Parties divided on vote threshold for PR seat

Nepal’s No. 1 

English Daily 

www.thehimalayantimes.com 

Printed simultaneously from 

Kathmandu and Itahari 

America bolsters defences amid NKorean threat Page 8 Trade deficit widens as remittance increases Page 11 Double delight for Army Club Page 13 

The Himalayan 

T I M E S 

Vol. XII No.134 • Kathmandu, Friday, April 5, 2013, Chaitra 23, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1133 

• SHORT TAKES 

AP / RSS 

A Bahraini anti-government protester, 

masked against tear gas, prepares to throw 

a petrol bomb during clashes with riot 

police in Diraz, Bahrain, on Thursday. 

NEPAL 

Treasure trove unlocked 

KATHMANDU: A 23-member government 

team on Thursday opened two store rooms 

on the historical Hanumandhoka Durbar 

Square premises, believed to contain treasures, 

and found some antiques, head of the 

team said. The team inspected the rooms as 

per a March 2 Cabinet decision, barring mediapersons 

from the rooms on ‘security 

grounds’. The team found nothing valuable 

in one room, while in the other, it found 15 

metal and wooden boxes and seven safes. 

(Details on Page 2) 

BUSINESS 

Gold price plunges 

KATHMANDU: The domestic precious metal 

market saw the price of gold plunge by Rs 900 

in a week due to the retreating price in the international 

bullion market. As the price of 

gold sunk to $1,550 in the global market, the 

price in the domestic market has been 

determined at Rs 55,700 for a tola (11.664 

grams) — the lowest in last 10 months — as 

the price had reached to this level on February 

21 and July 13, 2012. (Details on Page 10) 

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs) SELLING (in Rs) 

Indian Rs 100 160.00 160.15 

Chinese Yuan 1 14.07 14.17 

U.S. Dollar 1 87.28 87.88 

Euro 1 111.64 112.41 

Pound Sterling 1 131.50 132.40 

Japanese Yen 10 9.15 9.22 

The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank 

Himalayan News Service 

Rajbiraj/Siraha, April 4 

As many as 99 houses were 

reduced to ashes in separate 

fire incidents in Saptari, 

Siraha, Sunsari and Hetauda 

districts today. 

Property worth Rs 5 million 

was destroyed in Saptari’s 

Bakdhuwa after a fire 

that started from the 

kitchen of Budhai Yadhav 

spread to 25 other houses. 

Two houses were pulled 

down to prevent the fire 

from spreading, said locals. 

Food items, utensils, and 

clothes were destroyed in 

the inferno. According to 

one local Ramup Sada, two 

cattle were charred to death 

in the incident. 

Fire brigade with the help 

of the Nepali Army, Nepal 

Police and locals later 

brought the fire under control. 

In Siraha, 20 houses 

were destroyed in a major 

fire at Simara village and 

Fukalkaha village of Fulkahakatti 

VDC today. Property 

worth Rs 5 million was destroyed 

in the blaze, said 

police. 

Three persons, who have 

sustained burn injuries in 

the incident, are being 

treated at Bhumija Hospital, 

Golbazaar. The fire was put 

out with the efforts of 

Nepali Army, Nepal Police, 

locals and a fire engine. Fire 

could not be brought under 

control quickly due to 

strong winds, locals said. A 

<strong>Parties</strong> <strong>divided</strong> on vote 

threshold for PR seat 


Kathmandu, April 4 

The Unified CPN-Maoist and 

the fringe parties today objected 

to the Election Commission’s 

proposal of requiring one per 

cent threshold to secure at least 

one seat in the Constituent Assembly 

through proportional 

representation system. On the 

other hand, the Nepali Congress 

and CPN-UML backed the EC’s 

proposal, stating that the proposed 

threshold would encourage 

the fringe parties to unite to 

champion their cause in the 

Constituent Assembly. 

The division came to fore during 

a meeting called by Chairman 

of the Interim Council of 

Ministers, Khil Raj Regmi, who 

was seeking the parties’ feedback 

on election related laws 

forwarded to the government by 

the Election Commission. 

“Majority of the parties op- 



fire victim, Pandab Mandal, 

said his house had caught 

fire when staff from the Lahan 

Electricity Authority 

and the Armed Police Force 

were disconnecting a hook 

from the electricity pole 

used for power theft near 

his house. 

According to another victim, 

Kamal Mandal, NEA 

authorities and APF fled the 

village instead of helping 

them to extinguish the fire. 

Siraha CDO Dhurba 

Prasad Dhakal said they 

could not get the fire engine 

from Rajbiraj on time as it 

was busy to douse the fire in 

Saptari. Elsewhere, property 

worth Rs 4 million was 

destroyed when fire engulfed 

44 houses belonging 

posed the proposal of one per 

cent threshold and we also want 

it removed from the ordinance,” 

said UCPN-Maoist leader Krishna 

Bahadur Mahara. He said 

UCPN-M and the fringe maintained 

that no new provision 

should be included in the proposed 

ordinance, as it would invite 

unnecessary controversy. 

Mahara said, “We believe more 

diverse representation will 

mean more inclusive CA.” 

But Agni Kharel, a UML 

leader, said they were in favour 

of enacting the one per cent 

threshold in the PR system, arguing 

that all democratic countries 

had such a provision, 

which would encourage the 

fringe parties to form a unified 

party based on electoral agenda. 

Nepali Congress leader Minendra 

Rijal said the EC proposal 

would ensure true representation 

of women, Dalits and 

marginalised communities in 

HLPC to engage protesters 

KATHMANDU: The High Level 

Political Committee decided 

to engage agitating parties 

– Mohan Baidhya-led CPN- 

Maoist and Upendra Yadavled 

Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum 

Nepal — to build positive 

environment for the upcoming 

polls. According to CPN- 

UML Vice-chairman Bamdev 

Gautam, building positive en- 

The government today decided 

to take back all 32 weapons used 

for the security of CPN-Maoist 

leaders by mid-May. 

A Cabinet meeting also decided 

that those weapons would become 

illegal after May 14 if the 

party failed to submit them and 

the government would take necessary 

legal action against their 

owners/users, said Madhav 

Paudel, Minister for Information 

and Communications. 

The decision was based on 

yesterday’s recommendation of 

the Special Committee (for supervision, 

integration and rehabilitation 

of former combatants). 

The cross-party peace panel had 

advised the government to take 

back all 32 weapons used for the 

security of CPN-Maoist leaders, 

including party Chairman 

Mohan Baidhya and Vice-chairman 

CP Gajurel. The Special 

Committee meeting was 

held under the chairmanship of 

former prime minister Baburam 

Bhattarai at its New Baneshworbased 

secretariat. 

In July 2011 UCPN-M had decided 

to hand over all 94 war-era 

weapons used for the security of 

vironment for the polls was 

imperative before declaring a 

date but if the HLPC wished it 

to be declared at any cost, 

they could do so. “But the 

most important thing is to 

build positive environment 

for the polls before declaring a 

date,” Gautam told mediapersons 

outside the meeting 

venue. — HNS 

Deadline set for CPN-M 

to return weapons 

top party leaders. By August 

2011, Chairman Pushpa Kamal 

Dahal and other leaders loyal to 

him had handed over 62 

weapons to the government. 

However, the then party Vicechairman 

Baidhya and leaders 

close to him refused to part with 

their weapons. 

Former coordinator of Army 

Integration Special Committee 

Secretariat Balananda Sharma 

told THT that it was difficult to 

say if all the remaining weapons 

were in the possession of the 

leaders who joined Baidhya-led 

CPN-M following UCPN-M split 

in June 2012. 

The Cabinet meeting held at 

Singha Durbar also formed an inter-ministerial 

committee to 

make an inventory of the land 

used for PLA cantonments. It will 

recommend to the government 

whether or not the area is enough 

and appropriate to set up the 

proposed directorate general of 

the Nepali Army comprising the 

newly integrated former PLAs. 

Minister Paudel informed THT 

that Home Secretary, Defence 

Secretary, Forest Secretary, Education 

Secretary and Peace Secretary 

are in the committee that 

will submit its report within 15 

days. 

99 houses destroyed in Tarai fires 

NEA,APF men accused of fleeing after causing fire in a VDC 

to 11 families at Shreepur 

VDC in Sunsari. 

The fire that started from 

Mohammad Rafi’s house 

could not be brought under 

control on time due to the 

strong wind, an eyewitness 

said. A fire engine from Itahari 

Municipality finally 

doused the blaze after 44 

houses were destroyed. 

In Hetauda, 10 houses 

were reduced to ashes in a 

fire at Raigaun VDC in 

Makawanpur. The fire 

spread from a nearby forest. 

Bhimsen Bishwokarma lost 

property worth Rs 3.25 

lakhs in the fire. Property 

worth Rs 2.95 lakhs of another 

villager, Jaku Rai, was 

destroyed, said District Police 

Office, Makawanpur. 

the CA. 

At the end of the meeting, 

government spokesperson and 

Minister for Information and 

Communications, Madhav 

Prasad Paudel, said they were 

still studying the pros and cons 

of the threshold proposal and a 

final decision would be taken 

after studying the parties’ and 

EC’s suggestions. 

Division on the threshold issue 

was apparent even in the 

High Level Political Committee 

held today. United Democratic 

Madhesi Party leader Mahantha 

Thakur, who attended the HLPC 

meeting, said at a programme 

here that two constituents of the 

four-party mechanism (the 

UDMF and the UCPN-M) were 

against the provision of the draft 

ordinance that proposed 

threshold for proportional representation 

seats. 

“UCPN-M and UDMF are on 

one side and the Nepali Congress 

and the CPN-UML on the 

other,” the Madhesi leader said. 

Meanwhile, Central Working 

Committee members of the 

Nepali Congress took exception 

to UCPN-M’s decision to back 

fringe parties on the issue of 

threshold. NC leader Ram Sharan 

Mahat told the CWC meeting 

today that the UCPN-M was 

trying to sabotage the election 

government’s bid to hold polls. 

“The UCPN-M had supported 

the threshold earlier but they 

are now backtracking,” Mahat 

added. 

Weather: Partly cloudy 

Max: 30-32 o 

C Min: 10-12 o 

C 

Sunrise 05:50 Sunset 18:23 

Capital ★ 16+8 pages Rs 5 

Rajesh Gurung / THT 

A Paraguay armyman arresting a ‘protester’ in the cordon and search operation training 

during Shanti Prayas-II aimed at enhancing the skills of armies deputed in the UN 

peacekeeping missions, in Panchkhal of Kavrepalanchowk district.

PAGE 2 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

CAPITAL 

• IN BRIEF 

Strike for FSU polls 

KATHMANDU: Some cadres of the 

Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Students 

Union on Thursday joined in 

the fast-unto-death in front of the office 

of Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan 

University to make the TU set the 

date for Free Student Union (FSU) 

polls at the earliest. Kailash Koirala, 

Harish Bhandari, Rajiv Neupane, Krishna 

Joshi and Bhim Gautam, NSU 

leaders from various campuses in the 

Kathmandu Valley, joined in the 

strike, while some NSU cadres have 

been staging the strike for the past 

two weeks for the same cause. Meanwhile, 

the TU has called a special 

Senate meeting on Friday for amending 

FSU regulations related to FSU 

polls and other issues. Chairman of 

the Interim Election Government 

and TU Chancellor, Khil Raj Regmi, 

will attend the meeting. — HNS 

‘Get tough on VAW’ 

KATHMANDU: British Parliamentarian, 

Margaret Hodge on Thursday said 

the cases related to Violence against 

Women (VAW) should be treated as 

crimes and be prosecuted by the government. 

Speaking at an interaction 

organised by Voluntary Service Overseas 

Nepal and Sankalpa, Hodge said 

many women were victims of violence 

against them and many were 

losing their lives at an early age. “In 

addition to treating VAW cases as 

crime, it is also important to educate 

women to get rid of such VAW cases,” 

Hodge said. — HNS 

Rooms burgled 

KATHMANDU: Two burglaries were 

reported in Kathmandu on Wednesday, 

police said. One lakh rupees and 

one tola gold were burgled from the 

rented room of Prem Gurung of 

Lamjung at Samakhusi. In another 

incident, a gang broke into the rented 

room of Madhu Mishra at Naya 

Bazaar and made off with Rs 20,000 

and two tola gold. — HNS 

Pistol found 

LALITPUR: Police found a countrymade 

pistol near the UN Park in Lalitpur 

on Wednesday. Police said two 

motorcycle-borne youth threw the 

pistol and fled. A manhunt for the 

two is on, officials said. — HNS 

Govt unlocks supposed treasure trove 



A 23-member government 

team today opened two 

store rooms on the historical 

Hanumandhoka Durbar 

Square premises, believed 

to contain treasures, and 

found some antiques, head 

of the team said. 

The team under Bhesh 

Narayan Dahal, directorgeneral 

at the Department 

of Archaeology, inspected 

the rooms as per a March 2 

Cabinet decision, barring 

mediapersons from the 

Blood discarded 

despite shortage 



When most of the blood banks at hospitals 

in the country have been running 

dry and patients have been bearing 

the brunt, Blood Transfusion Service 

at Nepal Red Cross Society (Bhaktapur) 

has refused to accept the whole 

blood from a patient’s relative. 

Aamit Jatiya, brother-in-law of Rinky 

Jatiya, admitted to Neonatal Intensive 

Care Unit of Patan Hospital, had tried 

to return the two pints of unused B- 

Negative blood to the hospital, but the 

hospital shocked him by refusing to 

take the whole blood. 

“I spent more than 15 days to 

arrange blood for my sister-in-law,” 

said Jatiya. After a lot of effort, I was 

somehow able to manage two pints of 

blood on March 29, but Rinky did not 

need it for her operation. Thinking of 

the hardship in arranging for blood 

and the scarcity of blood at hospitals, I 

tried to return it to the NRCS Bhaktapur, 

but they refused to accept it and 

asked me to throw it away,” said Aamit. 

He said Patan Hospital also refused 

to take it and preserve it for future use. 

Fazed, as to why the hospital authorities 

were refusing to accept the whole 

blood, Aamit said, “I had paid Rs 1,010 

for two pints of blood, but I was willing 

to give it to them for free. The expiry 

date for the blood is May 3.” 

President of NRCS Bhaktapur, 

Manoj Kumar Thapa, assured to investigate 

the case. 

rooms on ‘security 

grounds’. Dahal informed 

that the team 

found nothing valuable 

in one room, while in the 

other, it found 15 metal 

and wooden boxes and 

seven safes. 

According to historical 

records, then prime minister 

Chandra Shumsher 

JBR had brought the 

safes in 1914. 

“Records have it that 

the store rooms were 

opened twice earlier. In 

1779, then King Jaya 

Prakash Malla used gold 

The find so far 

includes 42 

pieces of silver 

each the size of a 

brick, 90 smaller 

pieces of silver, 

an idol, karuwa 

and kalash 

and silver deposited there 

to pay salary to his soldiers. 

On another occasion, King 

Mahendra ordered 

deputies to get gold and 

other precious metals from 

the treasure and deposited 

INR 7.5 million at the Nepal 

Rastra Bank in return,” he 

said. 

Dahal informed that they 

found 42 pieces of silver 

each the size of a brick, 90 

smaller pieces of silver, a 

Buddha idol, karuwa and 

kalash in the second store 

room. “We are yet to open 

the boxes and safes. We will 

soon inform the public 

about the whole probe,” he 

said. The boxes and antiques 

found in the store 

room are now in the custody 

of the Nepali Army, which 

guards the durbar square. 

Officials said they opened 

the store rooms for renovation 

work and for displaying 

the valuables to the public. 

On June 28, 2011, government 

officials had found in 

one of the storehouses eight 

crowns, two ‘Tilaharis’, two 

rosaries, two bracelets, two 

hair clips, two wires made of 

gold and other antiques. 

A volunteer associated with the Occupy Baluwatar Movement resting beside placards demanding 

implementation of a court verdict related to the killing of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha and Ganesh Kumar 

Shrestha, during the decade-long insurgency, in Kathmandu on Thursday. 



The Metropolitan Traffic Police 

Division today appealed 

to motorcyclists to be careful 

while parking their twowheelers 

in the Kathmandu 

Valley, where four bikes are 

lifted daily on an average. 

DSP Pawan Giri said most 

of the thefts occur due to 

carelessness on the part of 

the owner. He pointed that 

owners can curb such thefts 

to a great extent by being 

careful while parking their 

two-wheelers. Officials 

pointed that such thefts are 

rife at hospital compounds, 

crowded places and restaurants. 

A traffic police officer 

said owners resort to wilful 

parking also because they 

are sure that they will get 

money from the insurer for 

the two-wheelers lost. 

Most of the bikes lifted 

from the valley are pushed 

into hilly districts and the 

Tarai region, where presence 

of traffic police is thin, officials 

said. They say stolen 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013 

Appoint apex court 

judges, NBA asks 

Judicial Council 



bikes are hardly seen plying 

the Ring Road due to heavy 

checking. So, locating a 

The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) today 

said that the Judicial Council (JC) can appoint 

judges in the Supreme Court noting 

that such appointments are a must to ensure 

the people’s right to justice. 

“We received positive feedback from 

the Nepal Bar Association, so we will take 

a decision at the earliest,” Acting Chief 

Justice Damodar Prasad Sharma told this 

daily after a meeting with NBA officebearers, 

which was held today to make 

way for appointment of 19 judges at the 

apex court. According to Sharma, NBA 

representatives assured to support JC in 

its move. A few days ago, the NBA had told 

the JC not to appoint judges in the apex 

court without deciding cases that have 

challenged the March 13 presidential order 

meant to make way for appointment 

of judges and heads as well as members of 

constitutional bodies even without parliamentary 

hearing. According to Article 155 

of the Interim Constitution, such a hearing 

must precede constitutional appointments. 

With the Constituent Assembly, which 

doubled as Parliament, dissolved, there’s 

no question of such a hearing taking 

place. Another source said justices will be 

appointed soon. “Tomorrow, we will discuss 

the names and endorse the same 

soon,” he added.“We said it is equally important 

to appoint judges without settling 

cases against the presidential order, so we 

suggested them to take a wise decision,” 

said Harikrishna Karki, NBA president. 

Take caution while parking two-wheelers: MTPD 

Keeping thieves at bay 

• On an average day, four 

bikes are stolen in the Kathmandu 

Valley 

• Traffic police say parking 

two-wheelers in proper 

places is an effective way to 

curb their theft 

THT 

• MTPD says it is difficult to 

trace stolen bikes as they 

are taken and used in hilly 

districts outside the valley 

and the Tarai, where the 

presence of traffic police is 

thin 

stolen bike is tough, though 

the MTPD has a separate 

desk to look into reported 

cases of property crime. 

In the past few weeks, 

MTPD has managed to recover 

six motorcycles stolen 

from various parts of the valley, 

officials said. Today, SP 

Purna Chandra Joshi handed 

over two bikes to their owners 

upon verification of ownership 

documents. The owners 

of four bikes are yet to 

turn up at the MTPD.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

CAPITAL 

President’s Office defends invocation of Article 158 



The Office of the President today 

defended the March 13 presiden- 

Meet on 

poverty 

alleviation 



The fifth SAARC Secretary-level 

meeting on 

poverty alleviation kicked 

off in the Capital today. 

All eight member-states 

of the South Asian Association 

for Regional Cooperation 

are participating 

in the meeting, which 

today reviewed the 

progress on the regional 

efforts in alleviating 

poverty, achieving the 

SAARC Development 

Goals (SDGs), regional 

poverty profile among 

others, said an attending 

official. 

The secretary-level 

meeting also delved into 

the regional and sub-regional 

investment projects 

as well as vision of 

SAARC post-2015 and 

Millennium Development 

Goals. 

The meeting, however, 

did not take any decision, 

said the attending official 

implying that the ministerial-level 

meeting slated 

for tomorrow will 

most probably take decisions. 

Ministers looking after 

poverty alleviation issues 

have come to Kathmandu 

from Afghanistan, 

Bangladesh, Bhutan, the 

Maldives, and Sri Lanka 

for the meet. 

Special Secretary at the 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

Pakistan, Noor 

Muhamad Jadwani, is 

leading the Pakistani 

team. 

tial order, saying the order was 

meant to remove constitutional 

difficulties and make way for the 

formation of Interim Election 

Council of Ministers under Khil 

Raj Regmi, the sitting chief justice. 

Stating that the order is based 

on “certain fixed principles of 

reason”, it asked the apex court to 

quash a petition that has challenged 

the order. In its written explanation 

furnished in response 

to a writ petition that advocates 

Chandra Kanta Gyawali and Om 

Prakash Aryal had filed, the office 

claimed that the order of President 

Ram Baran Yadav is based 

on a political understanding to 

end the prevailing political and 

constitutional deadlock. Stating 

that the order has grossly violated 

the Interim Constitution, the pe- 

titioners have sought an apex 

court order to nullify the same 

and revoke the appointment of 

Chief Justice Regmi as chairman 

of the Interim Election Council. 

