WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 259 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 32.9 C -1.5 C Sunday, November 15, 2020 | 30-07-2077 Bhairahawa Jumla

The Kathmandu Post wishes its readers, advertisers and well-wishers a Happy Tihar.

Since our offices will remain closed on Sunday and Monday for the festival, the next edition of the Post will be published on Wednesday, November 18.

POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI An illuminated Kathmandu Valley seen from Chandragiri on Saturday evening as people performed Laxmi Puja during the festival of lights. As crisis deepens, ruling party factions in wait and watch mode Leaders close to chairmen Oli and Dahal take sides in calling the other’s move foul while experts say the situation is so murky that how events will pan out cannot be predicted.

TIKA R PRADHAN Gautam, Ishwar Pokhrel, Bishnu KATHMANDU, NOV 14 Poudel and Ram Bahadur Thapa—at Baluwatar. Nepal and Gautam have The plot thickens in the war between sided with Dahal in the latest clash one party chairman KP Sharma Oli between the two chairs while Thapa’s and the other chair Pushpa Kamal position is not clear. Pokhrel and Dahal. Poudel are clearly on Oli’s side. And the crisis deepens in the ruling “The prime minister asked the Nepal Communist Party (NCP). intention of the Dahal-led group on After the latest salvo from Dahal holding the Secretariat meeting,” said accusing Oli of incompetence in run- Subas Nembang, a Standing ning the government and the party, POST ILLUSTRATION: KRISHNA GOPAL SHRESTHA Committee member and Oli’s and demanding his resignation, the whom one believes. close confidante. “And whether the prime minister has a job cut out for Oli’s efforts to this end began right document was Dahal’s opinion or him to isolate Dahal and save his posi- after the Secretariat meeting, when he that represents the voice of all five tion. Or he could part ways with Dahal met five of the nine Secretariat mem- members.” and split the party, depending on bers—Madhav Kumar Nepal, Bamdev >> Continued on page 2 Health Ministry has spent Rs20 billion on pandemic but infections continue to surge Officials and public health experts say lack of coordination and collaboration among various state agencies is the main reason behind the losing battle against Covid-19. ARJUN POUDEL devastating quake. control the spread of the coronavirus, KATHMANDU, NOV 14 “Compared to the ongoing pandem- except coordination and cooperation ic, the condition was more scary, peo- among the agencies concerned, with- The April 2015 earthquake was the ple were more panicked by the repeat- out which the pandemic is hard to biggest natural disaster in Nepal’s ed aftershocks or the shock of deaths tame, according to officials and recent history. That is, before the of their relatives and loss of proper- experts. ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. It killed ty,” Dr Senandra Upreti, former secre- It imposed a nationwide lockdown nearly 9,000 and rendered tens of tary at the Ministry of Health and on March 24 when there were just two thousands homeless. Population, who was the then director cases, and again restrictions were Along with the private houses, hun- general at the Department of Health imposed in districts, including for dreds of health facilities were Services, told the Post. three weeks in August in Kathmandu destroyed, health workers were killed “But with coordination and collabo- Valley that saw cases surging, after and injured, roads were blocked ration among all the agencies con- the lockdown was lifted on July 21. due to landslides triggered by the cerned, we had successfully managed And it has spent Rs20 billion in the the situation and prevented pos- past eight months, according to the sible further disasters.” Health Ministry. But that coordination and col- Hundreds of thousands of tests laboration evident during the have been performed, dozens of labo- Nepali Congress-led coalition ratories and hospitals have been set government seems to be lacking up, infrastructure has been built, now in the incumbent majority equipment has been bought, and government’s efforts to fight the health workers have been trained and pandemic, according to former deployed. and current Health Ministry offi- But the number of new cases and cials the Post talked to. the death toll have continued to rise To be fair, the Nepal with no signs of the pandemic coming Communist Party (NCP) govern- under control. ment has been doing much to >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Rural areas in Salyan and Rukum (West) get access to health services Several local units in the two districts have enhanced the institutional capacity of health facilities and initiated ambulance services for people in rural areas.

