Final deal on CJ govt near, say parties

Kathmandu, Tuesday, February 19, 2013 (08/11/2069) Nepal Sambat 1133 

Kantipur to do all 

it can to uphold 

democratic norms 

Chairman and Managing Director of Kantipur Publications 

Kailash Sirohiya at the function organised to mark the 

publications’ 20th anniversary on Monday. 

POST REPORT 

KATHMANDU, FEB 18 

MARKING the 20th anniversary 

of Kantipur Publications, 

Chairman and Managing 

Director Kailash Sirohiya on 

Monday said the media group 

will do everything in its power 

to protect the country’s democratic 

norms. 

Speaking at a programme 

on the premises of the 

Publications’ offices in 

Tinkune, Sirohiya 

encouraged journalists 

to continue 

with their 

enterprising 

work, which has 

so far been selflessly 

directed 

towards national 

welfare and the protection 

of democracy. 

“Kantipur aims to serve the 

people and safeguard democracy,” 

he said. “We will never 

compromise on carrying out 

our social responsibility. No 

anti-democracy force can bring 

us down on our knees.” 

Sirohiya rubbished allegations 

that Kantipur is biased and said 

it had always been bringing 

forth issues for the development 

of society and democracy. 

Sirohiya also announced 

that this year’s ‘Kantipur 

Democratic Icon’ award will be 

given away on its next anniversary. 

The award, to be given for 

the first time, will carry a purse 

of Rs 2 million. 

He also pledged to upgrade 

ekantipur.com, the online version 

of the publications. “We 

will soon be launching Android 

and Mac applications for ekan- 

POST REPORT 


PLANS to resume the Sajha 

Yatayat bus service in the 

Capital city have been delayed 

due to bureaucratic hassles. The 

service was supposed to begin under 

a new management in mid-February. 

Newly imported buses are stuck 

at Raxaul in the Nepal-India border 

and undergoing legal procedures 

and documentation. 

Sajha officials confirmed that the 

bus service will begin in the Capital 

as soon as the legal hassles are 

cleared. 

“We will most likely start commuter 

services by mid-March after 

the buses arrive,” manager of the 

Sajha Yatayat Cooperative Mahendra 

Raj Pandey said. 

Sajha has imported 16 ‘sophisticated’ 

buses with automated doors 

for entrance and exit from the Indian 

manufacturer TATA. These 55-seat 

buses will have two CCTV cameras 

tipur.com,” he said. 

Addressing the programme, 

Editor-in-chief of The 

Kathmandu Post Akhilesh 

Upadhyay highlighted the 

growing respect for journalism 

in Nepali society, especially 

among the youth. 

“I have seen respect for 

journalism in today’s younger 

generations,” he said. “Since 

they are the ones who will be 

taking charge of the nation 

in the coming 20 years, 

we can fairly predict 

more professionalism 

in journalism. 

We are heading 

towards the right 

path.” Upadhyay 

also underscored 

the need for a 

secure environment 

for journalists to 

ensure their contributions 

to society and national welfare. 

Stating that issues raised by 

Kantipur often become national 

agendas, Editor of Kantipur 

daily Sudheer Sharma said that 

maintaining the Publications’ 

present status is a challenge. 

“We are undoubtedly the top 

media group,” he said. “But a 

lot needs to be done if we are to 

ensure that these standards 

remain.” 

Editor-in-chief of Nepal 

saptahik Prashant Aryal and 

Editor-in-chief of Saptahik and 

Naari magazines Subash 

Dhakal said they would work 

with more motivation to meet 

the responsibilities that have 

come with the Publications 

entering its 21st year of service. 

(More reports, photos on 

Pages 6&7) 

CAPITAL EDITION PRINTED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN KATHMANDU, BIRATNAGAR, BHARATPUR AND NEPALGUNJ STAND PRICE RS 5.00 

2 DECADES OF ENSURING YOUR 

RIGHT TO RIGHT INFORMATION 

With today’s edition, a special 20-page 

supplement on the occasion of the 20th 

anniversary of Kantipur Publications 

and display screens for advertisements, 

public notices and 

entertainment. 

The cooperative has been outsourcing 

for drivers and conductors 

via the Subidha Sewa Pvt Ltd. 

Pandey said Sajha has been prioritising 

women for these positions. 

“The outsourcing company is 

working under our directives and we 

have encouraged women to apply for 

the positions,” said Pandey. The 

company even re-advertised the 

vacancy notices after receiving only a 

few applications from women. 

NEPAL’S LARGEST SELLING ENGLISH DAILY 

<strong>Final</strong> <strong>deal</strong> on CJ govt near, say parties 

PHANINDRA DAHAL 


FOUR major parties on Tuesday 

officially said they have agreed to 

form an 11-member interim election 

government led by Chief 

Justice Khil Raj Regmi for holding elections 

by early June. 

Tuesday’s cross-party talks held at the 

President’s residence at Sheetal Niwas 

entrusted Prime Minister Baburam 

Bhattarai with the responsibility of holding 

talks with CJ Regmi in this regard. 

A package <strong>deal</strong> will be signed once the 

parties resolve their differences on contentious 

issues, including formation of the 

Truth and Reconciliation Commission 

(TRC), rank determination of former 

Maoist combatants, updating of the voters’ 

list and the distribution of citizenship 

cards. “We have reached an agreement to 

form an election government led by the 

chief justice for conducting elections 

within Jestha,” Nepali Congress negotiator 

Bimalendra Nidhi said. “In order to 

uphold the impartiality of the judiciary, 

the current chief justice will not serve as 

the head of judiciary until he remains the 

executive chief of the country.” 

Leaders have agreed that Regmi 

OP-ED 

would hand over his responsibility to 

Damodar Prasad Sharma before taking up 

the coveted post. There will be 10 members, 

who would be appointed from 

among the retired officials of the special 

class or very special class of the civil service 

and judiciary, serving as ministers in 

the Cabinet. 

Electoral seats should 

be reallocated 

according to latest 

census data 

4 

The interim government will accord 

top priority to elections and running the 

day-to-day administration. However, it 

will not have powers to look into issues of 

long-term importance. The proposed 

package <strong>deal</strong> stipulates that a high-level 

political mechanism comprising party 

leaders would be formed to create an 

Vol XXI No 002 | 12+20 Pages | www.ekantipur.com 

Divided on TRC, ranks for ex-combatants, voters’ list update, citizenship card distribution 

EC prepares 

92-day poll plan 

BHADRA SHARMA 

KATHMANDU, FEB18 

THE Election Commission (EC) has prepared 

a 92-day work plan to hold fresh Constituent 

Assembly elections in early June, as proposed 

by a cross-party taskforce. 

Normally, the time required to hold elections 

is 120 days. However, considering the 

special situation the country is in, the EC has 

adjusted the days to hold polls within the 

scheduled date. 

The action plan, according to an EC official, 

will come into operation once the new 

government clears all constitutional, administrative 

and logistical hurdles, including the 

appointment of commissioners to the EC. 

“The commission is on standby and the action 

plan for polls is on the table,” said EC 

Spokesperson Anil Thakur. 

There are 107 days until June 5, the poll 

date proposed by the taskforce. The major 

political parties—the UCPN (Maoist), 

the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML 

and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi 

Morcha—had formed the taskforce on Sunday 

to iron out differences on government formation 

and polls. 

EC CONTD ON PG 3 

Sajha’s city bus plans delayed 

Sajha buses will operate along 

two routes—Harihar Bhawan- 

Tripureshwor-Ranipokhari- 

Kamalpokhari-Gaushala-Koteshwor- 

Satdobato-Lagankhel (16.5km) and 

Satdobato-Lagankhel-Jawalakhel- 

Tripureshwor-Teku-Kalimati-Kalanki 

(16.4km). 

Both the routes will have twoway 

services. More route licences 

will be acquired once the buses 

arrive in Kathmandu, said 

Pandey. The buses will charge fares 

fixed by the government for public 

transport. 

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC Vice-president Ram 

Chandra Poudel and UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal outside the President’s 

office on Monday. POST PHOTO: PRAKASH TIMILSENA 

SPORTS 

Serena Williams reclaims 

top spot despite her loss 

to Azarenka in Qatar 

Open final 

12 

atmosphere conducive to holding polls, 

recommend matters to the government 

and forge consensus among parties. 

Ruling and opposition parties have 

also agreed that the high-level political 

mechanism would take a call on the next 

roadmap should the Regmi-led government 

fail to accomplish its task. They have 

agreed that President Ram Baran Yadav 

will take steps on the basis of the proposal 

forwarded by the Regmi-led Cabinet after 

recommendation from the high-level 

political mechanism. 

Top leaders of the UCPN (Maoist), 

Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the 

Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha 

agreed on most of the points of the 12point 

proposal submitted by the taskforce 

on Sunday. Though the panel has proposed 

holding elections on June 5, parties 

on Monday agreed that the interim government 

would fix the date before the end 

of Jestha (June 14) after consultations with 

the Election Commission. 

Top leaders have agreed that the next 

CA with 491 members would have a 

tenure of five years. They have also committed 

to take the ownership of issues 

agreed upon by the previous CA. 

PARTIES CONTD ON PG 3

2 

Once we had a great 

flow of water from 

these spouts. Water 

was even going 

to waste. 

But now, due to 

urbanisation, our 

underground water 

connections have 

been destroyed 

RAHUL KARKI 

IREMEMBER the days when 

there used to be ample water 

in our storage tanks. In fact, 

we had enough to use and waste. 

I sometimes contemplate 

whether I will get to ever see that 

again in my lifetime. With the 

onset of the dry season, 

Kathmandu residents begin to 

complain of the government’s 

negligible supply of water to the 

Kathmandu Valley. It is a logical 

to point to the sloppiness of the 

government and the Kathmandu 

Upatyaka Khanepani Limited 

(KUKL) for not supplying adequate 

water despite charging 

regular rates for it. 

We often hear lame excuses 

of reduced water levels in reservoirs 

or leakage in supply pipes. 

We have no option but to believe 

them, pacify ourselves and pay 

extra money to get water from 

private tankers. Melamchi was 

one attempt to provide the Valley 

with adequate water but we 

shouldn’t hold our breaths for it. I 

still remember when late prime 

minister Krishna Prasad 

Bhattarai said that the Valley 

would be flooded with Melamchi 

water. Vicious political interference 

and vested interests 

have made Melamchi a never- 

ending project. So it’s time to 

think whether we have the 

patience to wait for this messy 

project or act on our own to solve 

our water problems. 

Maybe water scarcity is a 

normal problem for big cities 

with burgeoning populations. 

But it should be noted how these 

other cities managed to supply 

enough water to their residents. 

In some instances, technological 

innovation might have been the 

solution, like the desalinisation 

of sea water, but for those without 

proper technology or human 

resources, a different mechanism 

is in practice—the Payment for 

Ecosystem Services (PES). 

Though PES can be defined in 

many ways, in simple terms, it is 

a mechanism to provide incentives 

to people who conserve or 

manage forests or any natural 

resource from the users or beneficiaries 

of those ecosystem services. 

For example, in a watershed, 

upstream communities 

conserve the forests. This has 

many benefits to downstream 

communities, including biodiversity 

conservation, maintenance 

of water flow in rivers, prevention 

of landslides and fresh 

air to breathe. Upstream communities, 

however, carry out 

conservation at the cost of their 

livelihoods by refraining from 

utilising forest products. A 

reward in any form would motivate 

these communities to get 

more involved in conserving 

their surrounding forest areas 

and compensate them for the 

sacrifices they make. A simple 

analogy would be any commodi- 

ty that we buy from the market. 

We pay the shopkeeper for a shirt 

as long as we like its colour, texture 

or fitting. 

Countries like the United 

States, France, India and Brazil 

have PES schemes in place ranging 

in different scales and aimed 

at enhancing ecosystem services 

in certain geographical locations. 

Costa Rica is another country 

that has prioritised PES and 

made it a national programme 

where the government provides 

financial incentives to communities 

managing forests. This 

innovative move has had dual 

KATHMANDU, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 | WWW.EKANTIPUR.COM 

TRIED AND TRUSTED 

SAMIK KHAREL 

TEN years ago, faced with an acute 

water shortage, local residents of 

Chakupat in Patan decided to 

revive their ancient stone spouts with a 

proper water delivery system. 

According to legend, Chakupat’s Alok 

Hiti spout was gifted to locals long ago 

by the god Nagaraj as a token of his 

appreciation. Locals formed a council, 

developed infrastructure, scheduled 

timings and assigned households to 

receive water from this spout for drinking 

and other activities. 

Currently, the Alok Hiti Water 

Distribution service supplies water to 

225 households. Each household is 

provided with around 600 litres a day 

from an assigned point, upon payment 

of Rs 125 a month. The amount collect- 

ed is used to pay the service’s three staff 

members and for regular maintenance. 

The assigned timing to draw water is 

11am to 8pm during the winter season 

and 24 hours during the monsoon and 

the summer. 

According to Chairman of Alok Hiti 

Water Distribution Gyan Chandra 

Shrestha, the service has largely been a 

success. “We have been making a profit 

and we have had no complaints from 

the neighbourhood,” said Shrestha. For 

the neighbourhood, the water supply 

has also brought light to their homes. 

“Due to load shedding, we had invested 

in a generator to pump water. Now, 

we also use the generator to provide a 

small amount of electricity to the community,” 

said Shrestha. Currently, 185 

households receive 26 watt of electricity. 

Power and water services together 

POST PHOTO 

cost Rs 225 a month. With the initiation 

of this facility, the community 

stopped availing of services from the 

Kathmandu Upatyeka Khanipani 

Limited (KUKL) several years ago. “Our 

service is more efficient and we receive 

pure water from our sprouts. The KUKL 

service provided us with rusty brown 

water,” said Shrestha. 

The Alok Hiti Water Distribution 

service has inspired other communities 

to develop their stone water spouts 

that have been lying unused. 

The Taapahiti and Wasahiti spouts 

have been developed with the same 

initiative to provide water to nearby 

households. The water source for all 

these spouts is the Saptapaatal Pokhari 

in Lagankhel. 

However, all is not well with this 

model attempt by a small community. 

The spouts have started drying out, 

with a smaller flow of water due to the 

excessive deep boring by surrounding 

developments. To continue with the 

water distribution, the community has 

had to buy water from other providers. 

“Once we had a great flow of water 

from these spouts. Water was even 

going to waste. But now, due to urbanisation, 

our underground water 

connections have been destroyed,” 

said Shrestha. 

PES SCHEME WILL 

KEEP TAPS RUNNING 

It’s time to think whether we have 

the patience to wait for the 

Melamchi project or act on our 

own to solve our water problems 

benefits—the enhancement of 

ecosystem services and poverty 

reduction. 

Even in Nepal, there are a few 

existing PES initiatives existing at 

various scales in Nepal. Among 

them is the sharing of 30 to 50 

percent of revenue generated by 

national parks with local communities 

residing within and 

around the park. Similarly, the 

channelling of revenue from the 

Kulekhani hydropower plant to 

local upstream communities for 

managing forest areas is another 

well-known example. With all 

these lessons, can’t a PES scheme 

Stone spouts have 

been benefiting local 

people in Patan 

be established to incentivise 

local communities residing on 

the upstream hills and augment 

the flow of water supplied to the 

Kathmandu Valley? 

Just a year-and-a-half ago, 

ForestAction Nepal and the 

International Centre for 

Integrated Mountain Development 

conducted a feasibility 

study at Sundarijal to assess the 

possibility of initiating a PES 

scheme for water services. The 

study concluded that such an 

initiation is very feasible. The 

Sundarijal watershed, which 

holds a third of the share of water 

supply to the Valley, is the only 

area that falls within the 

Shivapuri-Nagarjun National 

Park where local communities 

have been residing for generations. 

In fact, communities have 

been deprived of their full autonomy 

and conservation is being 

carried out at the cost of their 

livelihoods. So if there is a mechanism 

in place encouraging local 

communities, as well as the 

national park, to get involved in 

conservation activities and contribute 

to enhancing the flow of 

water, would the beneficiaries of 

the service (Kathmandu residents) 

be ready to pay 

for it? It wouldn’t be 

irrational to pay for 

conservation that 

would lead to an 

increased supply of 

water to our homes. 

Many people already 

pay extra money for 

water tankers to fill 

up their private reservoirs. 

So if a part of 

this money can be 

channelled to local 

Sundarijal communities 

or even the rest of 

upstream communi- 

POST PHOTO 

PHOTOS: RAHUL KARKI 

ties through the KUKL, it could 

have our taps running. If we are 

paying Rs 5 per unit of water, are 

we ready to pay Rs 2 extra if that 

will improve the supply of water? 

The argument here is that if 

the PES scheme has worked elsewhere, 

it can work in our case as 

well. The only issue is that a 

proper right institution to oversee 

the mechanism has to be in 

place. I am not trying to argue 

that a PES scheme will definitely 

work in our case, but if we really 

benefit and at the same time, 

contribute to the welfare of the 

deprived communities of 

Sundarijal, it would be worth the 

payment. Till date, there is no 

government policy that explicitly 

speaks of PES. But it is not necessary 

policies need to drive action, 

rather policies can be derived 

from action. Therefore, if all 

stakeholders are ready to play 

their role and the government is 

ready to develop supportive policies, 

a PES scheme is not far from 

our vision. So, let us think this 

over and act soon if we want to 

keep our taps running. 

(Karki is a researcher at 

ForestAction Nepal)

THE KATHMANDU POST | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 

Most polls 

were held 

in May, 

November 

EC FROM PG 1 

Historically, except 

for 1979’s national referendum, 

most polls have 

been held in either May 

or November. The two 

months were possibly 

chosen for their fair 

weather patterns, ensuring 

voter turnout. 

However, given the 

recent seasonal changes 

that have delayed the 

monsoon in Nepal, 

late May and early 

June offer fair weather 

conditions. 

“In the last nine 

years, the monsoon started 

in Nepal only after 

June 11,” said former 

Acting Chief Election 

Commissioner Neel 

Kantha Uprety. 

In the absence of 

constitutionallyappointedcommissioners 

at the EC, the government 

secretary has been 

heading the EC for the 

last two months. 

Both the ruling and 

opposition parties have 

agreed to re-appoint 

recently retired acting 

CEC Uprety and commissioners 

Dolakh 

Bahadur Gurung and 

Ayodhee Prasad Yadav. 

Over 10.10 million of 

the 17.6 million total voters 

registered in the 2008 

CA elections, have been 

registered under the new 

digital voter registration 

system. 

DEMO ON 

DEMOCRACY 

DAY 

‘Occupy Baluwatar’ protesters at a rally at Shahid Gate in 

Kathmandu on Monday. As the country marked Democracy 

Day on Monday, blindfolded people from all walks of life held 

burning candles and took out the rally in a symbolic protest, 

searching for democracy. POST PHOTO: DEWAN RAI 

Policeman held on burglary charge 

RAJENDRA MANANDHAR 

DOLAKHA, FEB 18 

A POLICE constable at the Dolakha 

District Police Office has been 

held in connection with the recent 

string of burglaries in the district 

headquarters. 

Police Constable Khemraj Praja, 

who was stationed at the residence 

of the chief district officer, was 

caught with stolen items by a 

police team in civvies on Monday 

morning. Praja’s nephew Sandesh was 

also taken into custody. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police 

(DSP) Om Prasad Adhikari said 

the initial investigation showed that 

Praja was involved in more 

than four counts of burglaries 

that took place in the area in the 

recent time. 

Investigation revealed that during 

off-duty Praja spearheaded a team of 

burglars that went on breaking and 

entering local shops and houses. 

He had been selling off the 

stolen goods in Hetauda through his 

relatives. Following his arrest, 

police raided Praja’s apartment 

IRD seeks source of 

income for investments 

by company directors 

ASHOK THAPA 


THE Inland Revenue 

Department (IRD) has 

directed Inland Revenue 

Offices (IROs) to seek 

sources of income for 

investments made by 

directors in the form of 

loans in a company 

and also determine 

whether taxes had been 

paid for the source of such 

investments. 

After it discovered large 

amounts allocated under 

the ‘loan from directors 

or loan to directors’ heading 

in some companies’ 

balance sheets while conducting 

tax audits, the 

IRD issued a circular 

over a month ago, asking 

the offices under it to 

determine why such funds 

were allocated and to 

recover taxes if they had 

not been paid. 

Further, the IRD has 

directed the offices to 

recover taxes if the amount 

received from the directors 

have not been invested in 

the company. 

Provided that any 

director is found taking 

loans from their company 

and interest has not been 

charged as per the market 

rate, the IRD directed its 

offices to not allow the 

reduction of interest 

expenditure in the balance 

sheet for that amount. 

The private sector, 

however, expressed strong 

Dept has directed 

revenue offices 

to recover taxes 

reservations over the IRD’s 

circular, claiming that the 

move is aimed at taking 

illicit advantage by making 

unnecessary queries about 

income sources. They 

complained that tax officers 

assigned for tax audits 

were also seeking to take 

advantage after the circular 

was issued. 

“If the government 

attempts to know if income 

sources are legitimate or 

not, industrialists will be 

forced to close down their 

businesses,” said an industrialist 

affiliated to the 

Federation of Nepalese 

Chambers of Commerce 

and Industry (FNCCI). 

Enraged with the 

department’s circular, the 

FNCCI, the Confederation 

of Nepalese Industry 

(CNI) and Contractors’ 

Association of Nepal, 

among others, met 

Finance Minister Barsha 

Man Pun on Sunday and 

asked him to take back the 

circular. During the meeting, 

the industrialists said 

that the investment environment 

will further worsen 

if sources of income are 

sought from investments 

made in the productive 

sector. They said that the 

government has not 

sought legitimacy of 

income source investment 

in lavish buildings and 

high-end vehicles but 

those who are investing in 

the productive sector are 

being victimised. 

“If this is the case, it will 

encourage capital flight 

from the country,” a senior 

official at the Finance 

Ministry official quoted an 

industrialist. 

The industrialists said 

that if the government 

wants them to reveal their 

sources, it should first 

introduce a policy of selfdeclaration 

of property, 

and only then impose 

taxes. Though the budget 

for the 2011/12 fiscal year 

had announced the introduction 

of a Property Tax 

Act allowing the self-declaration 

of property, it has 

not been implemented. 

However, Ramsharan 

Pudasaini, deputy director 

general at the IRD, said 

that the circular was only 

meant to check whether 

taxes had been paid on 

loans taken or given by the 

directors as the tendency 

of such give and take has 

increased recently. 

“While making investments 

in the form of loans, 

directors have been found 

to be investing in cash 

while taking loans from the 

company. Loans have also 

been found taken as 

cheque, which is a bit suspicious,” 

said Pudasaini. 

and recovered stolen articles. 

Praja and his gang had recently 

broken into a jewellery shop and 

made off with gold and silver ornaments 

worth around Rs 500,000. 

The same gang is suspected of 

entering the District Administration 

Office and stealing Rs 29,000 

some time ago. 

DSP Adhikari said they are 

looking for the other persons who 

worked with Praja. 

At least three dozen cases of burglary 

were reported at the district 

police in the last three months. 

Insec reports increase in 

cases of rights violation 

POST REPORT 


THE government’s failure to book 

perpetrators has increased cases 

of human rights violations, 

according to a report by the Informal 

Sector Service Centre (Insec), a local 

human rights watchdog. 

The Human Rights Yearbook 2013, 

released in the Capital on Monday, 

shows that 3,521 incidents of human 

rights violations were reported in 2012 

across the country, compared to 3,039 

in 2011. The report shows that unidentified 

armed underground forces in the 

Tarai topped the list of human rights 

violations with 2,351 cases, including 

crimes like abductions, rapes and 

murders. 

Similarly, the ruling UCPN 

(Maoist) was involved in 142 cases, followed 

by the Nepal Congress and 

CPN-UML with 37 and 27 respectively. 

“The government’s failure to enforce 

the rule of law and state protection for 

criminals has promoted impunity in 

the country,” read the report. It also 

showed that politicisation and institutionalisation 

of crime and impunity 

increased in 2012. 

Speaking at the launching programme, 

former Chief Justice Anup 

Raj Sharma said that such double standard 

had given rise to many cases. 

“The political parties claim to be 

human rights defenders when they are 

Nefin calls for 

Assembly rebirth 

POST REPORT 


THE Nepal Federation of 

Indigenous Nationalities 

(Nefin) has objected to four 

major political parties’ move 

to form a non-partisan government 

led by incumbent 

Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi 

to hold fresh Constituent 

Assembly elections in May. 

In a statement on 

Monday, Nefin Chairman 

Rajkumar Lekhi said that the 

formation of a non-partisan 

government with the CJ as its 

head would “defame” 

democracy and slammed 

leaders of the major political 

parties of ignoring obvious 

facts. “Civil rights bestowed 

by the constitution could 

All-party meet today 

PARTIES FROM PG 1 

In talks on Monday, 

Maoist leaders said the 

TRC ordinance should be 

introduced and that 

seniormost ranks to be 

conferred on former PLA 

fighters should be defined 

in the package <strong>deal</strong>. 

The NC and the UML 

have urged the Maoists to 

revise the TRC ordinance 

by incorporating internationally 

accepted principles 

and scrapping the 

provision of blanket 

amnesty. They have suggested 

the Maoist leaders 

not obstruct the formation 

of the government by taking 

a stand on the issue. 

All the four forces are 

closer to consensus on 

providing one month extra 

for updating the voter roll. 

The Morcha has argued 

that elections should be 

held as per the roll prepared 

for the 2008 elections 

if other legal documents, 

apart from the citizenship 

certificate, are not 

considered as the basis for 

updating the voters’ list. 

On Sunday, Tarai 

Madhes Loktantrik Party 

leader Hridayesh Tripathi 

said the name of his party 

chairman Mahantha 

Thakur and many other 

leaders are yet to be 

updated in the voters’ list. 

Madhesi parties had boycotted 

last year’s voter roll 

collection after possession 

of the citizenship card was 

made compulsory. 

The Morcha has asked 

for fresh citizenship distribution 

on the basis of 

birth to those whose parents 

have got citizenship 

by descent before the elections. 

Sources said the 

UML and the Madhesi 

parties are at loggerheads 

on updating the voter roll. 

Parties are discussing giving 

voting rights to those 

who turned 18 years by 

mid-April last year. 

The <strong>deal</strong> also commits 

elections to local bodies by 

December 15. Deputy 

Prime Minister Narayan 

Kaji Shrestha said major 

parties have agreed on the 

fundamental issues of a 

CJ-led government and 

are holding serious talks to 

resolve some outstanding 

disputes. Leaders said 

they will hold another 

round of talks on Tuesday. 

President Yadav has invited 

an all-party meeting at 

3 pm to discuss the <strong>deal</strong>. 

Former Chief Justice Anupraj Sharma (right) and Insec Chairman Subodh 

Pyakurel launch the Human Rights Yearbook on Monday. POST PHOTO 

in the opposition but never deliver on 

their promises once they are in government,” 

said Sharma. 

The Yearbook says the state was 

involved in 746 cases of human rights 

violations in 2012. Of the total 423 

cases of killings, the government was 

involved in 13 cases, unidentified 

groups were responsible for 57 cases 

while UCPN (Maoist) cadres killed two 

and NC cadres one. 

“2012 was the worst year for the 

human rights situation in the six years 

since the peace process began,” said 

Insec Chairperson Subodh Raj 

collapse if the country fails to 

keep the judiciary away from 

politics,” said Lekhi. “An 

independent judiciary is 

essential for a democratic 

state structure.” 

Nefin further said that 

the recent decision of the 

parties was a step towards a 

serious conspiracy. Lekhi 

warned that the political and 

constitutional crisis could 

aggravate if the CJ is made 

the executive head. Nefin 

said that all the present 

problems can be resolved by 

reinstating the erstwhile CA 

and promulgating a new 

constitution through it. It 

also suggested that an allparty 

national political conference 

could be held to 

resolve the issues. 

RSS 

ILAM, FEB 18 

CHAIRMAN of the dissolved 

Constituent 

Assembly (CA) Subas 

Nembang has said that 

forming an election government 

under the leadership 

of sitting chief justice 

is against the spirit of 

Interim Constitution. 

Speaking at a programme 

organised on the 

occasion of the 

Democracy Day at 

Mangalbare in the district 

on Monday, Nembang 

said formation of such 

government would violate 

the democratic 

norms and values. 

