Not a case of lack of law

Apropos of the news report “Hygienic meat still off consumers’ tables” (THT, May 8), I agree that people are not getting hygienic meat because the Slaughterhouse and Meat Test Act - 1998 has not been implemented. But in the same report, Dr Dinesh Shrestha of Bir Hospital has been quoted as saying: “There is no provision in our country to check whether the animals to be slaughtered are free from diseases”. This is not true. The Act clearly states that ante-mortem examination of animals, which is to be carried out before the animals are slaughtered in abattoirs, is a must. Once the animals are tagged unfit for slaughter after the ante-mortem examination by the meat inspector, they cannot be slaughtered. But it’s true that even after seven years of the signing of the Act, the government is still not serious about its implementation.

Dr Sital Kaji Shrestha, Assistant Lecturer, HICAST

Praiseworthy

This refers to the news report “Yami wants transparency in Melamchi contract” (THT, May 7). The effort of the Minister for Physical Planning and Works Hisila Yami to make the privatisation process of the Melamchi Water Project transparent is praiseworthy. Though several million rupees have been spent on the project in the last six years, little progress has been visible. Where has all this money gone? Yami is right in taking time to reassess the contract with Severn Trent, a controversial company. Her initiative to facilitate the distribution of clean drinking water in the Valley is equally praiseworthy.

Sabin Thapa, Galfutar

Neglected

I would like to thank THT for its coverage of the ongoing strike of 20 organisations of HIV-infected people. The strike aims to draw the attention of the government and donors to their plight. In the past month alone, around two dozen HIV/AIDS patients lost their lives.

The USAID-funded Family Health International had been supporting the National Centre for AIDS and STI Control, but in the last two years the agency has helped the HIV/AIDS

infected people much. Other donors, particularly UN agencies like UNAIDS, have withdrawn good people working in the field and placed those with dubious credentials there.

The unavailability of Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ARV) has hit the patients hard. Cheap ARV has remained a pipedream for most AIDS patients in Nepal despite around $14,000 is being spent per patient in Nepal, ARV treatment is still beyond the reach of almost all AIDS infected people. Clearly, the money is not going to the needy. If the government continues to ignore the legitimate demands of the organisations of AIDS-infected people, they will have no option but draw the attention of the international press to highlight the mistreatment and neglect of AIDS patients in Nepal.

Hema Parajuli, Putalisadak

Bad apples

I attended some political mass meetings recently. What I noticed was that many of those speakers were people who had been jailed for corruption or those who faced corruption charges. The dream of a new Nepal will never be realised unless such corrupt people are barred from taking part in politics.

Prakash Sparsa, Jhapa