BIPLAB MAHARJAN IN SALYAN & ous health posts in the district have HARI GAUTAM IN RUKUM (WEST) been providing safe delivery services NOV 14 in Salyan. “The number of patients visiting Three years ago, 24-year-old Kamala the district hospital has also increased Gharti of Jhimpe in Chhatreshwori after the local units started ambu- Rural Municipality, Salyan, gave birth lance services. We are also developing to her first child at home. Two weeks necessary infrastructures and install- ago, she delivered her second child at ing equipment in the hospital to cater Salyan District Hospital. to more patients,” said DC. “When I was pregnant the first time Almost all the villages in Salyan are around, there were no ambulance ser- now connected with road networks. vices in our village,” she said. “We “The villagers can use ambulance didn’t have access to health services services whenever needed. In the past, either. But in the last two years, the we had to take the patients to hospi- local unit has ensured easy access to tals using bamboo baskets and stretch- health services for those of us in rural ers. Many patients died on the way,” areas. This made it possible for me to Narayan Gharti of Kalimati Rural POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI deliver my second baby at a hospital.” Municipality-4 told the Post. Kukur Tihar being celebrated at Sneha’s Care, an animal shelter, at Bhaisepati, Lalitpur on Saturday. On this day, dogs are offered treats and worshipped by Hindus for their loyalty, service and Like Chhatreshwori Rural Chhatreswori Rural Municipality companionship. Municipality, several local units in had purchased four ambulances and Salyan and Rukum (West) have handed them over to the local health expanded health facilities in recent posts in wards 2, 4, 5 and 6. years targeting rural populations. “We have allocated Rs 4.5 million to They have prioritised enhancing the buy four more vehicles for ambulance institutional capacity of health facili- services in the current fiscal year. Health Ministry has spent Rs20 billion on pandemic ... ties and providing ambulance services Nobody will die for want of treatment to their rural population. This has in the villages now,” said Santosh KC, helped pregnant women from far- the chairman of Chhatreshwori. >> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 districts had been damaged. Domestic 25,000 but when the grim milestone Yogesh Bhattarai are in the directive flung villages to opt for safe delivery at The local units have not only initiat- As of Saturday, 208,299 people tested animals were killed in the thousands was reached, it was not imposed. committee of the centre. health institutions, says Gharti. ed ambulance services but they have positive to the coronavirus nation- and their carcasses were scattered all The Health Ministry wanted the The centre has its mechanisms at Jhimpe is around 15 kilometres also managed the service in an effec- wide with 1,215 deaths. In the last 24 over. People, including the elderly and number of tests to be increased but the provincial and district levels, and from the district hospital in Salyan. tive way. hours 1,946 people tested positive, small children who were vulnerable to the Finance Ministry refused, accord- has data of the infected people and “One had to walk for hours to reach “We provide free ambulance servic- according to the Health Ministry. multiple infections, were compelled to ing to an official at the Health Ministry, heat maps, has developed technology a hospital in the past, as there were no es to the poor based on the recommen- There were 36,452 active cases across stay out in the open. who spoke on the condition of ano- for contact tracing, but it doesn’t have ambulance facilities. Most of the dation of the ward office. Pregnant the country on Saturday. The risk of spread of vector borne nymity. the authority to formulate policy. women in rural areas had unsafe women and senior citizens get 25 The number of cases in Kathmandu diseases like malaria and dengue were Even the ways the government has Its role was limited to making rec- delivery. That is no longer the case and 10 percent discount respectively Valley has been going up at an alarm- also high. dealt with non-governmental organi- ommendations to the Cabinet, headed now,” said Gharti. while using the service in our ing rate and time and again the Valley “We had seen 2010 Haiti’s cholera sations and international non-govern- by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Eight of the 10 local bodies in local unit,” said Chintamani mayors have asked federal authorities outbreak after the earthquake, which mental organisations have been differ- which time and again did not listen to Salyan have arranged for ambulance Regmi, the chief administrative to bar entry of people from outside killed more people than the quake,” ent. In 2105 they had been mobilised. recommendations. services in rural areas. officer of Siddakumakha Rural into the Valley, only for their appeals added Marasini. “With better coordi- But now relief has to be provided Similarly, the Health Ministry for- According to the District Health Municipality. to fall on closed ears. nation and collaboration with all through government mechanisms. mulates policy but it does not have the Office in Salyan, there were only six In Rukum (West), the local units Now, Kathmandu Metropolitan City stakeholders, we have prevented pos- Kathmandu Metropolitan City has capacity to enforce it. ambulances belonging to the District have set up hospitals in their own ini- has stopped contact tracing after the sible catastrophic conditions.” ordered that free food distribution be Provincial and local governments, Hospital, Nepal Red Cross Society and tiatives to provide health services to federal government on October 5 According to Marasini, a committee removed from Khula Manch. which are responsible for contact trac- private hospitals in the district two people in rural areas. Four local bod- announced that it would not conduct under the director general of the International non-governmental ing, management of isolation and years ago. Eight local units purchased ies—Aathbiskot, Chaurjahari, free coronavirus tests. Department of Health Services, which organisations wanted to distribute quarantine facilities, are not obliged 11 vehicles and initiated ambulance Sanibheri and Tribeni—have estab- Local governments, which are comprised the director general of cash to the people most vulnerable to, to report to the centre. services in the last fiscal year. lished their own hospitals in the past responsible for contact tracing, do not agencies under other ministries, was and most affected by, the pandemic. Apart from this, there are several According to health workers, the oper- two years. Musikot Municipality, have their own laboratories to per- revived after officials became clear The government overruled that say- committees under the Health Ministry