He said the condition 

of the nation was worsened 

further after the dissolution 

of the CA. He 

3 

Pyakurel. “The involvement of the 

state in many cases of rights violations 

shows a worrying situation for human 

rights in the country.” 

The Insec report also showed a significant 

increase in violence against 

women with 910 cases of rights violations 

reported in 2012, up from 648 the 

previous year. It revealed that 12 

women were killed for not providing 

adequate dowries while 52 faced violence 

under accusations of practising 

witchcraft. Similarly, 140 women were 

raped. In the past year, 41 senior citizens, 

including 15 women, were killed. 

‘CJ-led govt against 

Interim Constitution’ 

underscored the need to 

find a solution to the 

existing crisis as quickly 

as possible. 

Nembang demanded 

that political parties’ proposal 

to form an election 

government under the 

leadership of Chief Justice 

Khil Raj Regmi should not 

be implemented at any 

circumstances.

4 

EDITORIAL 

Target down 

Govt’s inability to increase capital 

expenditure hurts economic growth 

THE faith Nepal’s youth have in the state of the economy is 

amply demonstrated by the fact that millions have left 

the country in search of employment. Growth statistics in 

recent years show that although the country is not stagnating— 

growth rates of around 3.5 percent are not abysmal—but it is not 

dynamic enough to absorb Nepal’s growing workforce. Two facts 

about the growth rates must be noted. The first is that although 

rates of around 3.5 percent are healthy for an advancing economy, 

for a country starting out with low income and low levels of 

investment, much higher rates are possible. Further, growth statistics 

appear grim when compared to the rates achieved by our 

neighbours to the north and the south—both India and China 

are growing at almost double digit rates. Their growth rates are 

fuelled by high levels of investment from the private sector 

(domestic and foreign capital) as well as government spending. 

That, unfortunately, hasn’t been the case in Nepal. Due to 

the perennial political crisis, the flow of foreign capital has been 

negligible. The private sector, too, has been unable to inject 

investments to lead to any noticeable surge in growth. As in the 

previous years, agriculture has remained the bedrock of Nepali 

economy. In this light, Sunday’s downward revision of the target 

growth rate by the Ministry of Finance comes as no surprise. The 

Ministry revised the target rate from 5.1 percent to 4.1 percent. 

The revision puts the government’s target rate closer to what 

was predicted recently by the International Monetary Fund. 

It is also worth noting the reasons the IMF gave for its projected 

growth rate of 3.8 percent. It predicted that the Nepali 

economy will underperform primarily due to three factors— 

bad weather, low capital expenditure and the slowing Indian 

economy. Of the three, how the Indian economy performs is 

completely out of Nepal’s control. But the two other reasons 

need more scrutiny. Nepal’s weather dependent agriculture 

means that growth rates are undoubtedly affected by rainfall 

patterns. More needs to be done to mitigate the dependency of 

agriculture on the gods of rain by, for example, investing in 

wide-scale irrigation projects. The economy, and the farmers, 

will also benefit tremendously if fertilisers and other input necessary 

for agriculture were available on time. Furthermore, 

investing in agricultural education and modern farming practices, 

in addition to the identification and cultivation of cash 

crops suited to Nepali soil, can boost agricultural production 

significantly. However, increasing the Nepal government’s 

capacity to spend capital expenditure will have a much greater 

impact. Already in the third quarter, total capital spending is 

only 15 percent (Rs 7.66 billion) of the total allocated amount. In 

a country that is crying out for investment and employment creation, 

this kind of gross ineffectiveness contributes significantly 

to stifling the economy’s potential. For this, of course, a timely 

budget is necessary. There is absolutely no economic sense in 

preventing the government’s capital expenditure (no matter 

whether it is run by the Nepali Congress, the Maoists or some 

other party) and simultaneously blaming the government for its 

inability to spur growth through investments. 

DEMOCRACY is a chorus that works well 

only when all sing together. Ironically, 

Nepali political parties keep humming 

completely different tunes, often opposite at 

times. Even eight months after the first call for 

a fresh election, the major parties are still grappling 

with the issue of an election government. 

RAJJU MALLA-DHAKAL 

Notwithstanding the general people’s yearning 

for a stable democracy and development, the 

dominant parties continue to waste time on 

political opportunism and attempting to outsmarting 

each other. Democracy is a political 

system of competition for power and 

political parties are vital organisations in a 

democracy. However, such is the level of trust 

among our political parties that they agreed on 

an “apolitical” election government rather than 

let another head it. 

In a democracy people are sovereign—they 

are the highest form of political authority and 

can change decisions in the national interest. 

However, as usual, our leaders continue to 

confuse people with ever-changing arbitrary 

proposals about who should head the election 

government without trying to understand what 

the people want. The problem is not only the 

highly centralised political decision-making 

VOICE OF THE PEOPLE 

Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd., Kantipur Complex, Subidhanagar P. B. No. 8559, Kathmandu; Nepal 

Phone: 4480100, Fax: 977-1-4466320, e-mail: kpost@kantipur.com.np 

INCLUSION 

ILLUSION 

KAMAL Dev Bhattarai’s article 

(“The illusion of inclusion,” Page 6, 

Feb 16) was an eye-opener. In a 

country where the women account 

for more than 51 percent of the 

THE recently released census 

report 2011 has great bearing on 

the planned election to the second 

Constituent Assembly (CA). The 

census revealed a lot of changes in the 

distribution of population by districts in 

TEJ PRASAD ADHIKARI 

but also the faulty understanding that politicians 

are elected to make decisions for people. 

Electing someone does not relinquish all 

power. Democracy is about the people’s choices 

and the government is expected to be based 

on the consent of the governed, the people. 

One can argue that the latest rushed political 

negotiations are indicative of politicians 

realising the risk of the people’s wrath if elections 

are perceived to have been delayed deliberately. 

Some political actors seem ready to 

compromise on who heads the proposed “apolitical” 

government to give way for election 

even if the proposal does not uphold the principle 

of democracy. Surely this is a matter for a 

separate debate. Experience shows that in the 

contemporary world, the end rarely justify the 

means. Having said that, the second CA election 

seems imminent if the stalemate over government 

formation is resolved. 

The demise of the CA, which was also the 

legislative-parliament, created many constitutional 

vacuums for conducting CA elections 

the second time around. Amending the 

Interim Constitution is imperative to the 

Election Commission, even if the parties reach 

consensus on who will head the election government. 

Naturally the amendment would 

demand a higher level of understanding 

among the parties, something that is currently 

missing. Moreover, there is no Parliament to 

act as the constitutional authority to approve 

the amendment. Hence, the temporary revival 

of the legislative parliament is a likely option. 

It must be noted that conducting second 

CA election would also require a series of legal 

the last 10 years. Annual population 

growth rates varied from a negative 

growth rate of minus 3.83 percent in 

Manang to a whopping 4.78 percent in 

Kathmandu. 

If population growth rates had been 

the same in all districts, it would not be 

a big problem allocating electoral seats 

as the number of constituencies would 

remain constant at 240 for the first-pastthe-post 

system. However, the population 

of the districts has changed massively 

due to the different rates of population 

growth. This means that the constituencies 

allocated for 2008’s CA elections, 

which were based on the 2001 

census, are not valid anymore. 

After the failure of the CA to write a 

constitution, there is consensus that a 

second CA election has to be conducted 

as soon as possible. The proposed date 

is May 2013 although it is technically 

less likely. Meanwhile, a debate on 

reducing the number of CA seats is 

ongoing. If this happens, a new delineation 

of constituencies will need to be 

done. However, the number of seats for 

the first-past-the-post system is less 

likely to decrease in the context of 

increasing populations and a strong 

demand for inclusiveness. 

At this juncture, can the Election 

Commission conduct an election without 

changing the number of seats allocated 

for the first CA election? Will it not 

be a violation of the Interim 

Constitution if it maintains the same 

number of constituencies for all the districts 

as during the first CA election? Out 

of the 14 districts with three constituency 

seats each in the last CA election, only 

five districts have a population greater 

than Bhaktapur, which had two constituency 

seats. Can the Election 

Commission, based on the current 

Interim Constitution, hold polls without 

first increasing the number of seats for 

Bhaktapur? Similarly, out of the six districts 

with four seats each, only two— 

Kaski and Banke—have a population 

greater than that of Lalitpur which had 

three seats. 

Interestingly, this kind of disparity is 

seen in districts represented by senior 

leaders, including the President, 

prime minister, deputy prime minister 

and ex-prime ministers. The districts 

with a disproportionately higher 

number of constituencies will be reluctant 

to part with their extra electoral 

seats. And the leaders of the districts will 

obviously lobby hard to keep the number 

of existing seats. 

In this context, I would like to point 

out some major changes that need to be 

done in the allocation of seats based on 

the current population. The calculation 

has been done taking into consideration 

constitutional provisions and the 

method used to allocate seats during the 

last CA election. However, there are five 

different methods applied to calculate 

proportional allocation in different 

countries. 

Besides the districts in the 

Kathmandu Valley, all of which had a 

population growth rate higher than the 

national average of 1.35 percent per 

annum (Kathmandu 4.78 percent, 

Lalitpur 3.26 percent and Bhaktapur 

3.01 percent), the other districts which 

will potentially gain constituencies are 

from the Tarai. The losers are two from 

the mountainous region and nine from 

the hill region. 

Meanwhile, the issue of apportionment 

has started. There were some flaws 

in the allocation of seats during the first 

CA election and the redistricting 

process. During that period, the number 

of electoral seats increased so there was 

not much debate on the issue. However, 

this time, some districts will be losing 

seats and they will not be happy. 


Preparations for CA elections 

It will be unfair if electoral seats are not reallocated according to latest census data 

Given the change in 

district populations in 

the last 10 years, 

constitutencies 

allocated for 2008’s 

CA elections on the 

basis of the 2001 

census, are not valid 

anymore 

Whither elections 

changes. Such changes would naturally be 

time consuming and highly challenging to 

negotiate. Additionally, they would also 

demand technical and management preparations 

crucial for conducting credible and legitimate 

elections. However, with the retirement 

of the last two remaining commissioners in 

January, the Election Commission is bereft of 

leadership. Elections in a democracy cannot be 

imagined without election commissioners but 

the appointment of new commissioners would 

also require constitutional amendment. On 

their last day in office, the two last commissioners 

gave a clarion call, stressing the 

urgency of clearing legal hurdles and appoint- 

Similarly, districts with high population 

growth rates will try to get more seats, 

which is their right too. Hence, the 

debate on apportionment will intensify 

in the days to come. And once the seats 

are allocated, there will be another serious 

issue of redrawing the borders of the 

constituencies where gerrymandering is 

greatly practiced. This dispute will not 

only delay the election date but will also 

create trouble in political discourse if 

not systematically and logically settled. 

Nepal is on the verge of a transition. 

And so the issue of restructuring and 

apportionment will be more vital in the 

future. Population distribution and representation 

in the state will be an important 

area of enquiry and a subject for 

discussion in the days to come. A very 

simple but pertinent question is, “What 

will be the number of parliamentary 

members in future Nepal?” Do we 

increase the number of seats in 

Parliament with an increase in population? 

To bring these issues into demopolitical 

discourse for effective restruc- 

Parties are underestimating the time required for political negotiations and technical preparations 

total population, their representation 

in political parties is 

disheartening, disconcerting and 

disappointing. This also 

demonstrates the discrepancy 

between leaders’ speech and 

actions. Until the prejudiced 

policies of the state and the political 

parties are dismantled, the 

patriarchal mindsets of families, 

institutions and the government 

will not be disrupted. Without the 

reasonable representation of 

women in different structures, 

the dream of a fair and equitable 

society becomes merely an 

illusion. 

Sharada Lamsal (Ghimire) 

Tribhuvan University 

HAND THAT FEEDS 

THE cold-blooded murder of a 

couple who ran a grocery store in 

Kantipath was worse than the old 

POST PHOTO 

adage of biting that feeds 

you (“Teenage boy behind 

couple’s murder: cops,” Page 4, Feb 

16). This is just one of the 

many such homicides that seem to 

be on the rise in the Valley. It 

seems one cannot even trust close 

relatives and acquaintances 

these days. The motive behind 

these incidents is more or less the 

same—greed. Denizens as well as 

security forces need to be extra 

cautious to avoid such incidents in 

the days to come. 

Baba Hajoor 

The Kathmandu Post online 

DISTRICTS WHICH GAIN 

Name Existing constituency Potential change 

Kathmandu 10 15 

Rupandehi 7 8 

Sunsari, Sarlahi, Kailali 6x3 7x3 

Lalitpur 3 4 

Bhaktapur 2 3 

Total 40 51 

DISTRICTS WHICH LOSE 

Name Existing seats Potential change 

Kavrepalanchok 4 3 

Gulmi, Nuwakot, Gorkha, Baglung, Palpa 3x5 2x5 

Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, 

Parbat, Okhaldhunga, Taplejung 2x5 1x5 

Total 29 18 

ing commissioners if polls are to happen as 

announced. 

The independence and capacity of the 

Election Commission are keys to the legitimacy 

of the election outcome, more so in the present 

politically polarised context. The only way to 

ensure this is by appointing a team of technically 

capable and politically independent individuals 

that will also project a balanced image 

in terms of ethnicity and gender. These traits 

are important among the new commissioners 

not only to build credibility and trust with 

political actors but also to project political 

commitment to social justice and enhance the 

legitimacy of the team and hence, the Election 

Commission of Nepal (ECN). 

The ECN is an independent constitutional 

entity; however, it depends on the state for 

resources, both financial and human. 

Therefore, advance preparations—planning 

and budgeting, as well as mobilising the state 

machinery including the security agencies— 

are crucial for credible and legitimate elections. 

Given the fact that the ECN has initiated 

many reforms and introduced new technology 

over the last few years, orientation and training 

of polling staff drawn from various government 

agencies is crucial while continuing the reform 

process within the ECN. Likewise, planning 

and orientation of security actors is equally 

important to maximise the ECN’s capacity to 

conduct free and fair election. 

The current frenetic political exercise 

aimed at April/May 2013 elections is ambitious 

both in terms of time required for political 

negotiations and technical preparations. 

GALTUNG 

A VERY realistic view from Prof 

Johan Galtung, except for his 

understanding of the ethnic setup 

(“Nepal is turning into a technocracy,” 

Page 6, Feb 18). What he was 

not able to expound is that there 

are oppressed and oppressors in 

every ethnic community; it is not 

one particular caste or group targeting 

others. It is the privileged 

from all groups exploiting the uneducated 

and the backward, irrespective 

of caste or creed. The 

biggest irony is that the oppressors 

POST PHOTO 

turing of Nepal, constant academic 

debates and media campaigning are 

necessary. With the increasing maturity 

of democracy, the extension of suffrage 

and the rise of political parties, legislative 

apportionment has become a complex 

problem, particularly with the issue 

of identity politics. 

The state invested a lot of money to 

acquire knowledge, particularly about 

the electoral process, before the first CA 

election. Many voices have been heard 

for inclusion, but no substantive ideas 

have been shared in academia for 

apportionment, which can be a major 

aspect of political inclusion. Inequality 

exists if a vote has different values in two 

different districts even in a functional 

democracy. No debate took place about 

the number of CA members except for 

remarks raised in newspapers that there 

were too many. <strong>Final</strong>ly, a specific system 

has to be developed for proportional 

allocation of seats after rigorous discussion 

among scholars, academics, policy 

makers, politicians and law makers. 

If the history of our political parties is 

anything to go by, there is reason to 

doubt the possibility of elections in a few 

months’ time. In case they succeed to beat the 

time, it begs the question: what will be compromised? 

Hopefully, it will not be the quality 

of the elections. 

It must be noted that the current political 

negotiations are focussed more on “who 

heads” the election government with little 

emphasis on the composition of the team. 

Needless to say, the team composition in terms 

of qualifications and representativeness, 

including both gender and ethnicity, is crucial 

to the credibility of the election government. It 

will be unfortunate if the team is selected by 

political “bagbanda” and the neutral professionals 

carried the political agenda to the “apolitical” 

government. In such a case, the fate of 

election government is likely to be similar to 

that of the famous State Restructuring 

Commission. 

Political leaders have always sought to 

wield total control over people. Therefore, if 

the decisions of the team are hashed out by a 

few top leaders of political parties, the selection 

of competent and inclusive candidates, 

particularly women and Dalits, is unlikely. 

Something is definitely wrong with our democracy 

where powerful politicians get away with 

highhandedness that often hurts the very people 

whose interest they claim to represent. It is 

perhaps indicative of the existing disconnect 

between the political establishment and the 

people and begs the question: where is our 

democracy headed? 

of yester-years are shouting slogans 

against oppression, like those who 

exploited the poor and marginalised 

during the Panchayat years. 

The rules may have changed but 

the players and the game remains 

the same. 

Nepali 

The Kathmandu Post online 

————— 

WE accept Tibetan, Chinese, 

English and Bollywood culture but 

not Limbu, Tharu, Madhesi and 

others. How easily Prof Galtung 

pointed out the problematic areas. 

Rajesh, Kathmandu


GUEST COLUMN 

Don’t romanticise the macabre 

Harish Salve 

AT last the deed is done. A terrorist convicted 

by the Supreme Court for the 

attack on the sanctum sanctorum of 

Indian democracy, and sentenced to death, 

has been executed. 

Unsurprisingly, protests from his sympathisers 

about violation of human rights have 

been voiced once again. To these, the 

response lies in the words of the Supreme 

Court when it described the incident 

as ‘macabre’, in which five heavily armed 

persons killed nine persons and injured 

16 others in a gun battle. In the language 

of studied moderation, these lives were no 

less valuable. 

His sympathisers have a view about the 

Indian state and the legitimacy of Kashmir 

being a part of India—a perception fortunately 

most of us do not share. Civil disagreement 

ends here. If any group chooses to 

resort to violence, the response of our forces 

must be retaliatory, not reconciliatory. 

The human rights of those under investigation 

and trial, as well as those convicted, 

must undoubtedly be respected. But those 

caught red-handed in acts of violence (the 

Kasab variety) or those who have been investigated, 

tried and convicted by a judicial system 

in which we have faith do not have an 

indefeasible right to tenderness. 

It is unfortunate that Afzal Guru’s execution 

is being romanticised by stories of his 

family’s anguish. Let us shed a tear for the 

valiant who died that day for the Tiranga. 

The criticism of his conviction, if tested 

on undisputed facts rather than hyperbole, 

does not bear scrutiny. The incident is of 

2001. The trial took its tortuous course— 

charges were framed in June 2002; the verdict 

of the trial court given in December 2002; and 

the last word of the Supreme Court was in 

2005. There was sufficient time to articulate a 

defence, if there was one. 

The judgment of the Supreme Court 

notes the facts: 

Afzal Guru was provided a lawyer who 

appeared for him and was present when 

charges were framed. She rightly accepted 

that there was sufficient material to frame 

charges—criticism of her performance was 

rejected by the Supreme Court. When this 

lawyer took a discharge, another was 

appointed, who cross-examined witnesses. 

Afzal Guru also participated in the trial and 

cross-examined some witnesses himself. 

It is true that Afzal Guru wanted a senior 

advocate from the state’s list of four, but they 

were unwilling to appear for him. The very 

first contention urged by his eminent senior 

counsel appearing in the Supreme Court was 

that Afzal Guru was denied proper legal aid. 

This contention was examined at length and 

rejected by the Supreme Court. 

The judgment also records how investigators 

came upon Afzal Guru (Geelani named 

him), his role, the evidence against him, and 

after an exhaustive analysis, upheld the verdict 

of guilty as well as the sentence—the case 

was clearly in the genre of rarest of rare cases. 

Human rights of the accused guarantee a 

fair trial by the judicial system—no less but 

no more. This matter was examined at length, 

and it was decided against Afzal Guru. That is 

where this issue must lie. 

It is a misconception that a convict dissatisfied 

with the apex court verdict can ‘appeal’ 

to the President of India. The only remedy 

against a judgment that is tainted by an error 

apparent on the face of the record is by way of 

a review petition-heard by the same judges 

(unless they have retired). Asking for a review 

is, in the words of V.R. Krishna Iyer, “asking for 

LEISURE 

the moon.” The Supreme Court judgment is 

not final because it is right—it is right 

because it is final. 

A petition for Presidential Pardon under 

Article 72 (or of the Governor’s Pardon under 

Article 161) is not an appeal. As the Supreme 

Court reiterated recently, “The powers of a 

court of law in a criminal trial and subsequent 

appeal right up to this Court and that 

of the President/Governor under Articles 

72/161 operate in totally different arenas. The 

Governor, by pronouncing upon the innocence 

of the accused, has therefore, exceeded 

the permissible constitutional limits under 

Article 161 of the Constitution.” 

The President has done well by putting 

this matter to rest. The Government (which 

really decides these matters) must explain the 

delay since 2005 rather than 2013. It is hard to 

fathom what larger national interest slowed 

the process. 

The manner of the execution appears to 

be a sensible move. Prior information may 

have resulted in innocent deaths in the Valley. 

Human rights of Afzal Guru’s relatives (and 

even his) cannot be viewed in vacuo and as 

transcending the need to preserve public 

order. We need to remind ourselves why he 

was convicted, and of the portents of the 

movement of which he chose to be a part. We 

cannot afford to be terrorised by threats of the 

impact in the Valley by the imposition of 

sanction on those who indulge in violence. 

A news report says President Obama had 

decided to “rain hell” on Pakistan had they 

interfered with the attempts of his Navy Seals 

in <strong>deal</strong>ing with Osama bin Laden. With such 

resolve, it is no surprise that the US has prevented 

a repeat of 9/11. Will we ever display 

this resolve of steel? 

IMAGINE Downtown Abbey meets 

Oscar Wilde. Now read Daughter of 

Empire: Life as a Mountbatten by 

Pamela Hicks, one of the most intimate 

accounts of turbulent domestic 

life in the shadow of world-altering 

events. If you’re one of those who will 

read this book only to answer the 

burning question—what sort of relationship 

did Jawaharlal Nehru have 

with Edwina Mountbatten—then you 

will be disappointed. Hicks, Edwina’s 

daughter, tells us everything was 

above board. But if you want juicy 

details of one of the most open marriages 

in 20th century England, then 

look no further. Two beautiful people, 

many continents, World War II, lots of 

distractions, and even more namedropping 

(“I was surprised to learn 

that my cousin Lilibet and her sister 

Margaret Rose would actually have to 

live in Buckingham Palace and that, 

eventually, Lilibet would be Queen”). 

What’s not to love? 

Salve is a senior Supreme Court lawyer 

The vice royals 

Kaveree Bamzai 

Grace Kelly had a photograph of 

Dickie, as Lord Mountbatten was 

known, before she met Prince Rainier 

of Monaco. Edwina mingled effortlessly 

with Hollywood royalty—Charlie 

Chaplin made a silent movie with the 

couple, she danced the charleston 

with Fred Astaire, while Noel Coward 

would write crazy ditties. But the couple’s 

real talent was in finding other 

people to love, Bunny or Lieutenant 

Colonel Harold Philips of the 

Coldstream Guards for her, and Yola 

Letellier, immortalised in Colette’s 

novel, Gigi, for him. Yet growing up, 

Pamela and her sister Patricia had an 

impossibly idyllic existence, though 

largely denied their mother’s long 

term attention or affection. A bear, a 

lion cub, chameleons, and several 

horses made up for it. 

The war transformed Edwina, giving 

her a purpose in life, and made 

Dickie a war hero. We get a ringside 

view of the chaos of wartime England 

with much casual talk about ‘Willie’ 

(the Kaiser) and ‘Cousin Philipâ’ 

HOME 

Break new ground 

Fameed Khalique 

FLOORS are to the home what skin is to 

the body; the largest organ, the foundation 

of it all, the game changer. After 

being overlooked for years, floors are seeing 

a renaissance of sorts and there is a 

renewed desire of late to incorporate natural 

flooring materials. Old-school 

options like marble, metal and wood, are 

being reinterpreted in a fresh contemporary 

way with contrasting textures and 

intricate inlays. For example, antique 

woods are inlaid with steel, stone and 

slate to form detailed handcrafted 

designs that exalt both the union of materials 

and their individual attributes. These 

combinations are breathtaking and 

unusual, and the fact that only a handful 

Floors will come out of 

their shell to outshine 

other elements of 

decor this year 

of craftsmen can execute them, make 

these creations equally rare. At Fameed 

Khalique, we aim to push boundaries by 

exploring the full potential of specialist 

materials and we are taking the trend for 

mixing materials further by enhancing 

marble with inlaid semi-precious stones 

such as pyrite and jade. 

Inlaying semi-precious stones is 

proving extremely popular and creates an 

understated look for a rather opulent and 

resplendent material. Pyrite is hugely 

popular and is effective in achieving the 

(Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth’s husband). 

But the book comes alive when 

it travels to the jewel in the crown, 

India, in 1946. Unlike his predecessors, 

as Viceroy, Mountbatten was expected 

to dismantle the empire, not uphold it. 

Hicks outdoes her breathless self in 

recounting the series of personages 

who would troop into Viceroy House 

(Rashtrapati Bhavan now to you and 

me). There’s a frail Mahatma Gandhi 

putting his hand on Edwina’s shoulder 

to steady himself and carrying with 

him his breakfast of goat’s curd. 

There’s Nehru, with his “beautiful 

speaking voice and impeccable dress,” 

who is happy to demonstrate how he 

solves the nation’s problems every 

morning (by standing on his head in 

his famous yogi pose). And there’s 

Mohammed Ali Jinnah, whom her 

parents try very hard to impress, and 

fail spectacularly. 

There’s something to be said about 

English sang-froid though. Whether it 

is the joy of independence with Nehru 

holding her, ‘Pammy’, aloft above surg- 

look of antique mirror; it softens the look 

whilst creating a sumptuous finish. In 

contrast, we are also seeing a growth in 

demand for traditional flooring such as 

French-oak herringbone but on a lavish 

oversize scale. Increasingly, consumers 

are realising that investing in a quality 

wooden floor can last a lifetime and also 

add considerable value to property. 

Despite there being many predictions 

about the ‘hot colours’ of 2013, I believe 

colour is a very personal choice. It is the 

most powerful tool for creating a definitive 

mood within a room and even the 

decision about a certain tone can completely 

change the atmosphere within a 

space. 

The colour of flooring ultimately 

comes down to your individual style and 

the statement you wish to make. Yet in 

general, wood in rich dark colours is certainly 

popular and effectively adds 

colour, depth and warmth to a space. We 

are excited about the eco-friendly principle 

of using 100 percent recycled aluminium 

tiles emerging within the flooring 

industry. As well as being a fully sustainable 

option, recycled metal tiles add a 

versatile and textural design element to 

kitchen or bathroom floors. The metal 

tiles can be used indoors or outdoors 

including wet areas and also help to 

achieve balance in a kitchen when wood 

is used extensively within the design. 

Tiles can be designed to be trendy or 

sophisticated and elegant depending on 

taste and therefore work within a range of 

design schemes, from urban penthouse 

apartments to country kitchens by 

appealing to our textural and visual senses. 

The writer is a UK-based curator and supplier of 

luxury surfaces and finishes 

5 

ing crowds or the horror of Partition, 

Hicks manages to write about both in 

the same tone as she recounts meetings 

with Jai and Ayesha (that’s the 

Maharaja and Maharani of Jaipur). 

The only time she grows somewhat 

sombre is when she recounts the relationship 

between her mother and 

Nehru. We learn from her that a short 

break at the Retreat in the Himalayas 

causes a “profound connection” to 

develop between them but it is not 

“sexual” in nature. 

Nothing quite equals the heady 

days of India in the book, though 

Hicks does become Lady in Waiting to 

the Queen and marries designer David 

Hicks. The book ends with her mother’s 

death at 58 from a stroke, with two 

poignant scenes. Her father, wearing 

his uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet, 

tears streaming down his face as he 

supervises Edwina’s burial. And a 

respectful distance away from the 

HMS Wakeful, the Indian frigate INS 

Trishul, scattering marigolds upon the 

waves, upon instructions from Nehru.

Chairman and Managing Director of Kantipur Publications Kailash Sirohiya 

(right) welcomes Chief Secretary and Chief Guest of the Third Hero Kantipur 

Half Marathon, Lilamani Paudel. 