The written reply reads that 

there’s no need now to review the 

order issued as per Article 158 of 

PAGE 3 

the Interim Constitution. 

“Since the order is intended to 

end the political deadlock and 

make way for elections to the 

Constituent Assembly that will 

draft the new constitution, the 

petition is unwarranted,” the 

written explanation states.

PAGE 4 

BLONDIE Dean Young and Denis Lebrun 

HAGAR Chris Browne 

BEETLE BAILEY Mort Walker 

BEAU PEEP Andrew Christine and Roger Kettle 

• ENGAGEMENTS 

EXHIBITION, CLASS AND WORKSHOP 

KJC SPRING CAMP- REDEFINED! 

Venue: Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC); Time: 10 to 5 pm Mondays through Fridays; Date: 1st to 12th April, 

2013; for details and registrations contact: T: 977- 01-5013554 OR your inquiries at: info@katjazz.com.np 

LALITKALA UNESCO CENTER and ART REVOLUTION MISSION present “SHIVARATRI”. 

The exhibition will showcase CANVASES,installation and dances from “shivaratri artworkshop”(10march-org:-ARM ) 

14th march to 30th march 2013 at UNESCO ART GALLERY,goldhunga-1,kathmandu,11:00am- 

5:00pm,daily.contact:9841652036/ 9808403368/ 9808403367. 

Mind, body & spirit therapies 

Benefit yourself and friends with yoga, meditation, massage and therapies to heal your body, mind & spirit, and discover 

the right path towards the ultimate fulfillment of life. Every Saturday morning at 8 am. Registration obligatory 

before program date. Mind Body Library, Babarmahal, Ph 4102025; more info at www.fb.com/mindbodylibrary 

FINE CUISINE 

Escape the hustle & bustle of Kathmandu and enjoy peace and tranquility, good food and fresh air at Shivapuri 

Heights Cottage. Rs 3500.00 per person per night inclusive of dinner and breakfast. Contact Sohan: 

9841371927, Steve: 9802012245 or e-mail: info@shivapuricottage.com 

Smoky Charcoal and Hot Stone BBQ Dinner at Splash Bar and Grill, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu every Friday at Rs. 

1199 plus taxes per person from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm For more information contact: 4411818 Ext. 1301 

“Happiness Happens — Enjoy Continental, Chinese, Nepali, Newari, Indian food in a new modified version i.e. Fusion 

version with all time favorite songs played live by Lucky Sitaula and His Band every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 

@ Fusion Restro and Bar,Jhamsikhel, Just opposite of St.Mary’s Parking, For Reservation:5009076.” 

“Mangolian BBQ” : Every Friday from 6:00 pm onwards at Shangri~La Village Resort, Pokhara only @ Rs.999 Nett 

per person ( Includes a glass of house Wine) and featuring Traditional Music. For more details and Reservation: 

061462222 Extn: 5055. 

TIRED OF BEING COLD?? Kilroy’s has a warm dining room so enjoy a 10% discount on food by the fireplace. We have 

a generator and an excellent continental cuisine. Please bring this advertisement to get 10% discount. Offer 

valid all winter. Kilroy’s of Kathmandu, Jyatha street, Thamel 4250440/41. 

Escape the hustle & bustle of Kathmandu without having to travel too far and enjoy peace and tranquility, 

good food, cool breezes and fresh air at Shivapuri Heights Cottage. Rs 3500.00 per person per night inclusive 

of dinner and breakfast or come up just for a walk and a lunch. Advance booking required. Contact 

Sohan: 9841371927, Steve: 9802012245 or e-mail: info@shivapuricottage.com 

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). For 

further details call Hotel Shangri~La, Kathmandu at 4412999 Extn. 7520,7515. 

Starry Night BBQ: Every Friday Evening from 7:00 pm onwards at Shambala Garden Café, Hotel Shangri~La 

only @ Rs.1299 Nett per person and live performance by Ciney Gurung. For more details and Reservation: 

4412999 Extn. 7520,7515. 

Bar-Be-Que Brunch Bazaar: Make your gourmet journey memorable for lifetime with all live counters serving 

in one place. Every Saturday at poolside garden of Gokarna Forest Resort, Kathmandu from 12 noon to 

2:30PM at NRs. 1999 NET per person. For more information contact: 4451212 

Event 

WHAT THE FUNK - WE ARE SOUL'D' OUT Presenting a mix of talent and experience with the funky boys of 

soul back by 2 lovely singers in this celebration of the music of good times. You'll be shaking along with 

Stevie, Kool and the Gang and even Queen. Come join us for a groovy night at Moksh. Members : Vocal : 

Prajwal Mukhiya; Keys : Yuvash Vaidya; Guitar : Dev Lama; BASS : Nirakar Yakthumba DRums : Hemu 

Chettri; Backing Vocals : Anupama Shakya Be There to witness the HOTTEST funk band in K-Town! Cover 

Charge: 200/- 

Enjoy our weekly event: 

Sunday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

Monday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

Tuesday: Salsa Workshop with Riyaz Shrestha 

Wednesday: Live Sufi music by Hemanta Rana 

Thursday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

Friday: Live Acoustic performance by Dharmendra Sewan 

Saturday: Live preformance by Hem Lama. Venue: Tamarind Restro and bar; Jamshikhel, Lalitpur; 

Damkal road; Opposite st Mary’s school, Ph -5522626 (for bookings) 

For listing in this column, mail your events to 

engagements@thehimalayantimes.com 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

7 8 

9 10 

Across: 1 Disturb the present state of 

tranquility and endanger by so doing ? 

(4,3,4) - 9 Carnival or fete consisting 

of amusements and side-shows (3-4) - 

10 A Scandinavian - “weeds” anagram 

? (5) - 11 ___ to sleep : kill an animal 

painlessly ? (3) - 13 At all times 

(4) - 16 Move elusively, dodge (4) - 17 

Shrink in fear; display repulsiveness ? 

(6) - 18 Bathroom powder (4) - 20 

Type of corvine birds (4) - 21 Group of 

rhymed lines (6) - 22 Climbing-plant 

(4) - 23 One of the two cross pieces 

over the stumps (4) - 25 Former 

11 12 

13 14 15 16 

17 

18 19 20 

21 

22 23 24 

25 26 27 

28 29 

30 

Quick Clues 

• WHAT’S ON 

NTV 

0730 Triveni 

0830 Serophero 

0905 Suseli 

0930 Lok Suseli 

1005 Hamro Kathmandu 

1030 Sthania Sarokar 

1130 Nepal Mandal 

1200 News 

1220 Samaya Sambad 

1305 Tito Satya 

1430 Sarthak Pahal 

1505 Ujjyalo Tira 

1625 Maithili Program 

1705 School Schoolma 

1730 Sichyako Serofero 

1805 Kids Zone 

1825 Hamro Kathmandu 

1900 News 

1925 Swasthya Telefilm 

2050 Jhyaikuti Jhyai 

2130 NTV Forum 

STARPLUS 

1615 Saraswatichandra 

1645 Diya Aur Bati Hum 

1715 Saath Nibhaana 

Saathiya 

1745 Pyaar Ka Dard 

Meetha Meetha 

Pyara Pyara 

1815 Master Chef: Kitchen 

Ke Superstars 

1845 Veera: Ek Veer 

Ki Ardaas 



Ke Superstars 

2115 Diya Aur Bati Hum 

2145 Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata 

Hai 



Ke Superstars 

STARWORLD 

1615 Modern Family 

1645 The Big Bang Theory: 

The Luminous Fish 

Effect 

weight for wool (3) - 28 Hungarian 

composer of “The Merry Widow” (5) - 

29 ___ out : leave because of lack of 

guts ? (7) - 30 Combination (11). 

Down: 2 Small British weight - “on 

cue” anagram ? (5) - 3 New Zealand 

parrots (4) - 4 Musical instrument (4) 

- 5 Most satisfactory (4) - 6 The Brave 

New World (7) - 7 In a striking or remarkable 

or operative manner (11) - 8 

The strength of the chain is in the 

____ ___ ? (7,4) - 12 Persuading or 

inducing (6) - 14 Reinforced cement 

concrete, in short (3) - 15 A small tavern 

- “orbits” anagram ? (6) - 19 Has 

1715 Packed to the Rafters 

1815 One Tree Hill 

1915 Mad Men 

2015 Modern Family (Season 

3): When Good 

Kids go Bad 

2045 The Front Row with 

Anupama Chopra 

2115 Packed to the Rafters 

2215 One Tree Hill 

2315 Mad Men 

ZEE TV 

1815 Hitler Didi 

1845 Punar Vivaah 

1915 Aaj Ki Housewife Hai: 

Sab Jaanti Hai 

1945 Sapne Suhane 

Ladakpan Ke 

2015 Rab Se Sohna Isshq 

2045 Hitler Didi 

2115 Pavitra Rishta 

2145 Qubool Hai 

2215 Mrs. Kaushik Ki 

Paanch Bahuein 

2245 Punar Vivaah 

2315 Fear Files 

TENSPORTS 

1445 UEFA Champions 

League 2012/13 H/ls: 

Quarter Final 

1545 HSBC Sevens World 

Series 2012/13 

1745 ON HBO 

1715 WWE: Smackdown 

2115 UEFA Europa League 

2012/13 

2215 WWE: Smackdown 

STARSPORTS 

1615 Sachin The Great 

1715 KFC Twenty20 

Big Bash League 

2012/13 

1815 TNA Impact 

1945 2 Wheels 

2045 ICC World Cup H/ls: 

2011: England vs. 

South Africa 

2115 Score Tonight 

2145 Sachin The Great 

2215 Liga Bbva 2012/13: 

Weekly Preview 30 

2245 KFC Twenty20 

Big Bash League 

2012/13 

2345 Score Tonight 

HBO 

0615 In The Line Of Fire 

0825 How To Lose A 

Guy In 10 Days 

1025 The Lord Of The Rings 

1330 Night Falls On 

Manhattan 

1555 Top Gun 

1745 Cowboys & Aliens 

1945 Captain America: 

The First Avenger 

2155 Friday Night Lights 

CINEMAX 

0845 Jaws III 

1200 Masters Of The 

Universe 

1345 The Counterfeit 

Traitor 

1600 Hollywood On Set 486 

1630 Star Trek IV The 

Voyage Home 

1830 Epad On Ma… 

1845 Banshee 

2045 Krull 

2245 Detention 


POTPOURRI 

DENNIS Hank Ketcham 

HOCUS FOCUS Henry Boltinoff 

Himalayan Double Crossword — 5910 

one’s afternoon meal (7) - 20 An 

abrupt blow with a pointed thing or fist 

(3) - 24 ___ __ questions, and you 

will be told no lies ... ? (3,2) - 25 Triad 

or threesome (4) - 26 651 in Roman 

numerals (4) - 27 “Is not” in a slang 

form - “anti” anagram (4). 

Cryptic Clues 

Across: 1 So Laura, legs buckling, 

needed something to eat? (7,4) - 9 

Run deep when disguised as an assailant 

overturning others (7) - 10 Isle 

of some historic or future importance 

(5) - 11 Persistent talk of a Tibetan 

creature (3) - 13 I’m in a new car (4) - 

16 A footage of timber? (4) - 17 

Groove with an ocean-going bloke! (6) 

- 18 Act sentimental about what oil 

might do ? (4) - 20 Loathsome creatures 

many treat coldly (4) - 21 Railway 

covered with cubes of frozen carbon 

dioxide (3,3) - 22 At show’s opening, 

second rate actor produces cozy 

bedroom accent (4) - 23 Yielded under 

pressure, and made a donation (4) 

- 25 Travel over a port in India (3) - 28 

Monster, one captured by monk (5) - 

29 Piscine delicacy for a medico in 

footwear (4,3) - 30 Weapons to attack 

BS, involving way with words (11). 

Down: 2 Lack of which makes you destitute 

? (1,4) - 3 Cleaners found when 

Sudan’s article is dropped (4) - 4 Horrific 

travel on the railway (4) - 5 One’s 

case may rest on it (4) - 6 German 

rock singer (7) - 7 Wizards covered in 

liquor and beer...it might be for charity 

(11) - 8 Making you stick of the struggle 

for survival ? (6,5) - 12 Lots of gos- 

sip and noise? You might need this (6) 

- 14 His change to be at the end of the 

word ? (3) - 15 Attend the exhibition - 

a reasonable coarse of action (4,2) - 

19 Find it difficult to start talking (7) - 

20 Give the jewel back girl ! (3) - 24 

Had the fresh effect of a first rate revolutionary 

(5) - 25 A joke backfires on 

one who is quite mad (4) - 26 Invites 

questions (4) - 27 Root saved from a 

rot (4). 

Yesterday’s solution 

L A M B D A A B A C U S 

A U A S T R O R I 

D E L I U S I N F E S T 

L L B A L S A A A 

E S A U Y T I T E R 

C H R I S P A T T E N 

O G U C A 

O P E N A N D S H U T 

S T U D R O Y S E R 

I N P R I N T O A 

S U N D A E J A S P E R 

A E N A B O B E E 

L A D D E R N U A N C E 

QUICK 

P O M P O M S T A S I S 

I O M I M E R T U 

N E W M A N M I K A D O 

T G N G A I O T M 

O G L E U T S U F I 

H I G H S T E P P E R 

O G A R I 

S H O R T N O T I C E 

S T A N O P G O D S 

O M B A S I C P M 

W A L N U T N O W I S E 

E E R E V E L N E 

D O T T L E S T A G E S 

CRYPTIC 

• FLIGHT SCHEDULE 

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DXB-KTM MON,WED,FRI 0040/0925 RA230 

**Please check with airlines for any change in schedule 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013


NATIONAL 

Hospital staff held 

on graft charge 

Procedure not followed in 

making new appointments 


Birgunj, April 4 

Birgunj police today arrested 

Radheshyam Sah Sonar, 

a member of Narayani 

Sub-regional Hospital Development 

Committee, 

from his office and handed 

him over to Regional Administration 

Office (RAO). 

The Commission for the 

Investigation of Abuse of 

Authority (CIAA) unit at the 

Regional Administration 

Office had sent a letter to 

the District Police Office, 

Parsa, demanding the arrest 

of hospital development 

committee chairman 

Babulal Yadav and members 

Rekha Ghimire and 

Radheshyam Sah to probe 

their involvement in financial 

irregularities in the appointment 

of hospital staff. 

Similarly, RAO has sent 

another letter to the District 

Police Office, Rautahat 

to arrest Dr Akhilesh Singh, 

former member of 

Narayani Sub-regional 

Hospital Development 

Committee. 

According to Ward Police 

Office, Birta, Chairman 

Babulal Yadav has told 

them that he will be presenting 

himself before the 

regional administration office 

by tomorrow. 

Narayani Sub-regional 

Hospital Employees’ union 

chairman Dr Manoj Gupta 

had filed a case against the 

hospital development 

committee members after 

the committee appointed 

42 staff from February 21 to 

24 without fulfiling the 

fixed procedure for making 

new appointments at the 

hospital. 

The union has accused 

Dr Akhilesh Singh of appointing 

42 staff and taking 

Rs 1.5 lakh bribe from each 

person. 

Regional administrator 

Uddhav Sapkota said he 

could not divulge more as 

investigation was under 

way. 

Former Health Minister 

Rajendra Mahato had sent 

Dr Akhilesh from Gaur to 

Birgunj on periodic service. 

Following the graft 

charge, Singh is said to 

have returned to Gaur. 

Dr Manoj Gupta said the 

union was forced to agitate 

as the hospital was going to 

be bankrupt due to the intake 

of a large number of 

employees. 

According to the union, 

the hospital incurs a 

monthly loss of Rs 6 lakh. 

Though the Health Service 

Department had instructed 

the hospital to appoint 

staff by keeping in 

mind the financial status of 

the hospital and through 

open competition by publishing 

vacancies, the hospital 

development committee 

had appointed staff 

arbitrarily, going against 

the directive. 

Abductors seek crore 

in ransom from family 


Rautahat, April 4 

Kidnappers of Ram Chandra 

Sah of Matsari VDC, Rautahat, 

who was abducted from 

Bairaganiya, India, four days 

ago, have sought a whopping 

amount of 10 million rupees 

as ransom. 

According to family members, 

the abductors called 

them from Indian mobile 

numbers and asked them to 

post the sought ransom 

amount in three days. 

“On Tuesday night they 

called and told us to pay Rs 

10 million for his safe release 

by Friday,” informed Ram 

Chandra’s father Feku Sah. 

“They have told me to 

hand over the ransom at 

Bara-based Gadhi Mai temple 

and warned that they 

would kill my son if I told 

anyone about the abduction 

or inform the police,” he 

added. 

Ram Chandra was kidnapped 

when he had gone to 

the bordering Indian bazaar 

of Bairaganiya on a house errand 

about four days back. 

Meanwhile, police have refused 

to believe that Ram 

Chandra has been kidnapped 

and the kidnappers 

have sought ransom in millions. 

SP Govindaram Pariyar 

ruled out the possibility of 

abduction and also seemed 

reluctant to buy the information 

that ransom in millions 

has been sought, citing lack 

of evidence. 

Earlier, upon receiving information 

about the abduction, 

police had detained 

Chandan Sahani, a local, suspecting 

his hand in the abduction. 

Ram Chandra’s family, 

on the other hand, have 

accused the police of being 

slow in taking action even after 

the incident was reported. 

Blood crunch hits hospitals 


Biratnagar, April 4 

With the rise in mercury, patients 

suffering from various 

diseases caused by the soaring 

temperature have also 

risen, causing problems for 

hospitals. 

Health facilities in the eastern 

districts find themselves 

in a fix as the blood banks in 

most of these facilities have 

run dry. 

According to Blood Transfusion 

Service acting Chief 

Shivananda Yadav, the east 

is needs almost 400 pints of 

blood everyday. “With the 

temperature going up, there 

is a surge of patients queuing 

up at health facilities, 

but there is serious blood 

crunch at many health facilities 

as no blood donation 

programme was organised 

recently,” said Yadav, adding 

the problem has also hit 

various big health facilities 

like Dharan-based BP Institute 

of Health and Sciences, 

and Koshi Zonal Hosptial, 

Nobel Hospital and Neuro 

Hospital of Biratnagar. 

The problem has become 

severe as even Biratnagarbased 

Regional Blood 

Transfusion Service Centre 

said it might soon run out of 

supply. “The problem arose 

as not so many blood donation 

programmes were organised 

as in the past in the 

various cities of the region. 

PAGE 5 

Docs say no donation programme was held 

Acknowledging the crisis, 

Youth For Blood Group 

chairperson Saroj Karki said 

his group is preparing to organise 

various blood donation 

programmes in the region 

in view of the looming 

blood crisis. 

District Public Health office, 

Morang, Chief Nabaraj 

Subba also said his office is 

committed to solve the 

blood crunch with cooperation 

from various social organisations 

and clubs. 

For the past few weeks, no 

blood donation programme 

was held in places like Biratnagar, 

Kakadbitta, Damak, 

Birtamod, Dharan, Udayapur 

and other places, said 

Subba.


TheHimalayan 

T I M E S 

A THOUGHT FOR T ODAY 

As if you could kill time 

without injuring eternity? 

—Henry David Thoreau 

Missing safeguards 

That two children were killed and three went missing 

in Wednesday’s boat mishap in Pokhara 

comes as tragic news. The regular reporting of such 

incidents not only in the various lakes of Pokhara but 

from all parts of the country suggests that something 

is missing. Of course, Pokhara is a prime destination 

for foreign tourists as well as domestic ones. The attraction 

of the majestic view of the Annapurna range 

together with Machhapuchhare is spell-binding, and 

the lakes hold a special place both for sightseeing as 

well as relaxation. When such mishaps occur in the 

attractive lakes, they call for retrospection of the tragic 

incidents if only to find out how they could be 

averted, and precious lives saved. In this particular 

incident, while Begnas Lake is a popular site for boating, 

the crux of the matter is that there is no arrangement 

for any rescue measures if and when there is a 

boat mishap or when some swimmer is in distress. If 

a lifeguard had been deputed at the site, the probability 

would have been high that the victims could 

have been saved. Yet, it might be hindsight now but 

such tragic incidents could be averted if the mandatory 

provision of life jackets for those boating was in 

place. The same applies to all the bodies of water. 

And, accidents can be invited if the boats or rafts are 

not built to the required specifications. 