ation of ambulance services by the which lies in the district headquar- form tests and the laboratories run by that high level mechanisms do not ing only relief could be distributed. and the Ministry of Home Affairs. local bodies increased people’s access ters, has the district hospital and four the Health Ministry are not perform- work. As a result, donors had to be Several committees are active under to health facilities. private hospitals. Of the total six local ing tests free of charge. The meeting forged an understand- approached again and funds ear- the provincial and local level govern- The data available at the health units in Rukum (West), only Baphikot “Health Ministry officials alleged ing that different government agen- marked for Nepal may never come ments too. office shows that 3,769 women had safe Rural Municipality does not have its us of not being serious but why are cies would fulfil their own individual here. “All agencies are working but there deliveries in 41 different health facili- own hospital. they not directing the laboratories to responsibilities sincerely and at the “The state machinery, NGOs, seems to be no coordination and col- ties across the district in the fiscal Aathbiskot Municipality first estab- perform tests on samples we collected same time coordinate and collaborate INGOs, general public, youths, volun- laboration among them,” Dr Prabhat year 2019/20. lished its hospital in 2018. It upgraded free of cost,” Hari Kunwar, chief of with others, according to him. teers, civil society and others all had Adhikari, an infectious disease and “It is around 63 percent of the total a health post in Radi as the municipal the Health Division at the Kathmandu Agencies under the Department of coordinated and collaborated,” said critical care expert, told the Post. delivery cases in the district. The safe hospital. Metropolitan City, told the Post. “We Water Supply and Sewage Marasini. “The disaster was taken as “Lack of coordination among the delivery rate will certainly continue “The locals have been receiving cannot afford to pay for tests of sam- Management worked on a war footing a war and all contributed from their agencies concerned resulted in the to increase in the current fiscal year treatment at the 25-bed hospital for the ples collected in contact tracing.” to fix damaged infrastructure, clear side to overcome it.” current spread of the coronavirus. with easy access to health facilities past two years,” said Mayor Gorkha The Cabinet on Monday decided to the sources of drinking water and The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is Confusion was created due to the crea- and ambulance services,” said Bahadur KC. According to Maniraj conduct free tests after widespread unclog sewers. Agencies under the also a kind of war but agencies con- tion of multiple agencies.” Khemraj DC, the information officer Shah, the chief at the hospital, around condemnation of its move not to Department of Health Services had cerned are fighting separately. Contact tracing, which is key to at the health office. According to him, 100 people visit the health institution conduct tests and provide treatment supplied medicines, deployed health Multiple committees have been containing the spread of the infection, the safe delivery rate was 53 percent in on a daily basis. for free. workers, and inspected water quality formed from the centre to the local has come to a grinding halt, following the fiscal year 2018/19. The municipal hospital in But, according to officials working and nutritional value of food items. level but there seems to be a lack of the government decision not to pro- The district hospital, two private Aathbiskot has a laboratory, pharma- at the Health Ministry, during the The Department of Roads cleared coordination and collaboration. vide free tests and treatment to all. hospitals, two primary health centres cy, maternity ward and ultrasound 2015 earthquake there was sufficient blocked roads and helped resume The government had formed a Local federal units, which are and 36 birthing centres set up at vari- facilities. collaboration, not only within transportation. high-level coordination committee, responsible for contact tracing, do not ministries but also at the intra- Fast forward to 2015. There is under deputy Prime Minister Ishwar have their own laboratories to per- ministry level. a dearth of coordination and Pokhrel, which later disbanded and form tests and those run by the Health The ministry as well as security collaboration not only between the the responsibility of fighting the pan- Ministry are not performing tests free agencies—Nepal Police, Armed Police federal agencies and provincial and demic fell on the Covid-19 Crisis of cost. Force and Nepal Army—were busy in local governments but also among Management Centre formed subse- Epidemiologists and infectious dis- rescuing the injured for over a week. the departments of the central quently. ease experts lament that the govern- “Ministers used to hold meetings government. Home Minister Ram Bahadur ment doesn’t listen to experts, does with other ministers and give direc- The variation in data on the corona- Thapa, Federal Affairs and General not learn lessons either from its own tions to the secretaries of their virus toll between the Health Ministry Administration Minister Hridayesh experience or those of others and also respective ministries and they later and Nepal Army, which disposes of Tripathi; Industry, Commerce and doesn’t acknowledge science-guided passed on the orders to the officials bodies of those infected is one exam- Supplies Minister Lekhraj Bhatta, strategies. under them,” Dr Baburam Marasini, ple. When the Health Ministry said Health and Population Minister This pandemic is no less than a war, former director at the Epidemiology that the death toll had crossed 1,000, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, Finance infectious disease expert Adhikari and Disease control Division, told the the Nepal Army said it had managed Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, said. “And the war cannot be won Post. the funerals of more than 1,400 bodies Agriculture Minister Ghanashyam without coordinated efforts. All agen- Chances of outbreaks of water- of Covid-19 victims. Bhusal, Foreign Affairs Minister cies concerned should coordinate and borne diseases such as diarrhoea, The Health Ministry said there Pradeep Gyawali, Energy Minister collaborate against the war and all POST PHOTO: BIPLAB MAHARJAN cholera, typhoid were high as most of would be another lockdown if the Barshaman Pun; and Culture, state machines including the general Eight of the 10 local units in Salyan have arranged for ambulance services in rural areas. the water sources in the quake-hit number of active cases exceeded Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister public should do their duties.” As crisis deepens, ruling party factions in wait and watch mode

>> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 a term Oli’s supporters have used to Prachanda to withdraw his proposal committee member and coordinator convinced easily.” allowing a party to split if 40 percent Senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal describe the political document, that for the sake of party unity and to of the ruling party’s youth wing— Oli had beaten Nepal for the chair of the members of its parliamentary and party spokesman Narayan Kaji is uncertain. begin discussions as per the spirit of Youth Association Nepal. of the UML in its convention held in party or central committee demand it. Shrestha are also on Dahal’s side. “We are enthusiastically waiting the party unity,” Pokhrel wrote on Political analysts have said that Oli, July 2014 before the party merged Shrestha said more exchanges of At Friday’s meeting, Dahal present- and watching the activities of Oli’s Facebook Friday. as the prime minister, has the benefit with the Dahal-led CPN (Maoist- allegations through letters were yet to ed a 19-page political document listing men and his move,” said a Secretariat According to some leaders close to of having more cards to play but he is Centre) in May 2018. The unity con- come. “Oli will respond to Dahal’s seri- the instances of Oli’s backtracking on member. “Everything must be settled Oli, the prime minister will ask lead- in a tight spot now. vention of the Nepal Communist ous allegations revealing more secrets previous agreements and his failure through discussions in the scheduled ers to withdraw the proposal brought “I think Oli has few options before Party is scheduled for next year. in harsher language as he cannot toler- to govern. He demanded that Oli make party meetings.” without consulting with him or he him now. He can resolve issues by Other analysts claimed that the ate even general criticism,” Shrestha sacrifices, meaning that he resign as Some close leaders of the Oli fac- could respond to the serious allega- implementing the decisions of the ongoing allegations and counter alle- told the Post. “It is good that people will PM to save the party and the federal tion have started demanding that tions against him. recent Standing Committee meeting, gations were nothing but the prepara- know the details of their conflict.” democratic republican order. Dahal’s document must be withdrawn “Even opposition leaders make dismiss allegations by garnering tions for a party split for which Oli But some leaders believe that party Oli has in the past threatened a big as that violates the spirit of the latest decent allegations but Dahal has majority in the Secretariat and was ready long ago. will not split. move if his opponents press him too decisions of the Standing Committee crossed all the limits,” said Bishal Standing Committees, proving majori- “Since Oli, not his followers, is ready “I don’t think the party will split. much and tie his hands in his running meeting of September 11. Bhattarai, a ruling party lawmaker. ty in the Parliamentary Party or split- for the party split, he registered the Things will be settled only after the of the government. Chief Minister of Lumbini “Things will be settled after Oli ting the party as a last resort,” said CPN-UML and brought the ordinance,” party’s general convention and Oli’s “Dahal’s indecent move seems like Province, Standing Committee mem- responds to the allegations.” Jhalak Subedi, a political analyst. said Shyam Shrestha, a political ana- proposal to hand over the leadership forcing a family member to leave the ber Shankar Pokhrel has urged the On the other hand, leaders close to One option for Oli, leaders say, could lyst. “All this drama of exchanging let- to a new generation below 60 years of house,” said a Standing Committee executive chairman Dahal to with- Dahal have been hailing the proposal be to win the confidence of senior lead- ters is nothing but the preparation for age,” said Pradip Nepal, a central com- member close to Oli. “Politics is a game draw his proposal saying that the saying that the demand for withdraw- er Madhav Kumar Nepal but that is not a party split by documenting allega- mittee member who has retired from of possibilities. Anything can happen. whole party rank and file has felt that al of the political document was apo- easy as he has been demanding a con- tions against each other.” active politics and whose help Oli had Let’s wait and see for some time.” the party unity has reached a critical litical and anti-organisational. crete proposal from Oli in writing. In an earlier height of conflict in recently sought to convince Madhav But the Dahal camp is waiting for point due to his serious allegations “Stop threatening honest and “If Oli could convince Nepal that he the ruling party in August, a group of Nepal to join hands with him. Oli’s move and insists that all differ- against the first chairman of the pro-party unity leaders. Let the pro- would make him chairperson of the people registered a new party called As of now, everything is up in the air. ences be settled through meetings of party going against the spirit of party posal presented in the party commit- party from the upcoming general con- UML at the Election Commission. “It’s difficult to analyse now as the party. Although the next meeting unity and the decisions of the tee be discussed there. Responsible vention, things could be settled soon,” Prior to that, in April the President there has been no move from either of the Secretariat is scheduled for Standing Committee. people should not threaten a split,” said a Standing Committee member issued two ordinances including one side after the meeting,” said Subedi, Wednesday, following Dahal’s ‘missile’ “I would like to request comrade said Ram Prasad Sapkota, a central close to Nepal. “But Nepal won’t be to amend the Political Party Act, the political analyst.

