयन नभए माओवाद्यी समाप्त हुने भन्दै सहमति कार्यान्वयनमा गम्भीर बन्न माओवादीलाई आग्रह गर्नुभयो । विहान डडेलधुरामा पत्रकारसँग कुरा गर्दै नेता ओलीले पहिले जम्मा पाँच हजार लडाकु भए पनि पछि काङ्ग्रेस र एमालेको कमजोरीका कारण हजारौ युवा शिविरमा जम्मा भएको बताउनुभयो । माओवादीले तमासा एकातिर र ब्यबहार अर्कोतिर गर्ने गरेका कारण शान्ति प्रकृया लम्बिएको बताउँदै ओलीले अव कुनै तमासा र नाटकले काम नगर्ने बताउनुभयो ।

बृहत् लुम्बिनी विकास परियोजनामा संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघका महासचिव बान कि मुनको समर्थन जुटाउन न्युयोर्क पुगेका माओवादी अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहाल शुक्रबार बिहान लन्डन आएका छन् । उनी बिहान ९ बजे कुवेत एयरवेजबाट यहाँ उत्रेका हुन् । लुम्बिनी विकास समितिका संयोजकसमेत रहेका पूर्वप्रधानमन्त्री दाहाललाई लिन बेलायतस्थित नेपाली राजदूत सुरेशराज चालिसे हिथ्रो विमानस्थल पुगेका थिए । आइतबार फर्कने गरी आएका दाहालको अनौपचारिक भ्रमणबारे यहाँ कसैलाई जानकारी छैन । 'उहाँ भोलि (शनिबार) दूतावास आउँछु भनेर एकजना साथीसँग जानुभयो,' राजदूत चालिसेले कान्तिपुरसँग भने, 'बेलायतमा सार्वजनिक कार्यक्रम बनेजस्तो मलाई लाग्दैन ।' माओवादी सम्बद्ध प्रगतिशील नेपाली समाज, बेलायतका अध्यक्ष रणबहादुर केसीले पनि दाहालको भ्रमणबारे अनभिज्ञता प्रकट गरे । 'आउने हल्ला सुनेको थिएँ तर हामीलाई औपचारिक खबर केही आएको छैन,' उनले बताए । दाहालले राजदूत चालिसेसँग आफ्नो न्युयोर्क भ्रमणबारे संक्षिप्त रूपमा बताएका थिए । उनले आगामी मार्चभित्र गौतम बुद्धको जन्मस्थल लुम्बिनीमा महासचिव बानको संयोजकत्वमा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय बैठक गर्ने सहमत...

Pashupati Shumsher Rana has sold Nepal Gas Company he established in 1972 to Ananda Bagariya and Gunachandra Bista at the price of Rs 880 million. Bista is also in the process of selling other properties in his name, it is learnt.

Three persons have died and a child injured in a landslide in Abalgurta of Jajarkot district last night. Those killed are Devkali Pariyar, 55, her six-year-old son Ramesh and four-year-old son Resham. Two-year-old Manisha has been critically injured. The landslide has swept away five houses.

Chhetri Samaj Nepal has withdrawn its two-day valley bandh called for Sunday and Monday after the government agreed to form a taskforce to address its demands at the talks held Sunday evening. The Samaj had organised the bandh with various demands including listing it as an indigenous group, reservations in state agencies and a separate Khas state. Normal life in Kathmandu had been adversely affected with vehicles of the road and markets and offices closed on Sunday.