20TH ANNIVERSA 

KATHMANDU, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 20 

EMPLOYEES 

AWARDED 

POST REPORT 


KANTIPUR Publications 

on Monday 

awarded over two 

dozen mediapersons and 

employees working for its 

publications—The 

Kathmandu Post, Kantipur, 

Nepal and Saptahik and 

Naari—for their outstanding 

contributions. 

The Kathmandu Post’s 

Rachana Chhetri was also 

awarded for securing the 

highest marks in journalism 

at the Tribhuvan 

University Bachelors 

level examinations. The 

Publications also honoured 

21 journalists and other 

staff who completed 20 

years of service since the 

establishment of the 

media house. 

Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post Akhilesh Upadhyay (left) and Editor-in-Chief of Kantipur daily Sudheer 

Sharma address Kantipur Publications’ 20th anniversary functions at the publications’ office premises in Tinkune, 

Kathmandu. 

LIST OF AWARDEES 

BEST PERFORMERS 

Sub-Editor Bhadra Sharma, The Kathmandu Post 

Sub-Editor Lokmani Rai, Kantipur 

Executive Jina Napit, Administration 

Prakash Adhikari, Dailekh correspondent 

Sub-Editor Jharana Naharki, Naari/Saptahik 

Sub-Editor Janak Raj Sapkota, Nepal Weekly 

Jr Asst Paresh Jogi, Layout/Design 

Sr Asst Aakriti Bajracharya Pachhai, Finance 

Sr Assistant Gyanendra Maharjan, IT 

Assistant Unit Attender Binod Subedi, Press 

Sr Dispatcher Sadhu Ram Choudhary, Circulation 

Delivery Boy Deep Bahadur Khatri, Circulation 

CONSOLATION PRIZE 

Reporter Manisha Neupane, The Kathmandu Post 

Sub-Editor Pratima Banskota, Kantipur 

Madhav Aryal, Palpa correspondent 

Sub-Editor Mahesh Pradhan, Photography 

Delivery Boy Bishwonath Rai, Circulation, Bharatpur 

Executive Ravi KC, Marketing 

Driver Pema Dorjee Tamang, Administration 

Guard Bishnu Kumar Gurung, Security 

HONOURS FOR 20 YEARS OF SERVICE 

Legal Advisor Ram Krishna Nirala 

Sr Asst Editor Hari Bahadur Thapa, Kantipur 

Executive Himal Shrestha, The Kathmandu Post 

Asst Sr Sub-Editor Gopal Tiwari, Kantipur 

Asst Sr Executive, Proof, Keshav Humagain, Saptahik 

Sr Executive, Proof, Ram Kumar Ghimire, Kantipur 

Executive, Proof, Lokprakash Pandit, Kantipur 

Librarian Timila Shilpakar 

Sr Executive Ujjwal Singh Thakuri, Administration 

Executive Saraswoti Tuladhar, Administration 

Jr Executive Balaram Thapa, Administration 

Executive, computer, Hari Narayan Yadav 

Executive, computer, Ramananda Chaudhary 

Executive, computer, Durga Bahadur Paudyal 

Executive, computer, Samat Lal Choudhary 

Sr Executive Briden Subba, IT 

Manager, circulation, Govinda Man Shrestha 

Sr Dispatcher Bekhadhwoj Joshi, Circulation 

Asst Senior Executive Nirupa Parajuli, Marketing 

Jr Asst Siya Ram Patel, Press, Bharatpur 

POST PHOTOS: Narendra Shrestha,Kiran Panday, Kaushal Adhikari,Laxmi Ngakhusi, M

ARY CELEBRATIONSVIGNETTES 

UARY 19, 2013 | WWW.EKANTIPUR.COM 

Ngakhusi, Mahesh Pradhan, Nawaraj Wagle, Jitendra Raj Bajracharya & Shruti Shrestha 

Baniya, Koju win half marathon 

POST REPORT 


KALYAN Baniya of Nepal Army and 

Kanchhi Maya Koju of Armed Police 

Force bagged Third Hero Kantipur Half 

Marathon on Monday. Baniya clocked 

the distance of 21.1km in 1 hour, 25 seconds 

while Koju completed the distance 

in 1 hour, 25 minutes and 46 seconds 

and pocketed a cash prize of Rs 

50,000 each. 

Army sprinters who had missed the 

Sixth National Games after Tribhuvan 

Army Club had pulled out of the games 

made merry of the platform they 

received on Monday sweeping the 

top six spots. 

Krishna Basnet and Letter Singh 

Khatri stood second and third while 

Hari Rimal, Raj Kumar Khatri and Hom 

Lal Shrestha finished the race in third, 

fourth, fifth and sixth positions, respectively, 

in the event organised to mark 

the 20th anniversary of the Kantipur 

Publications. 

“This is a big achievement,” said 25year-old 

Baniya, who got into athletics 

after joining the Army four years ago. 

“This is the best result I have achieved 

so far in my career.” 

In the women’s category, Koju, who 

had triumphed in the first edition, 

clinched her second trophy swapping 

the top spot with defending champion 

Brinda Shrestha. The runners-up and 

second runners-up in both the categories 

were awarded with a cash prize 

of Rs 30,000 and 20,000, respectively. 

“I am jubilant,” said Koju, a native 

of Bhaktapur. “My success at the 

Kantipur Marathon continued today as 

well.” APF dominated in the women’s 

category with the departmental ladies 

capturing the top three positions. 

Krishneshwori Sintakala, Gita Khatri, 

Sonu Jayarai and Sarita Masi got hold of 

the third, fourth, fifth and sixth positions, 

respectively. 

In wheelchair, the category dedicated 

to the differently abled, Krishna 

Chaudhary made hat-trick after completing 

the 5km distance in 12 minutes 

and 34 seconds. Bharat Adhikari and 

Teju Dhati Magar finished the race in 

second and third positions. 

Sonika Dhakal won the women’s 

category with the timing of 17 minute 

29 seconds while Yami Jhankri Magar 

and Laxmi Khatri won second 

and third positions, respectively. The 

winners in both the categories 

pocketed a cash prize of Rs 10,000 each. 

There were 20 participants in the wheel 

chair category. 

Similarly, in the corporate and 

media category, Laxmi Kafle won the 

race with 16 minutes 12 seconds fol- 

lowed by Hareram Nepal and Dharma 

Maharjan. Likewise, Hume Budamagar 

won the women’s title with 20 minutes 

17 seconds followed by Sumitra Koju 

and Maya Syangtan. Kafle and 

Budamagar received a cash prize of Rs 

10,000 each. The marathon was inaugurated 

by Chief Secretary Lilamani 

Poudel on the Kantipur premises. 

A total of 812 athletes including 

men and women participated in the 

half marathon on Monday. 

In the in-house sports festival, the 

duo of Briden Subba and Gynendra 

Maharjan overcame the pair of Shishir 

Pachhai and Kumar Neupane to lift the 

men’s doubles badminton event. The 

twosome of Sushil Kumar Rawal and 

Suresh Neupane came third. 

In the women’s category, the couple 

of Aakriti Bajracharya Pachhai and 

Subhikchhya Adhikari Bhandari prevailed. 

Likewise, the duo of Subhekchya 

KC Karki and Kamana Basnyat and the 

pair of Anjali Ligal Pradhananga and 

Nitu Chhetri finished as runners-up 

and second runners-up. 

In table tennis, the twosome of 

Anurup Shrestha and Amar Pradhan 

won the trophy while the pair of Sushil 

Kumar Rawal and Mukund Bogati and 

the couple of Upendra Karmacharya 

and Rabi KC were second and third, 

respectively. 

AWARD WINNERS 

From top: Bhadra Sharma, Manisha 

Neupane, Rachana Chhetri, Himal 

Shrestha, Jina Napit and Mahesh 

Pradhan receiving their awards.

8 

Fashion party at the 

International Club 

OMG Theme Events and Navyaata 

magazine are organising the third 

Navyaata Fashion Party. The programme 

will feature designer clothing by Tenzin 

Tseten Bhutia, Bina Ghale, Odhni and DS 

collection. The party will take place at 

International Club, Sanepa, on February 

22. Ticket price is 700. 

MANISHA NEUPANE 


THEATRE group Ranga Sarathi is 

currently showcasing a play at 

the Mandala Theatre in 

Anamnagar. This is the first time Khol, 

a play originally titled Duri which was 

written and directed by popular 

theatre personality Bijay Bisfot almost 

two decades ago, is being staged at 

Mandala. The last performance of 

Duri took place at the Nepal Academy 

exactly 18 years ago. The play’s 

changed stage name takes into 

account the fact that all its cast as well 

as crew members (with the exception 

of actor Raj Thapa and the director 

himself) are new, and as such bring 

new energy to the production. 

The original script for the play was 

in Hindi. Duri was re-written—in a 

mixture of Hindi, Nepali, Urdu and 

English—as part of the 4th 

International Theatre Olympic, in 

Odessa, India, where it won the award 

for ‘best script’. Khol, as it is currently 

being performed, uses this multi-lingual 

script which makes the experience 

of watching it unfold something 

The green 

shopping project 

hopes to help 

reduce the use 

of polythene 

bags 

truly unique. The play dwells on the 

state of humanity, and is a commentary 

on the lack of morals in contemporary 

societies. Although Duri was 

written almost two decades ago, it is 

still relevant in present times. 

Four people who belong to 

different religious groups: Hinduism, 

Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, 

come across an abandoned baby. No 

one seems really interested in helping 

the child though; instead, the four 

individuals start making fun of the 

existence of the child. A saint 

travelling the world in search of 

humanity happens to pass by them, 

and asks that at least one among the 

four take the child with them and take 

Bijay Bisfot’s Khol is 

being staged at the 

Mandala Theatre in 

Anamnagar after a 

hiatus of 18 years 

Humanity in the 

modern world 

POST REPORT 


HAMRI Bahini: The Green Angels—a 

social enterprise of the Himalayan 

Climate Initiative—fundamentally 

works to solve environmental and social problems 

through business models. Among their 

new initiatives is the green shopping project— 

a social campaign that aims to eradicate the 

use of polythene bags inside the Valley. 


Art exhibition at 

Siddartha Art Gallery 

THE inauguration of the exhibition, 

Mustang: A Spiritual Odessy will take 

place at the Siddhartha Art Gallery, 

Babarmahal on February 20. The inaugural 

ceremony will begin at 3 pm and feature a 

sand installation by monks from the 

region of Mustang besides sand mandalas, 

photographs and thangka paintings. 

care of it. The men and women are 

apprehensive about adopting the 

child. They talk about how they will 

have to ask their respective religious 

‘gurus’ before they can adopt the 

child. 

The cultural, religious and ethnic 

identities of the child are unknown, 

and so the four ‘religious’ people are 

unwilling to help the poor soul. They 

persist on consulting with their 

‘gurus’, and by the time they return, 

the child—who stands as the symbol 

of humanity—is already dead. 

Actors Raj Thapa, Chandra Shree 

Karki, Bijay Baral, Manoj KC, Kumar 

Dahal, Sarita Pandey, Umesh Tamang, 

Aone Upreti, Mamju Giri, Sarswati 

Khadka and Pradeep Chaudhary— 

who are all new to the theatre scene— 

have all performed their roles 

earnestly. Another good aspect of the 

play is the music that accompanies 

the acting; a live orchestra plays from 

the corner of the stage throughout the 

duration of the drama. 

Ranga Sarathi is a theatre group 

that was established on May 1, 1992. 

The theatre troupe is not composed of 

professional actors though, and has 

workers from Nepal’s various garment 

industries acting and performing in it. 

The group’s first play was Juka Ko 

Adaalat. Since then they’ve staged 

plays like Birki, Murda Haruko 

Mahabhoj, Chheparoko Man and 

Chita at various venues across 

Kathmandu. 

Khol will be staged at the 

Mandala Theatre everyday at 5:15 pm 

till February 24. Tickets are priced 

at Rs 100 for students and Rs 200 

for others 

POST PHOTO: KAUSHAL ADHIKARI 

Changing shopping habits 

The project was launched officially at the 

Bhatbhateni Supermarket in Bhatbhateni by 

the Minister for Environment, Science and 

Technology, Dr Keshav Man Shakya. Renowned 

comedian Hari Bansha Acharya became the 

first customer to buy a bag, pledging his 

support for the campaign. 

Produced by underprivileged women, the 

green shopping bag is available at all 

Bhatbhateni outlets at a subsidised rate of 

Rs 30. In order to promote the use of these 

reusable cotton bags, costumers will be 

charged one rupee for each polythene bag they 

use for their shopping. The charged fee, 

according to the organisers, will be used to 

fund future projects they initiate. 

The green shopping project aims to expand 

across the Valley by partnering with other 

major shopping stores in the coming months, 

the organisers said. They hope that the extra 

rupee charged per polythene bag will create a 

disincentive in shoppers to use them, helping 

encourage a habit of re-using cloth bags 

instead. 

The project has received wide support from 

celebrities such as Rajesh Hamal, Malvika 

Subba, Prachanda Shrestha and Nisha 

Adhikari, among others, who showed their 

support by volunteering at the cotton-bag 

stalls at the Bhatbhateni Supermarket in 

Chuchepati. Many have also pledged 

their time to promote this project, and will be 

volunteering at various Bhatbhateni outlets 

until March 15. 

4.5/5 

LIKE SOMEONE 

IN LOVE 

Genre: Drama 

Director: Abbas Kiarostami 

Actors: Rin Takanashi, 

Tadashi Okuno 

Through most 

of the film, 

Akiko—the 

protagonist—is 

adrift, in transit, 

in a vulnerable 

state of 

in-betweenness 

without a fixed 

identity 

DJ session at Ozone 

Premium Club 

MAD Fool’s entertainment is organising 

Rum N Rayban at the Ozone Premium 

Club on February 22. The programme will 

feature a DJ session and a live performance 

by GX-SOUL. The programme also 

features a b-boying performance by 

Eternal Physics Crew. For more information, 

log on to the event on Facebook. 

FROM BEYOND 

THE FRAME 

AO SCOTT 

ACCORDING to Martin 

Scorsese, “cinema is a matter 

of what’s in the frame, 

and what’s out.” The Iranian filmmaker 

Abbas Kiarostami applies 

this axiom with particular rigour. 

In the first scenes of Kiarostami’s 

latest feature, Like Someone in 

Love, we are very much aware of 

what is not in the frame. We are in 

a Tokyo bar, listening to a series of 

conversations that involve a 

woman we cannot see. 

In due time, we will learn 

more about her—she is Akiko (Rin 

Takanashi), a university student 

working as a call girl—but that initial 

disorientation, the sense of 

being in Akiko’s presence without 

knowing her, sets the tone for this 

elusive, formally meticulous and 

surprisingly powerful movie. 

After haggling with her businesslike 

pimp, chatting with a 

friend and arguing on the phone 

with her jealous boyfriend, Akiko 

reluctantly sets off to meet a 

client, an elderly, widowed scholar 

who lives in a modest, book-cluttered 

apartment just outside the 

city. Their encounter is awkward 

and a little pathetic but also courteous 

and sweet, and Kiarostami 

plays with our implicit assumptions 

about what kind of a story 

this might be. The old man, 

Takashi (Tadashi Okuno), seems 

motivated more by loneliness 

than by lust, and in Akiko’s eyes he 

may serve as a surrogate for her 

doting grandmother, who leaves 

worried messages on her voice 

mail. 

Various suspect and sentimental 

fantasies hover in the air: 

the hooker with a heart of gold; 

the sympathetic john rescuing a 

young woman from the degradation 

of sex work. It’s not impossible 

that both Takashi and Akiko 

have seen Pretty Woman. 

But Kiarostami is not the man 

you would go to for a remake. His 

method is both straightforward 

and enigmatic; some of the films 

he made in Iran in the 1990s combine 

documentary techniques 

with the abstract, oblique qualities 

of lyric poetry, and impart a 

beguiling sense of strangeness to 

ordinary, even banal situations. 

He has recently added a dash 

of exoticism to the mix, travelling 

outside his home country—to 

Italy for Certified Copy, and now to 

Japan—and working with non- 

Iranian actors. The cultural and 

linguistic barrier is hardly obvious 

in Like Someone in Love, which 

can feel, in its melancholy, sympathetic 

detachment, rather like a 

Japanese film. 

Like Someone in Love takes 

place almost entirely in confined 

spaces, including Takashi’s living 

room and, especially, the inside of 

his Volvo station wagon. 

Kiarostami is a master of nonaction 

automotive cinema. His 

2002 film Ten takes place entirely 

in a car navigating Tehran traffic, 

and Taste of Cherry, which shared 

the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 1997, 

turns a battered sedan into a 

forum for philosophical inquiry. 

An automobile is both a private 

and a public setting, a bubble of 

intimacy exposed to the rush and 

push of the outside world, a zone 

of safety that is also, objectively, 

one of the most dangerous places 

to be. 

Through most of the film, 

Akiko is adrift, in transit, in a vulnerable 

state of in-betweenness 

without a fixed identity. Her 

improvised, ephemeral connection 

with Takashi turns into one 

corner of a triangle that is completed 

when her boyfriend, 

Noriaki (Ryo Kase), shows up, 

accosting Akiko on her way to an 

exam, as Takashi watches through 

the windshield. The older man— 

perhaps motivated by compassion 

or force of habit, but maybe 

also out of mischief—offers some 

grandfatherly advice, but at the 

same time participates in a deception 

that will grow more elaborate 

and more dangerous as the day 

goes on. 

The gap between appearance 

and reality is Kiarostami’s native 

territory. He is fascinated by the 

ease with which people can pretend 

to be, and thus become, different 

versions of themselves, and 

sensitive to the ways that cinema 

can collude in such impostures. 

Like Someone in Love can be 

thought of as the mirror image of 

Certified Copy, in which a man 

and a woman (William Shimell 

and Juliette Binoche), in the 

course of discussing the nature of 

truth in art, rearrange their own 

relationship, to the bafflement 

(and also the delight) of the audience. 

Are they strangers? Lovers? 

Husband and wife? We are not 

quite sure. 

In Like Someone in Love, by 

contrast, the motives and actions 

of the characters are relatively 

clear to us but decidedly ambiguous 

to them. Akiko, Takashi and 

Noriaki are more or less what they 

seem: a confused young woman; a 

kind, lonely old man; a guy with 

serious anger-management 

issues. 

The structure of the film is, by 

Kiarostami’s standards, fairly 

straightforward, even conventional: 

it has a teasing start, an expository 

middle and a startlingly 

(though not unpredictably) dramatic 

end. And yet every shot— 

everything you see, and everything 

you don’t—imparts a disturbing 

and thrilling sense of discovery. 

—© 2013 The New York Times

Rishi Kapoor to play 

camouflaged Dawood 

VETERAN actor Rishi Kapoor will now play 

Dawood Ibrahim in Nikhil Advani’s D-Day. 

Opposed to the director’s initial plan, the 

character will not even be called Dawood 

anymore. “Under pressure, Nikhil Advani 

had to give the character a fictional name, 

though it would be quite obvious who he 

is,” said a source. 

NIRMAL Sharma is a 

popular face in the 

world of Nepali 

television. His role as the 

mean boss ‘gaida’ in Tito 

Satya, one of the most 

well-received sitcoms of all 

time, has earned him many 

fans. Sharma’s real-life 

persona is quite the 

opposite of his on-screen 

one though, and as the 

Post’s Rajita Dhungana 

catches up with the actorcomedian—who’s 

now 

been in the film business 

for almost two decades— 

she discovers that he’s also 

an entrepreneur and 

producer. 

POST PHOTO: SANJOG MANANDHAR 

BBC 

LONDON, FEB 18 

OFF THE 

TRACK 

Argo and Zero Dark Thirty 

scoop Writers Guild awards 

CIA thriller Argo and 

Zero Dark Thirty have 

won the top screenplay 

honours from the Writers 

Guild of America. 

The adapted screenplay 

award went to Chris Terrio for 

Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage 

drama. 

Mark Boal took the 

original screenplay prize for 

Kathryn Bigelow’s film 

Chronicling the Manhunt for 

Osama Bin Laden. Malik 

Bendjelloul won the documentary 

award for Searching 

for Sugar Man, about the 

1970s musician Rodriguez. 

The guild was the last of 

Hollywood’s major trade 

unions to hand out awards 

before next Sunday’s Oscars. 

Argo has emerged as the 

best picture favourite at the 

Academy Awards, after 

scooping the top prize at the 

Baftas and Golden Globes, in 

addition to awards from the 

Directors Guild of America, 


BORN TODAY 

Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro is 46 

English musician Tony Iommi is 65 (Black Sabbath) 

American model and actress Arielle Kebbel is 28 

English singer Seal is 50 

American writer Amy Tan is 61 

English actor Ray Winstone is 56 

How did you become an actor? 

While I was studying in India, I would often 

watch films being shot along the Bombay- 

Pune road. It used to be very interesting 

watching celebrated actors performing in 

front of huge crowds that always gather 

around these shooting scenes. This experience 

of watching actors of such great caliber 

perform right in front of me made me want 

to act myself. I wanted a part of the actor’s 

life, and so when I got back to Nepal, I got 

myself trained in ramp modeling and 

starred in a few television ads. Eventually, I 

met Deepak Raj Giri and started acting in 

Tito Satya. 

As actor, producer and entrepreneur, 

you certainly wear many 

feathers on your professional hat. 

In what role do you most want the 

audience to see you? 

I like to act. That’s why I’m an actor. I 

don’t think I’m a star or that there 

is anything to be proud of in 

the fact that people have 

appreciated me 

because everyone 

has a career of his 

or her own and 

is celebrated in 

their own 

Award winning actor 

Benicio del Toro turns 46 

DEL Toro won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe 

Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA 

Award for his role in Traffic. He is also known for 

his roles in The Usual Suspects, Fear and Loathing 

in Las Vegas, Snatch, Sin City, and Che,a 

performance which garnered him the Best Actor 

Award both at the Cannes Film Festival in France, 

and at the Goya Awards in Spain. 

A BELOVED ACTOR 

the Screen Actors Guild and 

the Producers Guild of 

America. 

“I’ve never actually won a 

call-your-name award 

before,” Terrio said backstage 

after winning his award. 

Prizes for television writing 

were also handed out, 

with Breaking Bad winning 

best drama series. 

The writers of Louis 

claimed the prize for comedy 

series and Lena Dunham’s 

Girls was named best new TV 

series. 

fields. I don’t see my acting as a ‘contribution’ 

of any sort because I am doing it for my 

own good. Acting is something I enjoy, 

something I have chosen for my career and 

I get my own rewards for it. I think I’d like it 

if the audience saw me as a good and honest 

human being. 

So you must have a busy schedule. 

What do you do when you are free? 

Busy schedule? No, not really. A friend once 

told me that no one is really busy in this 

world. That it’s all about priority. I am a husband 

and the father of two sons so I try to 

spend most of my time with my family. We 

spend a lot of time together as a family. We 

hang out often, eat together and watch a lot 

of movies together. 

Would you call yourself a foodie 

then? Do you and your family cook 

together? 

I love eating but am on diet at the moment. 

I only take light meals: cornflakes, Rara noodles 

or dahi chiura, and only eat rice once 

or twice a week. Momos are my all-time 

favourite thing to eat though. I never get 

tired of momos. 

Cooking is another thing that I like 

to do, actually. Since I did a short 

course in hotel management while 

I was studying, I know how to 

make quite a number of dishes. I 

often keep making pizzas, siz- 

Mahie Gill was hesitant 

to play glamorous vamp in Zanjeer 

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA 

MUMBAI, FEB 18 

ACTRESS Mahie Gill, who plays the 

new-age vamp Mona Darling in the 

remake of Zanjeer, was initially 

sceptical as she was not confident of 

pulling off a glamorous role and wearing a 

bikini. 

Mahie said her character, 

which constantly tries 

to seduce the villain 

Teja, played by Prakash 

Raj, has touches 

of modernity 

Bindu played the iconic character 

Mona Darling in the original 1973 film. 

“It is an iconic character played by 

Binduji. It is a glamorous role. When I was 

first offered the role I had refused to do it 

as I felt I wouldn’t be able to do justice to 

it. I was not confident at all. This was a 

glamorous role, something that I had not 

done in my earlier films,” Mahie told in an 

interview. 

Acting is something 

I enjoy, something I 

have chosen 

for my career and I 

get my own 

rewards for it. I 

think I’d like it 

if the audience saw 

me as a good 

and honest 

human being 

“It was about the kind 

of clothes I was asked to wear. 

Hence, I was sceptical of doing the 

role earlier. I was little hesitant. This 

is the first time that I‘ll be playing a 

glamorous role,” said Mahie, who is 

best known for her role in Anurag 

Kashyap’s critically acclaimed film 

Dev D. 

“They wanted me to wear a bikini, 

about which I was not sure. I was 

not confident about whether or not 

I’d be able to carry it off. But 

people will get to see a 

different side of me in 

this film. I will be 

seen wearing 

gowns,” she 

said. Mahie 

said her character, 

which 

constantly 

tries to seduce 

the villain Teja, 

played by 

Prakash Raj, 

has touches of modernity. 

“There are interesting scenes, and the 

chemistry between Prakash Raj and I is on 

display. She (Mona darling) is today’s 

vamp, a modern day vamp. My role has 

been portrayed in a manner that’s different 

from Binduji’s character in the original 

film,” she said. 

zler at home and serve it to my family. For 

me, food should taste good and look good. 

They say I make a very good chicken sandwich, 

and I’m quite proud of that fact 

(laughs). 

What was the last film you 

watched? And, is there any particular 

genre you prefer to others? 

The last film I watched was Special 26. I 

watch all kinds of films, but like comedies 

most. There are many good serious films 

too, but after spending three or so hours in 

a movie theatre, I like to come out happy 

rather than depressed. 

What about books then? 

I like reading. I don’t have a genre as such 

when it comes to books. I buy and read 

books my friends recommend or those that 

are popular at any given time. I’m reading 

Microsoft Dekhi Bahundanda Samma by 

John Wood right now. 

Are you interested in sports as well? 

I’m very fond of swimming and make it a 

point to swim every summer. I used to win 

trophies for it when I was in school, actually. 

Are you fashion conscious? 

I like to wear anything that’s comfortable. 

It’s also important that my clothes suit me. I 

think one should be aware of one’s body 

type and dress accordingly. We shouldn’t 

just follow a trend blindly in the name of 

fashion. 

You’ve been in the Nepali television 

for a long time. Is there any particular 

instance related to your work 

that you’d like to share with our 

reader? 

There is this 17-year-old girl who keeps 

writing to me. She has been doing that since 

four years. She even calls me sometimes, 

and keeps me updated on articles on newspapers 

and magazines that are related 

to me. She tells me that she has 

made a huge file with newspaper 

cuttings of all such news 

and stories. I must say she’s a 

very concerned fan. 

9

10 THE KATHMANDU POST | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 

EVENTOGRAPH LAUGH OUT LOUD 

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE 

ARIES (March 21-April 19) 

*** 

You need to take it easy and see if you can get a little 

help - things are going your way, but you could always use a little 

lift. Check in with a friend or co-worker to see if you can 

work together. 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) 

*** 

You feel somewhat out of sorts - largely thanks to your 

weird energy, but also because your people are all rushing 

around like maniacs! Try not to get caught up in their dramas if 

you can help it. 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) 

**** 

Try not to get too invested in any one project or plan - you’ve got 

to keep traipsing along through a great day filled with new 

ideas and people. Your terrific energy is too good to be tied 

down for long! 

CANCER (June 22-July 22) 

** 

You need to take some time to yourself - and make sure that you 

really think things over. There may be more than one voice 

inside, and you need to listen to all of them if you want to figure 

this out. 

LEO (July 23-August 22) 

**** 

Your people are definitely on your side today, so be sure that 

you’re making good use of them. Friends, co-workers, family 

members - everyone seems to have your best interests at heart! 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22) 

*** 

You need to be able to think quickly on your feet today, and your 

mental energy is right there for you. Unfortunately, you may not 

be able marshal other resources quite as well, but that’s okay. 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22) 

***** 

Your energy is pretty great right now - so much so that you may 

find that your people are making up silly excuses to come by 

your side. It’s a good time for you to hand out little favours. 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) 

** 

Slow down! You’ve got to take greater care with your work and 

business <strong>deal</strong>ings, or you may find that things start to get 

really difficult for you in the long run. This doesn’t have to be the 

big day! 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) 

** 

You are having the hardest time reaching ideas that feel real - 

but keep looking! Your intellectual ramblings may not feel like 

they’re getting you anywhere, but you’re laying the groundwork 

for greatness! 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) 

** 

Try to speak clearly - things are looking weird for you right now, 

but you may just have to <strong>deal</strong> with them as-is. The way you tell 

your people what is happening dictates their response. 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) 

***** 

Your love life is starting to look really great right now - even if 

you’re single! Somehow, you feel a surge of great social energy 

that has to be focused on one special person. 