C M Y K 03 | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 NATIONAL Kathmandu Metropolitan City doesn’t have plan to feed the poor ANUP OJHA KATHMANDU, NOV 14

Following widespread criticism from the public and the media over Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s decision to bar volunteers from serving free meals at Khula Manch, city officials back- tracked on their decision. The city said the free meals programme can go on until Tihar, and it will help volunteers find an alternative open space to feed the needy. However, volunteers who have been providing free meals for the poor, jobless and the needy for the past eight months have accused the city of just trying to disrupt their humanitarian endeavour. With just a day to go for Bhai Tika, the city doesn’t seem to be doing anything to help the volunteers. The city has also neither collected the details of people who need free meals, nor taken the initiative to look for a convenient place for the volunteers to serve free meals. “Now, we have sensed that the city is just trying to sideline us. But this should not be,” said Bablu Gupta, who created a Facebook group (“100”) with other like-minded people and volunteer organisations to provide free meals to the needly. He said the city hasn’t helped locate an open space or party palace where all the poor and jobless can go and fill their hungry stomach. POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI “As per the city’s decision, we have only one A vendor sells marigold garlands at Newroad, Kathmandu, on Saturday. The garlands, priced between Rs800 and Rs2,500, are hung on doors to welcome Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. day left to leave this place,” said Gupta. The group has been providing free meals to 700 people twice a day. He said the city has suggested Ram Mandir, Thapathali, which is convenient for working class people such as porters, daily wage work- ers, disabled and other needy who mostly spend Cabinet endorses guidelines for reopening schools their time in Ratnapark and Mahaboudha areas. When the Post contacted Ishwor Man Dangol, Local governments, however, say it might be too risky to open schools at the moment given the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country. spokesperson for the city, to inquire about the city’s preparations to take care of the needy BINOD GHIMIRE contagious disease. “In-person study can begin in the places with Against the plans of the federal govern- from Monday onwards, he said the volunteer KATHMANDU, NOV 14 Schools and colleges across the country have no or lower threat of the coronavirus.” He said ment, officials from the local governments say groups are working on it. remained shut since March 18 due to the coro- the teaching-learning process would be effec- it is not possible to resume schools, at least in He further said the city is planning to pro- In a clear case of lack of coordination between navirus pandemic. The country’s 36,000 tive if the students get to learn by directly the Kathmandu Valley. Nanda Paudel, educa- vide job opportunities to people who lost their different tiers of governments, the Cabinet has schools, including 29,000 government-funded interacting with their teachers. tion officer at Kathmandu Metropolitan City, employment during the Covid-19 pandemic. cleared the path for schools to resume classes ones, haven’t reopened since the country went Students, as schools remain closed, are said resuming schools would be risky. “There But, the city’s track record on the issue even as local governments continue to impose into a full lockdown on March 24 to contain the learning through different virtual learning are no signs of the threat of the pandemic sub- doesn’t suggest that such a programme will be lockdowns amid rising cases of Covid-19. spread of the virus. platforms. However, different studies suggest siding. It would be risky to resume schools at effective. The Cabinet last week endorsed the School As per the guidelines, local governments that such forms of learning have been ineffec- this point,” he said. During the three-month-long nationwide Resumption Working Guideline which allows should start the resumption process from tive. According to the government’s Economic The government has downsized the curricu- lockdown, the city said it spent Rs85 million the resumption of schools provided that they areas relatively unaffected by the pandemic. Survey for the fiscal year 2019-20, among the lum for the current academic session by distributing relief essentials to the poor, but coordinate with representatives of the local They can opt for classes to be run in two shifts 29,707 public schools, only 8,366 have access to around 30 percent with an aim to wrap up the many needy people were deprived of such facil- government concerned, teachers unions and in the schools with large numbers of students, a computer while the number of schools that current academic session by April. ities as the city couldn’t keep track of its needy representatives from the school management according to the guideline. can offer information technology-based study Students from grades 1 to 3 will have 690 people. Some groups of Good Samaritans who committee. The guideline makes it mandatory for all with internet connectivity stands at 3,676 (just hours of classes in total while students from have been feeding the poor say the city is “The main objective of the guideline is to schools to follow safety guidelines prescribed 12 percent). grades 4 to 10 will be 848 hours, according to not working irresponsibly and trying to clear the way to reopen schools that have by the government. As per the guidelines the With a large number of students being left the Curriculum Adjustment Framework pre- sideline them. remained closed due to the threat of the Covid- respective local governments are responsible out of virtual learning, the government has pared by the government’s Curriculum “The city doing our work would not be a 19 or because they were converted into quaran- for providing masks to the students who come announced it will provide free sim cards and Development Centre. problem. We did the work when the people tine or isolation centres,” reads the guidelines. from poor families. internet service to those who don’t have access As per government rules in the pre-corona needed us. Now many of us have to resume our The Cabinet’s clearance comes at a time “Not all local governments are facing severe to or can’t afford online study. Sharma said era, at least 1,024 hours of classes were need to studies. We took this initiative to serve the poor. when local governments in the Capital itself threat of the pandemic,” said Deepak Sharma, they plan to take virtual and in-person study be conducted in 190 days every academic It’s the responsibility of the city to look after want a lockdown to contain the spread of the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education. together. year. these people,” said Gupta. The story of an airport and what connectivity can achieve Dhangadhi airport, upgraded at the initiative of the people, has not only boosted in economic growth but also helped connect the plains and the mountains in the region.

