Nepal Today

Tuesday, May 29, 2012


NC ANNOUNCES PROTESTS AGAINST MAOISTS Kathmandu, 30 May: NC and broad coalition of 16 parties together with UML has decided to launch a movement against a’ unlawful and unconstitutional government’. NC leader Arjun Narsingh KC said. The decision was taken after President Dr.. Ram Baran Yadav called the Baburam Bhattarai government a caretaker that has to be replaced by a successor government following consensus and understanding with parties. Parties are developing alliances ahead of a 22 November election for a new constituent assembly. Indigenous Nationalities Joint Struggle Committee has announced struggle programmes for dissolution of CA without promulgation of a constitution as the grouping oushes a federal structure. nnnn SOUTH KOREANS SAY NEPALI WORKERS BEST Kathmandu, 30 May: South Korea has ranked Nepal as the best worker supplying country for 2011 under the Employment Permit System (EPS). This is the second time that the country has been honoured by South Korea, recognising its fast and efficient procedure of sending workers, The Kathmandu Post reports. Earlier in 2009, among 15 countries sending workers to Korea, Nepal was ranked as the best country. “South Korea has honoured with a letter of appreciation and also provided $1,000 for the staff of the section,” said Mahesh Acharya, director at the EPS Section of the Department of Foreign Employment. South Korea is considered as one of the best labour destinations among Nepali overseas job seekers in terms of salaries, safety and perks. As of date, 13,626 Nepali (including 4,064 this year) have left for jobs under EPS, according to the EPS Section. Acharya said Nepal’s efficient work on holding Korean Language Test and fast procedure for sending workers compared to other countries have been recognised. With the impressive record of Nepali workers already working there, Korea also increased the quota for Nepal from 7,100 to 15,678 last year. Korea started hiring Nepali workers under the EPS provision in 2008 after an agreement on 2007. It has also been hiring workers from Vietnam, Mongolia, Thailand, China, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and East Timor under EPS. Nepali workers in Korea earn Rs 70,000 a month on an average, much higher that what a Nepali worker earns in the Gulf. Recently Korea has decided to extend the term of workers from the basic three years to 10 years. Among the 15 countries, Vietnam and Cambodia are major countries in terms of the number of workers being supplied by them to Korea, according to EPS Section. Nepal is eligible to send workers various fields, including agriculture, fishery, construction, manufacturing and services. A majority of Nepalis working under EPS are in the manufacturing sector. Workers leaving for SKorea under EPS Year No of Workers 2065-66 2,801 2066-67 2,418 2067-68 3,703 2068-69 3,763 (First 10 months) nnnn RECORD FOOD SURPLUS Kathmandu, 30 May: Bumper cereal harvests in the current fiscal year have put Nepal into a record food surplus position. The latest statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) released on Tuesday claimed that the country had food reserves of 886,307 tonnes in the fiscal year 2011-12, Sangam Parsain writes in The Kathmandu Post.. The country had witnessed a food surplus in the last fiscal year after two years of deficits. In the last one decade, Nepal had a food surplus position for six years and a deficit position for four years. According to the MoAD, the country had the highest food deficit in 1994-95 of 485,000 tonnes. The country had a food deficit of 330,000 tonnes and 132,000 tonnes in the fiscal years 2009-10 and 2008-09 respectively. The record surplus means a decline in the number of districts having a food deficit. According to the MoAD, the number has declined to 27 now from the earlier 33. In 2009-10, there were 43 food deficit districts across the country with a majority of them in the hills and mountains. “The good news is that the mountain and hills regions have gained a food surplus position for the first time in the country,” said Hari Dahal, spokesperson at the MoAD. The mountain region has a food surplus of 15,774 tonnes in 2011-12 compared to a deficit of 13,000 tonnes recorded in the last fiscal year. The hill region has a food surplus of 92,900 tonnes compared to a deficit of 50,153 tonnes last year. This year, Udayapur, Sindhuli, Kavre, Makwanpur, Sarlahi, Panchthar and Mugu have been declared food surplus districts. However, Chitwan, Manang and Kalikot have been put in the list of food deficit districts. Chitwan, one of the major food baskets, has a food deficit of 18,000 tonnes. “Rapid urbanization and out-migration could be the reason for the food deficit in Chitwan,” Dahal said. As per the MoAD’s statistics, 11 districts in the mountains and 21 in the hills were in food deficit last year. The Tarai region’s food reserve has increased to 777,000 tonnes this year from 506,000 tonnes in the last fiscal year. Despite the number of food deficit districts dropping gradually since the last two years, MoAD officials said that rapid urbanization and migration, among other reasons, have put major Tarai districts at risk of food deficit. According to the MoAD, 9.457 million tonnes of food grain were produced in the current fiscal year. Of the total output, 6.377 million tonnes were net edible production. The rest are used as livestock feed and seeds or are lost to damage during the post-harvest season. The country’s annual food requirement is 5.15 million tonnes based on the consumption rate of 190.28 kg per person per year by 27.072 million Nepalis. Overall food grain (rice, maize, wheat, millet, barley and buckwheat) output grew by almost 10 percent in the current fiscal year. As the country is in a comfortable food position, the adequate supply will help control market prices of food grain that will ultimately bring down the country’s increasing inflation,” Dahal said. “As food prices play a major role in determining inflation, a surplus supply will control the market price ultimately benefiting consumers. However, farmers will not get better prices for their produce.” tion : MEDIA GOOGLE “The ministry is not ware of the meetings of the prime minister with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors.” (Unidentified foreign ministry official m Nagarik, 30 May) Nnnn “Why should we be afraid of going to the people? Go there like Prakashji [Narayan Kazi Shrestha who sobbed while saying a constitution was unlikely.) (Chairman Prachanda, Nagarik, 30 May) nnnn. EC PREPARED FOR CA VOTE Kathmandu, 30 May: The Election Commission has started making preparations for the November-22 election to the Constituent Assembly, a day after the government informed the constitutional body about its decision to hold fresh elections, Gani Anari writes in Reoublica.. On Tuesday, the Election Commission wrote to the government that it was committed to holding the election on November 22 and has started homework to prepare an election code of conduct for the political parties and the government. “The EC pledges to hold a free and fair election on the stipulated date of November 22 set by the government,” reads a confidential letter sent by EC Secretary Shankar Prasad Koirala to Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire on Tuesday. Talking to Republica, Election Commissioner Dolakh Bahadur Gurung said they have already responded to the government´s letter. EC officials said they have begun work on drafting an election code of conduct. “The code of conduct for the government will be enforced very soon,” said Gurung, adding, “Once the acting chief commissioner arrives, we will take a decision in this regard.” An EC delegation led by Acting Chief Commissioner Neelkantha Uprety is currently on India visit. An official at EC said the election code of conduct will incorporate the dos and don´ts for the political parties and the government. The electoral body has completed registration of about 10.5 million voters with their photographs and biometrics. Altogether 17.6 million voters were registered during the Constituent Assembly (CA) election in 2008. nnnn ________________________________________ nnnn

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