PISCES (February 19-March 20) 

** 

You are feeling a little crazy today, thanks to one activity too 

many - it’s the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back! 

Fortunately, you should bounce back from the stress, though it 

may take a while. 

THE SENIOR CIVIL servant went to the doctor 

and complained of being unable to sleep. 

Doctor: ‘Oh! Don’t you sleep at night?’ Civil servant: 

‘Yes, I sleep very well at night. And I sleep 

quite soundly most of the mornings, too - but I 

find it’s very difficult to sleep in the afternoons 

as well.’ 

…………………………………………………………….. 

It was afternoon in the crowded cafeteria. The 

elderly lady sitting at the counter was obviously 

upset at the cigarette smoke of the young 

woman beside her. <strong>Final</strong>ly the older woman 

could take it no longer. She turned to the girl 

and bellowed with a loud voice “Young lady, I 

would rather commit adultery than smoke!” “So 

would I,” sighed the girl, “but you know, there 

just isn’t time enough during a coffee break….” 

FOOD AND DRINKS 

Krishnarpan—a specialty Nepali Restaurant at 

Dwarika’s, 6 courses to 22 courses Nepali meal 

served. Opening Time: 6 pm-11 pm. Prior reservations 

required, contact: 4479448 

Taste sandwiches and crepes at The Lounge from 

11 am to 6 pm everyday. Contact: Hyatt Regency 

Kathmandu at 4491234. 

The Italian restaurant serves authentic Italian 

cuisines in an elegant ambience for both lunch and 

dinner. Timings: Lunch: 1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 

1900-2245 hrs, Contact: 427399, Extn 6510 at 

Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu 

Savor the cardamom and saffron spice, slowcooked 

kebabs and kormas at Indian restaurant 

serving Awadhi cuisine. Timings: Dinner: 1900- 

2245 hrs, contact: 427399, Extn 6520, at Soaltee 

Crowne Plaza, Kathmandu 

China Garden offers delectable dishes from 

across Asia, including Japanese, Korean, 

Vietnamese and Chinese. Timings: Lunch: 

1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs, 

contact: 427399 Extn 6540, at Soaltee Crowne 

Plaza, Kathmandu 

Garden Terrace offers an authentic world cuisine 

ie Indian, Nepali, Oriental, Italian, Continental etc, 

with different live cooking stations providing diners 

with the unique experience of observing their 

selected dishes being freshly prepared by chefs. 

Contact: 427399, Extn 6560, at Soaltee Crowne 

Plaza, Kathmandu 

Kaiser Cafe Restaurant & Bar at The Garden of 

Dreams, opening time: 9: 00 till 22:00, offers an 

international cafe menu serving breakfast, lunch, 

dinner, specialty tea’s, coffees and pastries, contact: 

4479448 

Tibetan Gyakok for Lunch & Dinner every 

day at The Mandarin, The Everest Hotel ph: 

4780100 ext: 7811 

Daily Buffet with a complimentary glass of house 

wine at The Café, The Everest Hotel, Lunch 

1200- 1500 hrs and Dinner 1830-2230hrs. Ph: 

4780100 Ext: 7411 

Special Saturday Brunch at The Café & Garden, 

The Everest Hotel 1200-1600 hrs; Ph 4780100 

ext: 7811 

Sandwich and Crepes: Taste the sandwiches and 

crepes at The Lounge from 11:00am to 6:00pm 

everyday. For further details call Hyatt Regency 

Kathmandu at 4491234. 

Mako’s offers traditional Japanese food served 

within a warm and stylish setting, don’t miss out on 

Mako’s special Tempuras, and also the green tea 

ice cream, Opening Time: 11: 30-14:30 & 19:00- 

22:00, contact: 4479448 

Manny’s Eatery and bar introduces a special 

lunch package that is affordable, tasty, nutritious 

and quick enough to fit your lunch break, 

Jawalakhel, Shaligram complex, 5536919 

Out-of-Africa Lunch amid rural splendor: 

Sat & Sun from 1130 to 1630 hours. Enjoy Nepali 

& Newari delicacies. Munch on exotic 

gundruk bhatmas with Bacardi or Campari. Listen 

to Ten Years After, The Grateful Dead, Cream 

etc at The Watering Hole, Indrawati River Valley. 

For prior reservation contact: indrawatiresort@gmail.com 

CROSSWORD 

STRIPS 

DILBERT 

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE 

GARFIELD 

The Toran, an i<strong>deal</strong> location for all day lounging and 

informal dining offers continental cuisines. It is 

opened throughout the day from early morning 

breakfast to dinner. Contact: Dwarika’s Hotel, 

Sales and Marketing—4479488. 

The Dwarika’s Thali brings you the simple yet sublime 

flavours of Nepal’s favourite dish. Stop over 

for lunch & enjoy Nepali cuisne, hospitality and 

heritage at the Dwarika’s Hotel, 3 course meal 

just for Rs1199/- plus 10% service charge and 

13% vat, per person, contact: 4479488 

Enjoy Biryani with Kebab, Western Grill Items and 

Pasta with baked dishes this weekend at The Café 

from 12:30 noon to 4:00 pm, buffet lunch for just 

Rs 1600 excluding applicable taxes. Call: Hyatt 

Regency, Kathmandu at 4491234, Ext: 5223 

Make your weekend more exciting with family and 

friends with sumptuous Satey, Dimsums, 

Mangolian Barbecue and Pasta at The Cafe from 

12:30 noon to 4:00 pm, buffet lunch for just Rs 

1600 excluding applicable taxes. Call: Hyatt 

Regency, Kathmandu at 4491234, Ext: 5223 

Smoky Charcoal and Hot Stone BBQ Dinner at 

Splash Bar and Grill, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu 

from 14th September onwards every Friday at 

Rs 1199 plus taxes from 18:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs. 

Contact: 4411818, Ext 1302 

Come and experience BBQ BRUNCH BAZAAR 

every Saturday at poolside garden from 12:00- 

2:30 pm 

and make your gourmet journey memorable, 

contact: 4451212, fax: 4450002 

We serve nothing but the finest Arabica coffees 

at great value prices. Our cheerful and interactive 

trained brew master makes guests coffee breaks 

lasted just a little bit longer. We open from 9:00 am 

to 9:00 pm. To share our cup of joy please visit: 

Barista Lavazza Coffee Restaurant, Lazimpat, 

Uttar Dhoka, Contact: 01 4005123/4005124 

Enjoy every Friday with a special Nepali BBQ at 

The Dwarika’s Hotel with many Live Cooking 

Stations themed on Newari Cuisines, Live music 

with bonfire & a can of Carlsberg beer, or Local 

Spirit 30 ml, or a soft drink, or a bottle of mineral 

water. Time: 7 pm till 10 pm, price: NRs 1600/plus 

10% Service Charge, per person. Prior 

reservations required, contact: 4479488 or 

sales@dwarikas.com 

Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg is now open 

for lunch every day from 12 noon. Enjoy affordable 

and delicious meals from our lunch menu 

starting from Rs 99! We are currently offering Indian 

& chinese combos along with momos and kathi 

rolls. 20% discount is available in food items 

and bar menus from 12 noon till 3 pm. Also, 

lunch delivery is available with prior notice in the 

immediate vicinity. Call: 4441703 

Saturday Brunch, 10:30 am till 3:30 pm, at 

Park Village Resort, Budhanilkantha@ special 

introductory price of Rs 999/- per person all inclusive. 

Lucky draw—one of the main attraction. 

Contact: 4375280 

The most delightfully awesome chicken momos & 

yummy rich chocolate cake on this part of the planet 

@ Just Baked Bakery & Cafe, Battisputali, 

offering much more specialties at affordable price. 

MUSIC 

Live music by SIGN Band every week except 

Tuesdays and Saturdays, 7:30 pm onwards at The 

Corner Bar, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu, 

SU DOKU 

Lazimpat. Contact: 4411818, Ext 1301 / 1330 

Live music at Jazzabell Café every Wednesday 

and Friday with great food, drink and old friends 

from 6 pm every Friday. Jazzabell Cafe, 

Jhamsikhel, Patan, contact: 2114075 

Every Friday BBQ from 7:00 pm at Fusion Bar & 

Pool side at Dwarika’s Hotel with live band “Dinesh 

Rai and Sound of Mind”. Price Rs 1500/- plus 10% 

Service Charge per person, includes BBQ dinner 

and a can of beer or a soft drink. Contact: 4479448 

LIVE Gazal with authentic Indian food for dinner at 

Far Pavilion except Tuesday, The Everest Hotel 

ph: 4780100, ext: 7811 

Live Music 7:00-10: 30 pm by Rapsodi trio band 

except Monday & Happy hour 30 % discount at 

Bugles & Tigers, Gurkha Bar from 5 to 7 pm, The 

Everest Hotel, 4780100, ext: 7811 

Hotel Narayani Complex, Pulchowk, Lalitpur 

presents Shabnam & Cannabiz Band every 

Wednesday and Rashmi & Kitcha Band 

every Friday, 7:30 PM onwards @ Absolute 

bar P Ltd; Contact: 5521408, 5549504, 

abar@wlink.com.np 

Bubbly Brunch—every Saturday from 11 am to 3 

pm @ Shambala Garden & Club Sundhara where 

you can enjoy Live Shawarma & Pasta only @ Rs 

1100 Nett per person (Includes a glass of 

Sparkling Wine). Contact: Hotel Shangri~La, 

Kathmandu at 4412999, Extn 7520, 7515 

Starry Night BBQ—every Friday Evening from 

7:00 pm at Shambala Garden Café, Hotel, 

Shangri~La only @ Rs 1299 Nett per person 

and live performance by Ciney Gurung. Contact: 

4412999, Extn 7520, 7515 

GRAFFITI WORD GAME 

FILMS 

MURDER 3 

QFX Jai Nepal: 12:00/ 

3:00 / 6:00 PM 

QFX Kumari: 12:15/ 3:15 

/ 6:30 PM 

QFX Civil Mall: 12:30/ 

2:15 / 3:30 / 6:45 PM 

SPECIAL 26 

QFX Kumari: 12:00 PM 


6:30 PM 

MAINA 


RACE 2 

QFX Civil Mall: 12:00 PM 

BEAUTIFUL 

CREATURES 



5:00 / 7:30 PM 

Oriental Buffet with live Jazz music, every Friday 

evening 7 pm onwards at Earthwatch Restaurant 

at Park Village Resort @ Rs 999/- per person. 

Contact: 4375280 

GETAWAY 

Experience your holiday at Grand Norling Hotel, 

Gokarna. One night and two days at Rs 4500 and 

two nights and three days at Rs 7000, residential 

package at Rs 30000 per month. Contact: 

4910193, 4910296, 4910295 

Jungle Safari Lodge, Sauraha introduces New 

Offer of 2 Nights/ 3 Days Package at Rs 5555 

per person, for Nepalese Citizen Only. The 

offer includes elephant safari, cultural programme, 

canoeing, visit to elephant breeding 

centre, 2 breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 dinners, 

accomodation in deluxe A/C Room, two way 

tourist bus services. Contact: Suman Ghimire @ 

9851116181/ 4444999 

Overnight Package and Great Escape Package 

available at The Dwarika’s Himalayan Shangri-La 

Village Resort, Dhulikhel for local residents. 

Contact 447948 

Fulbari’s Domestic Tourism Promotion Package 

@ Rs 6500 nett per person, Package Includes: 2 

night/ 3 days deluxe accommodation on bed & 

breakfast basis, one special dinner, welcome 

drinks, free 

tennis, swimming pool and gym, attractive discount 

on Spa, Golf & other services. Contact 4461918, 

4462248 & email: resv@fulbari.com.np, 

sales@fulbari.com.np 

Experience The Last Resort, the perfect place 

for family fun adventure and relaxation. Special 

packages for residents. Contact: 4700525/ 

RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT 

KANTIPUR TV 

5:00 Bhakti Sur 

5:45 Shuvarambha/ Kundali 

6:30 Swami Haridas Baba 

Prabachan 

7:00 Kantipur Samachar 

8:00 Samachar Time 

8:30 Kantipur News 

9:00 Fireside 


10:30 Kantipur Aaja 

11:00 Headline News 

11:05 Business Journal 

11:30 Ukali Orali 


12:30 Kantipur Tiffin Box 


13:05 Harke Haldar 

13:30 Quiz Mania 


14:30 Rise and Shine 


15:05 Fireside 


16:30 New Entry 


17:05 Call Kantipur Reloaded 


18:30 Quiz Mania 


19:30 Kilo Tango Mike 

4701247 or mail us at info@thelastresort.com.np 

Asia World Travel Pvt Ltd presents fascinating 

luxury escapades to amazing destinations: Prague, 

Ladakh, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, 

Mount Kailash and Panchpokhari in North East 

Nepal. Contact: 6222604, Man Bhawan, 

Email: info@asiaworldholidays.com, Website: 

www.asiaworldholidays.com 

Asia World invites all music aficionados to join us 

on a lifetime experience of 3 days of thumping, 

throbbing and heart-pumping musical extravaganzas 

at Isle of Wight from June 13 to 16, 2013. 

Listen to The Stone Roses, Bon Jovi, The Killers and 

many more. Also, enjoy stopover in Dubai to satiate 

your thirst for shopping, desert adventures and 

fine gourmet cuisine or in Thailand for clubbing, 

merry-making, shopping and snorkeling in 

Bangkok and Phi Phi Island. Contact: info@asiaworldholidays.com 

today 

Hotel Tibet International, Boudha -Experience 

Nepalese warmth with a touch of Tibetan 

hospitality in our Re-opening discount for 

rooms & restaurant. Savior authentic Tibetan cum 

Chinese cuisine. Call: 4488188 or email 

sales@hoteltibetintl.com.np, website: 

www.hoteltibetintl.com.np 

Experience your holiday at Kingfisher Jungle 

Resort at Shukranagar, Meghauli Chitwan. One 

night and two days at Rs 3500 and two nights 

and three days at Rs 6000. Elephant safari, 

Canoeing and Nature walk fee paid at the resort 

pickup and drop to Narayanghat. Residential package 

at Rs 30,000 per month. Contact: Rudra Raj 

Dotel- 9849059295, 4260329, 056694490 

Nestled in the boarder of Royal Chitwan National 

Park and medieval Tharu Village, Maruni Sanctuary 

Yesterday’s Solution 


20:00 Sarokar 





0:00 Call Kantipur Repeated 

1:00 Kantipur News Repeated 



Repeated 1 



Repeated 2 

3:30 Sarokar 


04:00 Bhajan 

05:00 Bhakti anusthan 

06:30 Kantipur diary 

07:00 T he headliners 

07:30 Ghar Aagan 


08:05 Horlicks jump start 


09:15 Traffic updates (in assoc. 

With real) janata sanga 

prahari 

09:30 Shree yantra 


10:05 Music & more 


11:05 Filmi parade 


12:10 Jeevan sathi 


13:05 Ke chha nepal 


14:05 Srijanaka Samjhana Haru 


15:15 Request zone 


16:05 Sangalo 


17:05 Ma pani kehi garna 

sakchhu 

18:00 Nepalya/nonghar chat ghar 


18:55 khoj 

19:00 Voice of nepal 


20:05 X-treme show 


21:30 Spandan 

22:00 Global connection 

23:00 Bollywood biography 

Lodge offer special winter package including jungle 

activities 2 nights 3 days @ Rs 9,999 per person 

on twin sharing basis. Contact: Prajina— 

9841792225, 4700632 

MIND AND BODY 

Dynamic Health Group: Join free classes every 

Saturday to learn about Reiki, Yoga, Meditation, 

Quantum Science and Healthy Life Styles, 

Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, Contact: 9841393760 

OR 9803791114 

Women Skill Development Resource Centre: 

Join free training for Straw Art, Sewing and 

Skill Development (for 2 hours, 4 hours and 

7days), Suryabinayak, Bhaktapur, Contact 

9849426628, 9849462559 

Meditation Session and Satsang: Benefit yourself 

with free meditation session to heal your body and 

mind, and discover the right path towards the fulfillment 

of life. Every Saturday morning at 8 am 

at Mind Body Library, Babarmahal. Contact: 

4102025, www.fb.com/mindbodylibrary 

Korea Alternative Hospital announces 

Winter Massage Package. The Rs 1500 package 

includes a 2 hour massage and a complimentary 

hot coffee and specialised medical massage at 

Rs 3000, contact: 2298259, 9813 595563, Bagdol 

4, Ring Road 

Introductory 25 % discount on all treatments at 

Himalayan Wellness Centre, the SPA at Park 

Village Resort, Budhanilkantha. Contact: 

Taruna/Umesh-4375280 

The Art of Living foundation is organising an 

advance course in the presence of Sri Sri Ravi 

Shankar from Feb 25-28 at UWTC, Tripureshwor

Ecuador President Rafael 

Correa wins new term 

ECUADOR’S President Rafael Correa has been reelected 

for a third term with more than 50% of the 

vote. His main challenger has admitted defeat. 

Addressing his supporters in the capital, Quito, 

Correa called for “another four years of revolution”. 

First elected in 2007, the socialist leader is widely 

credited with bringing political stability to a nation 

that suffered decades of protests and coups. 

Three killed in B’desh strike 

DHAKA: At least three persons were 

killed in sporadic clashes in 

Bangladesh on Monday during a 

nationwide general strike called by 

fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) 

to protest their leaders’ ongoing 

trial for 1971 war crimes. Witnesses 

said JI activists visibly took a hit and 

run strategy in Dhaka and several 

other cities amid a clarion call by 

rival protestors at Shahbagh Square 

to defy the strike. 

Militants attack Pak office 

PESHAWAR: Militants including a 

suicide bomber attacked the office 

of a senior official in Pakistan’s 

northwestern city of Peshawar 

on Monday, killing five people, officials 

said. 

Indonesia floods, landslides 

MANADO: Four children were 

among 17 people killed over the 

weekend in central Indonesia after 

heavy rains triggered floods and 

landslides, officials said on Monday. 

BBC journalists on strike 

LONDON: BBC journalists on 

Monday began a 24-hour strike in 

protest at compulsory redundancies, 

causing possible disruption to 

the broadcaster’s television and 

radio output. (Agencies) 


Better TV might improve 

kids’ behaviour: Study 

TEACHING parents to switch channels from 

violent shows to educational TV can improve 

preschoolers’ behaviour, even without getting 

them to watch less, a study found. The results 

were modest and faded over time, but may 

hold promise for finding ways to help young 

children avoid aggressive, violent behaviour, 

the study authors and other doctors said. 

Maldives issues arrest 

warrant against Nasheed 

REUTERS 

MALE, FEB 18 

MALDIVES police on 

Monday said a 

court warrant had 

been issued to arrest former 

President Mohamed 

Nasheed, who remained 

in the Indian High 

Commission after taking 

refuge there six days ago. 

Nasheed, the Maldives’ 

first democratically elected 

leader, left office last year in 

contested circumstances. 

He entered the Indian High 

Commission, or embassy, in 

the capital on Wednesday as 

police tried to arrest him in 

connection with a court 

case. Nasheed has called for 

the formation of a caretaker 

government to ensure 

free and fair presidential 

polls in the Indian Ocean 

archipelago, scheduled for 

September. 

“We have received 

newsdigest 

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 

MOSCOW, FEB 18 

SCIENTISTS announced the 

discovery on Monday of 

dozens of tiny fragments of a 

massive meteor whose groundshaking 

shockwave hurt 1,200 

people and damaged buildings 

across five regions of Russia. 

The giant space rock streaked 

spectacularly over the central city 

of Chelyabinsk on Friday before 

exploding with the force of 30 of 

the nuclear bombs dropped on 

the Japanese city of Hiroshima 

during World War II. 

There was initial disappointment 

when Russian emergency 

ministry workers who scoured a 

lake where at least some of the 

fragments were believed to have 

the court order to 

arrest Nasheed,” Police 

spokesman Hassan Haneef 

said. “We will follow international 

protocols and not 

go inside the high commission.” 

The new warrant calls 

for police to arrest Nasheed 

and produce him in court at 

4 p.m. (4 a.m. ET) on 

Wednesday. 

Nasheed’s supporters 

say he was ousted last 

February in a coup in the 

Maldives, a major tourist 

destination. They have 

clashed with police outside 

the diplomatic mission and 

Indian envoy summoned 

MALE: The Maldives has summoned India’s ambassador 

and made a strong protest over a standoff involving 

opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed who has 

taken refuge in the Indian embassy, an official said on 

Monday. The foreign ministry summoned Indian 

High Commissioner DM Mulay on Sunday to receive 

a formal protest over his chancery being used to 

“instigate violence and instability” in the capital 

island, an official source said. (AFP) 

near the entrance of the 

country’s main high security 

zone since he took refuge. 

Last week, a court 

ordered Nasheed’s arrest 

after he missed a February 

10 court appearance in a 

case relating to accusations 

that he illegally detained a 

judge during the last days of 

his administration. 

If Nasheed is found 

guilty in the case, he could 

be barred from standing in a 

presidential election on 

September 7. His party says 

the trial is an attempt to 

exclude him from the contest 

and has challenged the 

court’s legitimacy. 

Nasheed says he was 

forced from power at gunpoint 

after opposition 

protests and a police 

mutiny. A national commission 

last August said the 

toppling of his government 

was not a coup, but a transfer 

of power that followed 

the constitution. 

HE’S 

BACK 

Assad confident of winning war 

State forces, rebels were committing war crimes: UN 


DAMASCUS, FEB 18 

PRESIDENT Bashar al-Assad 

said he is confident his troops 

will win the conflict ravaging 

Syria, as new calls were made on 

Monday for the International 

Criminal Court to launch a 

probe into war crimes. 

SYRIA CRISIS 

Assad’s comments, published 

in Lebanon’s pro- 

Damascus newspaper As-Safir, 

came as his forces were fighting 

pitched battles with rebels 

in a string of flashpoint towns 

and cities, and for control of 

strategic airports in northern 

Syria. As-Safir said that Assad 

had met with unnamed 

Lebanese politicians in 

Damascus during which he 

assured them that Syria’s future 

belonged to his camp. 

“We are sure we will win, 

we are reassured by the political 

and military developments,” 

Assad was quoted as telling the 

visiting politicians, the 

Lebanese newspaper said. 

“That does not mean that 

everything is settled, we still 

have a lot to do politically and in 

the battle against extremist terrorist 

groups.” Assad frequently 

fallen were unable to find anything 

in their initial search over 

the weekend. 

But members of the Russian 

Academy of Sciences who conducted 

chemical tests on some 

unusual rock formations they 

found on Sunday said the pieces 

had come from outer space. 

“We confirm that the particles 

of a substance found by our expedition 

near Lake Chebarkul really 

do have the composition of a 

meteorite,” RIA Novosti quoted 

Russian Academy of Sciences 

member Viktor Grokhovsky as 

saying. Grokhovsky’s Urals 

Federal University separately 

posted a photograph of a person 

holding a tiny piece of a black 

shiny rock between his index finger 

and thumb. 

EU ministers reject arming rebels 

BRUSSELS: European Union foreign ministers have 

announced that they are keeping current sanctions against 

Syria in place for three months, rejecting any attempt to ease 

the arms embargo so military aid could be funneled to rebels 

fighting President Bashar Assad. 

An EU official said before Monday's meeting in Brussels 

that Britain wanted to change the embargo. He requested 

anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss closeddoor 

deliberations. 

Ahead of the meeting, various foreign ministers said shipping 

more arms into Syria would be a bad idea. The EU maintains 

a number of sanctions on Syria, including the arms 

embargo, a ban on importing Syrian oil, and measures against 

various individuals and companies. (AP) 

receives Lebanese supporters 

of his regime, the latest 

being Talal Arslan, a Lebanese 

Druze leader, who was in 

Damascus on Sunday. He 

said those “loyal” to his regime 

“represent the absolute majority 

of Syrians”. Since the outbreak 

of a revolt against his regime in 

March 2011 that later morphed 

into an insurgency, Assad has 

systematically labelled opponents 

and rebels alike as “terrorists” 

he says are funded and 

backed by the West, Turkey, 

Saudi Arabia and Qatar. 

A report by a UN-mandated 

commission of inquiry on the 

Found, fragments of meteor that struck Russia 

“This meteorite belongs to the 

class of regular chondrites,” the 

university statement said in reference 

to a type of meteorite that 

contains small mineral granules. 

Grokhovsky said the rock in 

question—one of a set of 53 that 

Syria conflict released in 

Geneva on Monday said that 

both Syrian state forces and 

rebels were committing war 

crimes, though it said the government 

camp carried more 

blame. At a press conference 

where the report was released, 

commission member Carla 

del Ponte renewed calls for 

the International Criminal 

Court to probe war crimes 

in Syria. “The international 

community—and the UN 

Security Council—must take 

the decision to refer this to justice,” 

said del Ponte, a former 

UN prosecutor. 

measure no more than a centimetre 

(half an inch) in length and 

were found in the snow near the 

lake—was composed in part of 

iron as well as chrysolite and sulfite. 

The emergency ministry said 

it could not comment on the scientists’ 

find because it was focusing 

on the search for a much larger 

meteorite that could have 

blasted an eight-metre ice hole in 

the lake. 

The meteor’s shockwave blew 

out the windows of nearly 5,000 

buildings and left 20 people still 

recovering in hospital on Monday 

with injuries such as broken 

bones and concussions. 

Officials said about a third of 

all the shattered windows had 

been repaired by Monday afternoon 

thanks to emergency ship- 

Egypt Prez Morsi’s son drops 

government job after furore 

ONE of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s 

sons withdrew from taking up a job with a firm 

affiliated to the civil aviation ministry amid media 

accusations of nepotism. Omar Morsi has pulled 

out of a senior human resources post at the 

Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation, 

Al Arabiya News has reported. The company is 

affiliated to the civil aviation ministry. 

11 

Supporters take part in a gathering to welcome Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at Plaza Bolivar 

in Caracas on Monday. Chavez made a surprise return from Cuba, more than two months after 

surgery for cancer. REUTERS 

Cash, arms seized 

from India minister 

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA 

KOHIMA, FEB 18 

NAGALAND Home 

Minister Imkong L 

Imchen was on Monday 

detained near Wokha 

district for allegedly carrying 

a cache of arms 

and ammunition and 

Rs. 10 million in cash in 

a vehicle, official 

sources said. 

Imchen was going to 

his constituency 

Koridanga in 

Mokokchung district 

from Kohima when 

Assam Rifles personnel, 

conducting search of 

vehicles near Wokha 

district, found the arms 

and ammunition, liquor 

and cash, the sources 

said. 

The Assam Rifles 

personnel handed him 

over to the district 

administration and 

police. 

Imchen is the 

Nagaland Peop’e’s Front 

(NPF) candidate from 

Koridanga and is also 

the NPF campaign incharge 

of Mokokchung 

ments of glass from neighbouring 

regional factories. 

The sonic boom created an 

invisible wave of momentous 

force that toppled the walls of a 

brick zinc factory and damaged 

two ice hockey arenas as well as a 

judo centre and a brand new 

swimming pool built for an 

upcoming European water polo 

championship. 

But the elusive meteorites— 

meteor fragments that have hit 

Earth—have generated almost as 

much attention as the enormous 

repair and restoration work. 

Russian space debris hunters 

have posted ads on websites 

offering as much as 300,000 

rubles ($10,000) for an authentic 

piece of the latest space rock to hit 

the planet. 

district. The NPF has 

put up 10-candidates in 

Mokokchung district. 

On February 16, an 

Election Commission 

surveillance team had 

seized Rs. 10 million 

cash from a helicopter 

allegedly being used by 

a candidate of the 

Nagaland Peoples Front 

(NPF) in Nagaland. 