ARJUN SHAHI Dhangadhi Airport has established book for the airport. is the main reason for the increase in DHANGADI, NOV 14 itself as a basis for development in the All the nine districts of the far-west economic activity in the far-west,” region. combined forces for the campaign. said businessman Gopal Hamal. In 2004, Kailali Chamber of Commerce All this was not achieved through a Freed kamaiyas and rickshaw pullers “Billions have been invested in the and Industry organised the conven- miracle. The airport became a reality also donated Rs.1 to Rs. 10. Local civil hotel businesses in Dhangadhi.” tion of Nepal-India Friendship only due to the efforts put in by indus- servants also contributed their one Until 1995, flights were operated Association in Dhangadhi and then trialists of Kailali, their innovative month’s salary. “There were also those from Dhangadhi to all districts in the Indian Ambassador Shyam Sharan thinking and financial contribution who donated up to Rs 55,000,” said Far-western, except for Dadeldhura. was invited as chief guest. When the from many residents of the province. Bhandari. Airports in the hilly districts of the ambassador arrived, the organisers Until the Chisapani Bridge in “Around Rs5.5 million was collected far-west, which were targeted by the were in the mood to ask for Indian Karnali was built in 1992, the entire from the fundraising campaign,” said Maoists during the armed conflict, assistance to help build an airport in far-west was not connected to the rest Hamal. have been rebuilt after years. Earlier, the Far-west. of Nepal by road. The construction of After the success of the Second Dhangadhi-Kathmandu was the only At that time, the runway of 22 bridges on the Chisapani-Mahakali People’s Movement, the Chamber of sector the airport served. But now, Dhangadhi Airport was not tar- route has also helped improve Commerce and Industry convened an regular air service has resumed on the macked. To reach Dhangadhi from connectivity. all-party meeting again. The meeting Dhangadhi to Bajura, Saphebgar, Kathmandu, one had to go to “We were disheartened when we decided to request the government to Baitadi and Doti routes. Nepalgunj by air and travel on bus for had to postpone the programme in bear all the expenses. The delegation, “There are direct flights from four hours from there. The Indian which we had invited Shyam Sharan. including leaders from the seven par- Dhangadhi to Rara,” said Tej Bahadur envoy couldn’t come to Dhangadhi It was then that we realised the need ties, met Ram Sharan Mahat, the Budthapa, chief of the airport. “There after the Maoists closed Kailali on the for an airport that can be operated then finance minister. Mahat told the are daily flights to Saphebgarh and day of his planned arrival. The organ- round the year, ”said Gopal Hamal, delegation that the campaign could Bajhang.” Flights are operated two iser’s bid to seek help for the airport one of the leaders of the campaign to not stop raising money as the govern- days a week to Bajura and one day a had to be aborted. upgrade the airport. ment would bear all expenses for the week to Baitadi, ”he said. Getting to Dhangadhi by road was After the incident, a delegation led airport. Summit Air started its service last also not easy as passengers felt unsafe by Kailali Chamber of Commerce and The Far-westerners were relieved. year targeting tourists visiting Rara due to the ongoing Maoist insurgency. Industry went to Kathmandu to meet POST PHOTO: ARJUN SHAH They stopped collecting funds. Lake, an attractive destination. Policy makers and top officials then Tourism and Civil Aviation Passengers prepare to board an aircraft at Dhangadhi airport, a hub for flights to hilly areas in Bhandari said, “The amount we saved Earlier, flights were operated only couldn’t come to the far-west region Minister Sarvendra Nath Shukla. Sudurpaschim—some of them inaccessible by road. after expenses we’d incurred was from Nepalgunj to Mugu’s Talcha, but because of this reason. Various They met the minister after a 20-hour- handed over to the fund for the con- now flights from Dhangadhi have also non-governmental organisations, long arduous road trip. “It’s great that then president of the Kailali Chamber season. But Dali recommended the struction of this airport.” started, making it easier for tourists donors and government bodies organ- you’ve come. Everyone these days of Commerce and Industry. expansion of the airport to accommo- After that, the length of the runway to get to Rara. ized their programmes targeted at the wants to become a leader and do poli- A budget of Rs 80 million was date even larger aircraft. of the airport was increased from 600 Flights have resumed at Baitadi’s far-west, in Nepalgunj. tics. Now let’s take a photo and get required for upgrading the airport. So much work was done, but raising meters to 1,800 meters. Of that, 1,200 Patan Airport after 25 years. But things have changed now. Shree going,” the minister told the visitors, Far-westerners were given the task of the Rs20 million was not easy. The meters was tarmacked. Electronic Dhangadhi Airport Chief Tej Bahadur Airlines and Buddha Airlines fly two recalls Dinesh Bhandari, another raising 25 percent of that, Rs 20 mil- armed insurgency was at its peak and equipment was installed to enable Budha Thapa said that regular flights of their large aircraft daily on the member of the delegation. lion. people’s sources of income was drying night flights as well. After the neces- have started at the second-largest air- Dhangadhi-Kathmandu sector. Saurya There was deep anger and shock. Rajesh Raj Dali, director-general at up. The overall economy was in a state sary equipment, including runway port in the region, which had remained Airlines is also preparing to start reg- But the members of the delegation the Civil Aviation Authority, was of crisis. However, the local people lights and approach lights came into shut since 1994. ular flights. didn’t give up. They insisted that an given the responsibility to look at the didn’t give up. operation, private carriers started fly- Similarly, air services to and from “You can come to Dhangadhi in the airport that could be operated round feasibility of the project. When he The Kailali Chamber of Commerce ing into the airport even at night. Bajhang have resumed after 12 years morning and return to Kathmandu in the year be built in Dhangadhi. In the arrived in Dhangadhi, the leaders and Industry convened a meeting in Airport chief Budha Thapa said of closure. “We no longer have to trav- the evening,” said Tej Bahadur Budha end, the minister was ready to help if came up with another tactic—to show Dhangadhi with representatives of all that work on changing the tarmac of el more than 12 hours by bus. The Thapa, chief of Dhangadhi Airport. the people of Dhangadhi bore 25 per- him a lot of respect and make him its nine district branches. the runway, construction of an apron plane lands in Dhangadhi in 22 min- “Around 700 passengers use the air- cent of the cost. “We are ready to raise happy. Dali was accorded a grand wel- Representatives of seven political par- for four aircraft and a taxiway has utes, ”said Prakash BK, a local from port every day. The airlines register the 25 percent,” Bhandari had told the come in Dhangadhi with local musi- ties were also invited. The partici- been completed during the past year. Chainpur, Bajhang. daily transactions of over Rs4 minister. cians panche baja (traditional instru- pants of the meeting decided to move He said, “The airport has been Traffic on the Dipayal-Dhangadhi million.” After the meeting with the minister, ments played during festivities) to ahead with the campaign even as equipped with DVR / DME technology route has also resumed after many The airport has bridged the gap the civic leaders of Dhangadhi mark his arrival. “We did not spare some advised not to go for it as it was with help from JICA.” The only thing years. Even though Bajura’s Kolti between the far-west and Kathmandu returned home encouraged. But in the any effort in the hospitality,” said impossible to build an airport by col- left to do is to test it. After the technol- Airport was already in operation, and its hilly districts. The hassle of meantime, the ministry decided to Hamal, then president of the Nepal lecting money from the grassroots. ogy is fully operational, aircraft can there were no flights to and from traveling 662 kilometers to reach upgrade the Dhangadhi airport in Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting made various plans to fly even if visibility is low. About Dhangadhi to the airport. But now, Kathmandu is now history. The jour- such a way that its construction and “As we didn’t have good hotels in the raise funds. Rs 180 million has been spent on all regular flights have resumed on the ney from Kathmandu to Dhangadhi operation would be done by the pri- city, we hosted Dali at home and tried The slogan they used was: “One day these works. route as well. “It has become very easy can now be completed in one and a vate sector and the airport would be to make him happy.” for the airport”. This campaign was Private sector businessmen who for us to get to Dhangadhi from Kolti,” half hours. returned to the government after a Local leaders believed that a happy taken to the grassroots level. School witnessed the bustle and economic said David Bikram Shahi of Bajura. After being named the capital of certain period. Dali would make arrangements to children set aside their lunch activities brought in by the airport in Now, engineers are working hard to Sudurpaschim, Dhangadhi is now The people of Dhangadhi, however, complete the work of upgrading the money for the airport. Prisoners doing Nepalgunj assessed that the same develop Dhangadhi Airport as an bustling as a regional hub for educa- resisted this proposal as it added airport at the earliest. He did more their time in jail also contributed a could be possible for Dhangadhi. Some international airport—a master plan tion, health and trade. As government uncertainty to the proposed project. than they demanded. They were look- day’s pay for the airport. The businessmen had even started build- has already been prepared. According agencies, as well as the private sector, “It took six months to reverse that ing for an airport that could accommo- copy-book industry set aside one ing standard hotels when talk of the to the plan, after 20 years, even big jets prioritised economic development, decision,” said Uttam Kathayat, the date small planes even in the rainy rupee from the sale of every copy- upgraded airport began. “This airport can land at the airport.

