Nepal, Bangladesh star performers in poverty

	REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, March 18: Nepal and Bangladesh are star performers in reducing multidimensional poverty, according to a study report released here on Monday by Oxford University. Researchers involved in the study had taken health, education and living standards of the people as major indicators for measuring reduction in the poverty. “Researchers have found that the percentage of poor people in Nepal dropped from 64.7 percent to 44.2 percent between 2006 and 2011 -- a decline by 4.1 percentage points per year,” a press release issued on Monday said. The report also said poverty in Bangladesh also decreased by 3.2 percentage points per year between 2004 and 2007. “In addition to reducing the percentage of poor people, both Nepal and Bangladesh reduced the intensity of poverty,” the report added. India, the largest South Asian nation, also made significant progress between 1999 and 2006. However, its poverty reduction rate was lower than its neighbors. ´The success of Nepal and Bangladesh in reducing poverty despite their relatively low income highlights the effectiveness of social policy investments combined with active civil society engagement,” Dr Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, said unveiling the report. Of the 22 countries studied, Nepal, Rwanda and Bangladesh were found to have made the largest absolute reductions, followed by Ghana, Tanzania, Cambodia and Bolivia.
Published on 2013-03-18 22:32:56

Track opening of Mid -Hill Highway to complete in two months

	DILIP POUDEL( From myRepublica) BAGLUNG, March 8: Track opening works of the Mid-Hill Highway are in full swing and is expected to complete within the next couple of months. According Mid-Hill Highway Project (MHHP) office, track opening works have already been completed in eastern part and track opening of only 15 kilometer stretch in the western part is yet to be completed. Of the 1,767 kilometer highway, track opening works for 1,752 kilometer has already been completed. The highway is also known by the name Puspalal Highway. MHH, which passes through the 23 districts in the hilly region, starts from Chiyo Bhanjyang of Pachthar in the eastern region and passes through Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Sindhuli, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Baglung and finally ending at Jhulaghat in Baitadi of the far western region. MHHP Chief Gopal Sigdel informed that along with the track opening upgrading works along the 776 km road stretch of the highway is under way. “The track for MMH will be completed in two months,” informed Sigdel. “Now the track opening for 12 km in Rukum-Jajarkot sector and 3 kilometer in Baglung-Rukum remains to be completed,” he said, adding the new track will be 8 meter wide. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 47 billion. According to the project office, Rs 1.18 billion has already been spent for opening track in the western stretch of the highway. The longest 135 km stretch of the highway falls in Baglung. Project engineer Karna Singh Kadayat informed that track widening works and bridge construction along the 88 kilometer Baglung -Burtibang section is under way along with track opening. According to Tilak Subba, a project engineer, they are preparing to black top 20 km road section in Baglung district.
Published on 2013-03-08 08:30:36

Govt mulls US$ 60m assistance from World Bank for solar plant
	BHOJ RAJ POUDEL (myrepublica) KATHMANDU, March 5:Amid acute power shortage in the country, the government is preparing to seek US$ 60 million in assistance from the World Bank to develop a 20 megawatts solar energy plant. “The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has already forwarded the proposal to the Ministry of Energy (MoE) and has asked to forward it to the World Bank through the Ministry of Finance (MoF),” an official at MoE told Republica. Under its load-shedding reduction plan for winter, the government had mulled construction of a 20 megawatts solar energy plant. The World Bank has already agreed in principle to provide the amount for the project. “We will forward the proposal to the World Bank once we receive it from the energy ministry,” said Joint Secretary at the finance ministry Madhu Kumar Marasini. “This project is too important and we will try our best to implement it as soon as possible.” According to the proposal, the solar energy plant in the country will be able to reduce load-shedding by four to five hours per day. “This solar energy plant will be our first priority at the moment as it would relieve people from long hours of power cut,” said Marasini. The project also includes construction of 132 kV transmission line, said an official at the energy ministry. The government, in its load shedding reduction plan had planned to supply power to government offices from the solar plant. “The NEA in collaboration with other partners will develop infrastructure for supplying electricity generated by the solar plant to hospitals, Singh Durbar, the president´s office and Pashupati Area Development Trust, among other areas,” reads the plan. “The government will also establish a separate entity for development and management of solar energy in the country.” However, an official at MoF expressed doubts if the solar plant would be developed on time. “Given the bureaucratic inefficiency, I am not hopeful that NEA and the energy ministry would be able to develop the project on time even if the World Bank provides assistance,” said the official.
Published on 2013-03-06 01:18:52