A team of ECappointed 

observers 

seized the cash from a 

chopper, which was 

allegedly hired to 

ferry Nyemli Phom, who 

is contesting the 

Assembly polls from a 

constituency in 

Longleng district. 

Pak Shiites 

refuse to 

bury dead 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

QUETTA, FEB 18 

THOUSANDS of Shiite 

Muslims took to the 

streets in southwest 

Pakistan on Monday in a 

second day of protests 

following a bombing that 

killed 84 people. Relatives 

of the victims refused to 

bury their loved ones 

until the army takes 

action against the militants 

targeting the minority 

sect. 

Outrage over the 

attacks has grown in 

Pakistan, and protests 

were held in over a half 

dozen cities Monday in 

addition to Quetta. But 

it’s unclear whether the 

demonstrations will 

spark action that will 

make the Shiites any 

safer. 

Thousands of Shiites 

poured into streets near 

where the attack 

occurred, while others 

remained inside a 

mosque beside the bodies 

of their relatives, 

which were covered with 

white sheets.

12 THE KATHMANDU POST | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 

sportsdigest 

Sthalekar retires after World 

Cup triumph 

MUMBAI: Veteran all-rounder Lisa 

Sthalekar has ended her decorated 

international cricket career in a blaze 

of glory, announcing her retirement 

after helping Australia to the sixth 

women’s cricket World Cup title in 

India. Off-spinner Sthalekar took 

2-20 as Australia cruised to a 114-run 

victory on Monday. Australia started 

celebrating their sixth World Cup title 

triumph after Sthalekar took a brilliant 

one-handed diving catch at 

mid-wicket. The 33-year-old later 

revealed she would retire after a 

career including eight Tests, 125 ODIs 

and 54 Twenty20 matches for her 

country. Sthalekar, who was also on 

the 2005 World Cup-winning team, 

was the first woman to score 1000 

runs and take 100 wickets in ODIs. 

She is ranked the No.1 T20 all-rounder 

and bowler in the world. Born in 

the Indian city of Pune, Sthalekar 

won the Belinda Clark Award as 

Australia’s best international female 

cricketer in 2007 and 2008, the same 

years she was nominated for the ICC 

women’s Player of the Year award. 

Samajik win in ‘B’ Division 

KATHMANDU: The match between 

Birgunj Academy and Mahabir Club 

in the Martyrs’ Memorial Red Bull ‘B’ 

Division Football Tournament ended 

1-1 in Halchowk Stadium on Monday. 

Ravi Paswan’s 5th minute goal was 

cancelled by Jitendra Dhimal in the 

41st minute. In the other match, 

Samajik Youth Club beat Kathmandu 

Club 3-0. Yakub Rai, Santakumar 

Shrestha and Amrika Magar scored in 

the 35th, 43rd and 78th minute 

respectively for Samajik. 

Wilson Hoops begins 

KATHMANDU: Reigning champions 

Wilson Academy kick started their 

title defence on a perfect note, registering 

a resounding 52-25 win over 

Sainik Awashya Vidhalaya in the senior 

boys’ event of the Wilson Hoops 

Inter-school basketball tournament 

on Monday. Riding on Dhiren 

Magar’s 12 points, Wilson made a 

light work of Sainik at their basketball 

premises. The second game between 

Kathmandu Intl’ Study Center (KISC) 

and Siddhartha Vanasthali ended 

55-39. The highest scorer was Jordan 

from KISC with 21 points. KISC 

senior girls too registered a 5-3 win 

over Wilson in the low scoring affair. 

Real Madrid survive 

Ramos red, Atletico 

end away blues 

REUTERS 

MADRID, FEB 18 

REAL Madrid survived an 

early red card for Sergio 

Ramos to see off city rivals 

Rayo Vallecano 2-0 at the 

Bernabeu on Sunday, 

matching the wins of La 

Liga leaders Barcelona 

and Atletico Madrid over 

the weekend. 

Youth-team striker 

Alvaro Morata and Ramos 

scored inside the opening 

12 minutes, but Real were 

checked when their captain 

picked up two yellow 

cards in quick succession 

to get sent off. 

The third-placed 

champions moved on to 

49 points from 24 games, 

four behind secondplaced 

Atletico Madrid, 

who remembered how to 

win on the road again 

when Radamel Falcao 

opened the scoring in a 

3-0 victory at Real 

Valladolid. 

Barcelona are top 

with 65 points. 

Atletico last won on 

the road in mid- 

November, when they 

defeated Granada 1-0, but 

after consecutive defeats 

in La Liga and the Europa 

League they rediscovered 

their bite to turn over 

Valladolid. 

Colombia striker 

Falcao pounced on a 

loose ball to score after 

Diego Godin’s volley at a 

free kick was only parried 

in the 11th minute. It was 

his 20th league goal of the 

season.Diego Costa doubled 

the lead in the 53rd 

minute before Cristian 

Rodriguez grabbed a third 

at the end. 

Inter humbled at 

Fiorentina 

MILAN: Two goal each 

from Adem Ljajic and 

Stevan Jovetic steered 

Fiorentina to a 4-1 thrashing 

of thrashing of dismal 

Inter Milan. Antonio 

Cassano’s late consolation 

aside, this was humiliating 

for Inter who face the 

remainder of the season 

without injured striker 

Diego Milito. 

LA LIGA RESULTS 

Valencia 2 - 0 Mallorca 

Valladolid 0 - 3 Atletico 

Espanyol 1 - 0 Betis 

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Vallecano 

Turbulent Arsenal face Bayern 

REUTERS 

LONDON, FEB 18 

ARSENAL manager Arsene 

Wenger has ridden out 

periods of turbulence in what 

is certain to be eight successive 

trophyless seasons of domestic 

disappointment but the heat is back 

on when Bayern Munich visit in the 

Champions League on Tuesday. 

The Frenchman, whose 

furrowed brow added a line or two 

after Arsenal were dumped out of 

the FA Cup by second-tier Blackburn 

Rovers on Saturday, has called on his 

side to stand up and be counted 

when they face the runaway 

Bundesliga leaders in a last 16 

first-leg tie. 

Arsenal were booed off after the 

home fifth round-defeat by 

Blackburn, completing a Cup exit 

double at the hands of lower league 

opposition after a shock Capital One 

(League Cup) quarter-final loss to 

fourth-tier Bradford. 

Out of contention in the Premier 

League and with only a Champions 

League place to play for, Wenger 

needs a big performance against 

Bayern to quieten the doubters. 

“It is a good opportunity to show 

that we have character and are men 

who can fight for each other. That is 

all you can do,” Wenger said. 

Arsenal have lost in the last 16 in 

the last two seasons and face a 

Bayern side cruising towards the 

Bundesliga title having won 18 of 22 

league games. Friday’s 2-0 victory at 

VfL Wolfsburg was their fourth 

successive win with Mario 

Mandzukic, joint top scorer of the 

league, again on target for his 15th 

goal of the season. 

Mandzukic looks set to start 

against Arsenal, with Mario Gomez 

again left on the bench. The 

Croatian’s form has been a blessing, 

with Gomez out for months following 

ankle surgery in August. 

He is also unfazed by media 

reports saying Bayern are close to 

signing Borussia Dortmund top 

scorer Robert Lewandowski for next 

season. The only minor discord in 

the Bayern camp is Arjen Robben’s 

dissatisfaction with his current 

substitute role. 

Robben came on late against 

Wolfsburg and drilled in Bayern’s 

second goal in stoppage time, before 

Pariyal sinks Swarna Club 

POST REPORT 


HIMALAYA Club beat Swarna 

Youth Club 1-0 in the Ncell Youth 

Cup U-15 Football Tournament 

organised by All Nepal Football 

Association and sponsored by 

Ncell in Saptari district on 

Monday. Ujjwal Pariyal scored 

the lone goal for Himalaya. 

NCELL U-15 CUP 

The other match between 

Ramdev Youth Club and Lilja 

Young Star Club ended 1-0 with 

Nabin Chaudhari’s only goal 

earning Ramdev victory. 

In the first semi-final match 

organised by Kavre District 

Football Association, Dhulikhel 

United thrashed Narayansthan 

Youth 5-0 at Dhulikhel Stadium. 

Samjaya Shrestha, Bikash 

Bajragai, Sujan Lama, Samir 

Khadka and Simran Shrestha 

Arsenal’s midfielder Jack Wilshere (left) and striker Theo Walcott during a training session on the eve of their 

Champions League round of 16 match against Bayern Munich. AFP/RSS 

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW 

scored for Dhulikhel. The second 

semi-final match between 

Lashkush Club and Kavre Border 

of Syangja ended 1-0 in favour of 

former team. Samjaya Baiju 

scored the winning goal for 

Lashkush. 

The first match organised by 

Sindhuli District Football 

Association between Nawa 

Pratibha Youth Club and 

Dhumgrebas Tole Sudhar Samiti 

ended 5-1 at Loktantra Stadium. 

Napoleon Shrestha scored 

hat-trick while Niraj Bhujel and 

Ramesh Paudel added a goal each 

for Nawa Pratibha. 

In the other match, Blue 

Alpine Club beat Pragatisil Youth 

Club 4-2. Bishal Shrestha got 

three goals and Ashish Shrestha 

scored one for Blue Alpine. Chitra 

Bahadur Karki and Ashish 

Tamang scored a goal each for 

Pragatisil. In Sunsari, a Nidesh 

Rai goal gace Rastriya Jagriti a 1-0 

win over Itahari Club. 

demanding to start against Arsenal. 

“I do not see any reason why I 

should not play against Arsenal,” he 

told reporters. “These are the super 

games you want to play.” The Dutch 

winger also vented his frustration 

with his playing time under coach 

Jupp Heynckes. 

Heynckes, who will make way 

for Pep Guardiola at the end of the 

season, has denied there was any 

growing tension with the player 

Bayern will be without suspended 

Jerome Boateng and injured 

Holger Badstuber and Claudio 


PARIS, FEB 18 

SERENA Williams was confirmed as 

the world number one despite her 

defeat against Victoria Azarenka in the 

Qatar Open on Sunday, as the two 

rivals swapped places in the latest WTA 

rankings released on Monday. 

Azarenka avenged the loss of her 

world number one ranking to Williams 

by beating the American for only the 

second time in 13 attempts to successfully 

defend her Qatar Open title on 

Sunday. The Belarusian’s 7-6 (8/6), 2-6, 

6-3 win over the legendary American 

also completed back-to-back title 

defences, as last month she also 

defended the Australian Open title. 

The 31-year-old American 

becomes the oldest ever woman to 

claim top spot following her run to the 

Doha final, moving 265 points clear of 

Azarenka with Russia’s Maria 

Sharapova remaining third. 

After winning Wimbledon and the 

US Open last year, Williams’ total of 

Pizarro, but can again count on 

midfielder Javi Martinez, who 

should be fit for the game. 

PROBABLE TEAMS: 

Arsenal: 1-Wojciech Szczesny; 

3-Bacary Sagna, 4-Per Mertesacker, 

5-Thomas Vermaelen, 6-Laurent 

Koscielny; 8-Mikel Arteta 19-Santi 

Cazorla, 10-Jack Wilshere, 9-Lukas 

Podolksi; 12-Olivier Giroud, 14-Theo 

Walcott 

Bayern Munich: 1-Manuel 

Neuer; 21-Philipp Lahm, 5-Daniel 

van Buyten, 4-Dante, 27-David 

Alaba; 8-Javi Martinez, 31-Bastian 

Schweinsteiger, 25-Thomas Mueller, 

39-Toni Kroos, 7-Franck Ribery; 

9-Mario Mandzukic 

Grand Slam titles has risen to 15, only 

three fewer than retired greats Martina 

Navratilova and Evert, who together 

are second on the all-time list behind 

Steffi Graf with 22. 

In the men’s rankings, Rafael Nadal 

who beat Argentina’s David 

Nalbandian 6-2, 6-3 in Sao Paulo for 

Brazil Open title on Sunday, retains 

fifth position in ATP rankings, where 

the top 10 positions remains same. 

PISTORIUS TRIAL 

Battle of legal 

heavyweights 


JOHANNESBURG, FEB 18 

OLYMPIC sprint star and murder suspect 

Oscar Pistorius will appear in 

court on Tuesday for a bail hearing 

that promises to be a prelude to a 

battle of legal heavyweights. 

Pistorius’s trial for the Valentine’s 

Day killing of his model girlfriend will 

feature some of South Africa’s best 

lawyers and a tough prosecutor who 

is famous for jailing the former police 

chief for graft. 

The man who the state has called 

on to prosecute the case is Gerrie Nel, 

an experienced and highly qualified 

lawyer known to be thorough. 

Nel is most famous for sending to 

jail ex-Interpol president and South 

Africa’s former police chief Jackie 

Selebi after proving he had taken 

bribes from organised crime network. 

He will argue that Pistorius 

planned the murder of his lover 

Reeva Steenkamp, 29, who was shot 

four times in the early hours of 

Thursday. Premeditated murder carries 

a life term and it is not normally 

easy for suspects to secure bail. 

To make his case Pistorius has 

put together a crack team of lawyers, 

led by advocate Barry Roux who was 

described by Tuson as a “very talented 

and ethical practitioner who will 

do his best for all his clients.” 

Also on the Pistorius team is 

Kenny Oldwage, who acted for the 

driver in a 2010 accident that killed 

former president Nelson Mandela’s 

great-grandchild Zenani. The driver 

was acquitted. Pistorius has also 

hired one of the country’s top forensic 

pathologists Reggie Perumal. 

Williams replaces Azarenka despite loss 

Victoria Azarenka defeated Serena 

Williams for Qatar Open title. 

WORLD RANKINGS 

WTA RANKINGS 

1. Serena Williams (USA) 10590 pts 

2. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 10325 

3. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 9715 

4. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 7750 

5. Na Li (CHN) 6130 

6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5400 

7. Sara Errani (ITA) 4820 

8. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 4510 

9. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 3835 

10. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3570 

ATP RANKINGS 

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 12960 pts 

2. Roger Federer (SUI) 9855 

3. Andy Murray (GBR) 8480 

4. David Ferrer (ESP) 6865 

5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5755 

6. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4485 

7. Juan Martín Del Potro (ARG) 4410 

8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3515 

9. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 3125 

10. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2880 

Published and Printed by Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. Kantipur Complex, Subidhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, Phone: 4480100, Fax: 977-1-4466320, e-mail: kpost@kantipur.com.np, Regd. No. 32/048/049, Chairman & Managing Director : Kailash Sirohiya, Director : Swastika Sirohiya, Editor-in-Chief : Akhilesh Upadhyay

Rameshore Khanal 

Nepal in the next 

20 years B 

MUKUL HUMAGAIN 

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 

20TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL 

NEPAL’S NEXT 20 YEARS 

NEPAL is virtually at a crossroads, 

economically and politically. 

Despite political turmoil 

and a horrific conflict, the 

economy has managed to 

stay afloat in the last 20 years — a clear 

testimony to the resilience of the 

country's private sector and the Nepali 

people's undying optimism even in the 

midst of misery. 

What will the next 20 years bring? 

Hari Krishna Upadhyaya 

Some farming country E 

There are only two ways for the country; 

move towards prosperity or remain stunted. 

However, Nepal cannot remain a lowgrowth 

country forever given the opportunities 

its two immediate neighbours—India 

and China—present. There can be no two 

thoughts about acquiring the benefits of 

economic integration with China and India, 

and becoming the main transit route for 

the powerhouses. 

Though the immediate outlook looks 

far from encouraging, there are enough 

reasons to be optimistic. There is a new 

Siddhanta Raj Pandey 

The money makers 

breed of entrepreneurs who are already 

making an impact, a large number of foreign 

returnees equipped with new skills 

and modern management, and a team of 

affluent non-resident Nepalis (NRNs) keen 

to invest in their home country. 

With development of tourism infrastructure, 

Nepal can double arrivals, most 

of whom will come from these two fastprospering 

big neighbours. The growth in 

specialty medical services and education 

will also help turn the tourism sector 

around. And, for these two countries too, 

I 

Radhesh Pant 

Howdy pardners 

Nepal can be a destination for sectors 

like outsourcing industry, business 

process outsourcing (BPO) and ancillary 

goods production given the relatively 

cheaper labour and fine climatic conditions. 

Already, leading Indian IT companies 

have been looking around in Nepal to set up 

BPO centres. 

Nepal's geography is another asset that 

makes the country perfect for 

growing premium agriculture products. 

Today, the country is the third largest 

producer of ginger and the fifth 

L 

Vidhan Rana 

The times are surely 

changin' 

largest producer of lentil in the world. 

Buoyed by the <strong>deal</strong> struck by 

political parties on forming an election government, 

the stock market has swung 

upward in the last few days. This points to 

one stark fact, and that is political vacillation 

will impact business. Hence, it is 

imperative for the political leadership to 

put the economy at the centre and act 

accordingly. 

As we complete 20 years of our inception, 

The Kathmandu Post explores new 

possibilities of growth for the next 20 years. 

Q

B 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

RAMESHORE KHANAL 

Nepal in the next 20 years 

If political party cadres stop acting like goons, the prospects are great for an economic boom 

BEATRICE Webb, a leading Fabian 

Socialist, described the Koreans as 

“12 million dirty, degraded, sullen, 

lazy and religionless savages who 

slouch about in dirty white garments 

of the most inept kind and who live in 

filthy mud huts” after her tour of Asia in 1912. 

Her conclusion was that Koreans themselves 

cannot change and no one else can turn them 

around from the barbaric state except, perhaps, 

the Japanese for whom Ms Webb did not have 

any good rating either. 

Japan changed dramatically and in the second 

half of 20th century Japanese work culture 

and organizational loyalty became a fabled 

story. In the 1960s, the Japanese economy grew 

by an annual average rate of 10 percent. The 

pace of high growth rate continued until the 

1980s. So did Korea. Korea (South) today produces 

electronics, household equipments, consumer 

durables and heavy machinery for the 

entire world. Many Korean companies have 

become technology leaders. 

Predicting how an economy or the country 

What is in store for 

us then? People 

who believe that a 

turnaround is possible, 

those who think 

that there’s an 

opportunity even in 

this chaos are in a 

minority. There is 

an overwhelming 

sense of cynicism. 

We are, therefore, at 

a crossroads. 

Where we are going 

to be in the next 25 

years depends 

upon what path we 

collectively take 

will fare in the future is difficult, if not 

impossible. Many of us in Nepal, having 

been through turmoil and neverending 

transition, do not regard ourselves 

as having any bright future. 

Even the younger generation is losing 

hope, and there is a visible tendency 

of looking for opportunities outside 

the country. Each day, thousands of 

Nepalis leave the country for jobs, for 

studies and for some other occupation. 

Somehow the economy has 

been growing every year, although by 

a percentage much lower than coun- 


tries in our neighbourhood and countries of 

similar standing. Several human development 

indicators have improved in these difficult 

years. And there has been remarkable improvement 

in rural infrastructure. 

What is in store for us then? People who 

believe that a turnaround is possible, those who 

think that there’s an opportunity even in this 

chaos are in a minority. There is an overwhelming 

sense of cynicism. We are, therefore, at a 

crossroads. Where we are going to be in the next 

25 years depends upon what path we collectively 

take. Ask any producer about business; the 

response invariably is one of frustration. In the 

past few months, most of them have been 

approached for monetary donation by people 

claiming to be affiliated to one or the other 

political party. The way they ask for donations 

has left many producers shivering in fear. “This 

is what you must give us, if you don’t, we’ll kick 

you out of this country,” is the terse sentence 

that goes with the demand for money. 

If this is the dictum and if this is going to be 

the norm, producers will have to either leave the 

country or stop commercial production. When 

all the producers are gone, those left in the 

country will just be donation seekers. Imagine 

the scenario if this happens. This path will lead 

us to a future that is painful even to think about. 

However, if we don’t mend our ways, this 

appears to be a certain possibility. 

The reason is the strategy that political parties 

have been adopting, and there is hardly any 

sign that they are going to change. Since parties 

allow such activities to go unchecked, party 

cadres oftentimes take this as a means of 

extracting money for personal pleasure and living. 

It’s no wonder that the youth wings of political 

parties have names with such tags like 

“League”, “Force” and “Front” which conjure up 

an image of a militant group. When their 

demand is not met, they vandalize offices, torch 

vehicles, beat people and, in some cases, even 

abduct them. 

What Nepal has received in foreign direct 

investment in the last few years is peanuts compared 

to the countries of our ranks. Domestic 

capital investment has also remained very low 

because of this very threat. Therefore, if political 

parties do not train their cadres to be good to 

investors, entrepreneurs and producers, our 

economic potential will not be harnessed. Our 

growth will remain stunted. If there is no respect 

for work, even the professionals, in spite of the 

prospects, would not like to remain here. If we 

change our ways, show respect for work, regard 

“profit” as a necessary incentive for entrepreneurs 

and innovation, we’ll certainly have good 

days ahead. In the next 20 years, we can certainly 

be the most prosperous country in South Asia. 

Here’s how. 

CONTD ON PAGE C


CONTD FROM PAGE B 

Nepal 

in the 

next 20... 

If we improve the overall 

environment of doing 

business, the first sector 

that will immediately add 

significant employment 

and benefit the rural 

population by backward 

integration is tourism 

Remittance keeping the economy 

breathing and alive cannot be considered 

good. But there’s one good thing 

about it. If we create a welcoming 

environment, the very workers who 

are sweating to develop an alien land 

will come back. In the interim, the 

country is getting remittance money, 

those workers have equipped themselves 

with new skills, and they are 

exposed to modern management 

capable of surviving and excelling in 

competition. They have seen what a 

nation should be like. They have some 

money for investment and, most 

importantly, they have developed a 

zeal to do what they have seen being 

done in their employers’ countries. 

This is an asset which otherwise 

would have required a huge investment 

for us to acquire. The countries 

that drastically transformed themselves 

in a few decades didn’t get there 

20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

because of natural endowment. It was 

because of trained human resources 

with the right aptitude. In addition to 

freely trained and, to a large extent, 

motivated human resources, Nepal is 

endowed with natural resources that 

gives us an edge over many other 

countries. 

If we improve the overall environment 

of doing business, the first sector 

that will immediately add significant 

employment and benefit the 

rural population by backward integration 

is tourism. This sector has the 

prospect of growing by a high doubledigit 

percentage at least for a decade. 

Malaysia, with a population of 29 million, 

receives around 20 million 

tourists a year and has targeted total 

tourist arrivals of 36 million by 2020. 

Qatar, a nondescript country in terms 

of endowment for attracting tourists, 

receives tourists in a number more 

than its own population. The number 

of tourists visiting Tibet in a year is 10 

times more than its own population. If 

we allow this sector to prosper, Nepal 

can easily achieve more than 10 million 

tourists in the next 20 years which 

currently stands below 1 million. 

Agriculture will and should 

transform in the next 20 years. But we 

need to change our focus. We should 

not be excessively paranoid about 

food security. 

Certainly, we should target nutrition-security, 

and keeping this in 

mind, we need to diversify agriculture 

to produce high-value farm products 

that can be sold at premium prices in 

the global market and used as raw 

materials for healthcare, processed 

food and beauty products. In several 

places, foreign returnees and innovative 

young farmers have started doing 

things that farmers traditionally did 

not think about. Upgrading the rural 

infrastructure base that has already 

been created in the recent decade and 

improving market infrastructure will 

see our agriculture being transformed 

into a sector that will eliminate abject 

poverty once and for all. One thing 

looks certain, Nepal will be a major 

meat and dairy products exporting 

country in the next two decades. 

Meanwhile, can we fully exploit 

the currently assessed hydropower 

potential in the next 20 years? The 

answer tilts towards a “no”, but it is 

technically feasible. We may not, however, 

be able to attract so much financial 

resources even if we improve to 

the satisfaction of foreign investors. 

There are still lots of risks involved 

which will not easily go away. As 

Nepal’s private sector has taken a solid 

step, we will certainly not have another 

bout of load-shedding after the cur- 

rent spell ends. Will we be exporting 

hydropower? We might not, if we take 

an aggressive approach to inviting 

and promoting energy-intensive manufacturing 

industries. In any case, 

whether or not we should export 

hydropower depends on the comparative 

advantage. 

In the coming two decades, the 

biggest turnaround is going to happen 

in the service sector, which includes 

specialty medical services, schooling 

and higher education. Tourism will 

also get a new theme from medical 

and educational services. With China 

and India on the way to firmly securing 

second and third places as the 

largest economies in the world, if not 

first and second, Nepal has the 

chance of becoming an offshore 

financial centre. 

Similarly, the forestry sector, 

which has only contributed to house- 

C 

hold energy in Nepal’s economic history, 

remains a resource that can 

equally compete with the agriculture 

sector. With improved road infrastructure 

all over Nepal and decreasing 

reliance on forests for household 

energy, presumably to be replaced by 

hydropower, this sector can and will 

be a major source of industrial raw 

materials. 

However, we will be on course to 

prosperity only when political parties 

change their ways and stop training 

youths to work for donation collection 

threatening the very producers whose 

existence and success is absolutely 

necessary for achieving prosperity. It’s 

not the immediate, short-term things, 

political parties need to look at the 

long term. 

(Khanal is economic advisor to the 

Prime Minister)

D 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

SANGAM PRASAIN 

Investors 

WANTED 

Despite present problems, 

there can be no doubt that 

farming is the key to Nepal’s 

growth 

NEPAL’S economic growth 

this year is projected to 

remain at 3.8 percent. 

One of the major reasons 

behind the lower 

estimate is a decline in farm production 

due to a late monsoon and fertilizer 

shortage. The agriculture sector and 

the country’s GDP growth are directly 

related as a contraction in farm output 

has a direct impact on the country’s 

overall growth. This also shows that 

agriculture is still the dominant sector 

of the economy. 

In the last two decades, agriculture 

somehow took a back seat for the government, 

policy makers and donors. 

Now, as the country is moving towards 

a new political setup, there has been a 

paradigm shift with regard to the farm 

sector. The government is drafting a 

new vision document for the agro sector, 

donors are pouring more money 

into it and the private sector is increasingly 

leaning towards this sector. 

ADS: New vision document 

With the much-hyped Agriculture 

Perspective Plan (APP) failing to yield 

the desired results, the government is 

now engaged in drafting a new development 

blueprint—Agriculture 

Development Strategy (ADS). 

Keeping in mind the fundamental 

changes that have taken place in the 

last few years which the APP had not 

envisioned, the ADS is incorporating 

new issues that have emerged since 

then like climate change, food security, 

out-migration of youth and decentralization, 

inclusion and governance. “As 

we have learnt much from the APP, the 

ADS will obviously correct past mistakes,” 

said Prabhakar Pathak, 

spokesperson of the Agriculture 

Ministry. The government has envisaged 

an agro-led prosperous Nepal in 

the next 20 years through the ADS. 

“The most important part will be the 

investment,” added Pathak. “As the 

ADS has the active involvement of a 

dozen donors, it will help scale up 

investment in the farm sector on a 

massive level.” 

The ADS will also help address 

post-harvest losses in the farm sector 

by enhancing technology, storage 

facilities and marketing. At present, 

post-harvest losses in Nepal are very 

high—40 percent for vegetables and 20 

percent for cereals. Climate-smart 

technology in the farm sector will be 

another focus to develop agriculture. 

To cope with climate change risks, climate 

resilient crops will be developed. 

Future potential 

Despite the present gloomy scenario 

where the farm sector has been grappling 

with low investment and limited 

research, technology and inputs, there 

can be no doubt that the sector is the 

key to the country’s growth. Nepal’s 

diverse agro-ecological zones are one 

of the factors that could lead it towards 

exporting off-season vegetables, horti- 

culture, cash crops, organic products 

and herbs, among other niche products. 

Agro economist Hari Krishna 

Upadhyaya says that along with a 

focus on cereal productivity, the current 

need is capitalizing on the potential 

of high value crops or cash crops. 

Cash crops yield nine times greater 

profit than other crops and they can be 

a major driver to promote agri business 

and trade. 

Officials at the ministry hope that 

there will be engagement of the government 

and the private sector to 

jointly promote the country’s farm sector 

for the next 20 years. The private 

sector has started realizing that there 

are profits in agri business. “This initiative 

means that in the next 20 years, 

Nepal will be self-sufficient in paddy, 

vegetable, floriculture, fruit and dairy 

production,” said Pathak. 