C M Y K SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 | 04 OPINION Hanging by a thread Nepal’s garment industry can be revived if the garment processing zone is operated proficiently.

BIJENDRA MAN SHAKYA

Once upon a time, the export of ready- made garments was a roaring busi- ness in Nepal. Emerging as a spillover business in the late 1980s, it grew exponentially during the 1990s and peaked in the early 2000s before going into freefall from 2005 with the end of the quota system in international trade in textiles and clothing. The end of the quota system brought free trade in this previously restricted global commerce. Free trade relieved compe- tent countries like China and India, which had been restrained by quotas, while it hurt countries like Nepal which used to enjoy the ‘quota rent’ provided by the under-utilisation of the quotas allocated to them by the importing countries. It is commonly perceived that strin- gent competition resulting from the liberalised trading system ruined one of Nepal’s major export businesses. But it was free trade that boosted countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, which had also started from scratch, to great heights. Quota- free trade has established Bangladesh as one of the world’s largest exporters SHUTTERSTOCK of garments, second only to the giant garment processing zone (GPZ) which other government support, it has spe- of such processing zones in addition enhance delivery efficiency without Nepal missed a great opportunity to supplier China. Today, garment ship- was devised in the early 2000s follow- cial bearing with regard to clustering to efficiency in output and supply. which the survival of the delivery-sen- adapt to the changed global trading ments from Bangladesh are worth $30 ing a series of studies on the impact of factories. It would help not only to Reducing transaction costs and lead sitive clothing trade is virtually environment due to lack of correct billion a year, and are delivered to of the phase-out of quotas on Nepal. consolidate output, but also permit time, which is vital for a landlocked impossible. In the long run, the GPZ and timely policy intervention. The almost all major international brands. The idea was recommended as being the joint establishment of facilities country like Nepal, is another poten- would attract foreign investors, not private sector was unduly preoccu- In contrast, Nepal experienced a sharp indispensable to create a ‘critical pro- such as dyeing and washing which tial advantage. Considering this logic, only in the labour-intensive garment pied in lobbying for preferential drop in its export value from a high of duction mass’ without which it would otherwise be too costly to set up the zone was proposed to be built close industry, but also in the capital-inten- access to the American market while Rs13 billion during the industry’s hey- would be virtually impossible to tack- for an individual garment manufac- to the dry port in Birgunj, the only rail sive textile industry, moving up the the government was unnecessarily day in 2002 to less than Rs5 billion le competitive pricing and delivery turer. link for the country’s access to the value chain. consumed with doubts over the indus- today, a contraction of more than 60 sensitivity, the two most important Supplementing these operations, it seaport in Kolkata. This was done try’s relevance after the quota system. percent. factors which cannot be avoided for would attract ancillary industries like with the aim of reducing the cost of Lost enthusiasm Yet, the business that was lost due to the industry’s survival in quota-free manufacturing of zippers, buttons transportation and shipping of But the irony is that the garment pro- lack of determination can be regained Inconsistent policies trade. and packaging materials within the imported inputs and export of fin- cessing zone could not come into oper- if there are collective efforts to run These two contrasting scenarios have Also acclaimed by the private sec- industrial cluster. While these activi- ished goods. ation even two decades after it was the project objectively. The success of raised many questions as to why the tor, this policy response did not mate- ties enable efficient management of Proximity to the transit point would visualised while, during the same the GPZ in Birgunj can help the indus- clothing trade turned from rags to rialise for almost two decades until sourcing and supply systems, they reduce land transit times considera- time, Bangladesh accomplished try spread from Biratnagar in the east riches in Bangladesh, and riches to the construction of a GPZ in would also provide services of fabric bly through reduced handling and less remarkable progress through indus- to Bhairahawa in the west in the rags in Nepal. Evidently, it was policy Birgunj in 2019. But it was too little, experts, production staff and fashion cumbersome procedures, and also trial clustering using special econom- future. Promoting this labour-inten- intervention that caused this. too late as Nepali entrepreneurs designers, and banking and logistics minimise the dependence on the ser- ic zones. Stalling the project in Nepal sive sector will help the country to Bangladesh had the right policies at had lost their global business connec- services at one location. Clustering of vices of transport agencies in India. only led to the loss of its exports to the absorb the massive numbers of semi- the right time that helped the industry tions and production base due to the industries would, thus, offer the More importantly, it would optimise United States, the world’s largest skilled labourers who are looking for to become firmly established. But intense competition in the quota-less advantage of economies with the ben- transportation time and container clothing market. By this time, inves- jobs in the Gulf and the emerging Nepal distinguished itself with incon- trade. efit of cooperative purchasing and space for consignments from Nepal at tors had lost their enthusiasm and economies in East Asia. sistent policies that sent the industry Although the concept of GPZ is sim- control over the entire production and the port in Kolkata. From these per- confidence in the clothing trade, as haywire. ilar to the common special economic supply chain. spectives, proximity to the transport can be seen by their lack of interest in Shakya is an associate professor of One key example is the concept of zone with regard to tariffs, taxes and There are other unseen advantages and transit points are crucial to renting space inside the zone. economics at Tribhuvan University.

Fiscal transfers for what?

