Nepal

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that measure forces demanding the reinstatement of monarchy in the country was an attack on the public, their humiliation, and a criminal activity.

In a assembly of the Republic Day Main Organising Committee held in the Ministry of Home Affairs nowadays, PM Oli underscored the need to make the Republic Day a cause for celebration among the public.

The Republic Day which is observed on Jestha 15 of the Nepali calendar every year. This year, the Day falls on May 29 as per the Gregorian calendar.

Stating that democracy and republic were set uped in the country after a long struggle of the people, PM Oli viewed, &The day should be observed as a celebration in each and every family.&

He opined that the public should be aware and alert that measure regressive forces were on the prowl and were demanding the reinstatement of monarchy.

According to him, the principle of inheritance on the basis of birth and seniority practised in the monarchy was hypocrisy. He argued, &Republic is the face of democracy. It is a competitive system.&

Kathmandu, May 5

As many as two dozen street vendors openly sell cigarettes and tobacco products external the main entrances of the Bir Hospital and Paropakar Maternity and WomenHospital violating the existing laws.

Amuchher common sight external these hospital buildings is of people puffing on cigarettes, making mockery of the ‘no smoking& signs on the compound walls.

It has much been long since Kathmandu Metropolitan City decided to adopt strict degrees against purchase, sale and consumption of tobacco or smoking in public places such as hospitals and educational institutions.

In the month of February final year, KMC had decided to deploy city police to check purchase and sale of tobacco at such places.

KMC had also announced that anyone found dealing in tobacco products and smoking in public places would be fined Rs 100 to Rs 1,000.

Despite the announcement, the incidents above testify that laws are neither respected nor enforced in KMC.

Authorities concerned seem least interested in implementing or making people aware about the laws.

Moreover, ritualistic campaigns launched by KMC time and again seem to have least affect on people.

On Friday, KMC yet again decided to launch a campaign with support of Nepal Cop and various government hospitals in a tender to control purchase, sale and consumption of tobacco products and smoking in public places.

This is the third time KMC is organising such campaigns in the final four years.

It is yet to be seen what affect this campaign shall have on those engaged in purchase, sale and consumption of tobacco products and smoking in public places. Stakeholder seem doubtful about effectiveness of the campaign.

The Tobacco Product (Control and Regulatory) Act-2011 bars smoking in public places -msprint; educational institutes, health institutes and public parks.

Final year, KMC had said that it would much allow shop owners to put tobacco products and cigarettes on display. KMC had also stated that it would put a ban on sale of such products to minors and pregnant women.

Head of Public Health Division at KMC Narendra Bilas Bajracharya confessted that they could much do much to implement laws apart from for forming a committee to launch the campaign.

However, he did much hesitate to pass the blame on stakeholders and general public for ineffectiveness of the campaign.

According to a recent data made public by the government 30,000 people die in a year due to tobacco related diseases in Nepal.

KATHMANDU: Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal and Naya Shakti portiony, Nepal have unified nowadays.

The declaration of unification was made amidst a programme at Nepal Academy in Kamaladi, Kathmandu.

portiony president of FSFN, also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population, Upendra Yadav and Coordinator of Naya Shakti Nepal, former prime minister Babu Ram Bhattarai together signed the agreement of unification.

Both Yadav and Bhattarai shall be the chairpersons of the unified party, carrying distinct roles. Yadav shall be chair partycentral committee while Bhattarai shall chair the federal council.

The unified party has been named Samajbadi portiony, Nepal.

• FSFN, Naya Shakti Nepal to unify on May 6

Members of National Information Commission celebrating its 11th annual day, in Kathmandu, on Sunday. Photo: THT

Kathmandu, May 5

The National Information Commission has urged the government to scarp the term ‘secrecy& from the provision of ‘oath of office and secrecy& to further strengthen citizens& rights to information.

As per the existing law, each government official is required to take the ‘oath of office and secrecy& before assuming office. Speaking at a programme organised in Kathmandu nowadays to mark the 11th anniversary of the NIC, Chief Information Commissioner Krishnahari Baskota said the tradition of manageing the oath of secrecy to the government officials was against citizens& fundamental rights to information.

He said that continuing with the provision in a democratic system reflected ‘authoritarian culture& during Rana and Panchyat regimes.

&The practice of manageing the oath of office to civil servants has encouraged government and its authorities to hide information from the public,& Baskota said. He also thinged the practice of stamping the seal of ‘confidential& and ‘highly confidential& on government documents and appealed the citizens to exercise their constitutional rights to information.

Earlier nowadays, the NIC ogranised a morning mass meeting to highlight the importance of obtaining information of public concern from the government authorities. The mass meeting began from Bagbazaar and passed through placealisadak and Anamnagar before ending at its office in Devinagar, Baneshwor. portionicipants at the mass meeting displayed banners and placards reading various slogans related to the rights to information.

Information commissioners Kiran Kumar Pokharel and Yashoda Devi Timsina were also present at the mass meeting.

The NIC was set uped in 2008 as an independent body under the Corrects to Information Act. It is responsible for the protection, promotion and practice of RTI in Nepal. The NIC consists of one chief information commissioner and two information commissioners besides other staffs. Currently, NIC has 32 staffs.