Nepal could be a major exporter of 

value-added crops like ginger, pulse, 

tea and coffee, among others, which 

are highly prized in the global market. 

Coffee and tea are already grabbing 

world attention. Besides, Nepal’s 

organic products are in high demand 

in the international market. 

Upadhyaya added, “Cereal production 

should be focused on meeting 

the requirement of the Nepali people 

while cash crops should be promoted 

for agri business purposes.” However, 

lack of policy to promote farming has 

hindered it from playing a major role 

in the economy. 

Role of private sector 

Although the agriculture policy started 

supporting commercialization 

from the 1990s, the role of the private 

sector has not been very great in the 

case of commercialization. The 

decade-long conflict (1996-2006) has 

also discouraged private parties from 

investing in the agriculture sector. 

Post-2006, there has been a 

growth in the involvement of the private 

sector in the commercialization 

of agriculture. There has been a new 

wave of investments (still relatively 

Nepal could be a 

major exporter of 

value-added crops 

like ginger, pulse, tea 

and coffee, among 

others, which are 

highly prized in the 

global market 

not large) in the agri sector, mainly 

dairy, cash crops and organic products, 

in many parts of the country. The 

poultry sector is one where there has 

been a huge investment from the private 

sector. Value added or cash crops 

like coffee, herbal products, vegetables, 

cereals, flowers and ginger are 

some of the products which are being 

slowly commercialized by the private 

sector. 

“During the 1990s, there used to be 

lot of discussion on why the agriculture 

sector needed private sector 

investment,” said Upadhyaya. “Now 

the role of the private sector has been 

realized.” According to Upadhyaya, the 

government should invest in infrastructure 

and invite the private sector 

to conduct production and processing. 

“The private sector should invest in 

agro processing that will create many 

jobs,” said Upadhyaya. 

Economist Bishwombher Pyakurel 

said that in the past, the government 

failed to ensure a sense of security for 

the private sector, and thus they were 

discouraged from entering the farm 

sector. “The private sector invests 

where there is profit, and the government 

needs to bring policy that will 

assist them,” said Pyakurel. “Lack of 

insurance mechanisms to reduce risk 

in crops is one of the major compo- 


nents that kept the private sector away 

from the farm sector.” 

Ministry spokesperson Pathak said 

that the next farm revolution would be 

led by the private sector. “Without the 

private sector, we cannot think of 

developing the agro sector now.” 

Involvement of the private sector 

means investment in commercial agriculture. 

Agriculture and subsidy 

Experts said that rather than subsidizing 

recurring expenses like fertilizers, 

the government should focus on facilitating 

the enhancement of technologies 

used in agriculture. Providing tax 

concessions on the import of tractors 

and other agricultural machinery 

would help to increase farmers’ access 

to these technologies and enhance 

their productivity. 

In Nepal, fertilizer has always been 

a political commodity. Supplying adequate 

quantities of fertilizers to farmers 

has been a constant challenge for 

the government. Successive governments 

have changed their fertilizer 

policies many times in a bid to ensure 

smooth supply of fertilizers in the 

country. Nepal started receiving fertilizers 

under grant aid from Germany, 

Canada, Japan and Finland in the late 

1960s. Some countries stopped the 

supply after 1991-92, while others 

reduced the volume. 

This strategy failed to achieve the 

desired objectives of increased access 

by farmers to fertilizer. The supply and 

distribution of fertilizer was erratic, 

and the subsidies tended to benefit 

richer farmers more than poorer farmers. 

In response, the government 

decided in 1997 to deregulate the fertilizer 

sector, fulfilling one of the loan 

covenants under the Second 

Agriculture Programme Loan of the 

Asian Development Bank. However, 

the government reintroduced 

subsidies on fertilizers 

in 2008 following the 

global food crisis. 

Agriculture Ministry 

statistics show that the 

country requires 726,000 

tonnes of chemical fertilizer 

annually. “There has 

been a long-standing argument 

regarding subsidy on 

fertilizers. In the long term, 

subsidies on chemical fertilizers 

will be a bad idea 

because it will create a Rs 

16 billion burden on the 

government treasurer,” 

added Upadhyaya. He said 

that theoretically, Nepal 

cannot compete with 

Indian products where 

subsidies are disbursed 

massively. This has also led 

Nepal to lose competitiveness. 

“Nepal should find 

alternatives to the chemical 

fertilizer subsidy and 

organic fertilizers or shift to 

alternative crops which 

require less fertilizers but 

give higher profits.”

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 20 years of ensuring your right to right information E 

HARI KRISHNA UPADHYAYA 

AGRICULTURE occupies centre 

stage of the Nepali economy and 

deserves priority beyond rhetoric. 

With more than two-thirds of the 

labour force engaged in farming, 

no other sector can have as direct and lasting 

an impact on poverty reduction. It is the main 

source of livelihood for a vast majority of the 

rural poor in Nepal. Agricultural development 

is not an option, but a necessary condition for 

large-scale increase in employment and 

reduction in poverty, and this will not be possible 

without increased investment. 

Across the Asia-Pacific region, the countries 

that invested in agriculture not only 

achieved high growth, they also massively cut 

down their poverty rate. Indeed, the periods of 

high growth and rapid reduction in poverty 

have been preceded by increased investment 

and policy support in favour of agriculture. 

Examples include Indonesia in the late 1960s, 

China in the early 1980s, India in the mid- 

1980s and Vietnam in the early 1990s. Nepal 

has lagged far behind in this respect. 

In Nepal, private investment in agriculture 

is a relatively recent phenomenon, and the 

level is still negligible. This is understandable 

given the investment risks associated with 

poor infrastructure, unstable policy and political 

environment and the subsistence nature 

of agriculture. Public investment becomes 

crucial in such a situation to move agriculture 

forward and to attract private investment. 

However, the level of public investment in 

agriculture has been historically low, below 5 

percent of the total government budget, and it 

has further declined in recent years. The proportion 

of the government’s annual budget 

allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture 

Some farming country 

Agriculture is hailed as Nepal’s heart and soul, but investment does not match the rhetoric 

Development has declined from 3.7 percent 10 

years ago to 2.6 percent in 2012. Most of this 

budget is spent on staff salaries and administrative 

activities, with little left for programme 

activities. Strong agricultural research is vital 

for a vibrant agricultural economy. If agriculture 

is the engine of economic growth, as is 

often said, then agricultural research is like the 

fuel to keep the engine running. But this is not 

seen in practice, especially considering the 

level of public investment going to agricultural 

research. 

Nepal’s average public investment in agricultural 

research, as a percentage of the agricultural 

GDP, has been around 0.2 percent, in 

sharp contrast with the low- and middleincome 

countries’ average of 0.5 percent, 

high-income countries’ average of 2 percent 

and the global average of 1 percent. As a result, 

agricultural research in Nepal has remained, at 

best, traditional, with little incentive and scientific 

environment to respond to the changing 

economic contexts and the needs of its 

clientele. There is no denying that investment 

in agriculture is low and needs to be increased. 

However, notwithstanding the arguments 

given above, what is also important to consider 

is that resources are limited and never 

enough to meet all the needs. This is true 

everywhere, much more so in Nepal. Hence, 

The focus of Nepal’s 

agricultural development 

plan, at least for 

the short to medium 

term, has to be on three 

programmatic areasnamely 

productivity 

growth, employment 

generation for youth 

and sustainable food 

security for people in 

the hills and mountains 

investment needs to be prioritized, and this is 

what planning is all about. Where and how to 

allocate the available resources is even a bigger 

question than whether and how to 

increase the availability of resources. Clearly, 

the resources should go where their returns 

are the highest, or where the needs are most 

urgent and pressing. 

Nepal’s agricultural productivities are 

among the lowest in the region. Increased productivity 

has the highest potential for reducing 

poverty and ensuring broad-based growth. 

Studies have indicated that a 10 percent 

increase in farm yield results in a 5 percent 

reduction in poverty in Asia. 

A major consequence of low productivity, 

as observed in recent years, is that domestic 

agricultural products are losing the competition 

with imported products and are failing to 

get markets. Commercialization of agriculture 

is inconceivable without increasing competitiveness, 

and the latter is inconceivable without 

increasing productivity. 

Increasingly large numbers of youth—currently 

about half a million or so—are leaving 

the country every year for jobs abroad, mainly 

in Malaysia and the Gulf. The amount of 

money they bring into the country is impressive, 

about 22 percent of the GDP in 2011. 

About 56 percent of all households in Nepal 

receive remittances that make up nearly onethird 

of their total annual incomes. Clearly, the 

increased outflow of the country’s young 

labour force has increased the inflow of remittances 

from US$ 83 million in 1999 to US$ 4.1 

billion in 2011, and contributed to reducing 

poverty from 31 percent in 2003 to 25 percent 

in 2010. 

But this has also caused a serious shortage 

of farm labour during peak seasons. In a 

recent survey conducted by CEAPRED in five 

districts of the Tarai, about 20 percent of the 

households reported labour shortages 

throughout the year, while about 80 percent 

experienced this problem during the peak 

agriculture seasons. The massive outflow of 

young labour has left agriculture in the hands 

of children, women and the aged population. 

This may adversely affect commercialization 

of agriculture as well as innovation and use of 

improved production technologies in farming. 

Low productivity also means low food 

availability locally. The number of food insecure 

districts and households in the hills and 

mountains regions is rising every year, and the 

government’s capacity to ensure access to the 

right quantity and quality of food at the right 

time is increasingly limited in both operational 

and financial terms. There are opportunities 

to grow crops that can be used as staple 

foods, such as millet, barley, buckwheat and 

potato. Production and consumption of such 

crops would offer a more sustainable 

approach to improving food security in the 

hills and mountains 

Against the above backdrop, the focus of 

Nepal’s agricultural development plan, at least 

for the short to medium term, has to be on 

three programmatic areas—namely productivity 

growth, employment generation for 

youth and sustainable food security for people 

in the hills and mountains. Productivity 

growth depends on improved and affordable 

access by farmers to technology, inputs and 

support services, for which the agricultural 

research and extension system needs to be 

more effective, efficient and responsive to the 

needs of their clientele, including agro entrepreneurs. 

Support for farm mechanization 

and provision of incentives for young people 

to engage in commercial agriculture and agro 

processing can create remunerative jobs. 

Short-term financial, technical and material 

subsidies for cultivation of local food crops 

can lead to a more efficient and sustainable 

solution in the long run to the problem of 

hunger and malnutrition in the remote hills 

and mountains areas. Even a part of the funds 

spent every year on supplying food to these 

areas can provide a reasonably workable 

resource base for starters. 

(Upadhyaya is executive chairman of 

CEAPRED)

F 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

Three Adhikari brothers— 

Sarojmani, Sailendra and 

Raman—of Kalika VDC, Kaski, are 

busy in animal husbandry, milk 

production and organic farming. 

With 70 cattle in the farm, their 

investment has reached Rs 8 million, 

which is yielding a monthly 

profit of Rs 200,000. All three 

brothers are university graduates 

and were once criticised for their 

decision not to go abroad. 

In Namobudha of Kavrepalanchwok 

district, Suryanath Pandey 

is reaping benefits of kiwifruit 

farming. He earned Rs 1.1 million 

in last two years. Pandey, who sold 

3 tonnes kiwi last year, aims higher, 

with plans to earn Rs 2 million 

annually. 

Ram Bahadur Khadka from 

Palchowk of Sindhupalchowk district 

was the first to begin trout 

fish farming in the district. 

Khadka is planning to produce 

6,000 kg trout fish this year. His 

decision not to migrate to the US 

along with his contemporaries 

during the conflict period has 

turned into a wise decision. 

Ashok Kumar Basnet of Jutepani, 

Chitwan, is a commercial beekeeper. 

He has 74 bee hives and 

earns Rs 700,000 annually. 

THESE are some instances of how 

innovation and commercialisation 

is taking place in Nepal’s 

farm sector. Foreign returnees 

and innovative young farmers 

have started doing things that traditional 

farmers never thought about. 

There has been a remarkable surge in 

investment and involvement of the private 

sector (young graduates, foreign-returnees) 

in the farm sector —be it animal husbandry, 

dairy or high-value cash crops. This new 

breed is all set to take the sector to new highs 

through innovation and smart work. 

Nepali farmers have already achieved 

significant success in production of kiwi, 

avocado, apple, orange, mango and banana, 

among other fruits, gradually leading Nepal 

to self-reliance in fruits. 

Pandey, who has 18 ropanies of organic 

farmland, expects commercial kiwi farming 

can play a key role in substituting import. In 

Kathmandu-based department stores, 

kiwifruit costs as high as Rs 700 per kg. 

The fruit is believed have reached to the 

gardens of Nepali farmers in 2007. Earlier, 

cultivation was confined to a few private gardens 

of the privileged group. 

Kiwifruit is native to southern China, 

and has been declared national fruit of 

China. Cultivation of the kiwi spread from 

China in the early 20th century, when the 

seeds were introduced to New Zealand. 

Commercial farming of kiwifruit (Chinese 

gooseberries) started in New Zealand in 

1937. 

“Only a few Nepali knew the taste of 

Kiwifruit until few years ago,” says Pandey, 

adding the fruit is yet to lead the market. 

“Last year, I sold 3 tonnes Kiwi.” Pandey, who 

hopes to earn Rs 2 million annually from his 

farm, is today busy creating awareness about 

the fruit. 

For organic manure, Pandey has reared 

three cows in his farm. He prepares 

‘Vermicompost’—an excellent, nutrient-rich 

organic fertilizer and soil conditioner - from 

cow dung. 

Pandey has adopted various kinds of irrigation 

systems for his kiwi farm. His farm is 

equipped with a watering system for irrigation 

and frost protection. He has connected 

tubes to vegetation from which water drops 

are collected. 

Pots filled with water are kept under the 

ground of all kiwi plants to provide the 

required amount of moistures and wetness. 

Kiwifruit is commercially grown on sturdy 

support structures, as it can produce several 

tonnes per hectare, more than the rather 

weak vines can support. “I will also pass on 

this technique to others,” says Pandey, who 

has a Ph.D. in Soil Science. 

In Nepal, the best season for Kiwi is 

around late September to November. A kiwi 

plant starts giving fruits three years after 

plantation. It is normally grown in mid-hill 

regions. 

Ashok Singh Thakur from Chitlang of 

Makawanpur district has enjoyed similar 

success in goat cheese production. The 

cheese produced in his cheese production 

centre is in high demand in Kathmandu, 

There has been a 

remarkable surge in 

investment and 

involvement of the 

private sector 

(young graduates, 

foreign-returnees) 

in the farm 

sector-be it animal 

husbandry, dairy or 

high-value cash 

crops 

The fresh face of 

farming 

Unlike in the past when farming was done for 

subsistence, a new breed of young farmers are 

creatively getting into commercial farming 

with over two dozen hotels and restaurants 

already being his regular customers. He has 

been in the business for the last nine years 

and makes a monthly profit of Rs 90,000. 

Goat cheese in Kathmandu costs in the 

range of Rs 1,900 to Rs 2,500 per kg. 

Thakuri’s initiative in Chitlang has 

encouraged others in the village to start goat 

farming. For cheese production, Thakuri has 

reared 95 high-breed goats. 

It may surprise many, but one common 

factor among many of these new farmers is 

they actually are foreign returnees. Tula 

Kumar Rai of Khotang and Ram Prasad 

Poudel of Chitwan are such examples. 

Agriculture Ministry Spokesperson 

Prabhakar Pathak said a majority of Nepalis 

returning from foreign countries are 

involved in the farm sector. “Nepal has a 

good opportunity to utilise their skills,” says 

Pathak. “Areas should be explored to utilise 

their earnings from abroad and retain 

them.” 

Rai, who returned from the United 

Kingdom, started commercial fish farming 

five years ago in Haibung, Khotang. He is 

currently rearing fish on 10 ropanies of land 

and makes a monthly profit of Rs 100,000. 

“It was difficult to save Rs 50,000 monthly 

in the UK,” Rai recalls. “We don’t have to 

dream abroad if we have zeal to work here,” 

says Rai, who produces 4,000 kg fish and 

300,000 fingerlings annually. Rai now plans 

to open a resort near to his farm. 

Ram Prasad Poudel is now a reputed 

beekeeper in Chainpur-8, Chitwan. Poudel 

spent four years’ of hard times in the Middle 

East before returning home without expected 

earnings. 

He took training provided by the Bee 

Development Section, Godavari, and has 

never looked back since. “I have realised that 

I wasted my four years abroad for nothing,” 

says Poudel, who makes a profit of Rs 

600,000 annually. Nowadays, he encourages 

his neighbours and villagers towards entrepreneurship. 

Chitwan district has more than 

300 households engaged in commercial beekeeping. 

With only a few of exceptions, the country’s 

established business houses are still 

away from the farm sector. Vaidhya 

Organization, Jyoti Group, Buddha Air, 

Nimbus Holdings and Shanghai Group are 


some of the established names visible in the 

sector. 

But a new model of the private sector 

engagement in agriculture is emerging. The 

agri-venture of Buddha Air and its managing 

director Birendra Bahadur Basnet is one 

such example. 

Buddha Air has established a non-profit 

organization named Nepal Agriculture 

Company that is working on commercial 

farm in three districts —Jhapa, Morang and 

Sunsari —adopting farm mechanisation. 

According to Basnet, the social initiative 

that began from Tankisinwari of Morang on 

200 bighas of land has now expanded to 

6,000 bighas. The company plans to extend 

the programme to other Tarai districts as 

well. 

“The private sector can contribute 

immensely if they engage in the farm sector, 

accepting it as their corporate social responsibility,” 

says Basnet. “There are many areas 

in this sector where corporate houses can 

work.” 

Agro experts say growing private sector 

interest in agriculture presents a major 

opportunity for developing countries like 

Nepal to capture the much-needed access to 

capital, modern technology, and new markets 

to spur agricultural growth and employment. 

But for that, government intervention is 

also equally essential, according to Niranjan 

Shrestha of Laxmi Group. “Three factors are 

crucial for agricultural growth —land pooling 

system, mechanisation and contract 

farming,” says Shrestha. 

Pathak says the farm policy in Nepal will 

have to be changed to cater to the growing 

interest of professionals. “It will be more 

commercial to attract youth who currently 

finds nothing in farming.” 

Rameshore Khanal, economic advisor to 

the Prime Minister, says upgrading the rural 

infrastructure base developed in the recent 

decade and improvement in infrastructure 

will make our agriculture sector capable of 

eliminating the abject poverty. 

(With inputs from Makar Shrestha in 

Bhaktapur, Binod Tripathi in Chitwan, Rishi 

Ram Poudel in Sidhupalchowk, Shiva 

Sharma in Pokhara and Pratap Bista in 

Makwanpur)


NIRANJAN SHRESTHA 


The field report 

WE have been 

linking agriculture 

with 

poverty alleviation 

only, not 

with commercialisation. Hence, 

there should be some concept in 

between which could be semicommercialisation. 

Even though 

various periodic plans have tried 

to address the agri sector, the 

desired outcome could not be 

achieved. 

Three factors are crucial for 

an agricultural revolution -- land 

pooling system, mechanisation 

and contract farming. This is 

what we have seen in India (in 

Punjab state), New Zealand or in 

Thailand. 

If we carry on policy reforms 

for the next 20 years, Nepal will 

be producing high value agricultural 

crops. This is why we have 

been demanding a land pooling 

system. Many investors are eager 

to conduct contract farming, but 

lack of a legal mechanism has 

barred them from going for it. 

The government should 

bring a contract farming act and 

policy on crop insurance. The 

issue of livestock insurance has 

been recently addressed with the 

Insurance Board introducing 

livestock insurance. 

As landholding is fragmented 

in our country, farmers cannot 

produce agri products in 

huge quantities and maintain 

supply all around the year. Also, 

what is happening in our case is 

that agri products (like paddy 

and maize) are delivered to the 

market immediately after being 

harvested. With a huge supply in 

place, a mismatch in supply and 

demand has kept farmers from 

getting the right price for their 

products. If we have a legal 

mechanism for contract farming, 

these issues can be 

addressed. If we need to upscale 

investments in the farm sector, 

the private sector has to be there. 

The success of the dairy sector 

also proves this fact. Ten years 

ago, the DDC had a market share 

of 80 percent and the private sector 

20 percent. Now, the DDC’s 

share has been reduced to 30-35 

percent, the rest belongs to the 

Insurance 

against crop 

failure and 

livestock infertility 

are two topics 

that emerge with 

regard to banks 

and financial 

institutions 

(BFIs) financing 

the farm sector 

private sector. 

If the government introduces 

strong policy reform measures 

and maintains policy consistency, 

the dairy sector could contribute 

up to 40 percent of the 

agriculture sector’s growth in the 

next 20 years. The dairy industry 

is the fastest medium to transfer 

city money to the villages. With 

other cash crops, the cycle takes 

a minimum of 90 days and a 

maximum of one year like in the 

sugarcane business. But in the 

case of dairy farming, the farmer 

gets money every 15 days. 

There has been increasing 

interest in the farm sector of late. 

Investors ranging from established 

business houses to cooperatives 

have been pouring 

money into agriculture. 

Sardikhola in Pokhara is one 

unique example where private 

sector investment in agriculture 

is being done through cooperatives. 

Returning migrant workers 

have also been investing in farming 

and dairies. But they are 

doing so on a small scale. Now, 

we need to upscale it, go for 

semi-commercialisation and 

mechanisation. 

The government should 

invest huge capital in the farm 

sector. Access to finance has 

been one major issue for farmers. 

Insurance against crop failure 

and livestock infertility are 

two topics that emerge with 

regard to banks and financial 

institutions (BFIs) financing the 

farm sector. As BFIs have to 

reach out to the villages, their 

cost of operation becomes very 

high, hence, they are reluctant to 

do so. Though Nepal Rastra Bank 

has instructed BFIs to up their 

lending to this sector, they have 

not been so keen on it. Once 

these issues are sorted out, 

access to finance will be relatively 

better. We need to develop 

trust between the farm sector 

and BFIs. 

(Shrestha is executive 

director of the Laxmi Group) 

Land pooling, mechanisation 

and contract farming 

are crucial for an 

agricultural revolution 

G

H 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA 

NEW-AGE BANKING 

Bankers say the next stage of financial access will be driven by technology 

BANKING will not be the 

same in the next 20 years. 

Thanks to technology, 

the landscape of domestic 

banking has been 

changing at a fast pace, and the trend 

will only accelerate in the next 20 

years. Already, internet banking and 

mobile banking have made it possible 

for customers to access banking 

services literally and virtually from 

anywhere and anytime. The biggest 

barriers to accessing banking services—time 

and distance—have now 

been addressed by leveraging technology. 

Take the case of payment systems 

in Nepal, technology has 

brought in a sea change. Cheques 

have almost become passé for common 

depositors. Now, one can withdraw 

and deposit money from ATMs. 

The convergence of banking and 

technology has started making an 

impact with mobile banking and epayment 

services in place. Now a 

customer has the privilege of choosing 

a desired service from card payment, 

national electronic fund transfer 

(NEFT), e-payment of utility bills 

and mobile payments. 

The biggest success story of tech- 

nology in Nepal has been branchless 

banking which has expanded formal 

banking services to unbanked areas 

and people. Now almost every commercial 

bank is going for branchless 

banking, reaching out to that geography 

where banking by establishing 

physical branches used to be unfeasible 

due to the high costs involved. 

So, where will banking be in the 

next 20 years and how will it evolve? 

Given the breathtaking speed of 

technological innovation, bankers 

say that it is hard to predict what 

banking will look like in the next two 

decades. But all agree that we will see 

more electronic banking. 

“There will be more home-based 

banking and electronic banking 

where one can do banking transactions 

with devices which one can 

hold in the hand. It will be much 

more sophisticated than the mobile 

banking we have today, and it will be 

provided in a much more secured 

environment,” said Sashin joshi, 

chief executive officer of NIC Bank. 

According to Joshi, Nepalis 

would have a unique personal identity 

card by then. “And, probably, one 

would not have to visit the bank also. 

Then people will only go to their 

Nepal will 

have specialised 

financial 

institutions which 

are not deposit 

collecting 

institutions such 

as investment 

banks in the next 

20 years 

banks to sign physical documents,” 

said Joshi. 

Former Nepal Rastra Bank 

deputy governor Krishna Bahadur 

Manandhar predicts that landlords 

will start collecting rent from their 

tenants through their bank accounts. 

Financial access 

The central bank has planned that 

two-thirds of the population will 

have bank accounts in the next five 


years as per its five-year strategic 

plan that is being implemented from 

the current fiscal year. “Based on our 

target for five years, we can predict 

that almost all the people will have 

bank accounts in the next 20 years,” 

said central bank deputy governor 

Adhikari. NIC Bank CEO Joshi predicts 

that financial access will have 

reached 90 percent of the population 

within the next 20 years. 

Bankers say the next stage of 

financial access will be driven by 

technology. Urban areas are still the 

main business thrust for banks and 

financial institutions (BFIs), with 60 

percent of deposit collection and 40 

percent of lending happening in the 

Kathmandu valley. 

As of mid-January 2013, there 

were 10.03 million accounts in central 

bank licensed BFIs which means 

about 38 percent of the population 

has bank accounts. However, it does 

not include the accounts opened in 

about 20,000 cooperatives across the 

country. Around 10 percent of the 

people currently have ATM cards. 

Along with technology, a proliferation 

of micro finance institutions 

will also be crucial for access to 

finance. With the central bank pushing 

BFIs to go rural and 

stiff competition in urban 

areas, they are increasingly 

looking towards 

micro finance. Around 

half a dozen commercial 

banks have taken permission 

from the central 

bank to run micro 

finance institutions. 

Manandhar predicts that 

commercial banks will be 

reaching a majority of the 

population due to availability 

of technology to 

extend their services to 

rural and remote areas. 

Although the number 

of account holders is 

gradually increasing, very 

few people have been 

obtaining bank loans. 

The total number of loans 

issued reached 769,000 as 

of mid-January this year, 

which is much lower than 

the number of account 

holders. “The main problem 

why a majority of the 

people are not obtaining 

loans is the necessity to 

put up collateral,” said 

Ajaya Ghimire, chief 

executive officer of Vibor 

Bikas Bank. 

“Transparency in business 

is necessary for BFIs 

to provide loans against 

the project itself, but the 

same is lacking here.” 

Adhikari predicts that 

the banking system will 

be more inclined towards 

granting loans against the 

project itself as collateral 

instead of the current 

trend of demanding land 

or other property. “I think 

the Nepali corporate sector 

will see the trend of 

rating of business enterprises 

by independent 

rating agencies which will 

encourage BFIs to lend 

against the project itself 

as collateral,” he added. 

CONTD ON PAGE I



The money makers 

SIDDHANT RAJ PANDEY 

Banks that develop good internal controls and 

sound market strategy will rule the future 

THE banking system in 

Nepal has witnessed a 

series of reforms in 

the past, like deregulation 

of interest rates, 

attempted reform measures in 

public sector banks, and 

increased participation of private 

sector banks and access to 

finance. This has created new 

competitive threats as well as new 

opportunities. 

Recent data reveals that 39 

percent of Nepalis have accounts 

in banks and finance companies. 

This has led to a process of choice 

and convenience for the populace. 

With investments in high 

technology, the Nepali banking 

system has been able to modernize 

and provide services 

consistent with international 

standards. In the process, the 

banking sector has attracted 

bright, educated and young professionals 

who otherwise would 

have left the country. 

The banking industry as a 

whole has also invested heavily to 

provide services and insurance. 

The recent introduction of the 

electronic cheque clearing system, 

where customers can realize 

their deposited cheques at the 

earliest without having to wait for 

days for them to clear is an example. 

The modernization process at 

the Credit Information Centre will 

enable micro finance institutions 

to be accessible online and provide 

details of their borrowers circumventing 

the problem of multiple 

banking in this sector is 

another example. 

The newly established 

National Banking Training 

Institute offers, among many 

training opportunities, a diploma 

in banking in collaboration with 

the Indian Finance and Banking 

Training Institute. The formation 

of the Deposit and Credit 

Guarantee Corporation that 

insures deposits of up to Rs 

200,000 has provided reassurance 

to small depositors. 

What is left that needs to be 

urgently addressed is formation 

of a secured transaction registry. 