In the case of boating, kayaking, canoeing or rafting, 

the rules explicitly 

make it compulsory for 

A careful study all taking part to have a 

of the measures life jacket on them. This 

provision is, however, 

that should be in only an afterthought once 

place for the the damage has been 

done. It seems quite 

safety of the 

queer that in the case of 

people enjoying the lakes of Pokhara, including 

Fewa and Begnas, 

the water is 

there are many tragic 

required 

tales of people drowning 

in them. Yet, no thought 

has gone to at least equip the boating enthusiasts 

with life jackets that would go a long way towards 

saving their lives even when the boat they are in capsizes. 

It is also important to realise that the months of 

April and May are notorious for storms and high 

wind that tend to create big waves in still water bodies 

like lakes. It is a time to take utmost precautions, 

which is, however, missing so far. 

The travel and tour entrepreneurs ought to know 

better as to the safety measures for those who want to 

enjoy anything to do with water bodies, whether in 

the lakes, ponds, or rivers. Maybe a careful study of 

the safety measures that should be in place for the 

safety of the people enjoying the water sports 

would be worth it. This is so because there are hordes 

of foreign and domestic enthusiasts who want to 

have the fun of boating, or any other water sports, 

and the placement of lifeguards along the lakes and 

the allotment of life jackets would do much in 

the reduction of the loss of life like what happened in 

the latest boating mishap in Begnas. This is a highly 

sensitive task and immediate follow-ups must 

be taken. It is urgent that not a single victim ought to 

perish when help should have been at hand at the 

slightest indication, and the provision of a life jacket 

to every boating enthusiast would have saved those 

who lost their lives. 

Hope it works 

Many organizations have a Code of Conduct to 

keep the conduct of their members dignified. 

But in Nepal, most of such codes are there for decorative 

purpose. A Code of Conduct implies a gentleman’s 

agreement which depends more on the members’ 

honour than on its legal enforcement. The 

Higher Secondary Education Board (HSEB) has just 

brought out its code for the stakeholders — students, 

teachers, guardians and school operators — six 

months after its endorsement by the government. 

The cause of the delay was its tardy publication in a 

booklet form. It remains to be seen how they will put 

the code into effect. The code seems to focus more on 

the do’s and don’ts for the students than for other 

stakeholders. It ranges from sartorial don’ts on 

miniskirts, ubiquitous cell phones, and motorbikes 

to restrictions on mobility in school uniform to 

haunts of pleasure such as cinema halls, shopping 

malls, restaurants and parks to the use of alcohol and 

cigarettes to bunking classes. Fines and even rustication 

have been prescribed penalties. There are also 

ceilings on advertising expenses of schools to discourage 

unhealthy competition. One hopes some 

people do not become more equal than the others in 

carrying out of the code. 

• LETTERS 

Thoughts on 

next CA polls 

Listening to the Election 

Commission (EC) officials over 

a radio talk programme, I found 

them to be indirectly conceding 

that the CA polls would not be 

possible in June if the 

outstanding issues (such as the 

issuance of citizenship 

certificates to the eligible 

voters, the compilation and 

completion of voter 

registration, and amendment 

to some laws related to the 

election) were not addressed 

immediately. Now, the EC has 

started officially considering 

deferring the poll date from 

June to November as reported 

in “EC mulling over Nov poll 

date” (THT, April 3, Page 1). 

All the senior leaders had, 

until a few days ago, been 

saying that the next CA election 

would be held in the first week 

of Asar (i.e. late June). Now, they 

have started changing their 

tune, publicly saying that 

November is the right time to 

hold the CA polls as reported 

in “CA polls in November, says 

UML Chairman” (THT, April 3, 

Page 5). However, the people 

had already started looking 

closely at the political 

statements of the senior 

leaders of the four major 

political forces. Their public 

remarks that the CA election 

would be held in the first 

week of Asar were a ploy 

designed to calm down 

public anger over their 

irresponsible and insensible 

political acts of killing the first 

Constituent Assembly without 

completing the people’s 

mandate. 

The November election 

SAMLEE PLIANBANGCHANG 

Our health is inextricably 

linked to our fastchanging 

environment. As 

the physical and socio-cultural 

landscape of South- 

East Asia transforms due to 

growing economies, rapid 

urbanization and globalization, 

the public health landscape 

is changing too. Conditions 

such as hypertension 

(high blood pressure) 

cardiovascular diseases, diabetes 

and related illnesses 

have seen a spiralling surge 

in this region and in other 

developing countries, as 

people no longer have the 

time or space to exercise, 

can no longer easily obtain 

and consume fresh, healthy 

food, and are cut off from 

their traditional social support 

systems. 

High blood pressure can 

be prevented through simple 

lifestyle changes. Yet it is 

now the single-most important 

risk factor for mortality, 

accounting for 1 in every 10 

deaths in South-East Asia. It 

increases the risk of heart 

attack, stroke, and kidney 

failure, often in the productive 

years of life. The cost of 

healthcare, premature 

death, disability, and loss of 

income, can devastate families 

and national exchequers. 

During 2011–2015, 

the cumulative lost output 

in low- and middle-income 

• TOPICS 

MARGIE MAINALI 

One of the greatest discoveries 

made by the human beings 

is energy. Now, it has become 

one of the key components for 

economic development. Energy 

is produced using diverse 

sources. Among them a few are 

from wind, solar, hydro, and fossil 

fuels. A country like Nepal 

finds hydro-electric power generation 

the best of many options, 

because it is a renewable, 

sustainable and environmentally 

friendly, and it is the second 

richest country in water resources. 

Hydro-electric generator 

produces electricity by constructing 

dams to flow water 

from a height so that it runs the 

turbine. 

seems all the more difficult 

to hold unless the Interim 

Election Council (IEC) fails to 

bring the agitating parties led 

by the CPN-Maoist on board.. 

Rai Biren Bangdel, 

Maharajgunj, Kathmandu 

countries associated with 

non-communicable diseases 

is projected to be 

US$7.3 trillion. The human 

cost, though, is incalculable. 

Preventing high blood 

pressure should therefore 

not only be a public health 

priority, but also a social, 

economic and development 

priority. Member States 

have agreed to nine global 

targets for prevention and 

control of non-communicable 

diseases, which include 

reducing the prevalence of 

hypertension by 25 per cent 

by 2025. This is only possible 

with increased public 

awareness and cooperation. 

To help achieve this WHO 

has dedicated the theme of 

World Health Day 2013 to 

“high blood pressure”. 

The increasing prevalence 

of hypertension is attributed 

to population 

growth, ageing, and behaviours 

such as unhealthy 

diet, tobacco use, lack of 

physical activity, excess 

weight, harmful use of alcohol, 

and exposure to persistent 

stress. Preventing, detecting 

and treating hypertension 

early is far cheaper 

than interventions such as 

cardiac bypass surgery or 

dialysis that may be needed 

if the condition is diagnosed 

late when complications 

have set in. Yet very few people 

are aware they may have 

high blood pressure, be- 

Nepal has the capacity of producing 

electricity of 84,000 MW 

but it has only been able to generate 

700 to 800 MW at the maximum. 

If only the plants produced 

1500 MW of electricity, no 

citizen of this country would 

face the problem of load-shedding. 

It is one of the most common 

problems in every household 

today. While developed 

countries are shifting towards 

renewable sources of energy like 

wind and hydro-power, we are 

being more dependent on nonrenewable 

sources of energy to 

carry out our daily activities. 

Many big and small hydro-power 

projects have been implemented, 

but the construction of 

dams to generate electricity is 

inadequate for large scale gener- 

Energy woes 

• BLOG SURF • CARTOON 

Humbleness granted! 

PRATIK RIMAL 

The humble features of a tiger should never 

be taken for granted. The nature’s meticulous 

craft of this stunning beauty is what lures 

people towards it. Covered in stripes and filled 

with its silent, gracious and tender moves, 

who would believe or acknowledge its might; 

strength and ferocious rage which sparkles in 

its eyes that we fail to notice? 

The wait is over! Patience after all paid off. 

Then the fairy strikes. the fairy upon which we 

had looked with amusement changes its 

presumptuous existence turns to demon. 

Only then do we realize that what had amused 

us before had stroke without knowing that 

it had injected a slow poison stiffening our 

thoughts! Only then do we acknowledge 

that our eyes lie and everything we see and 

appreciate are overwhelming disillusions 

which we fail to realize until now!...Help never 

comes. Prayers are never heard. The countless 

doors knocked for shelter never opens. 

Heaven turns into hell. The earth turns 

topsy-turvy.—pratikwrites.blogspot.com 

Clean-up tips 

The increasing level of 

pollution everywhere has 

rightly worried many people. 

We read so many articles and 

news about the environment 

clean-up programme, the 

High blood pressure 

The silent killer 

The increasing prevalence of hypertension 

is attributed to population growth, ageing, 

and behaviours such as unhealthy diet, 

tobacco use, lack of physical activity, 

excess weight, harmful use of alcohol, and 

exposure to persistent stress 

cause it is an “invisible 

killer”, frequently showing 

no symptoms. The experience 

of high-income countries 

has shown that early 

detection and treatment of 

hypertension, as well as 

public health policies that 

reduce exposure to behavioral 

risk factors, lead to decline 

in mortality due to 

heart disease and stroke. 

This is particularly important 

for our region because 

ation. The load-shedding hours 

tower at 1 hour a day to 12-14 

hours a day, less in summer and 

more in winter. 

The main advantage of hydroelectric 

power generation is that 

it does not depend on uranium, 

oil or any other fossil fuels. 

Hence, it has no side effects, 

which are the nuclear plants 

main disadvantages. Once the 

dams are constructed, there is 

no malicious by-product. 

But all of that comes from 

hard efforts. Constructing huge 

dams and turbines is very costly 

and requires good engineering. 

This is also time-consuming and 

completion can take years. In 

Nepal, the government’s fund for 

the development of hydro-projects 

is being abused. From the 

project work of NGOs and 

INGOs regarding pollution 

reduction, and so on, but 

nothing seems to have changed 

for the better. My suggestions 

for pollution reduction are: 

specify places to dump garbage, 

initiate sanitation programme, 

maintain greenery, and clean 

up the pollution regularly. 

Pooja Singh, 

Sanepa, Lalitpur 

Expectation 

The performance of Nepal in 

the final of the ACC T20 

Championship against 

Afghanistan was dismal as the 

home team could muster just 

135-6 with the top order failing 

to make an impression in this 

department of the game. Paras 

Khadka’s half-century went in 

vain as it did nothing good for 

most countries can ill afford 

the escalating medical-care 

costs of chronic diseases. 

Acknowledging this as a 

serious global issue, in September 

2011, the United Nations 

General Assembly 

adopted the Political Declaration 

of the High-Level 

Meeting on the Prevention 

and Control of Non-communicable 

Diseases, and 

committed governments to 

a series of actions. 

The World Health Organization 

is now developing a 

global plan of action for 

2013–2020 for the prevention 

and control of noncommunicable 

diseases. 

WHO has produced evidence-based 

guidelines and 

tools for prevention and 

control of non-communicable 

diseases focusing on 

prevention of behavioral 

risk factors and early diagnosis 

and treatment of high 

blood pressure. WHO is also 

assisting countries to develop 

action plans and set national 

targets to track 

progress in preventing and 

controlling such diseases, 

including hypertension, 

and their key risk factors. 

Hypertension and related 

non-communicable diseases 

cannot be dealt with 

by the health sector alone – 

they require “whole of government” 

and “whole of society” 

approaches. At the 

government level, education 

and labour, food and 

nutrition, transport and 

communications, urban development, 

sports and 

youth affairs all need to 

come together to design interventions 

and create 

health promoting environments 

that will encourage 

as well as enable people to 

adopt healthy lifestyles. This 

includes emphasis on urban 

spaces for physical activity 

and even just walking, pro- 

engineers to the site contractor, 

many selfish people are responsible 

for causing this misery to 

others. I visited a hydropower 

plant in Jiri, which is under construction, 

and people lamented 

over the meagre progress of the 

project. Similar is the condition 

of many small hydro-projects. 

Hydro-electric power generation 

has therefore been criticized 

for some of its impacts and on 

the other hand, has also been acclaimed 

for its benefits to the 

people. We can say that with better 

ideas and management this 

system can be used for a long 

time. Small hydro-projects can 

give people hope that every 

Nepali would live their life without 

wondering about power 

schedules. 

the host team. Now, the Nepali 

team should learn how to bat 

under pressure especially 

against teams like Afghanistan. 

However, we Nepali cricket 

supporters are delighted to 

know that our team is selected 

to play for 2013 ICC T20 

Qualifiers to be hosted by the 

UAE, the team which Nepal 

defeated in the semi-final to 

enter the final to play against 

Afghanistan. Let’s hope our 

team will perform well in the 

upcoming matches to be 

selected for the ICC World T20 

tournament. 

Pratik Shrestha, 

Buddhanagar, Kathmandu 

Letters to this column should be addressed to 

Letters C/o Edit Page Editor,The Himalayan Times, 

Post Box 11651,APCA House, 

Baidya Khana Road, Kathmandu, Nepal 

email: edit@thehimalayantimes.com, 

Fax 0977-1-4771959 


grammes on healthy eating 

and fitness in schools. It also 

means working with the 

food industry, putting regulations 

in place for decreasing 

the amount of salt in 

packaged food, and increasing 

the availability and affordability 

of healthier food 

options. 

Preventing high blood 

pressure needs the involvement 

and support of all of 

society. The private sector as 

well as businesses and organizations 

(concerned about 

their employees), academia, 

and various stakeholder 

communities need to collaborate 

to create an enabling 

environment for 

leading healthier lifestyles. 

At the same time, health systems 

need to ensure access 

to services for people to be 

easily diagnosed and treated 

early for high blood pressure.Finally, 

each individual 

and family has to take responsibility 

to prevent hypertension 

– by eating a balanced 

diet, reducing salt, 

getting regular exercise, 

avoiding harmful use of alcohol 

and shunning tobacco, 

by checking their blood 

pressure regularly for diagnosis 

and treatment, and by 

supporting others. Our 

health, our lives and indeed 

our future depend on it. 

Dr Plianbangchang is 

WHO Regional Director for 

South-East Asia 

• THT 10 YEARS AGO 

Nepal wakes up to 

threat of deadly 

pneumonia 


Kathmandu, April 4, 2003 

Now that the WHO and several countries 

have issued directives to avoid 

travelling to the territories where Severe 

Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) has 

been detected, Nepal is also taking precautions 

to ensure that it doesn’t enter 

the country. “We have set up a health advice 

desk at the international airport, 

manned by health officials to screen all 

incoming passengers,” said Padam Bahadur 

Chand, director general, department 

of epidemiology and disease control. 

A total of 79 deaths and 2,270 infections 

have been reported in the five 

countries where it has been detected: 

Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Canada 

and China, where it is said to have originated. 

To ensure that the disease does 

not enter the country, the department of 

health services decided that incoming 

passengers of international flights would 

be under scrutiny. “They will be asked to 

fill forms and report anything suspicious 

about their health. Those found with 

SARS symptoms will be rushed to Teku 

hospital, where arrangements to tackle 

the disease have been made,” said 

Chand. A special meeting of the chiefs of 

central hospitals of Kathmandu valley 

was held today and advisories with 

symptoms of the disease were sent to all 

hospitals and healthcare providers in the 

city so that it could be identified and patients 

isolated and treated. 

Light shed on 

behavioural changes 


Kathmandu, April 4, 2003 

Aformative survey and evaluation on 

Behaviour Communicable Change 

(BCC) was conducted by Nepal Family 

Health Programme (NFHP), which discussed 

the issues of family planning, safe 

motherhood, child health and HIV/AIDS. 

The study also showed that social factor 

played an important role in health intervention. 

The survey was done on five districts 

of Terai to determine knowledge, 

attitudes, behaviours, interpersonal 

communications and media habits of 

women of reproductive age, their husbands 

and mother-in-laws on issues like 

family planning, maternal and child 

health and also to understand the barriers 

to addressing unmet needs. The survey 

showed that 98.46 per cent of the respondents 

were aware of family planning 

and most of them knew family planning 

methods. “The survey showed a total of 

95.4 per cent women of reproductive 

health were aware of the issues compared 

to only 83.1 per cent of men,” said 

Shailes Neupane, executive director of 

Valley Research Group (VaRG). Similarly, 

the survey on child health showed that 

67.91 per cent of the respondents have 

heard of malnutrition. “The survey 

showed that both women of reproductive 

age and their husbands were equally 

aware of malnutrition and said lack of 

protein and nutritious food caused it.”


NATIONAL 

• ONCE-OVER 

Arms collection drive 

DIPAYAL: Locals of Far-western region 

have started submitting illegal 

weapons from different districts. Police 

collected 65 arms on Wednesday 

from Kanchanpur, Kailali, Dadeldhura 

and Achham. The move follows the 

government notice that called for 

submission of all types of weapons 

three weeks ago. Those caught in possession 

of any weapon after the given 

deadline have been warned of legal 

action. The number of locals submitting 

arms has increased significantly 

after the notice, informed District Police 

Inspector Dillip Singh Bhandari. 

The arms collection drive might actually 

decrease criminal activities in the 

region, Bhandari added. —HNS 

Bodies fished out 

POKHARA: Police on Thursday fished 

out the bodies of Sushma Gurung, 20, 

and Puspa Gurung, 35, from Begnas 

Lake in Pokhara. Two persons were 

killed and three had gone missing after 

their boat capsized on the lake on 

Wednesday. The whereabouts of 

Prakash Gurung, 20, is still unknown. 

Though Iva Gurung, 3, and Anushka 

Gurung, 5, were rescued, they died in 

the course of treatment on Wednesday. 

Rita Gurung, 30, her daughter 

Simran Gurung, 13, and son Khem 

Gurung, 9, were saved. — HNS 

Marijuana seized 

PARASI: Police on Wednesday night 

seized 100 kg marijuana from Devgaun, 

Nawalparasi. A patrol team 

from Gobaraiya Police Post confiscated 

the contraband from three persons 

who were heading towards the 

border. The drug was hidden inside 

their backpacks. After seeing the police, 

the trio had fled the scene leaving 

the drug behind. — HNS 

Seven held with weapons 


Itahari, April 4 

Sunsari police made their 

biggest ever haul of 

weapons in the district, intercepting 

three ultramodern 

pistols from the 

Charkose forest, yesterday 

night. 

Police displayed the 

weapons and paraded seven 

persons involved in 

smuggling arms, in 

Inaruwa today. According 

to a police source, a team 

led by Sub-inspector Hari 

Kumar Prasain from Hasposa-based 

police post 

had seized the weapons 

during security check yesterday 

night. 

According to DSP Lax- 


New Delhi, April 4 

Five members of a Nepali 

family living in Gujarat’s 

Rajkot set themselves on 

fire on Wednesday, with 

three of them succumbing 

to burn injuries. 

The Biswokarma family, 

living in Rajkot for the last 

35 years,had taken the extreme 

measure of collective 

self-immolation after 

they were told by the authorities 

to vacate their 

man Giri of District Police 

Office, an American, Italian 

and Chinese pistol and 43 

rounds of bullets were 

seized while checking a 

motorbike and a mini 

truck en-route to Dharan, 

from the Seuti bridge in 

Charkose forest. 

The arrested have been 

identified as Bishal Rai of 

Sunsari, Husen Rai of 

Khotang, truck driver 

Askaran Chaudhari of Itahari, 

and Suraj Chaudhari, 

Suresh Chaudhari, Bishwa 

Chaudhari and Bindeshwor 

Chaudhari of Baklauri. 

Police have also confiscated 

two khukuris from 

them and impounded the 

mini-truck and the twowheeler. 

Three Nepalis immolate selves 

house for demolition, as it 

was illegal. 

According to local police, 

Bharat Man Singh, 40, 

his wife Asha, 35, brother 

Girish Man Singh, 25, and 

others of the family, Basmati 

and Rekha, turned up 

at the civic body office with 

kerosene-filled containers 

around noon yesterday. 

They poured kerosene on 

their bodies and set themselves 

on fire protesting the 

proposed demolition of 

their house in Raiyadhar. 

Participants of the Potato Festival in Hemja of Kaski enjoying a camel ride on Thursday. 

It was a compulsion to 

compromise, says Thakur 



Chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic 

Party Mahantha 

Thakur said the UDMF had to 

settle on the 11-point deal to 

give the country an outlet. 

Addressing an interaction on 

‘The upcoming elections and 

Madhes’ organised by Nepal 

Madhes Foundation, Thakur 

said if the government could 

not hold Constituent Assembly 

elections by third week of June, 

it would have to delineate election 

constituencies as per new 

census. 

He said UDMF and UCPN-M 

favoured retaining old election 

laws to protect the rights of 

marginalised communities. He 

also said preparation of voters 

list was necessary, but many eligible 

female voters were not going 

out to get their photos taken 

for voter identity cards. 

