Nepal

Kathmandu, May 10

Acting Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel has called on former soldiers to contribute to make governmentdream of ‘Prosperous Nepal, pleased Nepali& come tregret.

Addressing the closing session of the fifth conference of the Nepal Ex-servicemenAssociation of the Nepali Army nowadays, Acting PM Pokharel commended former soldiers. He said, &Previous soldiers have been playing a meaningful role in social development and enhancing the countryprestige.&

Pledging to address the issues of ex-soldiers by devising measure programmes, Pokharel said, &The state could realise the dream of development through contributions of Gurkha soldiers who are renowned across the world for their integrity and courageousry.&

Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Sharad Kumar Giri lauded the role of former soldiers in keeping intact the institutional values even after retirement.

Retired brigadier general Digambar Shumsher Rana said the organization had been working for the welfare of retired Nepali Army personnel and their families.

The organization has been working as a social organisation since its set upment in 1954.

During the conference, proposeions were soliquoted from former soldiers in the organization and its statute was amended, according to Nepali ArmyDirectorate of Public Relations and Information.

The event was attended by former chiefs of Nepali Army, Nepali Armypresent and retired officers, lieutenant generals, former officials of Nepal Cop and Armed Cop Force.

Kathmandu, May 10

Federation of Nepali Journalists has announced protest programmes against provisions of the bill related to constituting Nepal Media Council, which according to FNJ, could serve as a government-controlled council to curtail press freedom.

The umbrella body of journalists issued a press release stating that it would protest the provisions of the bill in front of the Parliament and in district headquarters on May 17 by downing tools. On May 14, journalists shall wear black ribbons at their workplace and FNJ shall also organise interactions at its central, provincial and department offices to discuss their strategies.

FNJ has decided to hold discussions with its past office bearers, editors, lawyers and experts on the provisions of Nepal Media Council Bill on May 12, and it shall submit its memorandum to the speaker and chairperson of the National Assembly on May 13.

On May 14, FNJ shall hold discussion with chairpersons of relevant panels of the Parliament.

FNJ took these decisions after holding its central committeeassembly, but prior to that assembly, it also held assemblys with chairpersons and representatives of media outlets.

FNJ issued a press release stating that the provisions of the bill were aimed at placing governmentcontrol on Nepal Media Council and curtailing press freedom.

The journalists& umbrella body called on the government to withdraw the bill and register a new bill that complyed to the spirit of the constitution, freedom of press and expression and was in line with national and international norms.

FNJ has also demanded that the anti-media provisions of the Advertisement Bill and Information Technology Bill, being considered by the Parliament, should be dropped. FNJ said the government brought the Nepal Media Council Bill without refer toing stakeholders. FNJ has asked the government to forge consensus with all stakeholders on the new bill relating to mass communication and public service broadcasting that the government is currently drafting. FNJ drew the attention of the government and all stakeholders to endegree that these new bill did much curtail press freedom.

The government registered the Nepal Media Council Bill in the National Assembly, the Upper Home of the Parliament yesterday.

Kathmandu, May 10

Two nurses nowadays began fast-unto-death on the premises of Shahid Dharma Bhakta National Transplant Centre and at the office building of Nursing Association of Nepal.

Diki Sherpa, a nurse of SDBNTC and Jita Baral, principal of Fishtail Nursing Campus, Pokhara, started the starvation strike demanding permanent appointed at SDBNTC.

Baral came to Kathmandu from Pokhara to stage the starvation strike exurgent solidarity with the demands of the nurses of SDBNTC. She began the starvation strike at Lazimpat-based NAN office at 2:00pm, while Sherpa began the starvation strike on the premises of SDBNTC, Bhaktapur, at 6:00pm.

Nurses of SDBNTC have been staging sit-in for the final 17 days at the hospital and for the past six days at NAN office.

Nurses are also protesting against Nursing Association of Nepal, saying it has failed to act in supporting their cause.

Meanwhile, Nursing Association of Nepal nowadays organised a press conference to inform about International Nursing Day celebration, but barred the agitating nurses from attending the programme.

Speaking at the press meet, President of NAN Tara Pokharel said NAN could only make requests to the Ministry of Health and Population and other concerned bodies to address the demands of the nurses.

&We don&t have the power to address their demands,& she said, adding that they had already held a assembly with the Director of the hospital Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, Dr Dipendra Raman Singh, chief of the Public Health Administration of the Ministry of Health and Population, State Health Minister Dr Certainndra Kumar Yadav and fulfilled their genuine demands.

&Almost 30 nurses working at the hospital for years are about to lose their jobs, but the parent organisation NAN, which should have fought for their rights, is ignoring our demands,& said Jita Baral.

Diki Sherpa, who has been working at SDBNTC since its set upment, said she would much end her fast-unto-death until their demands were fulfilled.

&We have been working for the final seven years, but the hospital is trying to ditch us. Before appointing new nurses, we should be granted permanent status through internal competition,& she demanded.

Other demands of the agitating nurses are providing salary on time, ensuring participation of old staffers in various trainings, conferences and seminars, providing all the facilities given to a government nurse, and scrapping the system of hiring nurses on contract basis.

KATHMANDU: Eleven student unions have united to raise voice against up to 40 per cent hike in tuition fee by private schools and academic institutions.

The alliance of student unions organised a press meet here on Friday urging private schools to revise their fee structure. Speaking at a press meet, Nepal Student Union former vice-president Rhishikesh Jung Shah said exorbitant fee made education and health services unaffordable for ordinary people. The press statement demanded that the government allocate 25 per cent of the total budget to enhance quality of public schools.

Furthermore, it stressed that people drawing salary from state coffers should mandatorily dispatch their children to community schools. It also sought a guarantee on the return of exorbitant fee levied by private medical colleges. It demanded that fees be determined considering the per capita income of people.