The Secured Transaction Act was 

passed a few year ago that would 

allow the registry of moveable 

assets. This would solve the problem 

of multiple liens of equipment. 

Unfortunately, the register 

is yet to be finalized. These are all 

examples of the development of 

this sector that will enhance the 

capacity of the banking industry 

commensurate with international 

standards for now. The banking 

The future will 

hold BFIs further 

responsible by 

making self-regulation 

and internal 

control an integral 

part of risk 

management 

processes 

industry is probably the only 

industry that is homogenous in 

compliance. Basel 2 international 

rules are the norm that the industry 

has to follow under the strict 

guidelines of the central bank. 

Despite these advances, the 

banking industry has been 

fraught with many problems. The 

recent problems that have been 

seen in a few banks and financial 

institutions (BFIs) have been due 

to lack of compliance to regulatory 

norms, lack of corporate governance 

and operational risks. 

The future will hold BFIs further 

responsible by making selfregulation 

and internal control an 

integral part of risk management 

processes. Human resource will 

be a critical issue that will need 

CONTD FROM PAGE H 

NEW-AGE... 

Consumer banking 

Bankers say consumer banking will 

be the mainstay of banking in the 

next 20 years. Currently, consumer 

banking accounts for 10 percent of 

the business of banks. “In the next 

20 years, the situation will be 

reversed where banks will depend 

more on consumer banking and 

transaction banking and less on 

corporate banking,” said Joshi. “By 

then, I believe, we will have the 

basic foundation of a liberal economy 

which will fuel economic 

growth, resulting in a rise in per 

capita income and purchasing 

power.” 

Manandhar said the dependence 

of BFIs on corporate loans 

would come down drastically as 

corporate houses would raise capital 

from domestic and international 

markets directly at a cheaper 

cost. “Hence, BFIs will turn their 

focus on consumer banking,” 

added Manandhar. 

However, it will be difficult for 

the Nepali corporate sector to raise 

capital from domestic and international 

markets if they continue 

doing business the way they are 

doing presently. “There is a possibility 

that a few corporate houses 

may seek to raise capital from the 

market directly by getting their 

business houses rated by a rating 

agency and issuing debentures,” 

said Adhikari. 

Banks will not be the only institutions 

raising capital for businesses 

20 years from now. New instruments 

such as venture capital, private 

equity and hedge fund will 

make the capital raising environment 

easier and more professional 

and transparent. 

Joshi says Nepal will have specialised 

financial institutions 

which are not deposit collecting 

institutions such as investment 

banks in the next 20 years. “Both 

the bond market and the equity 

market will have greater space in 

the domestic financial market. But 

a robust legal environment and 

accounting standards and disclosure 

norms are required for it. 

Hopefully, we will have them by 

then,” said Joshi. “Then I would 

expect a lot more non-bank players 

coming into the market at that 

time.” 

Already, there are three venture 

capital firms in the country— 

Business Oxygen (BO2), Biruwa 

Venture and Dolma Fund. The 

arrival of venture capital firms will 

give a huge boost to small and 

medium enterprises (SMEs). 

However, BO2 CEO Suman 

Rayamajhi said there should be 

favourable laws to promote equity 

investment in the country such as 

the right to decrease the paid-up 

serious attention by the respective 

boards and management of 

BFIs. Getting and retaining qualified 

individuals will be a challenge. 

Operational risks due to 

human error will need heavier 

scrutiny, and banks will have to 

strengthen their internal control 

and compliance divisions. 

Technology will and has been 

playing a pivotal role in providing 

faster services and optimizing the 

use of funds. It will be further 

instrumental in expanding access 

to finance. The internet, wireless 

technology and global straightthrough 

processing have created 

a paradigm shift in the banking 

industry. Technology holds the 

key to the success of Nepali 

banks. 

Consolidation in the form of 

mergers or acquisition will gain 

momentum out of necessity. 

However, it is hoped that M&A 

will add value, which will be 

reflected in terms of a greater 

breadth of products, depth of 

delivery channels and efficiency 

in operations. 

The regulatory environment 

will be more stringent in the coming 

months. As Nepal faces international 

pressure on compliance 

issues, the regulator will put pressure 

on banks to follow those 

norms, however impractical, due 

to necessity. The 21st century 

banking system may seem inimical 

to a 19th century agrarian 

economy, but it is up to the banks 

to create that awareness as it 

moves towards creating new markets 

and accommodates new customers. 

The regulator will need to 

prescribe many safeguards as not 

to stifle the market, but allow 

innovation to flourish. 

Notwithstanding the political 

economic situation of the country, 

the challenges in the banking 

sector, in the near term, will continue 

to be competition due to 

limited market and profitability 

due to shrinking margins. The 

future will belong to those who 

develop good internal controls, 

checks and balances and a sound 

market strategy along with investment 

in talent. 

(Pandey is CEO of Ace 

Development Bank.) 

capital. “We can introduce instruments 

such as convertible debts 

which can later be converted into 

equity if the law is changed to promote 

it,” he said. 

Fewer but larger banks 

If the last 20 years saw a proliferation 

of BFIs, the next 20 years will 

be marked by a consolidation 

trend. Already, 22 BFIs have 

merged to become 10 companies 

in recent years. Another 28 BFIs are 

in the process of merging which 

will bring down their number to 12. 

Similarly, six financial institutions 

will be getting letters of intent from 

the central bank. “Consolidation is 

bound to happen, and it will not 

take 20 years,” said Joshi. “I think 

the consolidation process will be 

completed within the next 10 

years.” 

NRB deputy director Guru 

Prasad Poudel has concluded in his 

MPhil thesis that Nepali BFIs are 

going for mergers for three reasons—increasing 

market segment 

(regional to national level), maximizing 

value (share price, goodwill) 

and capital enhancement. 

Manandhar said that with all 

the BFIs doing almost the same 

business, development banks and 

finance companies will find it hard 

to survive in the market. “They will 

most likely be wiped out as they 

have already started facing stiff 

competition from banks,” said 

Manandhar. “Savings and credit 

cooperatives are also unlikely to be 

able to protect themselves from 

competition from commercial 

banks in the changed context.” 

Similarly, Adhikari said that it 

would be hard for B and C class 

financial institutions to stay afloat 

in the market amid a competitive 

environment. “However, they can 

find ways to survive like many varieties 

of fish survive in a pond 

despite the big fishes eating a few 

small fishes,” he added. 

I

J & K 20 years o 

INFRASTRUCTURE 

EXPANSION 

DRIVE 

Expressways, railways and mega dams and airports have 

been planned for Nepal in the next 20 years 

RAMESH SHRESTHA 

WITHIN a couple of 

weeks, Nepal 

Purbhadhar Bikas 

Company will formally 

start construction 

of the Kathmandu-Kulekhani- 

Hetauda Tunnel Highway (KKHTH). 

With a price tag of Rs 22 billion, the 

KKHTH is one of the most ambitious 

infra projects being undertaken by 

Nepal’s private sector. 

The 50-km four-lane express highway 

will have three tunnels. It will 

reduce travel time between the capital 

Kathmandu and the industrial town of 

Hetauda to the south to one hour. 

Aligned almost parallel with the 

KKHTH, another express highway— 

the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track—has 

also been planned. It will be built by 

foreign investors. The government is 

currently reviewing requests for proposals 

from three Indian infrastructure 

majors, Reliance Infrastructure, 

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and 

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial 

Services (IL&FS). 

Last week, the government decided 

to start negotiations for power 

development agreements (PDA) with 

three foreign power developers for 

projects expected to generate around 

3,000 MW of electricity. There are also 

grand plans for aviation infrastructure 

with work progressing on a second 

international airport and three regional 

international airports. 

Hence, to say that the country will 

see its largest ever infrastructure 

expansion drive in the next 20 years 

would not be an understatement. And 

the development of these projects will 

have a huge impact on the country’s 

economic growth. 

Given the huge interest of local 

and foreign investors in the infra sector, 

it will be the private sector that will 

lead this expansion story. Government 

officials too have said that future 

development of infrastructure will not 

be possible through government 

resources alone. 

Till now, it is the government that 

has been leading the development of 

large-scale infrastructure projects, be 

they roads, energy or airports. 

However, Rameshore Khanal, 

economic advisor to the Prime 

Minister said that the government 

alone could not develop infrastructure. 

“The government should invest 

only in those infrastructure projects 

where the private sector has not ventured,” 

said Khanal. “Whenever there 

is commercial viability, the government 

should allow private investment. 

The government should encourage 

the private sector through land acquisition 

and incentives,” he added. 

Of late, the public-private partnership 

(PPP) model has been talked 

about for infrastructure development. 

But Khanal said we have not done the 

basic preparation for the PPP model 

adding that we can switch to it after 

five to six years once we achieve high 

economic growth. “Past experience of 

the PPP model that the government 

had turned out to be a failure for the 

government,” said Khanal. 

With domestic and foreign 

investors keen on investing in 

hydropower, one can assume Nepal 

will be free from load-shedding in the 

next 20 years. SN Power country representative 

Sandip Shah said Nepal 

would also be in a position to export 

electricity by then. “Around 3,000- 

5,000 MW of electricity will be 

sufficient for Nepal. We have to go 

for a power trading arrangement for 

the surplus power,” said Shah. 

As more private players enter 

hydropower and start generating electricity, 

the power market will be transformed 

where there will be multiple 

buyers and multiple sellers. A new 

power regulator regime will be in place 

ending the Nepal Electricity 

Authority’s (NEA) monopoly in the 

power sector. 

“The load-shedding problem will 

be completely solved within 10 years, 

and there will be more than 5,000 MW 

of energy installed in the national 

grid,” said Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel, 

former vice-president of the National 

Planning Commission (NPC). 

According to him, there is a tendency 

at present of booking a license and not 

implementing 

the project. The 

government is increasing the 

fine amount for such negligent 

developers which will ultimately 

force the license holder to carry out 

the project or give up the licence. 

Meanwhile, when it comes to 

infrastructure, roads are always in the 

top priority list of the government. The 

government is currently working on 

developing over 50 road projects 

including the Tarai Fast Track, Mid- 

Hill Highway, Postal Road and North- 

South Link Roads. Roads in the 

Kathmandu valley are being widened, 

and the Birgunj-Pathlaiya, Belhiya- 

Butwal, Rani-Itahari and Surya 

Binayak-Dhulikhel roads that are

s of ensuring your right to right information 

important for commerce are being 

upgraded to six lanes. 

“Our experience shows that 

when a black-topped road is built, 

business activities in that area 

surge. Not only does it help commercialization 

of agriculture, it also 

promotes innovative businesses. 

Roads will help accelerate the 

health, education, agriculture 

sectors,” said Khanal. Road networks 

will not only be a catalyst for 

development in the areas they connect 

but also boost trade and connectivity. 

Experts said that due to the easy 

access provided by the road network 

in the Tarai region, economic 

and development activities have 

currently tilted towards the southern 

part of the country. “With the 

Mid-Hill Highway becoming operational, 

the tilt will be balanced, and 

economic development activities 

will be equal in both the southern 

and northern regions of the country,” 

said Pokhrel. He added that the 

10 new townships planned along 

this highway would allow people 

from the mid-hills and the northern 

parts of the country to settle in 

urbanised locations because of 

which it is estimated that around 40 

percent of the country’s territory 

will be urban areas. 

CONTD ON PAGE M 

Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track 

Length: 76 km 

Cost : Rs 80 billion 

Mid-Hill Highway 

Total Length: 1776 km 

Project Cost: Rs 43 billion 

Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel Highway 

Total length: 50 km 

Project cost: Over Rs 20 billion 

Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway 

Total length: 1,317.47 km 

Project cost: Over Rs 800 billion 

Major Infra Projects 

Kathmandu Metro 

Total length: 77 km 

Project cost: Rs 330 billion 

North South Corridor roads 

Total length: 3,000 plus km 

Postal Highway 

Total Length: 1,444 km 

Project cost: Rs 50 billion 

Five cross border railway links 

Jaynagar (India) to Bardibas (Nepal) 68 km 

Jogbani(India) to Biratnagar (Nepal) 17.65 km 

Nautanwa (India) to Bhairahawa (Nepal) 

Rupaidiha (India) to Nepalgunj (Nepal) 

New Jalpaiguri (India) to Kakkarbhitta (Nepal) 

AVIATION 

SECOND INTL AIRPORT 

Cost: US$ 650 million 

REGIONAL INTL AIRPORTS 

POKHARA 

JANAKPUR 

BHAIRAHAWA 


LEGEND 

Kathmandu-Hetauda Tunnel Highway 

Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road 

North-South Road 

Mid-Hill Highway 

Mechi-Mahakali Electric Railway 

East West Highway 

Araniko Highway 

Planned Township 

Kathmandu 

Nepal-India Cross Border Railway Link 

Planned North-South Link

L 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

RADHESH PANT 

HOWDY 

pardners 

TRADITIONALLY, the government 

has always been in charge of creating 

and maintaining large scale 

infrastructure facilities in Nepal— 

such as roads, energy and airports— 

with help from multilateral and bilateral donor 

agencies. Today, other countries in the region, 

through regulatory and institutional reform, are 

utilizing managerial, financial and technical 

capabilities of the private sector in large scale 

infrastructure project execution, leading to efficient 

completion of projects and rapid economic 

development, using the public-private partnership 

(PPP) approach. 

Countries have openly welcomed the concept 

of private sector engagement in infrastructure, 

with the majority demonstrating political 

consensus around the need. Similarly here in 

Nepal, the government took a historic leap forward 

with the establishment of the Investment 

Board Nepal (IBN), a high-powered agency that 

engages with private sector developers to deliver 

capital intensive national priority projects 

under the PPP approach. 

PPP projects refer to arrangements where 

the private sector constructs and operates infrastructure 

facilities in order to help provide and 

deliver public services on behalf of the government. 

In Nepal, investment in infrastructure is 

essential to maintain long-term economic 

growth. However, with investments exposed to a 

multitude of risks, infrastructural development 

remains an expensive and complex undertaking, 

further magnified by significant constraints 

on public financing. Therefore, PPPs provide a 

viable alternate source of private financing to 

deliver public infrastructure, with external funding 

agencies playing a supporting role with concessional 

financing, sovereign guarantee and 

advisory services. 

Many countries that are currently active in 

PPPs depend on foreign funds to finance projects, 

and Nepal is no exception. Issues of lack of 

domestic financing and marketing for FDI are 

evident even in more developed regimes such as 

China, India and Thailand. China is still reliant 

on offshore lending from Singapore and Hong 

Kong for private financing. China has accrued a 

phenomenal wealth of PPP experience in the 

past decade or so, securing financial closure on 

more than 600 projects over the last 10 years, 

according to a World Bank study. Driven by high 

rates of economic growth and ambitious government 

plans for infrastructural development, 

the country’s pool of project experience is 

unmatched globally. PPP projects have a deep 

history in India, with a high level of overall 

acceptance and use. India has been ranked second 

in global foreign direct investments recently 

and will continue to remain among the top 

five attractive destinations for international 

investors, according to a United Nations report. 

The government has made the right decision 

by establishing the IBN as the first acknowledgement 

towards using private financing to 

drive infrastructure projects in Nepal. However, 

an agency established with a vision to expedite 

Public-private 

partnership (PPP) 

in infrastructure 

development is the way 

forward for Nepal 

the country’s development now needs to be 

empowered, such that it is able to execute the 

tasks mandated to it by the Act of Parliament. 

Delivering large scale PPP projects will be a cost 

intensive exercise for the IBN. Private investors 

would have spent millions of dollars in preparing 

for their bids. IBN needs to match the best of 

what the developers put forth, by preparing for 

the project execution on an equal footing. 

Experienced advisory services have to be procured, 

most of the time, using an internationally 

competitive bidding process. 

Project implementation activities are relatively 

complex and a strong advisory team substantially 

improves the likelihood of success as 

they provide the requisite expertise to ensure 

the success of the project. Marketing exercises 

need to be carried out. Well planned and competitive 

tendering processes need to be run. 

Apart from advisors, a well-qualified internal 

team, with prior exposure to commercial negotiations, 

representing the IBN is required for 

Nepal to put its best negotiating foot forward in 

all interactions with developers. Therefore, we 

further need to substantiate the empowerment 

of the IBN by bolstering our institutional framework, 

with policy consistency and political stability 

for the IBN to be a successful delivery 

mechanism. As a growing body of international 

evidence points, all these are vital elements in 

developing sustainable and efficient PPP infrastructure 

projects. 

Nepal depends on “external receipts”, that is, 

aid, principally from donors to remain solvent, 

presenting a sovereign risk to foreign developers, 

a factor that may create difficulty 

for the IBN in successfully attracting 

private developers globally. For 

instance, more than 70 percent of 

Nepal’s capital expenditure budget 

comes from foreign aid, either in the 

form of grants or loans. Dispute resolution 

usually takes place in court, 

and the process is lengthy. To overcome 

this hurdle, the World Bank 

and other multilaterals are more 

than willing to provide sovereign risk 

guarantee to foreign developers 

wanting to invest in Nepal. However, 

they need to see evidence from the 

government that Nepal is serious 

about strengthening its institutional 


framework with consistent policies, stable politics 

and investment friendly climate. For 

instance, establishing an alternative fast-track 

dispute resolution channel would be a good 

start. 

If, as a country, we focus on the IBN’s project 

execution capability of large national priority 

projects, Nepal will see capital expenditure of 

approximately Rs 140 billion each year, on average, 

for the next seven years. This projection 

takes into account the currently identified projects 

and assumes a pipeline of projects similar 

in scale from fiscal 2019-20, propelling the 

country into a high-growth trajectory with the 

GDP growth rate averaging 7 percent per year. 

All of the IBN’s activities will be principally 

driven by the concept of working in partnership 

with the line ministries, maintaining clear lines 

of accountability, and avoiding misunderstandings. 

The IBN will seek a mutual agreement that 

it will need to work closely with the concerned 

ministry on various aspects of the project implementation, 

considering that the core sectorial 

knowledge remains with the ministry. The partnership 

reinforces the belief that ultimately the 

benefit to the country will be realized to the full 

extent only with cooperation. 

The IBN recognizes that increasing local 

content, in terms of local labour, goods and 

services, in the delivery of infrastructure projects 

can make a major contribution to Nepal’s 

economy. At the same time, it would open up 

opportunities for Nepalis to participate in the 

growth process through the creation of jobs in 

the construction and supply industries. The IBN 

will acknowledge those developers with ele- 

ments of local content in their bids over others 

that don’t. The elements of local benefit content 

could be in the form of foreign developers partnering 

with local contractors, sourcing raw 

materials from local manufacturers, utilizing 

local labourers, advisors and consultants, and 

other benefits such as access to roads, electricity, 

schools, drinking water, sanitation and health 

care, provided as a compensation to offset the 

inconveniences. 

When the IBN <strong>deal</strong>s with private developers, 

there will be very clear expectations on both 

sides, based on a solid business case. A true 

partnership relationship based on trust will be 

established in order to produce a successful outcome. 

While the value for money basis and risk 

allocation on which a project developer’s selection 

takes place must be preserved, a common 

sense and open approach, rather than an adversarial 

over-detailed approach, will secure the 

most successful outcome. 

(Pant is CEO of Investment Board Nepal)


CONTD FROM PAGE K 

INFRASTRUCTURE... 

As per the long-term programmes of the 

Ministry of Physical Planning Works and 

Transport Management, an integrated physical 

development plan will be implemented 

in the Kathmandu valley to develop it into a 

centre of administration, culture and 

tourism, and there will be satellite towns 

around the valley in a bid to address housing 

needs as it will have high population pressure. 

Likewise, scientific and pragmatic programmes 

will be launched to provide affordable 

housing to squatters, kamaiyas, Dalits 

and single women within 20 years. 

Growth corridors linking Attariya- 

Dhangadhi, Kohalpur-Nepalgunj, Pathlaiya- 

Birgunj and Itahari-Biratnagar will be developed 

in a planned way, and physical development 

plans for the entire country based 

on a federal model will be prepared and 

implemented, as per the 20-year plan of the 

government unveiled in 2007. A national 

housing programme will be implemented to 

provide safe and affordable shelter for all. 

Of late, the government has also started 

preparations to reduce the 1,776 km length 

of the Mid-Hill Highway by around 400 km in 

a bid to make it time saving and build 

around 10 north-south corridor roads and 

link them with the Mid-Hill Highway, the 

existing East West Highway and the proposed 

Postal Highway in the lower belt of the 

Tarai. 

Currently, the country has only one 

black-topped road link with the northern 


neighbour, the Araniko Highway, for trade. 

Experts say that the old trade route between 

Kathmandu and Tibet via Kyirong is the new 

Silk Road for international trade. 

Traditionally used by yak caravans, the route 

will now be upgraded to a highway connecting 

Syabrubesi with Rasuwa Gadhi. Rasuwa 

is already connected to Kathmandu and the 

Prithvi Highway, making it an alternative to 

the Araniko Highway as a road link with 

Tibet. 

“The Araniko and the East-West highways 

will also have to be improved to at least 

four lanes keeping in mind their importance 

for trade besides developing other roads,” 

said Lal Krishna KC, vice-chairman of Nepal 

Purbhadhar Bikas Company. He said that 

there is a need for an integrated infrastructure 

development plan for coordinated 

development of different modes of transport 

such as road, railway, aviation, cable car and 

waterway with a proper land use plan. 

If things go according to plan, the country 

will see a better and larger railway network 

in the next two decades. The government 

has already started preparing a 

detailed project report of the East-West 

Electric Railway and is also preparing a 

detailed study of a metro railway in the capital. 

The Indian government is establishing 

cross-border railway links at five locations 

on the Nepal-India border and extending 

them to Nepali border towns. 

Planners say that with the railway net- 

In the next 20 years, the country’s aviation infrastructure too is set 

to see a quantum jump with work on one more international airport 

and three regional international airports going on 

work, Nepal could be in a position to facilitate 

China-India trade. Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, 

secretary at the Ministry of Physical 

Planning, Works and Transport 

Management, said that we should have at 

least one North-South Railway besides the 

Mechi-Mahakali Railway to tap the immense 

potential of China-India trade. “The first 

such possibility is a Rasuwa Gadhi- 

Kathmandu-Tarai railway for linking India 

with China.” 

As per government officials, there is also 

a possibility of developing a north-south railway 

link connecting Biratnagar with 

Kimathanka, a village in Sankhuwasabha 

district near the border with China. 

According to Ram Kumar Lamsal, former 

director general of the Road and Railway 

Department, the government will be investing 

huge resources on railways and their 

modernization in the next decade after having 

investing so much resources on roads. 

“We hope to see our railway network being 

connected to the Trans Asian Railway linking 

Nepal with Asia and Europe,” said Lamsal. 

In the next 20 years, the country’s aviation 

infrastructure too is set to see a quantum 

jump with work on one more international 

airport and three regional international 

airports going on. Tribhuvan International 

Airport (TIA) will also be expanded to cater 

to the ever increasing tourist inflow. 

TIA’s improvement project is being carried 

out with funding of US$ 80 million from 

the Asian Development Bank. Under the first 

phase of the expansion plan, the runway will 

be extended to 3,350 m from the present 

3,000 m towards the south. By 2028, TIA will 

be expanded to 90,000 sq m. The airport is 

presently spread over 36,000 sq m with the 

international terminal occupying 32,000 sq 

m and the domestic terminal the rest. 

The government is planning to call a 

global tender for a second international airport 

(SIA) at Nijgadh, Bara in which a number 

of foreign companies have shown interest. 

The proposed airport will have a capacity 

to handle 15 million passengers annually 

until 2030 and even accommodate the super 

jumbo Airbus A380 after the first phase of 

construction. 

The proposed SIA project will be a milestone 

in the country’s aviation sector. “TIA 

cannot be expanded further due to airspace 

crunch, and it cannot handle bigger aircraft,” 

said Suresh Acharya, joint secretary at the 

ministry. “If this airport comes into operation, 

handling 3 million tourists annually will 

not be a big task, making it a regional airport 

hub in the South Asian region given utilization 

of airspace and flexibility in the aviation 

policy.” The SIA will have a capacity to handle 

60 million passengers annually after the 

third phase. 

Meanwhile, the government has also put 

development of regional international airports 

high in its priority list. Three regional 

international airports at Bhairahawa, 

Pokhara and Janakpur are in the pipeline. 

After months of indecision, the government 

recently decided to move forward construction 

of a regional international airport in 

Pokhara. 

Upgradation of Gautam Buddha Airport 

at Bhairahawa to a regional international airport 

will provide access to various pilgrimage 

and tourist centres of southwestern 

Nepal. Improving Janakpur airport into a 

regional international airport has been given 

priority considering the prospects of attracting 

large numbers of Hindu pilgrims. 

Development of Janakpur as an international 

airport could also ease congestion at TIA 

as migrant workers from the eastern Tarai 

could fly out from there. 

Once these projects come into operation, 

tourist inflow into the country will 

increase heavily. Passenger movement at TIA 

is projected to reach 5.85 million by 2015, a 

jump of 36.62 percent from 2011, and aircraft 

movement is expected to swell 13.47 percent 

to 115,800 by 2015, according to the Civil 

Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). CAAN’s 

forecast shows that the number of domestic 

and international air travellers will grow 

more than two-fold to 9.31 million by 2028 

compared to the movement recorded in 

2011 while aircraft movement is estimated to 

increase to 232,750 by 2028. 

Implementation of above infrastructure 

projects involving roads, railways, 

hydropower and airports will boost the economic 

activities in sectors like trade, tourism 

and agriculture in the country that will create 

huge employment opportunities. The 

present scenario shows that over 1,000 

youths are leaving the country in search of 

employment in the international job market 

each day. 

Experts said that the export of labour 

would decrease mainly for two facts— 

increased economic activities in the country 

and lower demand from foreign labour destinations 

which will be adopting advanced 

mechanised technology that does not 

require manual work. 

“We can expect that there will be more 

employment opportunities in the domestic 

labour market as a result of development in 

the hydropower sector which will be a driving 

force for industry, tourism and also electric 

transport services like railway,” said 

Ganesh Gurung, sociologist and former 

member of the NPC. He added that regardless 

of the political situation, the country 

would make a big jump in development for 

increased connectivity and employment in 

sectors like tourism. 

M

N 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

SANJEEV GIRI & RAJESH KHANAL 

Young and fearless 

A new breed of entrepreneurs are making their presence felt by shaking things up in Nepal 

Budding entrepreneurs at Biruwa Venture, Baluwatar 

AT FIRST glance, no one would 

think that the three-storey building 

at Baluwatar, Kathmandu is 

where new entrepreneurs are 

being created. It houses Biruwa 

Ventures where young people are seen working 

on transforming their entrepreneurial 

ideas into real business ventures. 

Biruwa Ventures is the brainchild of two 

young entrepreneurs—Vidhan Rana and 

Abhinab Basnyat—who have modelled it as 

an incubation centre for start-ups. 

Established in 2011, the company offers office 

space, business support systems and mentorship 

for budding entrepreneurs. 

The first of its kind in Nepal, Biruwa 

Ventures is the new face of entrepreneurship 

that has been flourishing in Nepal. Young, 

educated and innovative, they are redefining 

entrepreneurship which is far different from 

what we have seen in the last two decades. 

What makes the new breed of entrepreneurs 

stand apart is that most of them come 

from non-business backgrounds. Rameshore 

Khanal, economic advisor to the Prime 

Minister said the next stage of economic 

growth in Nepal would be orchestrated by the 

new entrepreneurs. 

Unlike established business houses that 

have been relying on government policy 

more than their own innovation, this new 

generation of investors are not averse to venturing 

into untested and untried businesses. 

And, there are many more such young 

faces who’re carving a niche for themselves 

with sheer innovation. Biswas Dhakal of F1 

Soft International is one such example. 

Dhakal and his colleagues Asgar Ali and 

Subash Sharma have transformed F1 Soft in 

10 years from a company providing SMS 

banking service to one of the leading companies 

for developing and deploying enterprise 

products on transaction banking. 

For a majority of the country’s banks and 

financial institutions (BFIs), F1Soft is the 

most trusted company designing software for 

transaction banking. In between, they have 

also developed Nepal’s first online payment 

gateway, eSewa; and recently, Fonepay, a 

mobile payment system network which will 

help customers to carry out all their financial 

activities, such as interbank fund transfer, 

shared merchant payment with customer 

sharing and utility bill payments. 

