Kathmandu, January 29, 2007

Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN), in cooperation with the Metropolitan Police Circle, Maharajgunj, today rescued 21 child workers from an embroidery factory here. The factory was being operated by one Dinesh Mahara in a house at Golphutar-5, Kathmandu. The children — aged between eight and 19 years — are Ram Ratan Ram, Ramesh Ram, Bimalesh Ram, Bishwombhar Ram, Lakhishwor Ram, Ram Babu Ram, Umesh Sahani, Magali Baitha, Ajay Ram, Nabin Baitha, Hansha Ram, Ganesh Ram, Pandiji Ram, Ban Sa Mahato, Dharmendra Ram, Manoj Ram, Santosh Baitha, Mukesh Ram, Shushil Ram, Bijay Ram and Sanjay Ram. Most of them hail from Mahottari and many of them don’t speak Nepali. The children, who were putting up in rented rooms of the house owned by Ganesh Khadka, said “Umesh Uncle” brought them here to work. All of them were working on saris when CWIN members and the police raided the house. “We start working at around 8 am and sleep at around two the next morning,” Ganesh Ram, said. He said he wasn’t being paid as he was just learning the work. It was found that only 4-5 children were getting paid every month. “Sahu used to give me Rs 20 every Saturday. I never got any extra,” said eight-year-old Pandiji Ram. Police couldn’t arrest Mahara as he was not in the factory during the raid. The house owner did not cooperate with the police, CWIN officials and the media personnel.

Legislative Parliament renders MPs powerless

Kathmandu, January 29, 2007

The parliamentary committee preparing to draft the Regulation of the Legislative Parliament has stated that there will be no opposition leader in the LP. Nepali Congress MP Radheshyam Adhikary disclosed this to THT after today’s meeting of the committee. He added that the committee would prepare the regulation within the first week of February. The regulation will have no provision for the MPs to call special session of the LP. Moreover, the MPs will have no power to table no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister. “Since the Constitution does not have such a provision, the LP cannot adopt the same,” Adhikary added. According to Article 51 (1) of the Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007, the Prime Minister shall call the session of the LP from time to time. CPN-UML’s chief whip Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said no such power was given to the MPs by the Interim Constitution. However, up to seven special committees of the LP will handle several important national issues to monitor the country’s peace process. According to Pandey, there will be special committees on holding Constituent Assembly election, rehabilitating the conflict victims and formulating security policy of the nation. MPs have also proposed special committee for formulating financial and economic policies.