Thakur said the government’s 

decision to send citizenship 

distribution and voters registration 

team simultaneously was 

to ensure security for employees 

in the face of intimidation 

against Election Commission 

employees. 

Vice Chair of Federal Socialist 

Party Rizwan Ansari termed the 

25-point presidential decree 

unconstitutional. 

Executive Director of NEMAF 

Tula Narayan Shah said none of 

the previous laws (from 1947 to 

THT 

2008) mandated the use of citizenship 

for voters registration. 

“In Madhes, many genuine citizens 

have failed to acquire citizenship 

and if the new provision 

is enforced without granting 

them citizenship certificates, 

it could disenfranchise them.”. 

Chairman of THRD Alliance 

Dipendra Jha said if the new CA 

polls were held without addressing 

the issue of constituency 

delineation, citizenship, 

voters list, reduction of PR 

ratio and disqualification of 

candidates as proposed by the 

Election Commission, Madhesis 

might lose a lot. 

He also said the new CA 

could be more regressive than 

the previous one. 

Forest office vandalised, torched 


Rautahat, April 4 

Cadres of Young Communist League (YCL), a 

sister-wing of Unified CPN-Maoist, today 

vandalised and torched Rautahat District 

Forest Office, demanding action against a 

corrupt forest officer. Demanding action 

against Forest Officer Nandalal Yadav for his 

alleged involvement in mismanagement of 

PAGE 7 

fund and rampant deforestation, hundreds 

of YCL activists staged a rally chanting slogans 

against the officer. 

The demonstrators later resorted to arson 

and vandalism at the forest office after security 

personnel deployed at the office denied 

them entry. Tension ran high on the office 

premises after police and demonstrators, trying 

to break into the forest office, got into a 

scuffle.


• THE WORLD OVER 

Iran sticks to nukes 

ALMATY: Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator 

Saeed Jalili sounded a defiant note 

ahead of a new round of talks with 

world powers in Kazakhstan, saying 

on Thursday they had to recognise 

Iran’s right to a nuclear programme to 

see any breakthrough. Jalili also said 

the Islamic Republic would defend its 

right to enrich uranium with “more 

rigour” after its presidential election 

in June. “The impact of the election 

will be that ... our people will defend 

its right with more rigour,” he said in 

a speech at a university in the Kazakh 

city of Almaty. — Reuters 

Killer father jailed 

LONDON: A judge sentenced the father 

of six British children who died 

in a house fire to life, with a minimum 

of 15 years in prison, describing 

him on Thursday as the “driving 

force” behind setting the blaze. Judge 

Kathryn Thirlwall levelled most of the 

responsibility for the fire on Mick 

Philpott, describing him as a dangerous 

man. His wife, Mairead, and family 

friend Paul Mosley each received 

17 years for manslaughter. — AP 

SAfrica to leave CAR 

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s military 

says it will withdraw its troops 

from Central African Republic, where 

13 South African soldiers died in a 

battle with rebels in March. Brigadier 

General Xolani Mabanga, a military 

spokesman, said on Thursday that 

the troops will pull out in line with a 

decision by South Africa’s political 

leadership. He declined to say how 

many South African soldiers remain 

in Central African Republic and did 

not give a departure date. — AP 

Turmoil in Ukraine 

KIEV: Ukrainian lawmakers on 

Thursday held two competing Parliament 

sessions after pro-government 

legislators stormed out of the official 

parliament hall and moved to a nearby 

building in response to a protest 

by opposition parties. Opposition 

leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk called the 

move a “coup d’etat,” branded the 

offsite parliamentary session unconstitutional 

and warned that the opposition 

was ready for an early parliamentary 

election. — AP 

America bolsters 

defences amid 

NKorean threat 

Agence France Presse 

Seoul, April 4 

The United States has scrambled 

to reinforce its Pacific missile defences 

as North Korea pushed 

more global alarm 

buttons today by 

announcing it had 

authorised plans 

for possible nuclear 

strikes on US 

targets. 

US Defence Secretary 

Chuck 

Hagel said Pyongyang’sincreasingly 

bellicose 

threats combined 

with its military 

capabilities represented 

a “real and 

clear danger” to 

the United States 

and its allies South 

Korea and Japan. 

The Pentagon 

said it would send 

ground-based 

THAAD missileinterceptorbatteries 

to protect 

bases on Guam, a US territory 

some 3,380 kilometres southeast 

of North Korea and home to 6,000 

American military personnel. 

“They have nuclear capacity 

now, they have missile delivery 

capacity now,” Hagel said yesterday. 

“We take those threats seriously.” 

Shortly afterwards, the North 

Korean military said it had received 

final approval for military 

action against the United States, 

possibly involving nuclear 

weapons. 

“The moment of explosion is 

approaching fast,” the Korean 

People’s Army general staff said, 

responding to what it called the 

provocative US use of nuclear-capable 

B-52 and B-2 stealth 

bombers in war games with South 

Strategic 

moves 

• The US to send groundbased 

THAAD missile-interceptor 

batteries to 

protect bases on Guam 

• The North Korean military 

says it has received 

final approval for military 

action against America. 

Says moment of explosion 

is approaching fast 

• A missile test-fired into 

the sea over Japan is one 

scenario that analysts 

say the North could opt 

for as a relatively lowrisk 

way of exiting the 

crisis 

INTERNATIONAL 

Korea. The US aggression would 

be “smashed by... cutting-edge 

smaller, lighter and diversified 

nuclear strike means,” it said in a 

statement. While few of the 

North’s threats have been 

matched with action, 

South Korea 

said it appeared to 

have moved a 

medium-range 

missile to its east 

coast. 

“It could be 

aimed at test-firing 

or military 

drills,” South Korean 

Defence Minister 

Kim Kwan-Jin 

told lawmakers. 

A provocative 

missile test-fired 

into the sea over 

Japan is one scenario 

that analysts 

have said the 

North could opt 

for as a relatively 

low-risk way of exiting 

the crisis with 

a face-saving show 

of force. 

The new nuclear threats drew 

fresh concern led by UN chief Ban 

Ki-moon, who said on a visit to 

Monaco that he was “deeply concerned 

and troubled” over the escalating 

rhetoric. 

The European Union also 

called on Pyongyang to stop stoking 

tensions and re-engage with 

the international community. 

Russia’s foreign ministry 

termed the North’s neglect of UN 

resolutions as “categorically unacceptable”. 

Yun Duk-Min, a professor at 

the Korea National Diplomatic 

Academy in Seoul, said the latest 

nuclear threat was similar to one 

issued a month ago, but with the 

added weight of “approval” — 

presumably by North Korean 

leader Kim Jong-Un. 

Soldiers of the US Army’s 23rd chemical battalion taking part in a 

ceremony to recognise its return to the 2nd Infantry Division based in 

Camp Stanley at Uijeongbu, north of Seoul, on Thursday. 

Reuters 

Homs, April 4 

The Syrian government is 

sending members of its irregular 

militias for guerrilla 

combat training at a secret 

base in Iran, in a move to 

bolster its armed forces 

drained by two years of fighting 

and defections, fighters 

and activists said. 

The discreet programme 

has been described as an 

open secret in some areas 

loyal to President Bashar al- 

Assad, who is trying to crush 

a revolt against his family’s 

four-decade hold on power. 

Reuters interviewed four 

fighters who said they were 

taken on the combat course 

in Iran, as well as opposition 

sources who said they had 

also been documenting such 

cases. Israel’s intelligence 

chief and a Western diplo- 

mat have said Iran, Assad’s 

main backer, is helping to 

train at least 50,000 militiamen 

and aims to increase 

the force to 100,000 — 

though they did not say 


Tehran training Syrian guerrillas 

• Fighters interviewed said 

they were taken on the 

combat course in Iran, as 

well as opposition sources 

who said they had also 

been documenting such 

cases 

• According to a fighter, the 

course teaches you the “important 

elements” of guer- 

AP / RSS 

Covert operation 

Associated Press 

Hebron, April 4 

rilla warfare, like several 

different ways to carry a rifle 

and shoot, and the best 

methods to prepare against 

surprise attacks 

• Most fighters are said to be 

from minority communities 

• A government source denies 

that Syria is sending 

fighters to Iran 

Massive anti-Israel 

protest in West Bank 

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets 

in the West Bank in a show of outrage today 

over the deaths of two Palestinian protesters 

killed in clashes with Israel and a third Palestinian 

who died of cancer in an Israeli prison. 

In Gaza, militants fired a rocket that landed in 

southern Israel, causing no casualties. 

The unrest has heighted tensions between 

Israel and the Palestinians after days of West 

Bank clashes and rocket fire into southern Israel, 

prompting the first Israeli airstrike in the 

Gaza Strip since a cease-fire was reached last 

November. Israel has vowed to respond 

harshly to further attacks from Gaza. 

In the West Bank city of Hebron, thousands 

of people turned out for the funeral of 

Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, a 64-year-old prisoner 

who died earlier this week from throat 

cancer while in Israeli custody. The Palestinians 

have blamed Israel for Abu Hamdiyeh’s 

death, saying he did not receive proper medical 

care. He had been serving a life sentence 

for his involvement in an attempted bombing 

of a busy Jerusalem cafe in 2002. 

Abu Hamidiyeh’s body, wrapped in a Palestinian 

flag, was paraded on a stretcher in a 

military funeral to a Hebron mosque, where 

prayers were held. Thousands of people waited 

outside the mosque to take the body for 

burial. The Israeli military reported clashes 

with Palestinian protesters elsewhere in Hebron, 

Bethlehem, and on a main road in the 

northern West Bank. 

where the training occurred. 

No one at Iran’s foreign 

ministry was available for 

comment, but Iranian officials 

have repeatedly denied 

military involvement in the 

Syrian conflict, saying they 

have only provided humanitarian 

aid and political support 

for Assad. 

A Syrian government security 

source, who declined 

to be named, denied that 

Syria was sending fighters to 

Iran. “We train our own special 

forces for this type of 

combat,” he said. “Since 

2006 we have had units 

trained in guerrilla warfare, 

why would we need to send 

people to Iran?” 

• SNIPPETS 


Afghan cops killed 

GHAZNI: Gunfire from a helicopter 

operated by NATO forces killed four 

Afghan police officers in the eastern 

province of Ghazni, a district police 

chief said on Thursday. Civilian casualties 

are a source of friction between 

President Hamid Karzai and his international 

allies, and the mistaken 

killing of members of the Afghan security 

forces is likely to compound 

Afghan government anger. The four 

Afghan Local Police officers were in a 

village in Deyak district when the helicopter 

fired on them yesterday, said 

district police chief Faiz Mohammad. 

“The gunship must have mistaken 

the policemen for insurgents,” Mohammad 

told Reuters, adding the 

four were not wearing uniforms. Two 

civilians who were nearby were 

wounded, he said. — Reuters 

China fights bird-flu 

BEIJING: China said it was mobilising 

resources nationwide to combat a 

new strain of deadly bird flu that has 

killed four people, as Japan and Hong 

Kong stepped up vigilance against 

the virus and Vietnam banned imports 

of Chinese poultry. The H7N9 

bird flu strain does not appear to be 

transmitted from human to human 

but authorities in Hong Kong raised a 

preliminary alert and said they were 

taking precautions at the airport. In 

Japan, airports have put up posters at 

entry points warning all passengers 

from China to seek medical attention 

if they suspect they have bird flu. A 

total of 11 people in China have been 

confirmed to have contracted H7N9, 

all in the east of the country.— Reuters 

Bloggers black out 

DHAKA: Operators of top 

Bangladeshi blogs said on Thursday 

they had blacked out their sites to 

protest against a government crackdown 

on atheist bloggers in the face 

of pressure from radical Islamists. 

The move by eight sites comes after 

the arrest of four online writers on 

charges of hurting religious sentiment 

through their Internet writings. 

Their secular supporters have accused 

the government of kowtowing 

to Islamists who are planning a 

march on Saturday towards Dhaka to 

demand a blasphemy law and the 

hanging of anti-Islam bloggers. — Reuters 

• RAHUL GANDHI’S ECONOMIC VISION 

Reuters 

New Delhi, April 4 

Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s 

Nehru-Gandhi dynasty 

and a contender for prime minister 

in 2014, today offered a 

broad vision of 21st century India 

in his first major speech to 

business leaders that critics 

called vague and rambling. 

Addressing a gathering of Indian 

business tycoons in New 

Delhi, Gandhi did not touch on 

any of the issues bedevilling 

Asia’s third-largest economy 

such as high inflation, decelerating 

investment, a ballooning 

current account deficit and red 

tape that ties up infrastructure 

projects for years. 

Instead, in a speech that was 

long on imagery and anecdotes 

but short on specifics, he called 

for a revamp of the political 

system to better respond to the 

needs of India’s 1.2 billion people, 

a closer relationship between 

government and big 

business and unleashing the 

potential of the Indian “beehive”. 

“Millions of Indians are 

brimming with energy. We are 

now sitting on an unprecedented 

tide of transformation. This 

tremendous movement of people 

and ideas are going to define 

this country in the 21st 

century,” Gandhi said. 

“He wants to change the political 

system and how it works 

which is an interesting thought. 

But the important part is execution 

about which he is vague 

or does not yet have answers,” 

said Anjali Verma, economist at 

PhillipCapital. 

The main opposition 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 

called the speech confused, 

while the top trending topic on 

Twitter in India while Gandhi 

was speaking was #PappuCII. 

Pappu is a derogatory colloquial 

Hindi word meaning “dumb 

kid”. Many had expected Gandhi 

to use the platform of the CII 

event to outline his economic 

vision for a country with ambitions 

to become a major power 

but still struggling to uplift 

hundreds of millions of people 

mired in poverty. 

“I think he was very honest 

and made the points straight 

from his heart,” said Rakesh 

Bharti Mittal, vice-chairman 

and managing director of Bharti 

Enterprises, one of India’s 

biggest business groups. But, 

he added: “Ultimately, whoever 

leads the country will need an 

economic agenda.” 

While Gandhi has not said 

whether he wants to become 

NEIGHBOURS 

High on rhetoric, low on 

ills bedevelling India 

Indian National Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi 

addressing the special plenary session of Confedration of 

Indian Industry, in New Delhi, on Thursday. 

AFP / RSS 

prime minister, he is the face of 

the ruling Congress party’s 

2014 election campaign and is 

widely seen as his party’s leading 

candidate for the post of 

prime minister, if it does well in 

the polls. 

The Congress party appointed 

him vice president in January 

in an effort to boost his profile. 

But he has been overshadowed 

by Narendra Modi, a 

charismatic pro-business 

leader of the Bhartiya Janata 

Party who harbours prime 

ministerial ambitions and has 

been loudly touting his record 

as chief minister of Gujarat for 

many years now, a state with a 

booming economy. 


Khar, April 4 

A Pakistani housewife, who 

cannot read or write despite 

being married to a headteacher, 

has made history by 

becoming the first woman 

approved to run for election 

in the Taliban-infested tribal 

belt. 

Badam Zari, 53, may have 

little chance of winning, but 

her enthusiasm has been 

seized upon as a step towards 

emancipation in one of the 

most conservative parts of 

Pakistan, where women live 

in purdah and few even vote. 

“I am contesting the election 

with passion, with a 

clean heart and a clear conscience. 

My passion is to educate 

the future generation, 

girls and women, and to serve 

them,” she told AFP in a telephone 

interview from Bajaur 

district. 

“I know I am the first 

woman to contest and I am 

hopeful that I will win.” Her 

father initially sent her to the 

village school, but when oth- 

er relatives said it was inappropriate 

for her — a young 

girl of only six or seven — to 

walk through the market to 

class, she was kept at home. 

Bajaur is one of seven districts 

that make up Pakistan’s 

Federally Administered Tribal 

Areas (FATA). The semi-autonomous 

region of mountains, 

valleys and caves is one 

of the most deprived and illeducated 

in the country. 

It has been a stronghold for 

Afghan Taliban, Al-Qaeda 

and other Pakistani militant 

groups, and for years a battleground 

between the army 

and insurgents. 

Zari says she has never 

been threatened but acknowledges 

she cannot campaign 

in public, confining 

herself to going door-to-door 

among women’s quarters. 

“I have no fear, I have never 

been threatened by anyone,” 

she said. 

Reforms introduced in 

2011 in a bid to lessen the grip 

of militancy, mean political 

parties can contest elections 

for the first time in FATA, but 

PAGE 9 

Clamour to reduce UK aid to Pak 


London, April 4 

Britain should not go ahead 

with a major increase in aid to 

Pakistan unless Islamabad 

makes its wealthier citizens 

pay more taxes, British lawmakers 

said today. 

Britain is due to double its 

assistance to Pakistan to $675 

million in 2014-2015, making 

it the biggest recipient of 

British aid. 

But parliament’s International 

Development Committee 

said it was unfair for 

Britain to fund health and education 

projects unless Pakistan’s 

new government, due 

to be elected in May, tackles 

“rife” corruption and tax evasion. 

“We cannot expect people 

in the UK to pay taxes to improve 

education and health 

in Pakistan if the Pakistan 

elite is not paying income 

tax,” the committee said in a 

report. 

“Pakistan’s rich do not pay 

taxes and exhibit little interest 

in improving conditions 

and opportunities for Pakistan’s 

poor.” 

Citing figures from the Pakistan 

Board of Revenue, the 

committee said only 0.57 percent 

of Pakistanis paid income 

tax last year and no one 

has been prosecuted for income 

tax fraud for at least 25 

years. Less than 30 percent of 

Pakistan’s members of parliament 

pay tax, it added. 

The committee said there 

was a “powerful case” for continuing 

its aid programme to 

Pakistan, a country with “real 

poverty and serious security 

problems” as well as strong 

links to its former colonial 

power. But it added that past 

donations have often failed to 

reach poor Pakistanis because 

of corruption. 

Britain’s international development 

ministry said aid 

to Pakistan — a nucleararmed 

state — was “predicated 

on a commitment to economic 

and tax reform”. 

“We have made it clear to 

government and opposition 

politicians in Pakistan that it 

is not sustainable for British 

taxpayers to fund development 

spend if Pakistan is not 

building up its own stable tax 

take,” a spokesman said. 

“Following the election, we 

will make available practical 

assistance to the incoming 

government to help deliver 

reform of the Pakistan tax system 

and work with the IMF, 

but tax and economic reform 

must take place.” 

Illiterate in poll fray in Pakistan 

Zari is standing as an independent. 

There are 1.7 million 

registered voters in the 

tribal belt, just 600,000 of 

them women, the lowest rate 

in the country. None of the 60 

seats reserved for women in 

the lower house of parliament 

is in FATA. 

Zari and her husband, 55year-old 

Mohammad Sultan, 

have put together a short 

manifesto, pledging to solve 

the problems of people in Bajaur, 

even diverting the benefits 

she would receive in parliament 

to her constituents. 

“Bajaur lacks all basic facilities. 

We have no schools, no 

health facility, no electricity 

and no roads,” she told AFP 

over telephone. 

“Women living in the 

mountains die because of 

lack of health facilities. We 

don’t even have clean drinking 

water and I want to struggle 

for it.” She registered to 

run on Sunday, but was only 

told by election commission 

officials yesterday that her 

application had been accepted.


Business 

Petroleum traders take country hostage 

Will the government be able to break the syndicate to ensure smooth supply for consumers? 

Kuvera Chalise 


Consumers are again going to 

feel the heat as petroleum 

traders have threatened to take 

the country hostage from April 

7, by completely halting the 

distribution of petroleum 

products, if the government 

does not roll back the Petroleum 

and Gas Trading Monitoring 

Directives-2013. 

The traders’ — Nepal LP Gas 

Industries Association, Nepal 

Petroleum Dealers’ Association 

and Nepal Petroleum 

Transporters’ Association — 

threat against the entry of the 

private sector in the petroleum 

business is not only going to 

hit consumers hard but will 

also test the incumbent technocrat 

government’s capacity 

to handle the petroleum business-syndicate 

that has 

plagued the country since 

long, making the public suffer 

time and again. 

