Government unveils new ambitious plan

The government has unveiled an ambitious Immediate Governance and Economic Action Plan-2012, incorporating 200 important initiatives under 15 important public sectors. The 23-page plan, endorsed by the Cabinet last week, aims at high growth rate and promotion of good governance, while helping people reap benefits, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said. The plan set out clear-cut mandates, timelines and measuring rods to achieve its goals. According to the plan, the government will buy eight aircraft—two for the international route and six for the domestic sector—for Nepal Airlines within six months. “Those who fail to initiate the purchase process (of the aircraft) within a month will be fired,” the plan states. However, given the lengthy procurement process, one month’s time looks unrealistic. Giving a thrust to self employment programmes, the plan envisions creating employment opportunities to 15,000 youths by investing Rs 3 billion. As the current UPA government ’s flagship project in India—National Rural Guarantee Scheme—the new plan further aims to guarantee 100 days of employment for poverty identity card holders. Chief Secretary Leelamani Poudel, who played a key role in preparing the plan, admitted that the project is ambitious. He, however, said the targets are not unachievable. “The government wants to bring about changes by doing small things that can yield better and positive results,” he said.The plan also envisages three separate think tanks—security, foreign policy and strategic affairs—within six months. To give a boost to ‘Nepal Investment Year’, the action plan talks of organising an Economic Summit, identify 50 bankable projects within the next six months and honour people investing over Rs 1 billion with the Prime Minister National Award. In a bid to streamline INGOs, the document says such international organisations working in Nepal must make public their annual budget, their work and programmes, expenses and human resources. “All kinds of foreign assistance coming through the INGOs will be chanalised under the one-window system,” the plan says. The government has also decided to revive Saja Yatatayat and has instructed authorities concerned to resume the bus operations in Kathmandu and other major cities across the country within one year. Further, 25 Integrated Service Centres will be set up across the country, which will provide services in areas of citizenship, land affairs and development work under one umbrella. According to the plan, vacant positions of VDC secretaries will be filled within a year. “Any local development officer failing to take action against any village development secretary not performing his duties well will be removed from office,” the plan says. Akin to the National Development Service (NDS) during the Panchayat era, the government has made at least three years’ internship in public schools mandatory for anyone seeking the Master’s degree in science, humanities, information and technology, education and management streams. The government has further made it mandatory for students of health, agriculture, forestry and engineering to work in Nepal for at least two years before they pursue diploma, bachelor or master degree courses abroad. The plan further has it that except for the Foreign Secretary, no other government secretary will be allowed to spend more than 50 working days outside the country. It also bans observation visit for government officials and ministers. Ministers and secretaries must follow the protocol while attending foreign programmes and accepting invitations to the UN or bilateral and multilateral forums. The plan restricts government sponsored programmes, and calls for austerity measures while spending money in public functions. “Government sponsored meetings and seminars should not exceed more than one hour and such programmes must be held before or after the office hours or during public holidays. Rituals and formalities like taking seats, badge distribution, welcome speech or vote of thanks should be avoided,” the plan states. It has put a ban on using children to welcome VIPs in functions. It also aims to build five public restrooms and a cafeteria in Singha Durbar, while rain water will be harvested and the administrative hub lighted with solar energy. Ambassadors for foreign mission will be chosen from among career diplomats in the foreign ministry, former chief secretaries, secretaries and eminent personalities.

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Alleged 9/11 mastermind: America killed more people than hijackers did

The alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks told the Guantanamo courtroom on Wednesday that the U.S. government had killed many more people in the name of national security than he is accused of killing. Khalid Sheik Mohammed was allowed to address the court at a pretrial hearing focused on security classification rules for evidence that will be used in his trial on charges of orchestrating the hijacked plane attacks that killed 2,976 people. "When the government feels sad for the death or the killing of 3,000 people who were killed on September 11, we also should feel sorry that the American government that was represented by (the chief prosecutor) and others have killed thousands of people, millions," said Mohammed, who wore a military-style camouflage vest to the courtroom. He accused the United States of using an elastic definition of national security, comparable to the way dictators bend the law to justify their acts. "Many can kill people under the name of national security, and to torture people under the name of national security, and to detain children under the name of national security, underage children," he said in Arabic through an English interpreter. "The president can take someone and throw him into the sea under the name of national security and so he can also legislate the assassinations under the name of national security for the American citizens," he said in an apparent reference to the U.S. killing and burial at sea of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the U.S. use of drone strikes against U.S. citizens accused of conspiring with al Qaeda. He advised the court against "getting affected by the crocodile tears" and said, "Your blood is not made out of gold and ours is made out of water. We are all human beings." The judge, Army Colonel James Pohl, gave Mohammed permission to speak and did not interrupt him, but said he would not hear any further personal comments from the defendants. Mohammed's lecture to the court came during a week of pretrial hearings at the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base in Cuba for him and four other captives accused of recruiting, funding and training the hijackers. He did not indicate why he wore a camouflage vest, but his wardrobe choice suggested he might try to invoke protections reserved for soldiers. Pohl had ruled on Tuesday that the defendants could wear what they want to court, so long as it did not pose a security risk or include any part of a U.S. military uniform like those worn by their guards. Mohammed's lawyers had argued that he should be allowed to wear a woodland-patterned camouflage vest to court because he wore one as part of a U.S.-armed mujahideen force fighting against Russian troops that occupied Afghanistan in the 1980s. "Mr. Mohammed has previously distinguished himself on the battlefield by wearing a military-style vest or clothing. He did it in Afghanistan for the U.S. government during that proxy war, he did it in Bosnia and he has a right to do it in this courtroom," his defense attorney, Army Captain Jason Wright, argued on Tuesday. The United States is trying Mohammed and the other alleged al Qaeda captives as unlawful belligerents who are not entitled to the combat immunity granted to soldiers who kill in battle. They could face the death penalty if convicted of charges that include conspiring with al Qaeda, attacking civilians and civilian targets, murder in violation of the laws of war, destruction of property, hijacking and terrorism. Under the Geneva Conventions, one of the things that separate soldiers from unlawful belligerents is the wearing of uniforms that distinguish them from civilians. Soldiers must also follow a clear command structure, carry arms openly and adhere to the laws of war. Wright had argued that forbidding Mohammed from wearing military-style garb could undermine his presumption of innocence in the war crimes tribunal. "The government has a burden to prove that this enemy prisoner of war is an unprivileged enemy belligerent," Wright said.

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That succulent piece of meat you are about to bite could be unsafe

Sharada Ghimire of Shantinagar, Kathmandu has plans of purchasing at least six kgs of meat for Dashain . She has already ‘booked’ the meat at her local butcher shop and will soon buy the meat and store it in her refrigerator. “It saves me the time and effort of going out every time guests arrive,” she said. Hundreds of thousands of animals are slaughtered every Dashain . Urban residents, however, prefer to buy meat from shops. Due to a lack of proper slaughterhouses people buy their meat from roadside shops, a number of which spring up overnight, simply to cater to the Dashain meat rush. The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) estimates that there are over 2,000 meat shops inside the city despite the fact that it has registered only around 800 of them. This means that a large section of the meat shops do not abide by government standards of hygiene and meat safety. Moreover, buying meat from an open roadside stall is not at all safe and neither is storing the meat in a refrigerator. Microbiologist Dwij Bhatta said that a survey conducted by the Central Department of Microbiology at Tribhuvan University some three months ago showed the presence of coliform bacteria in meat samples collected from various areas of Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Kirtipur. Bhatta, who is head of the department, said that although the practice of sterilising meat has yet to be practiced, basic safety measures need to be taken prior to the consumption of meat. “The erratic supply of electricity means that even meat kept in the deep freezer of refrigerators is likely to melt and make it unhealthy for consumption,” said Bhatta. “Some cold-loving bacteria can also survive in such conditions and secrete toxins, increasing the chances of cross-contamination in the refrigerator.” Dr Indresh Jha, veterinary officer at the district livestock services, Kathmandu, said the meat must be stored at temperatures between -5 degree Celsius and -20 degree Celsius. “However, regular power outages is sure to deteriorate the meat,” Jha said. Experts claim that partially-cooked meat and even burned meat are not good for health. Dr Bhupendra Basnet, gastroenterologist at the Bir Hospital, claims that over-consumption of proteins is likely to lead to indigestion, gastritis and even food poisoning. These issues are further exacerbated by the simultaneous consumption of large amount of alcohol. “Barbequed meat can raise the risks of cancer and consuming liquor, along with meat, is not good for the heart, the blood vessels and the liver,” said Dr Basnet. Additionally, the water used during the slaughtering, meat processing and during preparations for consumption should be well-treated. Five areas for goat, sheep sale The KMC has allocated five areas for the sale of goats and sheep brought into the Capital in droves for the Dashain festival slaughter. The KMC has decided to allow the sale of goats only at Khasi Bazaar in Kalanki, Bijulibazaar, an open ground at Tinkune, the Tukucha Khasi Bazaar and one area in Balaju. Dr Baburam Gautam of the KMC said they have sent a team of veterinary doctors to the areas to check the animals being sold. He said the ones found unhealthy are being marked with red paint, while the healthy ones are being marked with green. According to him, the unhealthy ones will be allowed to be sold after their treatment. It is estimated that over 60,000 goats and sheep will be sold and subsequently killed during the festival season.

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