Kathmandu, November 29, 2007

The Maoist leadership today proposed that democratising the Nepali Army (NA) and adjustment of the Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the national force must prtecede the constituent assembly election.

Maoist supremo Prachanda, accompanied by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Mohan Baidya, made these proposals at a meeting with the Nepali Congress leaders. “Conflict may erupt again even after the assembly election if the NA is not democratised and the PLA personnel are not adjusted in the national force,” said a Maoist source.

According to the Comprehensive Peace Accord signed on November 21, 2006, the government and the Maoists have agreed that a special committee under the cabinet would work for the PLA’s adjustment and rehabilitation process.

During the meeting held at Hotel Himalaya, the Maoist leaders stressed the need to fully implement the agreements reached in the past and address their 22-point demands, including the formation of a commission to determine the status of cases of disappearances, relief assistance to the martyrs’ families and rehabilitation of the displaced families.

The NC leaders asked the Maoists to return the seized property to the rightful owners and rein in the YCL activities.

The Maoist leaders also proposed holding of a roundtable conference of all political parties, Madhesis, dalits, women and ethnic communities be held on former US president Jimmy Carter’s proposal of 70-30 ratio of election.

Bio-briquettes can keep your winter at bay

Kathmandu, November 29, 2007

Winter is already here but the Valley denizens have nothing reliable to heat up their rooms. With ever-increasing load shedding hours and the year-round shortage of LPG, using electric or gas heaters in not imaginable. But wait. There is a solution at your doorstep. You can go for something called bio-briquettes made of biomass, which produces maximum heat and almost no smoke. One bar of bio-briquette can heat your room for nearly two hours just at the cost of Rs 15 to 20. A briquette stove however costs from Rs 700 to 1200.

By using bio-briquettes, you will be chasing away the chilly winter on one hand and helping to keep your city clean on the other. But one should be cautious while using bio-briquettes for heating purpose and ensure that the room is well ventilated.

In the capital, bio-briquettes are available in departmental stores and shops around hospitals, as the marketers presently intend to supply them for the purpose of generating heat for massage of newborns. “We can produce bio-briquettes by using wastage paper, saw-dust and other parts of the garbage.

We can generate energy and help the municipality to minimise the volume of waste side by side,” said Sanukaji Shrestha, the chief of Foundation of Sustainable Technology.