• STOCK 

SN NAME OF THE COMPANY SHARE VALUE IN RUPEES SHARES QTY 

Maximum Minimum Closing 

1 Ace Dev Bank Ltd 117 117 117 200 

2 Agricultural Dev Bank Ltd 245 242 244 1,588 

3 Arun Valley Hydropower Dev Co Ltd 301 296 296 1,078 

4 Alpine Dev Bank Ltd 96 95 95 60 

5 Asian Life Insurance Co Ltd 220 220 220 235 

6 Arun Finance Ltd 26 26 26 1,020 

7 Biratlaxmi Bikash Bank Ltd 120 120 120 174 

8 Bank of Kathmandu 670 650 665 16,298 

9 Butwal Power Co Ltd 760 740 740 11,097 

10 Bishwa Bikas Bank Ltd 127 127 127 50 

11 Business Universal Dev Bank Ltd 105 100 100 2,288 

12 Chhimek Laghubitta Bikas Bank Ltd 358 358 358 2,000 

13 Civil Bank Ltd 160 156 158 16,222 

14 City Dev Bank Ltd 163 156 156 407 

15 Clean Energy Dev Bank Ltd 158 153 158 1,792 

16 Chilime Hydro power Co 1,155 1,130 1,150 4,844 

17 Citizen Investment Trust 1,414 1,400 1,414 74 

18 Country Dev Bank Ltd 64 64 64 60 

19 Citizens Bank International Ltd 271 266 271 1,420 

20 Everest Bank Ltd 1,563 1,554 1,554 3,778 

21 Global IME Bank Ltd 501 483 497 4,475 

22 Guras Life Insurance Co Ltd 148 142 145 14,400 

23 Grand Bank Nepal Ltd 206 202 203 4,873 

24 Grand Bank Ltd Promoter Share 131 131 131 10 

25 Gaurishankar Dev Bank Ltd 77 75 76 155 

26 H & B Dev Bank Ltd 56 55 56 5,500 

27 Himalayan Bank Ltd 765 755 760 418 

28 International Leasing And Fin. Co 120 118 119 2,294 

29 Jyoti Bikas Bank Ltd 82 78 78 1,100 

30 Janata Bank Nepal Ltd 178 174 178 13,617 

31 Janaki Finance Ltd 224 220 224 1,273 

32 Kanchan Dev Bank Ltd 118 118 118 214 

33 Kaski Finance Ltd 98 97 98 150 

34 Kumari Bank Ltd 275 273 273 4,337 

35 Kasthamandap Dev Bank Ltd 81 79 80 354 

36 Kathmandu Finance Ltd 122 114 122 147 

37 Kamana Bikas Bank Ltd 129 129 129 10 

38 Laxmi Bank Ltd 336 333 336 431 

39 Life Insurance Co Nepal 1,020 1,020 1,020 10 

40 Lumbini Bank Ltd 240 236 240 2,039 

41 Mahakali Bikas Bank Ltd 80 80 80 70 

42 Machhachapuchhre Bank Ltd 229 222 222 785 

43 Maha Laxmi Finance Ltd 162 162 162 10,000 

44 Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd 269 269 269 50 

45 Multipurpose Finance Co Ltd 74 73 73 120 

46 Nabil Bank Ltd 1,825 1,801 1,808 2,424 

47 NABIL Bank Ltd Promotor Share 1,090 1,051 1,090 649 

48 Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd 327 310 315 24,970 

49 Nepal Bank Ltd 641 631 638 926 

50 Nepal Credit And Com. Bank 228 223 228 1,300 

51 Nepal Investment Bank Ltd 777 766 768 1,221 

52 Nepal Insurance CoLtd 246 246 246 50 

53 Nepal Life Insurance Co Ltd 1,965 1,935 1,950 378 

54 NMB Bank Ltd 268 266 268 953 

55 Narayani National Finance Co Ltd 129 127 127 2,500 

56 Nepal Doorsanchar Co Ltd 571 570 571 500 

57 Oriental Hotel Ltd 113 112 112 110 

58 Prime Commercial Bank Ltd 324 320 323 3,460 

59 Prime Life Insurance Co Ltd 295 284 285 1,128 

60 Prabhu Finance Co Ltd 150 145 146 8,701 

61 Purnima Bikas Bank Ltd 71 65 70 1,720 

62 Sanima Bank Ltd 271 268 271 2,700 

63 Sahayogi Vikas Bank 300 300 300 100 

64 Nepal SBI Bank Ltd 830 820 821 2,144 

65 Siddhartha Bank Ltd 303 299 302 3,144 

66 Standard Chartered Bank Ltd 1,837 1,800 1,805 1,690 

67 Sewa Bikas Bank Ltd 112 109 110 153 

68 Shrijana Finance(Bittiya Sa 108 99 99 70 

69 Soaltee Hotel Ltd 265 265 265 293 

70 Sagarmatha Insurance CoLtd 1,011 1,005 1,005 150 

71 Shikhar Insurance Co Ltd 450 442 450 300 

72 Siddhartha Invest Growth Scheme-1 12 11 12 49,820 

73 Siddhartha Insurance Ltd 207 207 207 50 

74 Subha Laxmi Finance Co Ltd 78 78 78 100 

75 Surya Life Insurance Co Ltd 154 154 154 90 

76 Summit Micro Finance Dev Bank Ltd 178 178 178 17 

77 Sunrise Bank Ltd 227 222 224 6,370 

78 Subhechha Bikas Bank Ltd 104 104 104 40 

79 Supreme Dev Bank Ltd 80 80 80 90 

80 Swabalamwan Bikash Bank 329 313 319 3,241 

81 Triveni Bikas Bank Ltd 148 148 148 50 

82 Taragaon Regency Hotel 101 100 100 910 

83 Unique Finance Ltd 83 83 83 50 

84 Western Dev Bank Ltd 88 87 87 482 

85 Zenith Finance Ltd 96 96 96 132 

Float Index: 36.53 ( -0.215) 

Base: 24/08/2008=100 

Nepse Index: 513.28 ( -4.8) 

Base: 16/07/2006, (Adjusted on 10/04/2007) = 100 

Currently, traders are — with 

full cooperation of NOC — socialising 

the losses and privatising 

the profits. 

According to a report of the 

Auditor General for fiscal year 

2010-11, the state oil monopoly 

has been incurring losses 

since long and as of the end of 

fiscal year 2010-11, it had a 

negative networth of Rs 12.70 

billion, besides a suspicious 

investment of Rs 48.68 million. 

“The additional burden of the 

interests of the Rs 7.61 billion 

loan would also add up to its liability,” 

the report had stated. 

However, consumers have 

always been paying for NOC’s 

incompetency and the red 

tapism in the petroleum business. 

“NOC and traders are 

currently taking benefit by socialising 

the losses as they have 

been passing it over to consumers 

but after the entry of 

the private sector, they will not 

be able to enjoy the privilege,” 

according to a source at NOC. 

Total Traded Amount Rs: 77,694,777 

Total Market Cap Rs: 498,342.14 million 

Total Shares: 254,693 

Total Transactions: 1198 

Date: April 4, 2013 

“Their commission 

could also come down 

as they will not be able 

to bargain with private 

companies like what 

they have been doing 

with NOC,” the source 

said, adding that they 

might also have to 

work on lower margins 

as there will be more 

competition, unlike 

the current monopoly 

of NOC. 

Every time traders 

threaten to halt petroleum 

distribution, NOC and 

the Ministry of Commerce and 

Supplies — that overlooks the 

technically insolvent NOC — 

bow down to them, bleeding 

the national coffers and burning 

a deeper hole in the consumers’ 

pocket. “But the entry 

of the private sector will make 

it harder for them to bargain,” 

he added. 

According to former managing 

director of NOC Digambar 



The domestic capital market 

will not have a market maker 

any time soon. Citizens Investment 

Trust (CIT) that was deputed 

by the Finance Ministry 

and Securities Board of Nepal 

(Sebon) to carry out the role of a 

market maker in the stock market 

is not ready yet. 

“The draft proposal has been 

readied which needs to be endorsed 

by the CIT board and the 

Finance Ministry for final approval,” 

said executive director 

of CIT Rishi Ram Gautam. “All 

these might push the entry of a 

market maker further than the 

end of the current fiscal year,” 

he added. 

The Finance Ministry had directed 

CIT in February, 2012, to 

prepare a mechanism to start 

operations as a market maker to 

absorb excess shares and release 

shares in case of supply 

shortage to bring a balance in 

the share market. 

A market maker can make 

Incompetent state oil 

monopoly and its 

mismanagement has made 

it necessary for the private 

sector’s entry in the 

business 

— former managing director of NOC 

Digambar Jha 

Jha, the entry of the private 

sector will ensure smooth supply 

of petroleum products. 

Despite the profits that NOC 

is making currently in all petroleum 

products, except LPG, 

consumers still have to queue 

at petrol stations. 

According to NOC’s projection, 

its monthly loss has come 

down to Rs 95 million for this 

month. Consumption of LPG 

— the only loss making prod- 

uct — will decrease in 

summer months bringing 

the losses lower. “Yet, 

consumers have not 

been getting petroleum 

products smoothly,” 

said Jha, blaming the incompetent 

state oil monopoly 

and its mismanagement 

that has made 

it necessary for the private 

sector’s entry in the 

business. 

However, it would 

have been better had the 

government brought an 

ordinance — due to the absence 

of a Parliament — of Petroleum 

Act instead of directives, 

he opined. 

The Petroleum Act was presented 

in the House during 

late Girija Prasad Koirala’s premiership 

too, but it could not 

get through, he said, adding 

that the country needs a strong 

Petroleum Regulatory Board 

— with a legal teeth that is Petroleum 

Act — to monitor the 

NAC gets nod to move ahead with purchase plans 



The Finance Ministry has finally 

agreed to give a guarantee 

for the national flag 

carrier to purchase aircraft 

from Airbus. 

"Writing a letter yesterday 

to NAC, the Finance Min- 

istry has asked it to go ahead 

with the purchase process of 

aircraft from Airbus, as the 

government is ready to give 

a guarantee," according to 

the corporation. 

However, the ailing Nepal 

Airlines Corporation (NAC) 

also needs to make structural 

changes besides adding 

new aircraft to perform well 

as it has to compete with international 

airlines that 

have strong financial and 

structural foundations. 

Earlier, on March 16, Airbus 

representatives and 

Nepal Airlines Corporation 

had agreed to continue 

with talks as Airbus has 

also agreed to send a new 

price list based on the increased 

factory price of the 

aircraft soon. 

They had discussed on 

the price of the aircraft as it 

has differed from the agreement 

signed in 2009 due to 

increased factory expenses. 

In its first memorandum 

bulk purchase or sale of securities 

unlike other ordinary investors 

and can quote both a 

buy and sell price of a financial 

instrument. It stands ready with 

a firm ask and bid price ensuring 

liquidity in the market. In a 

stock market like that of Nepal 

which is usually bugged by 

oversupply, a market maker is 

essential to steady the temporary 

imbalance. 

In March last year, when 

Nepse hit a six-year low — 292 

points — investors had specifically 

demanded for a market 

maker to balance the stock 

market. Since CIT has legal authority 

to work as a market 

maker as mentioned in its Act, it 

of understanding with Airbus 

in November 2009, NAC 

had planned to purchase 

one A330-200 wide-body 

and one A320 single-aisle 

aircraft. According to NAC's 

plan in 2009, it was preparing 

to start international services 

to Japan and Europe 

through direct flights 

AFP / RSS 

Models in front of a passenger jeepney at an auto show, in Manila, on Thursday.The 

annual exhibition is being organised at the World Trade Centre. 

was deemed the most suitable 

entity to do so. 

Due to the insistence of investors, 

regulators had asked 

CIT to design a modality for its 

wholesale entry, however, 

things cooled down once the 

market became bullish. 

“There is not much urgency 

for CIT to become a market 

maker like it was last year, so 

things are progressing slowly,” 

pointed out Gautam. CIT had 

proposed to the Finance Ministry 

to form a pool fund among 

Employees Provident Fund, 

Rastriya Beema Sansthan and 

other insurance companies for 

seed money for a market making 

entity in the capital market. 

private sector in the competitive 

market. 

In the absence of competition 

in the market, traders and 

NOC officials are currently 

minting money, whereas consumers 

have been suffering. 

Three days back, when 

traders announced the complete 

halt of petroleum products, 

NOC quietly increased 

their commission. “Traders 

have collected Rs nine million 

to influence NOC and ministry 

officials to increase the commission,” 

according to the 

source at NOC. 

“Though the hike in commission 

was recommended by 

an expert committee, a lot of 

money has been involved in 

influencing the decision.” 

A three-member expert 

committee led by Dr Puskar 

Bajracharya had suggested an 

increase of Rs 0.23 commission 

for a litre of diesel 

and kerosene, and Rs 0.40 for 

a litre of petrol. 

No market makers anytime soon at Nepse 

It can make bulk purchase 

or sale of securities unlike other 

ordinary investors and can quote 

both a buy and sell price 

Gold loses 

glitter, price drops 

to 10-month low 



The domestic precious metal 

market saw the price of gold plunge 

by Rs 900 in a week due to the retreating 

price in the international 

bullion market. 

As the price of gold sunk to $1,550 

in the global market, the price in 

the domestic market has been 

determined at Rs 55,700 for a tola 

(11.664 grams) — the lowest in 

last 10 months — as the price 

had reached to this level on February 

21 and July 13, 2012. 

Following the United States Federal 

Reserve’s zero-rate policy, risk 

assets of the equity markets in the 

US have become attractive and as a 

result investors are moving funds to 

these instruments for short-term 

gains. The aversion of a full blown 

Cyprus banking crisis has also reduced 

the appeal of gold at present. 

Moreover, Credit Suisse has also cut 

gold price forecasts for this year and 

next — reducing its 2013 price estimation 

on gold to $1,580 from 

$1,740 an ounce. 

Earlier in September, the price of 

gold had reached Rs 61,760 per tola 

as its price shot up worldwide to 

$1770 per troy ounce. United States’ 

Federal Reserve back then had revealed 

its plans to purchase $40 billion 

worth of mortgage-backed securities 

per month until it saw a substantial 

improvement in the employment 

picture. 

Nepal imported gold worth Rs 

15.5 billion in the first seven months 

of the current fiscal year. Government 

allows only banks to import 15 

kilos of gold per day. Traders have 

been asking the government to increase 

the quota saying the supply is 

half the demand. 

CIT’s resources alone would 

not have been sufficient as we 

are planning to create a fund 

worth Rs five billion for the purpose, 

because the larger the size 

of the fund, the better it will be 

for the market due to increased 

capacity to purchase shares, informed 

Gautam. 

However, Sebon is not happy 

with the delay. “CIT’s governing 

regulation and Act allows it to 

perform a market maker’s job 

but it is not ready to take up the 

role which has caused all the 

delays,” said chairman of Sebon 

Baburam Shrestha. 

In addition, for a market 

maker to become functional, 

Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse)’s 

trading system needs to add a 

window. Since market makers 

can quote a buy and sell price 

themselves they need a separate 

point of access to the trading 

system which is missing in 

Nepse’s current software. 

Nepse, that is in the process of 

replacing current trading system, 

will be incorporating a 

platform for a market maker. 


President Day held 

THT 

KATHMANDU: President Travel and 

Tours — a renowned travel agency in 

the country — on Thursday celebrated 

its anniversary. The company has 

decided to celebrate April 4 as ‘President 

Day’ starting this year, it said. 

On this occasion and as part of its 

corporate social responsibility, it organised 

a blood donation camp participated 

by 65 staff members at its 

office premises in Durbar Marg. 

Managing director Bhola Bikram 

Thapa distributed certificates to the 

participants. The company was established 

on April 4, 1977. — HNS 

CG brings new offer 

KATHMANDU: CG Electronics — the 

sole authorised distributor of TCL 

brand in the country — launched a 

new scheme targeting the upcoming 

Nepali Year 2070. Under the scheme 

‘TCL Faida Ko Faisala’, consumers will 

be entitled 

to 

instant 

gifts on 

the purchase 

of 

TCL 

products, 

it said. TCL is an internationally 

acclaimed electronics brand and one 

of the largest producers of LCD television, 

positioning itself at the fifth 

rank worldwide. Customers can easily 

explore the product range and details 

at www.cgdigital.com.np. Customers 

are entitled to get CG DVD 

player on the purchase of every 32” 

and above LCD/LED television, pen 

drive on the purchase of every 23” 

and 24” LCD/LED television, and a 

CG dry iron on the purchase of TCL 

washing machine, it said. — HNS 

Citizens adds units 

KATHMANDU: Citizens Bank International 

has added branchless banking 

units in Chatara of Itahari, Maina 

Pokhari and Namdu of Charikot. The 

bank has already commenced 

branchless banking units in 31 locations 

across the country, the bank 

said, adding that it is planning to start 

the service in all the 14 zones of the 

country in the near future. — HNS 

Dish Home in HD 

KATHMANDU: Dish Home has tied 

up with Sony Six to provide ongoing 

IPL matches in HD format. The HD 

services, for the first time in Nepal, 

will be broadcast in High Definition 

quality especially to the sports fanatics 

during the cricket season of Indian 

Premier League, the company 

said. Dish 

Home customers 

will be 

able to watch 

IPL HD on 

Sony Six HD 

channel and 

the company 

will not charge 

any subscription 

fee for the High Definition service. 

The company is also planning 

to bring the Football World Cup 2014 

in High Definition. — HNS 

• FOREX RATES 

The foreign exchange rates for April 5 as fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank are as follows: 

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs.) SELLING (in Rs.) 

Swiss Franc 1 91.79 92.42 

Australian Dollar 1 90.88 91.51 

Canadian Dollar 1 85.96 86.55 

Singapore Dollar 1 70.31 70.79 

Saudi Arab Riyal 1 23.27 23.43 

Qatari Riyal 1 23.97 24.14 

Thai Bhat 1 2.97 2.99 

UAE Dihram 1 23.76 23.93 

Malaysian Ringit 1 28.34 28.54 

Swedish Krona 1 13.30 

Danish Krona 1 14.98 

Hongkong Dollar 1 11.24 

Note: Under the present system the open market exchange rates quoted by 

different /commercial banks may differ.


BUSINESS 

• BIZ BRIEFS 

Global in Kushma 

KATHMANDU: Chairman of Global 

IME Bank Chandra Prasad Dhakal inaugurated 

a branch with ATM facility 

in Kushma, Parbat district, on Thursday. 

Similarly, president of Parbat 

Chamber of Commerce and Industries 

Ram Krishna Karmacharya inaugurated 

the ATM unit. Global IME 

has been providing modern banking 

services through 63 branches and has 

a strong network of 62 ATM units 

across the country. — HNS 

Asian Life’s milestone 

KATHMANDU: Asian Life Insurance 

has entered its sixth year of operations 

on Tuesday. The insurance firm 

has opened 20 branches and 66 subbranches 

across the country in the 

last five years, it said. Asian Life Insurance 

has distributed bonus shares of 

27 per cent and 8.29 per cent in the 

last five years, it said, adding that its 

paid up capital currently stands at Rs 

490. 59 million, including 8.29 per 

cent bonus shares amounting to Rs 

30.80 million. The company will be 

issuing five per cent rights shares to 

increase its paid up capital to Rs 500 

million to meet the ceiling set by the 

Insurance Board. — HNS 

Etihad adds flight 

KATHMANDU: Etihad Airways has 

started non-stop daily flights between 

Abu Dhabi and Washington 

DC — the first direct air link — between 

the two capitals. The new 

service to Washington Dulles International 

Airport has been introduced 

to meet strong demand for government 

and business travel, as well as 

growing demand for leisure trips 

between and beyond the cities. Flight 

EY131 departs Abu Dhabi International 

Airport at 10:00am each day 

for the 15 hour journey to Washington 

DC, it said, adding that it is the 

fourth North American destination 

for Etihad Airways after New York, 

Chicago and Toronto. Till date, Etihad 

Airways has carried almost two 

million passengers between Abu 

Dhabi and North America, achieving 

12.6 per cent growth in passenger 

numbers last year. — HNS 

First general meeting 

KATHMANDU: Sunsari Gem and 

Jewellery Association held its first 

annual general meeting recently in 

Dharan. The AGM was inaugurated 

by president of Nepal Gold Silver 

Gem and Jewellery Federation 

Ramesh Maharjan. The annual meeting 

elected executive committee 

members including Bishan Shakya 

as president, Tek Bahadur Yangden 

as vice president, Kamal Shrestha 

as secretary and Rudra Bahadur 

Biswokarma as treasurer, the association 

said in a press note. — HNS 

• BIZ BRIEFS 

ICT Info Trade: Branding Expo 

KATHMANDU: Information Communication Technology 

(ICT) Association of Nepal will organise the sixth edition 

of ‘ICT Info Trade: Branding Expo 2013’, in Bhrikutimandap, 

Kathmandu, on April 9-13. The expo dedicated 

to promoting information, communication and technology 

in the country will be providing special discounts to 

students who have appeared at this year’s SLC examination, 

it said. The expo with an aim to promote local software 

has arranged for 20 per cent discounts for consumers 

on their bookings at stalls, it said. The five-day 

expo will showcase and provide information on latest developments 

the ICT sector has achieved and promote 

country's technological advancements. — HNS 

Honda 24/7 service 

KATHMANDU: Syakar Trading — the sole authorised distributor 

of Honda motorcycles and scooters in Nepal — 

on Thursday announced ‘Honda Emergency Service’. The 

unique service is a road side assistance available 24x7, 

the company said. The main objective of the service is to 

provide emergency help to people who are stuck due to a 

breakdown at home or inside the Ring Road. Honda customers 

will be provided with toll free number via print 

advertisements, television commercials, Facebook and 

showroom, it said, adding that customers can call the 

given number to register their problems to Syakar’s representatives 

who will look into the issue and send an 

emergency team as per the requirement. — HNS 

Facebook on Android phone 

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook unveiled its 'home' on the 

Android smartphone on Thursday, a move expected to 

tie the leading social network's services tightly into mobile 

software. The unveiling rekindled talk of a 'Facebook 

phone,' but analysts say the social network wants to 

spread roots across the Android platform. Technology 

news site TechCrunch predicted it would be a modified 

version of Android with 'deep native Facebook functionality' 

on a phone made by Taiwan's HTC. — AFP 

THT 

Trade deficit widens as 

remittance increases 

Money inflow at Rs 360bn in first seven months 

Dikshya Singh 


The country’s trade deficit is 

growing as the relatively easy 

income from remittance has 

contributed in growing consumption 

among Nepalis. 