CONTD ON PAGE O 


Unlike established 

business houses 

that have 

been relying on 

government policy 

more than their 

own innovation, 

this new generation 

of investors are not 

averse to venturing 

into untested and 

untried businesses 

Biswas Dhakal of F1 Soft International



CONTD FROM PAGE N 


Viruwa venture team 

Then there is the remarkable 

story of Amit Agrawal, Manish Modi 

and Suraj Sapkota of Janaki 

Technology whose software Picovivo 

has been accepted by Start-Up Chile, 

a programme created by the Chilean 

government to attract world-class 

early stage entrepreneurs to start 

their businesses in Chile. An entrepreneur 

has to pass one of the tough- 

est selection processes conducted by 

Silicon Valley experts and the Chilean 

Innovation Board to get selected in 

the programme. Start-Up Chile is 

providing them with US$ 40,000 of 

equity-free seed capital, and a temporary 

one-year visa to develop their 

products along with the access to 

social and capital networks in Latin 

America. 

And there is Amun Thapa of sasto<strong>deal</strong>.com 

that has been popularising 

virtual shopping in Kathmandu. 

Thapa’s e-commerce site offers consumers 

attractive reduced prices. 

“The idea of coming up with an ecommerce 

website struck my mind 

when I realized that one needs to 

allot a whole day for shopping even 

minor stuff,” said Thapa who 

launched sasto<strong>deal</strong> featuring two 

restaurants and two products. Now, 

his site features at least 150-200 products 

and services every month. 

Thapa, who studied marketing and 

consumer psychology in the US, is 

now planning to expand his business 

to various places of the country, with 

Pokhara being his next destination, 

besides launching sastobooks.com. 

O 

If Amun Thapa is working for the 

domestic market, Akshay Stapit of 

harilo.com is just opposite. His portal 

allows people living in Nepal to buy 

products from abroad with just a few 

mouse clicks. 

The website offers a range of 

products—from mobile phones, laptops 

and computer peripherals to 

kitchen utensils, protein shakes, suits 

and motorbike helmets—from the 

stores of the US. 

Janaki Technology’s 

software Picovivo 

has been accepted 

by Start-Up Chile, a 

programme created 

by the Chilean 

government to 

attract world-class 

early stage 

entrepreneurs to 

start their 

businesses in Chile 

Stapit and his partner Kim Smith 

make sure their customers get delivery 

within 10 days of order placement. 

They have a warehouse in 

Florida to collect goods, from where 

they are shipped to Nepal, usually 

every Tuesday. 

The website contains a list of 

websites where customers can do 

their shopping. Prospective buyers 

have to fill up a form to get the quote 

for selected goods. The quote 

includes the cost price, shipment 

charge, customs and other payable 

heads. Meanwhile, the success of two 

editions of the Nepal Literature 

Festival has made Ajit Baral and his 

partner Niraj Phari, new faces in the 

country’s publishing business. 

CONTD ON PAGE P

P 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

CONTD FROM PAGE O 


Baral has been successfully running 

Bookworm, an independent bookstore, and 

FinePrint, a publishing house. His publishing 

house FinePrint’s fictions—Seto Dharti and 

Karnali Blues—turned into best sellers. And 

the literature festival is now one of the 

most awaited literary events in the 

country. 

Baral and Bhari are transforming 

the domestic publishing business 

with innovation, smart marketing and 

better content. Baral says he did not 

enter publishing just for the sake of 

doing business. “It was my hobby initially, 

but now it has turned into fullfledged 

profession,” says Baral. 

Before FinePrint, there were private 

and public (government) publishers. 

What Baral and Bhari did was 

gave importance to layout, design and 

marketing. “We innovated on those 

aspects. FinePrint was the one that 

introduced light weight paper for 

books. We also play with the form, ie, 

book size.” 

At FinePrint, Baral looks after the 

creativity side (content), while Bhari 

looks after marketing and designing. 

Baral gives the credit to his partner 

Bhari for the success. “I think more 

than me, it is him (Bhari) who contributed 

to our success,” says Baral. 

“As I look after the content side, he 

(Bhari) played with designing and 

marketing, which made our publication 

standout in the market.” 

Started with a capital of Rs 

250,000, FinePrint is now the most 

sought after publishing house with 

investors showing interest on them. 

“Some big investors are showing 

interest on us, but we are taking 

ahead our expansion plan on our 

own,” says Baral. 

Some of these youngsters also do 

not want to limit themselves to their 

family business. Subechhya Basnet of 

Kheti Bazaar is one such example. 

After completing her Masters in 

Business Administration from 

Germany, Basnet could have joined her family 

business in tourism and hospitality sector, 

but her entrepreneurial zeal prompted her to 

begin something new, on her own. Thus, 

Kheti Bazaar was born. 


Amit Agrawal of Janaki Technology Amun Thapa of sasto<strong>deal</strong>.com 

Ajit Baral of FinePrint 

Through Kheti Bazaar, Kathmanduites 

can find certified organic apples, rice and 

beans from Jumla, oranges from Phidim, 

lentils from Panchthar and a variety of seasonal 

vegetables from Bhaktapur and 

Dhulikhel. Apart from the domestic 

market, Basnet also exports Nepal’s 

organic produce. She exports lentils, 

rice and honey to Singapore. 

In the cluster of advertising agencies 

in Kathmandu, the duo of Manish 

Shrestha and Kreeti Shakya of Kazi 

Studios is introducing new ideas to 

local advertising. Kazi Studios at 

Ekantakuna offers creative designs and 

concepts to its clients. 

“Initially it was difficult for us in the 

market like Nepal, where advertising 

agencies do all the things,” Shrestha 

says. “But the clients gradually started 

realising that working with us is really 

cost-effective.” 

Founded in 2011, Kazi Studios is a 

creative design agency that uses a multidisciplinary 

approach in delivering 

smart solutions to its clients. Kazi 

Studios’ success is the outcome of 

word-of-mouth publicity and good 

critical response from the people they 

have worked for. “We now plan to effectively 

market our service. I am sure this 

will help in increasing company’s visibility,” 

he said. 

Rana, Dhakal, Agrawal, Thapa and 

Baral represent the emergence of a new 

order of young entrepreneurs in 

Kathmandu. However, they had to 

grapple with multiple issues—lack of 

guidance, access to finance and family 

pressure—while expanding their businesses 

to this level. 

Dhakal said they had a tough time 

finding capital when they were trying 

to develop eSewa as banks were reluctant 

to offer loans to newcomers. It was 

Laxmi Bank which offered them a collateral-free 

loan of Rs 2.5 million that 

helped them to make eSewa a reality. 

CONTD ON PAGE Q 

Ajit Baral and 

Niraj Bhari of 

FinePrint are 

transforming 

the domestic 

publishing 

business with 

innovation, 

smart 

marketing 

and better 

content


VIDHAN RANA 


The times are surely changin’ 

This new 

generation of 

entrepreneurs have 

chosen to ignore all 

the myriads of 

problems we face 

in our country. 

Instead, they look 

for opportunities in 

these problems 

How the new generation of entrepreneurs are different, and how they can bring about change 

IN 1990 at the dusk of the Panchayat 

era in Nepal, the country had high 

expectations from its entrepreneurs. 

The country opened up, new 

investments came, and new businesses 

rose. There were large investments 

in the tourism and manufacturing sectors. 

New classes of entrepreneurs were born. 

However, most of these entrepreneurs 

came from traditional business families. 

Starting a business in the 1990s, however, 

involved considerable cozying up to the 

royal palace and politicians, thus the new 

generation of businessmen were not totally 

new. 

Today’s new generation of entrepreneurs 

are a little different. Many are foreign 

educated. Many come from families 

who were not typically associated with 

business. Many are starting businesses 

with a small amount of capital. They are 

the 20 somethings with big dreams and 

aspirations. Not only do they not want to 

cozy up to politicians, they try to stay 

away from them as much as possible. 

They maintain clean books, keep proper 

accounting, and pay their taxes when they 

are due. 

This new generation of entrepreneurs 

have chosen to ignore all the myriads of 

problems we face in our country. Instead, 

they look for opportunities in these problems. 

In load-shedding, they see an 

opportunity to sell solar panels. In higher 

petrol costs, they see an opportunity to 

sell cycles. They take risks where the older 

generation would not. They open zip 

lines, they open online discount portals, 

they open organic farms, they develop 

android games, they grow coffee, and this 

list goes on. 

CONTD FROM PAGE P 


Rana said that family pressure 

often discourages budding entrepreneurs 

from getting into what 

they want. “During our presentation 

at Kathmandu University, 

there was an MBA student who 

was keen on farming, but her family 

dissuaded her from getting into 

it,” said Rana. “Now she is working 

in a bank.” 

Thapa of sasto<strong>deal</strong> almost suffered 

the same fate as his idea was 

initially discouraged by his friends 

and family. “They used to tell me 

all the time that Nepal was still 

immature for virtual shopping 

and so on and so forth,” Thapa 

said. “But I was determined.” 

Lack of guidance is another 

problem that new entrepreneurs 

usually face. “In one of the surveys, 

a majority of budding entrepreneurs 

have spoken about lack 

of mentorship. This means established 

entrepreneurs are not support 

budding ones,” said Rana. 

“That is why we at Biruwa help 

aspiring entrepreneurs with mentorship, 

support and financing.” 

Currently, Biruwa is helping 

around a dozen clients through 

different phases of their ventures. 

In a bid to minimise initial fixed 

investments, some are only seeking 

office space, while others avail 

of full business support from 

Biruwa. What is encouraging is 

that barriers haven’t stopped 

entrepreneurship. Educated and 

uneducated, both are coming 

back and starting their businesses, 

be it in Kathmandu or outside 

Kathmandu. 

If the past two decades are any 

indication, the ones venturing 

into untested and untried sectors 

are the new entrepreneurs. The 

rise of the media, real estate, 

retail, restaurant, education, aviation 

and hydropower was scripted 

by the new entrepreneurs who 

emerged in the post-1990 period. 

“A new order has already 

emerged,” said Khanal. “Look at 

real estate or the retail sector, their 

growth was largely driven by new 

players, not by established business 

houses.” 

And there are enough reasons 

to predict that these new entrepreneurs 

will be the change makers 

in the future. Take for example 

the recently concluded Startup 

Weekend Kathmandu. The 54hour 

start-up weekend saw 47 

innovative ideas being presented 

out of which four were declared 

winners. 

The first winner, 

Pariksya.com, is an online-based 

exam prep solution for students 

and institutions. The group of 

seven students has crated an easy 

and convenient solution for both 

individual students and institutions 

by replacing the manual system 

with an online-based system 

which will allow quick processing 

besides providing extra services 

such as progress monitoring, 

score comparisons and subjectwise 

reviewing. 

Their market analysis showed 

that there are almost 14,000 engineering 

students who prepare for 

their examinations annually. They 

plan to generate revenue from the 

users who will have to pay Rs 10 

per attempt. 

In Biruwa Ventures alone, 

there are eight start-ups working 

on various entrepreneurial ideas. 

One student from Golden Gate 

College is working on mobile 

banking technology in microfinance, 

while a KUSOM student is 

planning to launch a company to 

market small businesses in the 

social media. 

If this positive trend is to continue, we 

will see a new generation of entrepreneurs 

leading the business circles of Nepal in the 

coming decades. Nepotism, a trend of hiring 

within the family or friends’ circle, is 

likely to diminish as hiring processes will 

become more open and transparent. 

Additionally, promotions within a company 

will be based on merit rather than 

“chakari”. 

Thus far, many people use the term 

entrepreneur and businessman interchangeably. 

However, I strongly believe 

that they mean different things. A businessman 

is mostly concerned about making 

money. The easiest way to do that in 

Nepal is to go into the trading business. 

Import products from abroad. Preferably 

obtain an authorized <strong>deal</strong>ership on the 

product, and maintain a virtual monopoly 

without adding much value for the consumers. 

On the other hand, an entrepreneur 

is concerned mostly with value creation 

and innovation. Making money is 

secondary for an entrepreneur. She or he 

believes that once consumers see value in 

a product or service, the business will 

begin generating revenue. The new generation 

of entrepreneurs will thus focus on 

value creation and innovation, focusing 

on businesses that others have not ventured 

into. 

The country is sure to benefit from 

this new generation of entrepreneurs as 

they begin creating jobs, as they begin to 

pay taxes, and as they begin to export 

Nepali products. At the recently concluded 

Startup Weekend Kathmandu, where a 

number of Indian IT entrepreneurs played 

a supporting role, I was pleased to hear 

that they rated Nepal’s coding and design 

talent higher than India’s. Nepal is likely to 

see growth in multiple sectors giving a 

boost to its economy. 

I have strong hopes for the agriculture, 

IT, energy and tourism sectors in Nepal. 

The farm sector is likely to see a major revolution 

as many foreign migrants will 

return to their home villages with new 

skills and a new sense of dedication to 

work. With thousands of IT graduates 

joining the workforce every year, 

Nepal’s IT sector is building a strong competitive 

advantage. The cost of labour in 

Nepal is cheaper than outsourcing 

markets like India and the Philippines; 

additionally, this abundant workforce is 

talented. 

In the energy sector, Nepalis now have 

access to capital on an unprecedented 

level. The US$ 5 billion in remittance 

coming into the country every year will 

likely start flowing into more productive 

sectors, and the energy sector is the most 

apparent investment opportunity with 

our increasing power demand and worsening 

load-shedding. 

The tourism sector, which has always 

been a major income earner for the country, 

is finally seeing the light at the end of 

the tunnel after the end of the armed conflict 

in 2006. Young entrepreneurs are 

investing in businesses in this sector by 

starting zip lines, by setting up farm houses 

for more nature loving travelers, by creating 

more customized travel packages, 

and by catering to the rising Chinese and 

Indian markets. 

Though I have high hopes from this 

generation of young entrepreneurs in the 

country, success is not guaranteed. There 

are major hurdles that these entrepre- 

neurs need to overcome. The current government 

views all businesses with a skeptical 

lens. Lack of law and order is a challenge, 

especially the practice of political 

parties’ asking for “voluntary” donations 

is already affecting small businesses. 

Many of the problems are also sector specific. 

For the IT sector, load-shedding and 

poor internet service pose the biggest hurdles. 

For the agriculture sector, problems 

such as the government’s inability to provide 

fertilizers have created a major 

impediment to the sector’s growth. For the 

energy sector, the government’s lengthy 

and sometimes erratic project approval 

process scares away investors. 

Though the government’s ineffectiveness 

creates major problems for entrepreneurs, 

I feel that our cultural tendency to 

avoid risk, even in business, is one of the 

biggest hurdles. Parents and teachers 

encourage young people to choose 

careers in the medical and banking sectors. 

It is easier for teenagers to ask for Rs 

3 lakhs from their parents to buy a sports 

bike, than for an MBA graduate to take a 

loan from her or his parents to start a business. 

Even banks prefer to provide loans to 

traditional businesses saying they do not 

want to take too much risk, while these 

same banks took extraordinary risks in the 

real estate sector. Even in such trying circumstances, 

young entrepreneurs have 

already begun making an impact. Imagine 

what will happen if these impediments 

are removed. 

(Rana is a founding partner of Biruwa 

Ventures, a consulting firm that provides 

support services to young entrepreneurs to 

help them start their business ventures) 

Q

R 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

NAVIN SUBEDI 

THE changing global order characterised 

by the rise of Nepal’s two 

giant neighbours, India and 

China, will have a major impact 

on Nepal’s economic, social and 

political sectors, besides domestic dynamics. 

The initial signs of this impact can be 

observed across the economy and political 

realms. India has continued to remain Nepal’s 

largest trading partner. Proposed Indian 

investment, especially in large hydropower 

projects, has already propelled her into the 

league of major foreign direct investors. India 

is also in the process of streamlining her economic 

cooperation with the least developed 

countries including Nepal through the establishment 

of bilateral aid missions. 

In recent years, China has tried to emulate 

its proven soft power diplomacy here in 

Nepal. Increased investment, trade and cultural 

exchanges are the hallmarks of this strategy. 

In recent years, proposed Chinese investment 

and trade proposals have made headlines. 

Propelled by a huge foreign currency 

reserve, China has expressed her interest to 

invest and provide commercial loans for 

mega infrastructure and hydropower generation 

projects. 

Based on these initial signs, a number of 

emerging trends and changing paradigms in 

Nepal’s economy, greater business can be 

extrapolated. Chinese and Indian interest in 

commercially viable sectors and strategic 

resources, fresh water resources and infrastructure 

generation will grow exponentially. 

With a seeming warming-up of bilateral relations 

between India and China, Nepal can be 

catapulted into a key land transit route linking 

Nepal as trans-Himalayan bridge 

Nepal should pursue economic integration with China and India to benefit from world trends 

the two neighbours. It is the modern version 

of the ancient Himalayan entrepôt trade route 

which Nepal used to facilitate and benefit 

from. For China, this proposition is more 

attractive as Nepal could serve as a springboard 

to the vast north Indian and 

Bangladeshi markets. Establishment of an 

alternative land transit route between India 

and China does not make this proposition 

unattractive as Nepal is geographically nearer 

to the huge north Indian market. 

As a result, foreign direct investment and 

bilateral assistance (both grants and commercial 

loans) from both the countries to develop 

and upgrade transportation corridors in 

Nepal will gather momentum. This is already 

taking pace with India and China financing 

road and multi-modal transportation networks 

from their side to the Nepal border. 

Along with this, construction of north-south 

corridor roads and mid-mountain highways 

provides the impetus to develop an integrated 

domestic market for the first time since the 

establishment of modern Nepal. Investment 

in critical urban infrastructure such as mass 

rapid transit, solid waste management and 

electricity generation from waste and affordable 

mass housing are some of the areas 

which are attractive business propositions for 

Indian and Chinese companies. 

Increased investment from India and 

China will have a bearing on Nepal’s traditional 

donors. With increased foreign aid 

fatigue, dwindling foreign aid in projects of 

vital importance and focus on software building 

activities, traditional donors will be forced 

to reposition or face obsolescence in the com- 

Chinese and 

Indian interest in 

commercially viable 

sectors and strategic 

resources, fresh 

water resources 

and infrastructure 

generation will grow 

exponentially 

ing two decades. It is equally a possibility for 

China and India headquartered INGOs to outpace 

traditional INGOs. Or the smartest of the 

traditional INGOs surviving in the next 20 

years will have a large chunk of their resources 

mobilised from these countries. 

Nepal’s tourism is one area that could 

benefit immensely from the rise of India and 

China. Form a very low base, China is becoming 

a major inbound destination for Nepal. 

One ambitious Chinese proposal, if it takes 

off, to develop Lumbini as a major Buddhist 

pilgrimage destination could change the 

landscape of tourism in Nepal. As the project 

seems to have geo-political implications, 

especially Indian reservations to mega 

Chinese investments near its border, a possible 

way out is integrated development and 

marketing of Buddhists pilgrimage sites in 

north India and Nepal. Both India and Nepal 

gain economically, and Lumbini becomes a 

trilateral meeting and melting point. With rising 

incomes fuelled by economic growth in 

north Indian states bordering Nepal, pilgrimage 

and hill destinations within a distance of 

30-50 km from the Indian border could develop 

into popular weekend destinations round 

the year for the burgeoning north Indian middle 

class. At least 10 destinations could be 

developed without much government investment. 

Imagine Bhedetar and Daman 

thronged round the year by north Indian 

tourists to spend their weekend! 

Along with increased flow of trade, 

tourists and economic activities, Nepal’s business 

communities will establish a closer relationship 

with both the countries. This could 

lead to the mushrooming of small-scale 

investment from the two countries, besides 

multinationals leading mega investment 

projects. Local chambers of commerce could 

take up the role of encouraging small and 

medium-sized companies to invest in their 

respective regions and promoting their 

respective tourism designations, while the 

likes of Tata, Reliance, Huawei and Three 

Gorges are courted by national business associations 

and the government. It is taking place 

sporadically, but the momentum needs to be 

accelerated. Tourism entrepreneurs in 

Pokhara have coordinated marketing of their 

products in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. 

If the apparent warming-up of relations 

between China and India became tense and 

uneasy, will Nepal end up with the possibility 

of national business associations becoming 

or being perceived as lobbyists for a specific 

country? Imagine a situation where the 


Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) 

and the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of 

Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) are perceived 

as being lobbyists for China and India 

respectively or vice versa! 

Two decades from now, Nepal will be an 

attractive place for investment as its consumer 

base expands. With changes in family 

and social values fuelled by remittance inflow 

and integration with the global world, consumerism 

will be the key social mantra. 

Services seem to be an attractive sector for 

both foreign and domestic investment. The 

major issue is how best domestic demand can 

be meet through domestic investment. The 

thrust on improved and commercial agriculture, 

fast moving consumer goods, dairies and 

other areas with internal demand has to top 

the list of domestic and foreign investment. 

Success stories like the Laxmi Group, which 

jumped from being a small time trader in 

Pokhara into the national league will have 

been written hundreds of times in the coming 

two decades. 

The question for Nepal is how best we can 

benefit from this great shift in the global economic 

order, and how public polices and governance 

mechanisms address these dynamic 

externalities. The important point from where 

to start is addressing the supply side bottleneck 

gripping Nepal’s manufacturing sector. 

In the past decade, Nepal has become deindustrialized 

owing to a number of factors, 

and the share of the manufacturing sector has 

been on a decline -- unfortunate phenomena 

for a country that sees the entry of nearly half 

a million into the workforce annually. 

Providing a dedicated energy supply, 

addressing labour issues and improving the 

skill profile of the workforce are some of the 

basic areas that public policies need to 

address in order to gain from the chaining 

phenomena. Another aspect that needs 

urgent public policy attention is how best the 

likely economic gains are distributed and how 

the growth is made inclusive. For foreign and 

domestic investment and capital to thrive 

unfettered, an integrated domestic market is a 

pre-requisite. Does the discussion around 

state restructuring in Nepal facilitate this integration 

and reduce transaction costs or vice 

versa? 

(Subedi is a Kathmandu-based 

development professional)


ASHOK THAPA 


CHANGE IS IN THE AIR 

Family-run corporate houses will adopt a pure corporate culture and exercise new professionalism 

In the next 20 years, 

we will see this 

transformation where 

corporate houses will 

adopt a pure corporate 

culture and exercise 

sheer professionalism 

Suraj Vaidya 

Nepali businesses now 

have to compete in the 

global market space. For 

this, corporatisation and 

a system should be 

developed 

Sujeev Shakya 

The arrival of 

new order will be 

promising and 

ground 

breaking 

Diwakar Golchha 

THE Nepali corporate sector 

today stands at an interesting 

phase. With a protracted political 

transition, business houses 

are still in a wait and watch 

mode when it comes to investments while 

the young generation is gradually moving 

into the driver’s seat at their respective business 

houses. 

If the last two decades (1990-2010) are 

any indication, one thing is sure. The established 

business houses have to change the 

way they do business. They cannot survive 

just on the basis of a favourable policy 

framework and by cosying up to politicians 

and bureaucrats. 

The end of License Raj was a major turning 

point for the growth of entrepreneurship 

in the last two decades. It provided a level 

playing field to both the established players 

and the newcomers. But it was the new 

entrants who took risks, innovated and 

established themselves. 

Economists and even businessmen 

admit that innovation and transparency is 

key to surviving in the next two decades. 

“Nepali businesses now have to compete in 

the global market space. For this, corporatisation 

and a system should be developed,” 

says Sujeev Shakya, CEO of Beed, a consulting 

and advisory service company. “They 

have to get rid of the rent seeking mentality.” 

Similarly, the Nimbus Group’s managing 

director Ananda Bagaria said the existing 

corporate houses should be ready to face 

competition from start-ups. Having established 

an animal feed factory in the last 10 

years, the Nimbus Group is now eyeing 

expansion. 

The success story of Nimbus is similar to 

that of Min Bahadur Gurung of Bhat Bhateni 

Super Market, Ichha Raj Tamang of the Civil 

Group and Chandra Dhakal of the IME 

Group. All these people ventured into areas 

that the established business houses had 

not thought of, built up their business and 

established themselves in the last 20 years. 

This trend will intensify in the next two 

years as the foreign educated younger generation 

returns home. The next growth story 

in the country’s private sector, according to 

Rameshore Khanal who is the economic 

advisor to the prime minister, will come 

from foreign returnees and non-resident 

Nepalis (NRNs). Khanal says foreign 

returnees will bring back new entrepreneurship. 

“They have seen the world and how 

business operates abroad, they will give it a 

try on their own,” said Khanal. “They will be 

receptive to new technologies, new marketing 

strategies and new global markets. 

Moreover, they will have knowledge to give a 

solid beginning and courage to face risks.” 

According to former industry secretary 

Bhola Nath Chalise, the new entrepreneurs 

will venture into areas that demand less 

capital but more innovation and knowledge. 

Likewise, Pashupati Murarka of the 

Murarka Organisation said, “The new order 

will go for innovation and technology while 

the established houses will keep on investing 

in the areas where they have been putting 

money since the beginning. Such houses 

will keep on concentrating on businesses 

considered to be in the mainstream sector 

with which they are familiar,” said Murarka. 

The bosses of the established business 

houses agree. “Their arrival will be promising 

and ground breaking,” said Diwakar 

Golchha, executive director of the Golchha 

Group. 

In the next 20 years, various sectors of 

the economy will be opened to foreign 

investment, making competition even 

stronger for domestic players. “When foreign 

brands enter the country, local brands 

have to upscale themselves. That will happen 

in Nepal too,” said Shakya. 

CONTD ON PAGE T 

The established 


have to change the 

way they do 

business. They 

cannot survive just 

on the basis of a 

favourable policy 

framework and by 

cosying up to 

politicians and 

bureaucrats 

S

T 20 years of ensuring your right to right information 

CONTD FROM PAGE S 

CHANGE IS... 

The entire business 

functioning part will be 

taken over by others who 

might be shareholders or 

professionals hired by 

the houses 

Saurav Jyoti 

We have been focusing 

on construction 

materials, and that will 

be our main focus area 

in the future too 

Pradeep K Shrestha 

Consequently, domestic players will be forced to 

adopt transparency, invest in human resources and allow 

professionals to run their businesses. Till now, the corporate 

culture has not been established in Nepal with businesses 

still under family control. Except a few houses, the 

separation of ownership and management still has not 

taken place. 

“But this change will happen,” said Suraj Vaidya, president 

of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of 

Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). “In the next 20 years, 

we will see this transformation where corporate houses 

will adopt a pure corporate culture and exercise sheer 

professionalism.” Family-driven business houses, 

according to Vaidya, will switch to management-driven 

business houses or be operated by the board. 

The next 20 years 

will also see Nepali 


expanding beyond 

Nepal 

Similarly, the Jyoti Group’s Saurav Jyoti believes there 

will be a separation of management and promoters in 

corporate houses. “The entire business functioning part 

will be taken over by others who might be shareholders or 

professionals hired by the house,” said Jyoti. 

Business houses say the next 20 years will also probably 

see many of them going for specialization, identifying 

their core areas and making a strong presence in that 

area. “We have been focusing on construction materials, 

and that will be our main focus area in the future too,” 

said Pradeep Kumar Shrestha, managing director of the 

Panchakanya Group. 

The next 20 years will also see Nepali business houses 

expanding beyond Nepal. The process has already begun 

despite the country’s law barring them from doing so. 

There has been rising voices among the private sector 

that they should be allowed to invest abroad. Even proliberal 

politicians and economists now say that Nepali 

entrepreneurs should be given space to demonstrate 

their competency abroad. “If one needs to grow, then one 

needs to go abroad,” said Shakya. “In order to manage 

political risks too, one needs to diversify markets.” 

Already, entrepreneurs like Binod Chaudhary and 

others have expanded their operations outside Nepal, 

exploiting legal loopholes. And if the political situation 

remains volatile, capital flight will intensify as businessmen 

try to expand their businesses for obvious reasons. 

Khanal believes that the government should let the 

private sector invest abroad in the next 20 years. “They 

should be allowed to invest in businesses where they have 

a competitive advantage,” said Khanal. “Nepal has comparative 

advantages in areas like adventure tourism and 

banking. In a few years’ time, Nepali hydropower companies 

will gain expertise and capacity to operate abroad.” 

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Final deal on CJ govt near, say parties

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