गरे के हुन्न रैछ त नि

By Salokya, on March 5th, 2013

साभार mysansar.com

बाग्लुङको बलेवा क्षेत्र र छिमेकी जिल्ला पर्वतको सदरमुकाम कुश्मा हेर्दा त नजिकै देखिन्छ। तर एउटा ठाउँ वारी र छ अर्को पारी। बीचमा कालिगण्डकी नदी। कुश्मा जान पैदल हिँडेर डेढ दुई घण्टा लाग्थ्यो। के गर्ने त ? पुलै बनाउने हो भने दूरी लामो भएकोले अति नै महँगो पर्छ। सरकारको मुखमात्र कति ताक्ने ? आफै किन केही नगर्ने ? यही सोचका साथ निजी क्षेत्र जुट्यो र केवल कार मोडलको यान्त्रिक पुल बनाउने सोचमा अगाडि बढ्यो। खर्च लाग्ने भयो झण्डै ५ करोड। अहो, यति धेरै रकम कसरी जम्मा गर्ने ? एकले थुकी सुकी, सयले थुकी नदी- यही उखान अनुसार उद्योग वाणिज्य संघले स्थानीय स्तरमै शेयर संकलन गर्न थाल्यो। जसले जति सक्छ, त्यति। २५ हजार रुपियाँदेखि १५ लाखसम्म गरी ४ सय ३५ जनाबाट रकम उठ्यो र गएको जेठ-असारदेखि पुल बनाउन थाल्यो नेपालकै रोपवे केवलकार प्रालिले। हिजो सोमबारदेखि यो व्यवसायिक रुपमा सञ्चालन हुन थालेको छ। अब बलेवाबाट कुश्मा पुग्न ५ देखि ७ मिनेटमात्रै लाग्छ। 

यान्त्रिक पुल प्रयोग गर्न एकतर्फी भाडा अहिलेलाई सय रुपियाँ तिर्नुपर्नेछ। सार्कका पर्यटकलाई ३ सय रुपियाँ र विदेशीलाई सात डलर भाडा तोकिएको छ। प्रत्येक यात्रुको पाँच लाखको बीमा पनि गरिएको छ।

अहिलेलाई यो पुल निर्माण कम्पनीले हस्तान्तरण गरिसकेको छैन। त्यसैले परीक्षणको रुपमा व्यवसायिक सञ्चालन गरिएको हो हिजोदेखि। परीक्षणका क्रममा यात्रुको चाप, सञ्चालन खर्च, प्राविधिक समस्या हेरेर नयाँ भाडादर तोक्ने भनिएको छ।

दुई वटा यान्त्रिक कार (डब्बा) यो पुलमा जडान गरिएको छ। एउटा कारमा ८ जना अट्छन्। यो हिसाबले दुवैतर्फ गरी एकपटकमा बढीमा १६ जना आवतजावत गर्न सक्छन्। एउटा डब्बाको क्षमताका करिब पाँच क्विन्टल रहेको छ।

यो पुलको लम्वाई ४ सय ८७ मिटर छ। सो पुलमा दुवैतर्फ पोल गाडेर ५ सय ५० मिटर लामा छ वटा फलामका लट्ठा जडान गरिएको छ।

पुल निजी क्षेत्रको लगानीमा कुश्मा-बलेवा यान्त्रिक पुल लिमिटेडको स्वामित्वमा निर्माण गरिएको हो। यसले सरकारको मुख नताकी निजी क्षेत्र सक्रिय भएर आफै गरे पनि ठूल्ठूला काम संभव हुने देखाएको छ। व्यवसायिक रुपमा सञ्चालन भएर नाफा कमाउन थालेपछि यसको सफलताले सबैलाई दङ पार्ने पक्का छ।