Nepal received Rs 360 billion 

as remittance income in the 

first seven months of the current 

fiscal year. 

In the review period, trade 

deficit also widened by Rs 271.2 

billion. Data of the first seven 

months show that the amount 

of remittance income and 

amount of trade deficit is almost 

perfectly correlated. 

The positive correlation 

shows that both trade deficit 

and remittance income are 

moving in near perfect sync. 

“Remittance has increased 

the income of households 

which is mostly spent in consumption, 

increasing the demand 

for commodities, and 

since Nepal’s manufacturing 

capacity is pretty limited, demand 

for imported goods has 

soared,” said senior economist 

Dr Chiranjibi Nepal. 

“Higher consumption can be 

good for developed countries 

but is not beneficial to a country 

that has to import even the 

basic necessities,” he added. 

Of the total households, 55 

per cent receive remittance 

from members abroad, according 

to the preliminary report of 

Nepal Living Standard Survey - 

III released by the Central Bureau 

of Statistics. 

Of the total remittance received, 

79 per cent is consumed 

by families and only three per 

cent goes to capital formation, 

with the rest being spent on repaying 

debts and on education, 

according to the National Migration 

Survey. 

“Nepal is suffering from the 

Dutch disease brought in by remittance, 

as it has contributed 

in the expansion of consumption 

without actually boosting 

NCCCI team meets 

finance minister 

KATHMANDU: A team from Nepal- 

China Chamber of Commerce and 

Industry (NCCCI) led by its president 

Rajesh Kazi Shrestha held talks with 

newly appointed finance minister 

Shanker Koirala at the Finance Ministry. 

The team discussed on the opportunities 

and challenges facing 

trade between Nepal and China. They 

informed Koirala that Chinese investors 

are interested in opening a 

Chinese bank in Nepal and are willing 

to invest in hydropower, agriculture 

and tourism. They urged Koirala 

to promote infrastructure projects 

that the Chinese are undertaking in 

Nepal, including the upgradation of 

Tatopani dry port and road-widening 

projects, among others. In reply, minister 

Koirala assured them that the 

government will look into their demands 

in the next fiscal budget. — HNS 

Trade Deficit 

national productivity,” added 

Dr Nepal. 

Dutch disease refers to the 

situation in which an economy 

actually suffers due to increase 

in income, mostly arising from 

a large inflow of foreign exchange. 

The concept is related 

to an increase in exploitation of 

natural resources and consequent 

decline in manufacturing 

sector. 

However, in many developing 

countries like Nepal, increase 

in labour export for remittance 

is showing a detrimental 

effect in the overall development 

in the long run. 

In the last fiscal year, Nepal 

received remittance worth Rs 

360 billion, while its export 

earnings stood at Rs 72 billion 

and it imported goods worth Rs 

462 billion. 

Likewise, the manufacturing 

sector contributed a mere Rs 95 

billion in the Gross Domestic 

Product (GDP) worth. The industrial 

sector — that is considered 

a mass employment generator 

— witnessed a growth of 

1.69 per cent, while remittance 

income surged by 41 per cent. 

“Since the country’s balance 

of payments situation is in surplus 

and foreign reserves are 

also swelling thanks to remit- 

| CORRELATION| 

Remittance 

(Figures in billion rupees. Source: NRB) 

tance, policy makers are complacent 

as there is not much 

pressure to create a conducive 

and productive environment to 

create jobs,” said Dr Nepal. 

“The more the income 

through exported labour, the 

more the government will encourage 

Nepalis to go abroad 

for work, while the home turf 

becomes barren and without 

able manpower,” he added. 

According to the Department 

of Foreign Employment, a little 

over 155,000 Nepalis have left 

for foreign employment by the 

first half of this fiscal year, 

which is a 20.4 per cent increment 

in comparison to that of 

the previous year. 

At present, 52.8 per cent of 

the total households have at 

least one absentee member. 

Increasing unemployment 

has not only fuelled the migrant 

outflow but also helped widen 

the trade deficit as the the remittance 

they have been sending 

is widely spent on consumption 

rather than on capital 

formation. 

According to the Central Bureau 

of Statistics, only four per 

cent of the remittance is only 

used in capital formation, 

which needs to be increased to 

strengthen the economy. 



SG Global — the sole authorised 

distributor of Mahindra 

2 Wheelers in the country — 

for the first time has 

launched 110cc bikes — Pantero 

and Centuro — in the 

domestic market. 

Both the motorcycles are 

fitted with a Micro Chip Ignited 

5-Curve engine, produced 

at M&M’s plant near 

Indore, India, it said. 

The Pantero’s engine generates 

a peak power of 

around eight bhp. With this 

power output, the company 

claims that Pantero will deliver 

an impressive mileage 

of 79.5 kmpl, certified by the 

Automotive Research Association 

of India. 

It has ground clearance of 

165mm and seat length of 

774mm. 

The bike has bright white 

coloured twin pilot lamps in 

its headlight which looks really 

cool at night. Its black 

coloured visor also gets new 

lines on it while its front cowl 

gets new graphics. 

The clear lens indicators 

are placed on both sides of its 

headlight. The 

rear view mirrorscertain- 

ly look cheap and are 

placed high on its handle 

bar. It follows the 

all black theme with 

black finished alloy 

wheels, engine, grab 

rail and fender. 

The design of 

the silencer, fuel 

tank and side 

panel is quite 

simple but to 

make it look 

fresh, Mahindra 

has played 

with some 

stickers. The 

bike looks best 

when seen from the back as it 

has a full-size LED tail light 

which complements the 

styling of its rear fender, grab 

rail and tyre. 

Similarly, the Centuro is an 

entry level bike. 

It has a simple and full size 

front cowl and tinted visor. 

The bike’s headlights come 

with pilot lamps, it said, 

adding that it has black 

coloured engine and muffler. 

It features a new instrument 

console which is completely 

different than the one 

used in Pantero. 

It has a combined analogue 

digital instrument console 

with all essential 

LED indicators in it. 

The bike features a 

circular dial which 

partly displays its 

digital speedometer 

and rest of the dial 

houses an analogue 

tachometer. There 

are two other 

LCDs also 

which come 

with service 

reminder 

and distance 

to 

empty feature. 

The bike 

PAGE 11 

• BRAND WATCH 

Mahindra launches 110cc bikes 

has digital odometer, 2-trip 

meter and fuel gauge. This 

instrument console comes 

with a unique white back 

light which looks best at 

night. Besides this, the bike 

has a cool key remote with a 

LED which helps you find the 

ignition switch even in the 

dark. The bike has a mono 

cylinder and comes with 

106cc engine capacity that 

produces a peak power of 8.5 

bhp at 7500 rpm. The aircooled 

engine generates a 

maximum torque output of 

8.5 nm which is accessible at 

5500 rpm. 

It has a four speed gearbox 

with all gears up-shift pattern. 

The fuel efficiency of 

Centuro ranges from 62-65 

km/ltr in city conditions 

while you can expect this 

bike to return a mileage of 

around 68-70 km/ltr on long 

runs, the company claimed. 

It is the first bike to offer 

safety features like anti-theft 

system with an inbuilt engine 

immobiliser and guide 

lamps. Its wheels are 

equipped with drum brakes 

of 130mm. It has a high 

ground clearance of 173mm 

and a wheelbase of 1265mm 

which add to its stability.


Sports 

APF defend National Volleyball title 

Bharat Ingnam 

Tehrathum, April 4 

Nepal Armed Police Force 

(APF) Club defended the 

27th National Men’s Volleyball 

Tournament with a hardfought 

victory over their departmental 

archrivals Nepal 

Police Club (NPC) here today. 

Despite losing the opening 

two sets, APF made a remarkable 

comeback to 

clinch the title. APF lost the 

opening set 23-25 and lost 

the second set 21-25. 

But APF found their way 

back into the game, forcing 

the fifth and final deciding 

set by winning the third 25- 

20 and fourth set 25-22. APF 

completed the remarkable 

turn around by clinching the 

deciding set 15-12. 

APF coach Dipendra Bista 

said their strategy to wear out 

the NPC players in the opening 

two sets worked exceptionally 

well. “We were confident 

of beating them, so we 

did extremely well to exhaust 

them in the first two sets. 

Since NPC players were tired 

we won the last three sets 

and the tournament,” said 

the coach, who praised the 

performance of his players in 

every department. 

NPC coach Sudesh Rimal 

rued on the injury of his 

some key players for the defeat. 

“The injury to some of 

my key players cost us the 

match,” said the coach 

adding his boys’ performance 

took a nose dive in 

the final three sets. “Al- 

though, we made a bright 

start winning two sets, we 

lost our way in the remaining 

three sets,” added Rimal. 

Tribhuvan Army Club, 

meanwhile, finished third 

with a 25-17, 26-24, 25-15 

win over Central Region. Top 

three sides received Rs 

50,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 

20,000 respectively. 

APF skipper Kailash Bhatta 

was adjudged the best player 

of the tournament and received 

Rs 5,000. Mahendra 

Shrestha, Khushi Chaudhary, 

both of APF, were declared 

the best blocker and setter 

respectively. NPC trio Kul Bahadur 

Thapa, Shumsher 

Chand and Ramesh Chaudhary 

were named the best 

spiker, defender and server 

respectively. All the best indi- 

viduals got Rs 3,000 each. 

Meanwhile, hosts 

Tehrathum District Volleyball 

Association felicitated 

four former national players 

of the district. The feted personalities 

were former president 

of the volleyball governing 

body Ganga Bahadur 

Thapa, Puspa Kumar Sitaula, 

Birendra Khadka and Krishna 

Gopal Shrestha. 

National Sports Council 

Member Secretary Yubaraj 

Lama, Nepal Volleyball Association 

President Dan Bahadur 

Tamang among others 

handed over the prizes. 

In all, eight teams — Eastern, 

Central, Mid-Western 

and Far-Western Region, 

APF, TAC, NPC and University 

Team — took part in the 

tournament. 



Nepal lodged a complaint following 

their 1-1 stalemate against 

Tajikistan during the AFC U-14 

Championship Group ‘C’ Qualifying 

match here at the 

Dasharath Stadium today. 

The draw effectively ended any 

hopes of the home team to qualify 

for the Finals. The organisers 

erred by not staging a tiebreaker 

as stated by the tournament regulation. 

“If the result is draw after 

full time, penalty kicks shall be 

taken to determine the winner, in 

accordance with the procedures 

described in the Laws of the 

Game. Extra time is not applicable 

for this competition,” reads 

the tournament regulation Article 

5 (b). 

A source at the All Nepal Football 

Association (ANFA) confirmed 

that Nepal had filed a 

protest. “Team manager Madhusudan 

Upadhyaya had submitted 

a written protest moments 

after the match,” said the 

ANFA source. Nepal, who suffered 

a 2-1 loss against 

Afghanistan in the first match on 

Tuesday, crashed out of the campaign 

with a game to spare following 

the draw. 

Since only the group winners 

qualify for the Finals, Nepal can 

not top the Group even if they 

beat Bhutan in their last match 

on Saturday. Bhutan, who suffered 

back-to-back embarrassing 

defeats, were eliminated from 

the group stage following a 14-0 

loss against Afghanistan. Tajikistan 

had trounced Bhutan 15-0 

in their first match on Tuesday. 

Tajikistan took a 14th minute 

Udipt Singh Chhetry / THT 

Nepal goalkeeper Sojit (right) punches the ball to safety under 

challenge from a Tajikistan player (second from left) during their 

AFC U-14 Group 'C' Qualifiers in Kathmandu on Thursday. 

Nepal file protest 

after stalemate 

lead when striker Abdulloev 

Khurshed scored in a rebound after 

Nepali goalkeeper Sojit 

blocked Abduloev Sharom’ spotkick. 

Tajikistan were awarded the 

penalty after Laxman Pariyar 

handled the ball inside the area. 

Nepal levelled the tie with Kshitiz 

Raj scoring from the edge of the 

area utilising skipper Manish Bahadur 

Karki’s short pass. Kshitiz 

powerful strike found the back of 

the nets after hitting the inner 

edge of the bar. 

Nepal would have sealed victory 

but Tajikistan goalkeeper Azizov 

Daler brilliantly blocked substitute 

Kshitiz Khadka’s powerful 

left-flank strike two minutes before 

time. Nepal coach Sunil Kumar 

Shrestha said his boys could 

not perform up to their mark. 

“Following the Afghanistan defeat, 

we were under pressure to 

beat Tajikistan,” said Shrestha 

adding the local side came up 

with an improved showing today. 

He further added the team also 

lacked coordination. Tajikistan 

coach Zahir Hassani was happy 

to have played the draw. “Both 

sides played good game, I am 

surprised to see Nepali youth 

playing at this level,” said the 

coach, who hopes to qualify with 

Afghanistan victory. 

Earlier, Mohammad Yosuf Ayoubi 

struck five goals alone and 

Omid Haidar Saneh netted a 

brace as Afghanistan hammered 

minnows Bhutan 14-0. Amanullah 

Qazi, Sher Ahmad Hamedi, 

Murtazaa Qambari, Ahmad 

Mubasher Haidary, Elyas Amiri, 

Mujtabaa Rezaie were also joined 

in the goal-scoring spree for 

Afghanistan, who were also gifted 

an own goal. 


• TIME OUT 

Nepal APF Club players and officials 

celebrate after winning the National 

Men’s Volleyball Tournament in 

Tehrathum on Thursday. 

Strikers,Tip Top win 

THT 

LALITPUR: NMCC Strikers and Tip 

Top XI won their matches of the Arihant 

Holidays Champions League Inter-Marwadi 

Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 

here on Thursday. Strikers 

defeated Fighters by two runs. Batting 

first, Stirkers scored 147-6 in 20 

overs riding on unbeaten 32 from 

Vicky Tamang and Rohit Sharma’s 29. 

In reply, Fighters fell two runs short of 

target and reached 145-6 despite 37ball 

66 from man-of-the-match Ankit 

Garg. In another match, Tip Top 

thrashed Friends XI by nine wickets. 

Batting first, Friends were bowled out 

for 51 runs in 10 overs, while Tip Top 

reached the target losing one wicket 

in 6.2 overs. — HNS 

Golden Gate triumph 

KATHMANDU: Golden Gate defeated 

hosts Naya Bazaar 90-61 in the Kirtipur 

Cup Basketball Tournament on 

Thursday. Bikram Dangol scored 20 

points for Golden Gate, while Ayush 

Singh of Naya bazaar top scored in 

the match netting 28 points. In another 

match, Gurukul outplayed Himalayan 

White House 101-75. Rishi 

Robertson of White House scored a 

match-high 35 but could not avert his 

team’s loss, while skipper Sadish 

Pradhan netted 25 for Gurukul. In the 

third game, Tribhuvan Army Club 

beat NASA 71-59 riding on 23 points 

from Rajiv Joshi. NASA skipper Binod 

Shrestha scored 22 points. — HNS 

Potala hold Temke 

JHAPA: Temke Club of Sunsari and FC 

Potala of Makawanpur played a 3-3 

stalemate in the Red Bull ‘A’ Division 

District League here at the Mechi Stadium 

Thursday. Prashan Rai scored a 

brace and Janak Sunuwar added another 

for Temke, while BK Tamang 

struck twice and Surendra Waiba netted 

one for Potala. Meanwhile, 

Ghodaghodi Club of Kailali and 

Deshbhakta Youth Club of Nawalparasi 

set the ‘B’ Division District 

League title clash. Ghodaghodi 

cruised past Dada Bazaar Club of 

Dhankuta 4-1, while Deshbhakta 

outplayed Nava United Club of 

Tanahu 6-1. — HNS 

Kolkata win opener 

KOLKATA: Holders Kolkata Knight 

Riders gave a fluent start to their 

campaign with an emphatic six wicket 

win over a depleted Delhi Daredevils 

in the sixth Indian Premier League 

(IPL) opener on Wednesday. The 

hosts proved their all-round might by 

first skittling out the Daredevils for 

128, with Sunil Narine (4-13) doing 

the main damage taking a wicket in 

each of his four overs, and then coasted 

to victory with eight balls to spare 

before a capacity crowd at the iconic 

Eden Gardens Stadium. Eoin Morgan 

hit the winning single as the Knight 

Riders reached 129-4. — Agencies


• TIME OUT 

Prior overlooked 

AP / RSS 

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is 

challenged by Galatasaray's Semih 

Kaya (right) during the Champions 

League quarter-final first leg match 

in Madrid on Wednesday. 

LONDON: Matt Prior missed out on a 

return to limited-overs cricket for 

England after being overlooked for a 

place in the provisional 30-man 

squad for the Champions Trophy in 

June. Prior is England's first-choice 

Test wicketkeeper, scoring an unbeaten 

century to spare England a series 

defeat to New Zealand last 

month, but has struggled in the onedayers 

and hasn't played in the format 

since March 2011. Craig Kieswetter, 

Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler 

were preferred as options behind the 

stumps for the tournament that England 

will host on June 6-23. England 

included four uncapped players — 

batsmen Gary Ballance and Varun 

Chopra and bowlers James Harris 

and Chris Wright — in an enlarged 

squad that must be trimmed to 15 

names by May 5. — AP 

Armstrong to swim 

WASHINGTON: Disgraced cyclist 

Lance Armstrong tries to return to 

competition by signing up for three 

swimming events not covered by the 

US Anti-Doping Agency rules. Armstrong, 

banned for life by the USADA 

from its sanctioned events for his 

performance-enhancing drug use 

during his cycling career, intended to 

swim this weekend at the Masters 

South Central Zone Swimming 

Championships at the University of 

Texas, Xinhua reports. The 41-yearold 

will compete in the 40-44 age 

group in the 500-, 1,000- and the 

1,650-yard freestyle. — Agencies 

PCB turns to Akram 

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket 

Board (PCB) has turned to former 

captain and fast bowler Wasim Akram 

and will prepare special pitches for 

the national team ahead of the ICC 

Champions Trophy in England in 

June. The PCB said that former leftarm 

quick Akram would be supervising 

a 10-day specialised camp for fast 

bowlers in Karachi. "Besides the national 

team pace bowlers some upcoming 

young and raw pace bowlers 

will also attend the camp which will 

be conducted by Wasim for the 

board," a PCB official said. — Reuters 

• CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 

Real win; Malaga, 

Dortmund draw 

Reuters 

London, April 4 

Real Madrid showed the attacking 

power that could 

carry them to an unprecedented 

10th European Cup 

when they demolished 

Galatasaray 3-0 in their 

Champions League quarter-final 

first leg on 

Wednesday. 

The other game, also 

played in Spain, ended in a 

goalless stalemate between 

debutants Malaga and 

Borussia Dortmund, but 

both sides created plenty 

of chances in an end-toend 

match. With Bayern 

Munich beating Juventus 

2-0 at home and Paris St 

Germain (PSG) drawing 2- 

2 with favourites Barcelona 

in Paris on Tuesday, the 

likely semi-finalists appear 

to be Real, Bayern, 

Barcelona and Dortmund. 

All four ties will be concluded 

next week and, 

whoever comes through, a 

thrilling final is in prospect 

when Wembley Stadium 

stages Europe’s showpiece 

game for the second time 

in three seasons on May 25. 

Real went ahead when 

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 

his 45th goal of the season 

after nine minutes and 

Karim Benzema added the 

second with a shot in off 

the post in the 29th. Substitute 

Gonzalo Higuain 

sealed the win with a 73rdminute 

header. 

That left Galatasaray 

needing to achieve the 

most unlikely of turnarounds 

to rescue the tie, 

but although they were 

largely outplayed, the 

Turkish team did create 

chances. Ronaldo opened 

the scoring with a superb 

lofted shot over goalkeeper 

Fernando Muslera following 

a perfect pass from 

Mesut Ozil to settle the 

home side’s nerves. 

