Obvious arguments

This is in response to Sohan Kumar Karna’s article “Foreign aid” (THT, April 28). Karna has chosen an interesting topic, but his views are rather tactless and superficial. All the points he makes are obvious and common knowledge for Nepalis. “ ...overall rational utilisation of foreign aid should be the real matter of discussion, not if it’s needed or not”. No Nepali is

unfamiliar with the need for foreign aid?

Corruption, unproductive labour, misutilisation of resources and growing poverty are both indications and results of unsupervised foreign aid. It would have been better if the author had explored the areas where foreign aid would be most productive, practical ways to prevent corruption and ways to minimise the gap between the rich and the poor, instead of presenting a purely theoretical take.

Sunil Pandit, Department of Economics, Patan Multiple Campus

Omission

Apropos of the editorial “Bio-chip investment” (THT, April 29), it hits the nail on the head that if the country fails to harness its potential in biotechnology, it stands to lose a great deal. However, surprisingly, it fails to mention the important sub-field of veterinary biotechnology. Like other disciplines of biotechnology, veterinary biotechnology can benefit the country a great deal by ensuring animal health.

Veterinary biotechnological tools will increase livestock production — which in turn will aid global food security — through the development of newer and cheaper means of producing effective and safe vaccines and finding precise methods of diagnosis.

Dr Sital Kaji Shrestha, India

Too much

In reference to the news report “DoE throws the book at errant schools” (THT, April 28), it is surprising that only 45% of private schools have been tagged for violating Department of

Education directives while 55% have been allowed to get away despite the fact that most in the latter group have been extracting high monthly fees and admission charges. How will such exorbitant charges in education help create a New Nepal?

Arun Sahani, Pokhara

Neglect

Apropos of the news report “Fire raging in Bardiya National Park” (THT, April 28), it is a real shame that the country is incapable of saving her forests. The fire at Bardiya National Park has been raging on for two weeks and the warden is still waiting for the budget to

arrive in order to douse the flames. Why is there no emergency fund to handle such a crisis? Have the forest officials forgotten that this forest generates huge revenues for the

country?

Chandan Shrestha,

via e-mail

Stopgap

It is a matter of great relief that the Nepal Electricity Authority has finally cut nearly 20 hours of weekly load-shedding. However, the current increase in supply of electricity is the result of temporary rise in water levels in the major rivers. This is no permanent solution, for the hours of power cut will again be increased with the onset of winter. Long term

solutions need to be explored to meet the need.

Aashika Pokharel,

Biratnagar