Galatasaray fell further 

behind when Michael 

Essien crossed for Benzema 

who controlled the ball 

before planting it low off 

the post and into the net. 

The third arrived 17 minutes 

from time when 

Higuain met Xabi Alonso’s 

freekick to head home. 



Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC) 

won the team section gold 

medals at the Li-Ning 36th 

National Badminton Championships 

here today. 

In the men’s section final, 

TAC defeated Nepal APF 

Club 3-1, while the same 

two teams met in the 

women’s section final with 

the TAC registering a 2-0 win 

to sweep the team events. 

In the women’s singles 

category, defending champion 

Nangshal Devi Tamang 

of APF advanced to the 

quarter-finals without entering 

the court after receiving 

a walkover win from her 

opponent Samjhana Hamal 

of Kavre. She was joined 

in the last eight by Amita 

Giri, Samjhana Khaling, 

Shikshya Shrestha, Sulochana 

Bhaktaraj, Sara 

Devi Tamang, Punam Gurung 

and Sabina Panthi. 

Amita of Jhapa defeated 

Pratibha Gurung of Kaski 

21-10, 21-17, while Nepal 

APF Club’s Samjhana outplayed 

Bindu Shrestha of 

Nawalparasi 21-11, 21-8. 

Likewise, APF’s Shikshya 

beat Shreya Pradhan of TAC 

21-18, 21-17, whereas Sulochana 

of Ilam defeated 

Niru Shrestha of Kathmandu 

21-15, 21-13. Also, Sara 

Devi of TAC overcame Dilu 

Subba of Jhapa 21-6, 21-13, 

Punam of Kaski beat 

Hemkhyama Rai of Bhojpur 

21-13, 21-6 and APF’s Sabina 

routed Sija Rai of Jhapa 

21-9, 21-12. 

In the men’s section, defending 

champion Bikash 

Shrestha of Bhojpur defeated 

Bhim Thapa of Nepal Police 

Club 21-11, 21-11 to 

make it to the round of 16. 

In other matches, Ratnajit 

Tamang of TAC beat Dil Bahadur 

Dhami of APF 21-10, 

21-12, while Dipesh Dhami, 


SPORTS 

Double delight for Army Club 


Lalitpur, April 4 

Bibhuti Karki and Bijisha 

Shrestha set the U-16 girls’ singles 

championship clash of the 

fifth Kesha-JTI Junior Open Tennis 

Tournament here today. 

Bibhuti saw off Shivalika Rana 

6-1, 6-2, while Bijisha dispatched 

Mayanka Rana 6-4, 6-1. Sakshyam 

Karki, Abhash Malla and 

Abhishek Bastola made it to the 

U-16 boys’ singles quarter-finals. 

Sakshyam overcame Anjan Thing 

7-5, 6-1, Abhash cruised past 

Chandra Man Roka 6-1, 6-1 and 

Abhishek got the better of Kastup 

Raj Pandey 6-2, 6-4. 

Samyak Bhushan Bajracharya 

beat Utsav Khadka 6-2, 6-2 to enter 

the U-12 boys’ semi-finals. 

Bibek Shrestha (left) serves as his Bhojpur teammate Bikash Shrestha looks on during 

their men’s doubles match against APF’s Dil Bahadur Dhami and Joseph Adhikari at 

the Li-Ning 36th National Badminton Championships in Kathmandu on Thursday. 

Bibhuti, Bijisha in final 

Samyak Bhushan Bajracharya returns to Utsav Khadka during 

their U-12 boys’ singles match at the Kesha-JTI Open Tennis 

Tournament in Lalitpur on Thursday. 

Pranav Khanal, Renjan Lama 

and Samrakshyak Bhushan Bajracharya 

also advanced. In the 

U-14 girls’ quarter-finals, Mayanka 

Rana beat Utsavi Joshi 6-1, 6- 

4, Bijisha outplayed Alsa Regmi 

6-1, 6-1 and Mahika edged Ani 

Mathema 6-4, 6-4. 

Avilasha Bista and Saloni 

Tamang set the U-10 girls singles 

title date. Abhilasha defeated 

Saisa Prasai 8-2 and Saloni beat 

Ashiyana Prasai 8-4. The U-10 

boys’ singles final will be between 

Samyak and Adit. Samyak 

dispatched Shulabh Dhital and 

Adit overcame Utsav with an 

identical score of 8-2. In the U-9 

boys’ singles semi-final matches, 

Adit Subedi hammered Aryan 

Giri 8-2 and Aki Juwen Raut dispatched 

Abhi Joshi 8-3. 

also from TAC, defeated Niranjan 

Devkota of Kathmandu 

21-17, 21-14. 

Four APF shuttlers — Sajan 

Krishna Tamrakar, 

Bishal Pradhan, Sudip Sedhain 

and Indra Mahata — 

also advanced to the prequarters. 

Sajan outplayed 

Rabin Kandanwa of NPC 

21-11, 21-11, while Bishal 

registered a 21-19, 21-19 

victory over Shambhu 

Shrestha of Kaski. Likewise, 

Sudip routed Ram Rai of 

TAC 21-7, 21-9, and Indra 

THT 

Associated Press 

Charleston, April 4 

defeated Prabin Basnet of 

Bhojpur 21-8, 21-14. 

Likewise, three policemen 

– Bishnu Katwal, Sanjiv 

Khadka and Deepak Boahara 

– made it to the last 16. 

Bishnu beat Mahesh Bajracharya 

21-12, 21-17, 

while Sanjiv defeated 

Bhugol Gurung of Kaski 21- 

19, 21-14. Deepak, meanwhile, 

came from a set down 

to beat Suroj Maharjan of 

TAC 17-21, 21-6, 21-12. 

In other matches, Sahadev 

Khadka of Kailali de- 

Second-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 

opened with a strong showing at the 

Family Circle on Wednesday, crushing 

Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-1 for 

her sixth straight victory here. 

Wozniacki only entered the tournament 

on Saturday when a scheduled 

trip to Haiti with boyfriend Rory McIlroy 

was postponed. Venus Williams, 

who won this tournament in 2004, 

opened with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory 

over Monica Puig of Puerto Rico. 

Past champion Samantha Stosur 

opened play with a 6-1, 6-2 victory 

over Marina Erakovic. Jelena Jankovic 

moved on with a three-set win over 

feated Joseph Adhikari of 

APF 21-14, 21-17; Sunil Bohara 

of Lalitpur beat Dilli 

Ram Dangi of Morang 24- 

22, 21-9; Bibek Shrestha of 

Bhojpur registered a 21-7, 

17-21, 21-9 victory over 

Sashin Dangol of Lalitpur; 

Basanta Bajracharya of Palpa 

outplayed Purna Thapa 

of Kathmandu 21-12, 21-13; 

and Bilal Warsi of Banke 

routed Devendra Khadka of 

Sunsari 21-10, 21-9. 

In the U-17 girls’ singles, 

Shikshya Shrestha of APF, 

Sabina Pariyar of Kaski, Anu 

Rai of Sunsari, Samjhana 

Hamal of Kavre, Shiva 

Chand of Kathmandu, 

Hemkhyama Rai of Bhojpur, 

Ganga Bista of Kailali and 

Shreya Pradhan of TAC advanced 

to the quarter-finals. 

In the boys’ section, 

Dipesh Dhami, Sanil 

Shakya, Nabin Shrestha, 

Praful Maharjan, Anish 

Shrestha, Riyaz Ansari, 

Pradeep Adhikari, Sandip 

Shakya, Dilendra Pun, 

Nitesh Rathi, Mahesh Shahi, 

Sawan Shrestha, Aashish 

Dahal, Rukesh Maharjan, 

Prabin Basnet and Suman 

Limbu made it to the last 16. 

In the U-15 girls’ section, 

Jeshika Gurung, Ankita 

Shrestha, Rama Matang, Rojina 

Karki, Santoshi KC, 

Megha Chand, Safi Khatri 

and Shraddha Pradhan advanced 

to the quarter-finals. 

Wozniacki,Williams win 

THT 

French Caroline Garcia. 

Others advancing were No 6 seed 

Lucie Safarova, No 10 seed Julia Goerges 

and American qualifier Mallory 

Burdette, who defeated 2009 Family 

Circle champion Sabine Lisicki. Burdette’s 

prize for moving on: a 

matchup with Serena Williams, seeking 

her 12th straight match win here 

after winning the Family Circle crown 

the two times she’s played. 

Venus fought through a second-set 

lull to rally past Puig. Venus withdrew 

from the Sony Open with a bad back 

and said it was difficult to feel 100 per 

cent less than two weeks later. “It’s 

hard to be all the way prepared, but at 

that point, it’s about being mentally 

tough,” Venus said. 

• PANASONIC OPEN 



PAGE 13 

Shiva Ram 

opens with 76 

Nepal No 1 pro Shiva 

Ram Shrestha opened 

the Panasonic Open India 

— the Asian Tour 

event — with a fourover 

76 at the Delhi Golf 

Club today. 

Shiva Ram, who earlier 

this year agreed to 

one-year sponsorship 

Shiva Ram 

deal with ISME Pvt Ltd, 

carded two-over 38 on either halves to 

share the 87th position with nine others 

after the first round of the PGTI (Professional 

Golf Tour of India) event. 

Shiva Ram made a mediocre start by 

saving pars on the first three holes before 

dropping a shot on the fourth. He 

dropepd another shot on the eighth hole 

to take the turn at two-over 38. On the 

back nine, he suffered bogeys on the 12th 

and 17th holes. 

“I hit a couple of bad shots and missed 

at least six short putts which spoilt my 

scorecard,” Shiva Ram told The Himalayan 

Times over the phone. “I could 

have played even-par or the maximum 

worst of one-over, but that did not happen 

due to my poor chipping and 

putting,” added Shiva Ram, who also 

blamed his swing for the bad scores. 

Asked about the chances of making the 

cut for the money-making round of the 

$300,000 event, Shiva Ram said he would 

try to put in his best in the second round 

to finish in the top 65. “It is hard to save 

once you hit a bad shot in this course, but 

I will try my best to make the cut,” he said. 

“It is possible make the cut if only my putter 

favour me tomorrow,” he added. 

This is the third event under the Asian 

Tour for Shiva Ram, who qualified for the 

PGTI as the second best foreigner in the 

Qualifying School in December last year. 

Shiva Ram had first played the Asian Tour 

event in Japan, also the Panasonic Open, 

in 2009 and participated in the SAIL-SBI 

Open — co-sanctioned by PGTI — at the 

Delhi Golf Course on March 6-9. He 

missed the cut on both the occasions. 

Meanwhile, Australian duo of Kieran 

Pratt and Wade Ormsby along with Lam 

Chih Bing of Singapore shared the lead at 

five-under 67. SSP Chowrasia of India was 

two strokes adrift at fourth, while seven 

pros — Lionel Weber, Chirag Kumar, Angad 

Cheema, Jay Baron, Adam Groom, 

Boonchu Ruangkit and Sanjay Kumar — 

shared were fifth at two-under 70. Seventeen 

golfers are tied on 12th with matching 

scores of one-under 71.


THTgreen green 

GREEN 

SIGNALS 

OTHERWISE 

Restore old 

SHOES 

JAIPUR: An astrologer and 

social activist has turned 

the religious practice of offering 

water and milk in 

temples into a unique way of 

water conservation. Pandit Purushotam 

Gaur, known as Guruji, 

has developed water harvesting 

infrastructure in more than 

300 temples in Rajasthan over 

the past 13 years. 

Gaur is harvesting the millions 

of gallons of water offered 

by devotees in Hindu temples 

that earlier used to literally go 

down the drain. 

Several honours, including 

the Maharana Mewar Award, 

have been conferred on Guar for 

his services to astrology and social 

activism. 

Gaur said that he had started 

his Jalabhishek campaign in 

2000. 

“I used to notice that the water 

offered by devotees in temples 

is completely wasted as it 

goes into the drain. So, an idea 

to use it in recharging the increasingly 

depleting groundwater 

level struck me,” the 41-year 

old astrologer told IANS. 

He started channelling water 

Before you throw away those 

old shoes, stop and think 

about you can find a new 

use for them. Here are some ideas 

you can use. 

• Use them as garden planters. 

Old boots or sneakers can serve as 

unique plant holders amongst 

other containers in your garden. 

All you need to do is put a few 

holes in the bottom of the shoe for 

drainage, fill it with potting soil 

and add a few plants. Be careful 

not to overcrowd the container. 

Jalabhishek: Harvesting 

water from temples 

from temples (especially Shiva 

temples) through several filter 

chambers before it drained into 

the ground and recharged the 

ground water level. 

As a part of this project, several 

tanks and bore wells were 

constructed in each of the temple 

with the help of the local 

people, Gaur added. 

“At some temples it required 

digging 30-foot deep pits that 

were strategically placed so that 

the water from the idols was 

routed into them. Separate fivefoot 

deep pits for milk offerings 

are also dug up in temples,” 

Gaur further added about the 

project. 

“I was delighted when several 

scientists and groundwater experts 

joined forces with me and 

came up with an institution 

called ‘Shiksha Samiti’. The institution 

has calculated that the 

city, with more than 3,000 temples, 

daily has at least 45 million 

litres of water poured on the deity 

of Lord Shiva and other 

deities during the Hindu holy 

month of Shravan (July-August),” 

Guar explained. 

He said that apart from 

• Find a stuffed animal or life 

sized doll in your child’s room, and 

put the shoes on the toy. Both you 

and your children will be able to 

enjoy their baby and toddler shoes 

for years to come. 

• Create a work of art. Old sneakers 

make great canvas. You can 

paint old shoes in an abstract of 

realist design to create an artwork. 

You can also transform it into a paperweight 

or bookend by inserting 

a bag of sand into the shoe. 

• Give them to your dog. Remove 

the shoelaces from your old 

shoes and write the dog’s name on 

it in permanent marker. This way 

everyone will know that the dog is 

allowed to have the shoe. 

• Make a doorstop. You can 

weigh down a boot with sand, or 

rocks, and place it next to the door 

that you need to prop open the 

most. The next time you need a 

doorstop, it will be there for you. 

— essortment.com 

wastage, the water and milk offered 

by devotees also impacted 

the environment. 

“Formerly water and milk 

used to flow out unchecked into 

open areas near temples, creating 

unhygienic putrid and stagnant 

puddles. The areas around 

temples also became the breeding 

ground for mosquitoes and 

flies,” said Guar. 

He said that it was not easy in 

the beginning to convince 

priests of the temples to join the 

campaign. 

“My efforts were initially suspected 

by some priests as a 

means of gaining popularity and 

demanding a right to worship at 

their temples. Even when my 

followers began donating money 

for the cause, most priests 

were reluctant to adopt the project 

although the cost is only 

INRs 2,500 for each well,” said 

Guar. 

Now about 300 temples have 

been covered by the campaign. 

Buoyed over the success, Gaur 

said, “This needs to be done all 

over the country, not just in 

Jaipur.” 

“After covering almost all big 

temples in the city with this water 

harvesting campaign, I am 

now going to extend this project 

to other parts of the country,” 

Gaur said. — IANS 

Sharada Adhikari 

Kathmandu 

Some know him as a 

snake expert, others 

call him a wildlife expert 

and many recognise 

him as a herpetologist. 

Prof Karan Bahadur 

Shah, in fact, has a good 

knowledge about almost all 

kinds of species — from fish to 

birds and mammals. The Professor 

of Zoology at the Natural 

History Museum, Tribhuvan 

University, with his over three 

decades of experience in these 

sectors, has become a valuable 

figure in the field of Nepali 

herpetology. 

Bright from 

childhood 

Born as the third son of Ganga 

Bahadur Shahi and Deva Shahi 

in July 1954, Prof Shah had a very 

sharp memory since his childhood. 

He always stood first in 

class, but as a child he was very 

naughty. “I had a group of 

friends and I was their team 

leader. We would often get involved 

in mischiefs,” he adds. 

He also spent some of his 

childhood days in Dadeldhura 

as a ‘junior hunter’. “Our family 

used to go hunting a lot,” recalls 

Prof Shah, who was often allowed 

to carry guns “though not 

allowed to use it”. Nevertheless, 

he would kill birds with a catapult. 

Thanks to those fun-filled 

days that “I was able to recognise 

birds and identify the tracks of 

many animals”. 

After passing Class V in 

Dadeldhura, Prof Shah spent the 

other half of his childhood in 

Bombay, and pursued further 

studies there. After SLC, Prof 

Shah opted for ISc “to become a 

doctor”. And it was in Bombay, 

that he turned his surname from 

Shahi to Shah because “the word 

Shahi meant porcupine in 

India”. 

Knowing 

Kathmandu 

The ISc graduate from Bombay 

University then arrived in 

Kathmandu in 1973 (2030 BS) 

“to visit”. But “the weather and 

people here” attracted this 

young fellow, who then decided 

to study in Kathmandu. 

But he was not good at Nepali 

and did not know what to pursue 

for higher education. As per 

a suggestion of a friend that 

“usually females study botany 

and males study zoology here” 

Prof Shah joined Zoology as his 

major and graduated in 1975 

(2032 BS) with specialisation in 

Entomology from Tri-Chandra 

College. He was the topper along 

with being the first person to 

graduate from Mastamaundau 

VDC of Dadeldhura. 

He topped Master’s Degree 

GREEN 

GIZMO 


Why are ecologists and 

environmentalists so feared and hated? 

This is because in part what they have to 

say is new to general public, and the new 

is always alarming — Garrett Hardin 

A selfless 

dedication 

Fuel-cell and solar powered toy cars 

LONDON: It’s best to inculcate 

habits in people when they’re 

young. Teaching the new 

generation the cons of fossil fuels and 

the pros of renewable energy is the need 

of the hour. 

Here is a fuel cell-powered toy car that 

with specialisation in Entomology 

and was awarded the Mahendra 

Vidyabhushan. He then 

joined TC as a teacher in 1978 

(2035 BS). “Teaching was a good 

profession as teachers enjoyed a 

good reputation then,” expresses 

Prof Shah who always “wanted 

to become a professor, if not a 

doctor”. 

Discovering true 

passion 

Prof Shah was very talented, 

active and research-oriented. 

These qualities drew the 

attention of the then head of 

Natural History Museum (NHM) 

“who offered me a job in the beginning 

of 1980”. 

No one was into herpetology 

at that time, and neither did it 

interest Prof Shah who started 

“working on it as my institutional 

responsibility.” Along with his 

team, Prof Shah would go into 

the fields, collect snakes, preserve 

the specimen and conduct 

studies. Learning while working, 

Prof Shah “was more exposed 

into this sector through foreign 

groups coming to Nepal for 

research”. 

And among the various 

species within herpetology, he 

worked more in the sector of 

snakes. The reason being “snake 

is related to public health of 

Nepal”. There are many cases of 

snakebites and also they have 

religious significance, argues 

Prof Shah who is also involved 

with training of snake bite conducted 

by the government of 

Nepal. “People know me more as 

snake expert than herpetologist,” 

he adds. 

While increasing his expertise 

in this sector, he was able to discover 

Trimeresurus karanshahi 

— a snake species commonly 

known as Hareu Sarpa in Nepal 

from Phulchowki in 1997 for the 

first time. “It became the New 

For Science discovery” and thus 

was named after Prof Shah. 

And his most important study 

in wildlife “is of snow leopard 

study from 1981 to 1986”. Prof 

Shah reveals, “Our team, for the 

first time, monitored five snow 

leopards through radio collar in 

Shey-Phoksundo National Park. 

And what I learnt here became 

the base for further studies.” 

Other 

involvements 

On completion of this project, 

he returned to NHM, then 

worked as a herpetologist in 

Sikkim and Eastern Nepal . 

“During that time, our team discovered 

many species that were 

new for science as well as for 

Nepal”. 

Cyrtopodion markuscombaii 

(Markus’ bent-toed gecko), Martin’s 

bent-toed gecko, Asymblepharus 

mahabharatus (Mahabharat 

ground skink), Asymblepharus 

nepalensis (Nepal 

teaches children the awesomeness of 

having a vehicle this clean. Called the H- 

ROVER or the H2GO, the toy is light, ecofriendly 

and is recyclable. 

Apart from this, ToyLabs has also introduced 

a bunch of solar powered cars 

that are topped with solar panels. Of all 

Naresh Shrestha / THT 

ground skink), Sitana sivalensis 

(Nepalese fan throated lizard) 

and Oriotiaris dasi (Agaupani 

forest agama) are some new for 

science discoveries of Prof Shah 

and his team during different 

time periods. 

Not to forget are Kiang (Equus 

kiang) and Gazella picticaudata 

(Tibetan Gazell) that he discovered 

in Upper mustang in 2001 

that become new for Nepal. He 

also discovered a bird species — 

Syrrhaptes tibetanus (Tibetan 

Sandgrouse ) — a year later in 

Upper Mustang that was again 

new for Nepal. He claims to be 

the first scientist to work at an altitude 

of 5,800 metres, thus discovering 

these species. 

He was also involved in the 

feasibility study of Manaslu 

Conservation Area before it was 

declared one. The author of over 

a dozen books, Prof Shah asserts, 

“My mastery is herpatofauna 

though I equally like 

mammals.” 

Chairman of the Himalayan 

Nature, an international conservation 

research institute, he is 

working to “start a vulture 

restaurant in Koshi Tappu 

through this organisation”. 

Success mantra 

Either working as a herpetologist 

or a wildlife expert, the work 

is not easy “as you need a lot of 

hard work and dedication,” says 

Prof Shah who has turned his 

“profession into passion”. 

Among others, he feels he has 

given “great contribution 

through the discoveries that are 

New For Science and New For 

Nepal”. 

This is because, “You cannot 

conserve the species about 

which you don’t know. So, discovering 

a new species is a valuable 

contribution.” 

Prof Shah, who plans to continue 

his job at NHM for the next 

four years, doesn’t forget to credit 

his wife Usha Shah “for her 

support as she has always remained 

helpful in whatever 

work I am doing”. 

Fully satisfied with his job, 

Prof Shah feels he has contributed 

more than averagely in 

the scientific fraternity. And the 

secret to this achievement is, 

“selfless interest”. 

TRIVIA 

• He faced snow storm twice 

— in 1984 and in 2008. In 

the storm of 2008 at Shey- 

Phoksundo National Park, 

many people died 

• He was very scared of 

snakes till he was in ISc. For 

several days he wouldn’t 

walk the way where he had 

seen a snake 

• He was awarded the Nature 

Conservation Award by the 

Nepal Academy of Science 

and Technology in 2008 

these, the Volta Racer sports a flexible 

polycrystalline silicon solar panel capable 

of capturing sunlight from various 

angles. These toys can be put together in 

below 15 minutes and are indeed a fun 

and educational way to keep children 

occupied. — greenlaunches.com


CAREER 

Variety 

PAGE 15 

• ON THE JOB 

Avoiding 

workplace 

drama 

Drama is the root of many employees’ 

disdain for the workplace. 

Drama can take your 

focus off your work, resulting in lower 

performance. It can also cause you 

needless worry, especially if you’re 

the person around whom the drama 

is centred. So follow these steps to 

avoid drama at work. 

Don’t bring personal problems to 

work: If you are experiencing problems 

away from work such as a potential 

divorce or financial issues, it’s 

best to keep those problems outside 

the workplace. If you have a few coworkers 

you can confide in, make 

sure they will not tell other co-workers 

of your problems. 

Stay away from drama creators: 

The best way to avoid drama is to 

avoid those who create it. Some people 

create drama to attract attention. 

You often won’t realise you’re being 

pulled into the issue until it’s too late. 

Rumours: Refuse to spread rumours. 

Unless you know something 

is true, don’t relay the information to 

a co-worker. Rumours may start out 

with some sort of truth, but often end 

up as tall tales that can unfairly ruin a 

person’s reputation. Even if the rumour 

is true, it’s likely unnecessary to 

tell everyone in the workplace. 

Calmness: Remain calm when a 

co-worker presents you with information 

or a story about you circulates 

the workplace. The story may 

actually be positive or the co-worker 

who wants to talk may have good 

things to say. Even if you think someone 

is being insulting, it’s generally 

best to either ignore what was said or 

calmly ask the person what he truly 

meant. — www.ehow.com 

Negatives of 

workplace 

romance 

For many of you, the 

workplace, where 

you spend a large 

percentage of your 

waking hours, isn’t 

just where you go to do our 

jobs. It’s also the place where 

you eat many meals, and develop 

and maintain friendships 

that last beyond office 

hours and sometimes even the 

job itself. Given the amount of 

time you spend at work, the office 

seems like the most logical 

venue to look for romance — 

or even a hookup — and it’s 

certainly the most practical. 

Office romances, despite potential 

benefits, are at best 

troublesome and at worst 

damaging to yourselves, your 

co-workers, and your employer. 

Sad truth 

Most romantic relationships 

do not work out. How many 

people do you know who are 

married or still in a committed 

relationship with the very first 

person they ever dated? Not 

many. It is through experience 

that you discover what you are 

looking for in a partner and 

what you need to do to make a 

relationship successful. For 

many of you , this process of 

trial and error takes a while. 

The implications for the 

workplace are this: The odds 

against an office romance succeeding 

are slightly better than 

what you’d find at the worst 

casino in Las Vegas. When you 

lose at roulette or keno, 

though, you’re out only a couple 

of bucks (if you’re smart), 

and that’s the end of it. When 

you lose the game of love at the 

office, you still have to face the 

other person day after day. 

That constant reminder of a relationship 

that didn’t work out 

is a painful burden to bear, and 

it can affect how well you are 

able to do your job. 

Others’ lives 

“But I know a couple who 

met at work a long time ago 

and they’re still together,” you 

may say. Even if that’s true, you 

often overlook the downside 

such relationships have for 

other employees. If co-workers 

Jane Doe and Joe Schmoe are 

still going strong, and they’re 

in the same department, when 

Joe goes into Jane’s office and 

closes the door, will others 

think the two need privacy for 

work — or for something spicier? 

If Jane and Joe break up, 

will the tension in air make it 

difficult for others to do jobs 

effectively? Workplace shouldn’t 

be one fraught with the fallout 

of a failed relationship. 

A romance between two 

people at work affects more 

than just those two people. 

The love-struck couple may 

not notice or care about this, 

but they should. Since ethics is 

fundamentally about considering 

how our actions affect 

the rights and well-being of 

other people, romantic relationships 

on the job raise bona 

fide ethical concerns. 

Power struggle 

Dating a fellow employee is 

tricky enough when the parties 

in question have the same or 

similar levels of power and authority 

within the organisation. 

When there is a significant 

imbalance of power, such 

Right resume for career change 

The tough economy 

has forced many 

people to reconsider 

their careers. For 

some, that’s meant gaining 

additional skills to hang on 

to a job, but others — sometimes 

through no fault of 

their own — have found 

that they have to consider a 

whole new career path. 

But explaining to a potential 

employer that you 

have the skills to do a job 

that you’ve never done before 

can be tricky, especially 

on your resume. So what’s 

the best way to create a resume 

when you’re eager to 

change careers? 

Avoid the “functional” resume. 

Some employment 

experts advise abandoning 

a typical chronological resume 

for a “functional” one, 

which highlights related 

skills and downplays when 

and where you’ve worked. 

But career coach Kathy 

Caprino says most recruiters 

and hiring managers 

still expect applicants 

to list their work histories 

by date. Doing so in another 

fashion, she says, may 

send up a red flag. 

Tailor the 

resume 

to the job 

You can’t lie or embellish, 

of course, but you do have 

to tailor your resume so 

that the qualifications you 

list match the position. 

“Everything you’ve done in 

other jobs has to inform 

why you should be considered,” 

Caprino says. 

Know your 

competitive 

advantage 

Your resume should note 

your skills and passions, 

and what can you contribute 

now that someone 

with 10 years of experience 

in the field can’t. In other 

words, Caprino says, 

“You’ve got to know what 

sets you apart.” 

Sell yourself 

To prove you’re the best 

candidate, highlight the 

achievements that build 

the case that you’re qualified 

for the new position 

you’re seeking. “The resume 

has to be about 

achievements and outcomes 

— not tasks or 

projects,” Caprino says. 

Hiring managers need 

to know why they should 

seriously weigh your 

candidacy for a job you’ve 

never done. 

Cover letter 

Failing to note that you 

don’t have the experience 

the hiring manager is looking 

for is a surefire way to 

get your application tossed. 

Instead, tackle the issue 

head-on. Be transparent 

and authentic and explain 

that you’re looking to 

change careers, while noting 

which skills that you do 

have that would be applicable 

to the new job. 

Be realistic 

The likelihood of getting 

a job in a field in which 

you’ve never previously 

worked are slim. “In this 

type of economy, you are in 

competition with amazing 

people who’ve had a lot of 

experience,” she says. So 

gaining experience in your 

new field is key. Internships 

are one way to get your foot 

in the door, though they 

aren’t often well-suited 

for older workers. Another 

way is to work on projects 

as a consultant and provide 

your services for free 

or little cost. “You have 

to view this as a life 

project,” Caprino says, 

adding that you have to set 

your ego aside and be willing 

to work for a lot less 

money. — jobs.aol.com 

as between a senior and junior-level 

executive or an executive 

and his or her assistant, 

the stakes are even higher, and 

the ethical problems are more 

pronounced. Suppose you are 

a manager, and a new member 

of your team seems particularly 

friendly toward you. 

Are her smiles meant to be 

warm, flirtatious, or alluring? Is 

she simply a kind and caring 

person, is she interested in you 

romantically, or is she trying to 

curry favour with you? It’s hard 

to know, if you are attracted to 

her, and there is nothing like 

physical attraction to make it 

difficult to think straight. 

Questionable 

practice 

We all know of a couple that 

met under inauspicious circumstances 

(boss/assistant, 

professor/student, therapist/ 

patient), and today they are 

happily married or have been 

living in a committed relationship 

for many years. To borrow 

an expression from jurisprudence, 

however, hard cases 

make bad law. Just because a 

few folks here and there have 

been able to overcome the 

odds does not mean this practice 

is, for most people, wise, 

healthy, or ethical. 

But if you must 

You may still find yourself irresistibly 

drawn to someone at 

work. Then follow the following 

guidelines: 

• Proceed with your eyes 

wide open. Be prepared to accept 

consequences, whether 

or not the relationship succeeds. 

If co-workers complain 

or your work suffers, you may 

even lose your job, so have a 

backup plan for employment. 

• Be discreet. Even if everyone 

in the office knows love is 

in the air, do your best to avoid 

PDAs (ie, public displays of affection). 

— businessweek.com


VARIETY 

YOUR LUCK 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This year you make it a point to express your 

feelings more often — especially your friendly, more positive ones. 

Others respond in kind, and they will have an easier time relating to 

you as a result. If you are single, you’ll do well in just about any circumstance. 

You need to decide what you want from a relationship 

and choose the right person accordingly. You could meet someone 

simply by going about your daily activities. If you are attached, your 

openness will encourage greater closeness. Your sweetie finds you 

exciting yet unpredictable.AQUARIUS is a loyal friend. 

A baby born today has a Sun in Aries and a Moon in Aquarius. 

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Let your weekend plans 

float around in your mind as much as you’d like. Take 

off to visit some friends, or plan a get-together in the 

near future. Your energy might be needed, as others 

might be dragging. You know where you are heading and why. 

Tonight: Where the gang is. ✹✹✹✹ 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You might be left trying to 

tie up the loose ends of a situation.You might not know 

why this is the case, but you do know what to do. Be 

willing to say ‘no’ if you can’t handle any more. Someone 

you really care about opens up. Help only if you want to. 

Tonight: A must appearance. ✹✹✹ 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep reaching out to others. 

You’ll want to get the lay of the land before you 

commit to anything. Friends might push you in a certain 

direction. Be honest with yourself and evaluate 

your options. Follow their lead if you think it is the best choice. 

Tonight: Take off ASAP. ✹✹✹✹ 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Relate on an individual 

basis, and let others know why they are important to 

you. Sometimes you assume that others just know. An 

occasional confirmation or acknowledgment means a 

lot.Your relationships will improve as a result. Tonight: Togetherness 

is the theme. ✹✹✹✹ 

LEO (July 23-Aug 22): Others seem to be in control 

right now. You can carry on all you want, but either go 

along with someone else’s plans or make your own. 

Accept an invitation that involves travel and seeing 

someone at a distance. Feelings flow in this setting. Tonight: The 

only answer is ‘yes’. ✹✹✹✹ 

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22): Defer to someone else in 

order to lighten your workload. Confusion surrounds a 

personal situation. You have some choices to make. 

Stay centered in your priorities, commitments and 

whatever else is important to you. Listen to news carefully. Tonight: 

Visit a dear friend. ✹✹✹ 

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22): You can’t suppress your 

playfulness — even if you should change your mind or 

decide to do something differently. Someone clearly is 

on your side, but he or she still might give you some 

flak. Feed off of this person’s energy, and finish a long-overdue project. 

Tonight: TGIF. ✹✹✹✹ 

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): Stay centered, and recognise 

when enough is enough. You know far more than 

what you are sharing. Realise what is happening between 

you and someone else. Make sure that you are 

able to blend two different — and perhaps contradictory — parts of 

your life. Tonight: At home. ✹✹✹ 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): You might want to 

complete a conversation, but interruptions could leave 

you feeling frustrated. Try this conversation on a Monday 

or Tuesday — not on a Friday. Loosen up by revealing 

your authentic feelings regarding a loved one. Tonight: Express 

your liveliness. ✹✹✹✹ 

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): Be aware of the cost of 

proceeding as you are. If you are investing in real estate, 

the superficial costs have nothing to do with reality. 

Create a sound budget that allows for a snafu here 

and there. Your sense of humour could be provocative to someone. 

Tonight: Time for a treat. ✹✹✹ 

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): Listen to your imagination, 

and follow through on an idea that seems a little 

offbeat. You’ll get your point across while still being 

able to express your caring. Avoid a disruptive person 

in your daily life who thrives on chaos. Tonight: Lighten up the moment. 

✹✹✹✹ 

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Avoid getting into today’s 

confusion; otherwise, your feelings easily could be 

hurt. Listen to a friend who shares a secret of sorts. 

You might need to point this person in a new direction. 

Express your caring in a way that is very different for you. Tonight: 

Join friends. ✹✹✹ 

Born today: Novelist Arthur Hailey (1920), former U.S. Secretary of State 

Colin Powell (1937), actress Bette Davis (1908) 

By Jacqueline Bigar 

Note: Bigar’s Stars is based on the degree of your sun at birth.The sign 

name is simply a label astrologers put on a set of degrees for convenience. 

For best results, readers should refer to the dates following each sign. 

Dubby Bhagat 

Kathmandu 

We had a Pers 

o n a g e 

amongst our 

company of 

four, the conversation 

was as erudite as the 

food was delicious. We interrupted 

our wanderings in 

Jhamel for a leisurely dinner at 

Ghar-E-Kebab where comfort 

food brought out the best in 

conversational sparkle. 

Starters were Seekh kebabs 

which originated in the Middle-East 

and were being served 

in India before the Mughals, a 

fact recorded by the traveller 

Ibn Battuta. The Seekh kebab is 

minced meat on a skewer dusted 

with condiments and 

cooked in a Tandoor. Having 

said which let it be recorded 

that it is my favourite dish ever. 

The menu says it’s the tenderest 

lamb minced mixed with 

Chef’s special spices and oh 

how wonderful the product 

was. Chef Govinda K C was at 

his best. 

We also had Murgh Reshmi 

Seekh which is somewhat similar 

but finished with cream, 

saffron and butter, the Jinga Til 

Tinka was jumbo prawns marinated 

in yoghurt and sesame 

seeds paste with Indian spices, 

one amongst our number who 

was a chef thought the marination 

was not enough. I personally 

loved it. 

Ghar-E-Kebab: 

A house for maharajas 

Yet another of us was vegetarian 

who went ecstatic over 

the Pudina Kaju Kebab which 

was like a hamburger patty 

filled with the goodness of mint 

and crushed cashew nuts. 

Delicious. 

My vegetarian friend had a 

main course that I envied. It 

was called a Leshuni Loung 

Lata. It was exquisite. Imagine a 

blanket of cottage cheese 

stuffed with spinach with hints 

of fenugreek seeds and asfoteida. 

Either Indian food is going 

back to its roots or, like the rest 

of the world, chefs are inventing 

new delicacies. 

A familiar taste was a Mushroom 

Hara Pyaz which was 

mushroom, spring onions, 

herbs, spices combined to have 

you salivating. 

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION 

The existing legal provision requires transporters to reserve seats for 

women and the differently-abled. The authorities concerned have 

also started an awareness campaign along with taking action against 

those breach the provision. Have you felt this campaign has helped 

the groups concerned? Share instances you’ve experienced. Do you 

think such reservations are necessary? Explain. 

Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, 

April 5 by 2 pm to Features Department, The Himalayan Times, 

e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com 

SUDOKU-1580 

We robust non-vegetarians 

had a Murgh Kadai which is described 

as chicken cooked with 

bell pepper, onions chunks and 

spices which description just 

doesn’t do it justice. Madhur 

Jaffrey calls it an uncommon 

delicious dish adding that the 

onion, garlic and ginger need 

to be very very finely chopped. 

She talks about 15 other ingredients 

but I urge you to sample 

it yourself. 

The Punjabi Rara Ghost is 

mutton chops cooked in the 

gravy of minced lamb and 

spices. The Punjabi dish in 

both India and Pakistan needs, 

very manly men, to assert their 

culinary skills and Rara Ghost 

brings out the best. Says Jiggs 

Kalra, “To establish their credentials 

as amateur chefs, the 

Stone’s would-be murderers convicted 

LONDON: Two men 

were convicted on 

April 3 of hatching a 

plot to rob and kill international 

pop star Joss Stone. 

The jury found Junior 

Bradshaw, 32, and Kevin Liverpool, 

35, guilty of conspiracy 

to murder and conspiracy 

to rob after a three-week 

trial at Exeter Crown Court, 

the Mirror reported. Liverpool 

was sentenced for life 

with a minimum term of 10 

years and eight months 

while sentencing of Bradshaw 

was adjourned. 

The duo had set off from 

Selena 

wants out 

of Bieber’s 

flick 

LONDON: Actress-singerSelena 

Gomez reportedly 

wants footage 

on her to be deleted 

from Justin Bieber’s 

forthcoming documentary. 

Gomez, who 

split from Bieber, is 

worried he will include 

her in the sequel to his 

hugely successful 3D 

movie Never Say Never. 

“Bieber just bugs the 

s**t out of Gomez and 

the only reason she 

picks up her phone is 

because it’s easier than 

dealing with harassment. 

It’s so typical 

that a man would 

blame a woman that 

he’s ruining his life and 

it’s stupidity,” the 

source added. 

— IANS 

• THE MOVEABLE FEAST 

their home, armed with a 

samurai sword, knives, bags 

and gloves crammed in their 

Fiat Punto, bound for 

Stone’s address in mid-De- 

von. They also asked a postman 

for directions to Stone’s 

home in Ashill using a picture 

of the popstar in an attempt 

to track her down. 

The duo had previously 

gained evidence about one 

of Stone’s former homes, after 

studying a video documentary 

she made for MTV’s 

Cribs series. 

The prosecution told jurors, 

notes found in the defendants’ 

possession also 

showed that they intended 

to decapitate the Popstar 

before planning to dump 

her body in a river. — ANI 

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 

HOW TO SOLVE: Every number from 1 to 15 must appear in each of 

the 15 vertical columns, in each of the 15 horizontal rows and in 

each of the 15 boxes 

men of the Punjab love to prepare 

this lamb delicacy. It is 

also a classic example of the art 

of bhunao or reduction in Indian 

cooking ”. It is of course gorgeous 

but the chops presented 

an etiquette problem — can 

you eat them without dripping 

the minced gravy. Because you 

don’t want to miss even the 

slightest bit of taste. 

We finished with Kong Kaliya 

which is a version of Hyderabadi 

lamb with tomatoes which 

Madhur Jeffrey describes as a 

light, simple dish that may be 

eaten with Indian bread or rice, 

but is also wonderful with all 

kinds of pasta, Asian or Italian. 

One should eat the Hyderabadi 

lamb before one does the Rara 

Ghost. But we had mixed (after 

initial individual tastings) all 

our orders together and it was 

wonderful. 

We were helped by 

Rudranath Rimal who has been 

the Restaurant Manger of 

Ghar-E-Kebab ever since I can 

remember and the waiter 

Ganesh Gurung filled in explanations 

when Mr Rimal was 

elsewhere. 

The embarrassment came 

when the bill was presented. 

Credit cards were rejected but 

the Personage’s signature was 

accepted. 

We settled later and a great 

evening was saved. Don’t leave 

home without a Personage, 

they’re wonderful. Contact 

422171. 


Published by: International Media Network Nepal (Pvt) Ltd, APCA House, Baidya Khana Road, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, PO Box 11651 Phone: 4771489, Fax: 977-1-4770701 / 4771959, E-mail: editorial@thehimalayantimes.com Regd No 143/051/052 Postal Regd. 069-070 Printed at: Sama Printers (Pvt) Ltd, Sainbu VDC, Lalitpur. Editor: Ajaya Bhadra Khanal 

Photos: THT 

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