playgrounds increase with the popula- The laws related to grant tion size. The expenditure needs would also be larger in other service distribution have not defined delivery areas such as health, drink- ing water, sanitation, public toilets and clarified the concept of and transportation. The same thing happens in jurisdic- expenditure needs. tions with large land areas. Assuming everything is equal, a jurisdiction with a larger land area will typically KHIM LAL DEVKOTA have greater expenditure needs in order to provide the same level of ser- vices. In addition to the greater need for infrastructure, it is likely that the infrastructure (as well as the delivery of public services) will be more expen- sive. In many cases, a larger land area means higher costs of canals, irriga- The rights of the three tiers of gov- tion, roads, transportation and elec- ernment are included in the schedule tricity. There are many cases and of the constitution. Functional and examples (level of development, revenue rights, provision of fiscal remoteness, and prices of consumers transfers and borrowing of the prov- and producers goods) of fiscal needs. inces and local levels are enshrined in The most important and widely used the constitution. In terms of function- criteria among countries are people al responsibilities, Nepal’s constitu- and land area. tion is devolved. Functional responsi- In the budget session of the fiscal bilities are pyramidal from the bottom year 2020-21, parliamentarians from to the top (more expenditure responsi- Province 2 complained that the federal bilities at the provincial and local lev- government had disregarded them by els, and lower at the federal). making less fiscal transfers including The constitution has given many fiscal equalisation grant. The lawmak- responsibilities to the sub-federal ers talked about the non-transparent units (provincial and local govern- distribution of grants, and giving more ments), but the revenue-raising rights grants to some provinces and less to to fulfil these responsibilities are others. According to them, out of the nominal. The constitution provides total matching grant of Rs5.19 billion, more revenue-raising rights to the fed- their province received the lowest eral government. Intergovernmental amount of only 0.53 percent. They also fiscal transfers can be mobilised to talked about fiscal equalisation, condi- reduce the fiscal gap between func- tional and special grants. In fact, the tional responsibilities and reve- SHUTTERSTOCK transfer of grants is to meet the real nue-raising rights. According to this conditional grants for 84,000 pro- including revenue sharing. be dissatisfaction with the budget and graphical complexity, food and medi- fiscal need for sub-federal levels. arrangement, provincial and local grammes and projects. This analysis Whether in unitary countries or fed- programmes; but since the grant is cal supplies may cost a little more per If the fiscal need is not taken into governments receive four grants, shows that the federal government eral countries, revenue-raising powers allocated with standard norms and person in certain areas over others. consideration, problems will arise. namely fiscal equalisation grant, con- still enjoys sending petty programmes are often centralised. In fact, fiscal procedures, it is not good to raise ques- The first basis of the expenditure Problems would not have arisen if the ditional grant, special grant and and projects to the sub-federal levels. transfers are the means to address the tions over grant allocation. need is population size. If the sub-fed- above-mentioned fiscal need tools had matching grant. After the country vertical fiscal imbalance stemming eral units have enough of their own been taken seriously. Finally, the role entered into federalism, all these four Centralised revenue from centralised revenue-raising Fiscal need resources, it will not be a problem. of the National Natural Resources and grants have been received by provin- Fiscal transfers are the main source rights. In some countries, fiscal trans- There is a provision in the constitu- However, if they have little revenue, Fiscal Commission is paramount in cial and local governments. of revenue for sub-federal units in fers are provided for in the constitu- tion that the government should dis- there is a problem. If their internal the distribution of grants. However, The provinces and local levels are most countries. In federal countries, tion, while in others, they are provi- tribute fiscal equalisation grant to resources are scarce, grants may need there have been attempts to weaken expecting more fiscal equalisation revenue-raising rights are relatively sioned for through other legal acts. The provincial and local governments to be increased. the commission. It is completely grants from the federal government. more decentralised to sub-federal issue of determining the proper crite- based on fiscal needs and revenue This is a simple example in times of wrong and unfortunate for the fiscal However, they are getting more funds units, so fiscal transfers account for a ria for fiscal transfers, be it constitu- capacity. However, the laws related to a pandemic. But even in normal condi- federalism. It is also necessary to have under conditional headings. There are smaller share of sub-federal budgets. tional or legal, is very complex. In fact, grant distribution have not defined tions, if there is a larger population, a a legal mechanism of implementing lots of problems with this grant. The A 2019 report of the World Observatory the necessary condition of the fiscal and clarified the concept of expendi- sub-federal unit will need more to all kinds of grants including fiscal schemes and programmes of this on Subnational Government Finance transfer system is that it should ture needs. The wording of the consti- cover costs related to basic services. equalisation as per the recommenda- grant are small. In the current fiscal and Investment reveals that the share address fiscal needs and be technically tution has been retained in the law as For example, if the number of stu- tion of the commission. year 2020-21, the provinces received of transfers is 43 percent in federal sound. Similarly, it must be politically well. Taking the Covid-19 pandemic as dents is greater, the school building conditional grant funds amounting to countries and 53 percent in unitary acceptable. In Nepal, the grant alloca- an example, the cost of keeping 100 needs are likely to be large. A larger Devkota holds a PhD and is a fiscal Rs36.35 billion. The total number of countries. But in Nepal, around 80 tion to the provinces for the current people in quarantine is very different number of teachers and staff would federalism and local government conditional programmes is 13,256. The percent of the income of sub-federal fiscal year 2020-21 has been politically from the cost of keeping 1,000 people. also be needed. The expenses for text- analyst. He can be reached at local levels received Rs161 billion in units comes through fiscal transfers questioned in Parliament. There may Due to specific locations and geo- books and furniture, libraries and [email protected].

C M Y K 05 | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 MONEY Sugar producers propose three-tier High food prices pricing system for sugarcane hurting India’s poor REUTERS Under this plan, high-quality sugarcane will be priced at Rs546 per quintal, medium at Rs536 and low at Rs526. NEW DELHI, NOV 14 In the past three India’s retail inflation may stay elevat- KRISHANA PRASAIN owners every time and is not interest- ed for at least three more months after months, onion KATHMANDU, NOV 14 ed in listening to the plight of farm- hitting a six-year high in October, prices have more ers,” he said. as excess rain has damaged standing Sugar producers have proposed a The Ministry of Industry, Commerce crops and seedlings, while edible than quadrupled. three-tier pricing system for sugar- and Supply said it is yet to receive the oils that the country imports have cane according to the quality as the new price for sugarcane from the become expensive. government prepares to announce the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock The high prices are a particular Argentina and sunflower oil in minimum support price of the prod- Development. cause of concern for India’s hundreds Ukraine,” said B V Mehta, executive uct for this harvest season starting Urmila KC, undersecretary at the of millions of poor people, who have director of industry body the Solvent November. Industry Ministry, said that as soon as already been squeezed by the corona- Extractors’ Association. Last week, sugar producers had pro- the agriculture ministry sends the virus pandemic and its impact on an Poultry prices are rising as Indians posed the Ministry of Agriculture and proposed minimum support price for economy that contracted a record 23.9 flock to chicken shops for some extra Livestock Development to set the price sugarcane, they would table it at the percent in April-June. protein during the pandemic, while of high-quality sugarcane at Rs546 per Cabinet for the approval of the new Food items such as onions, potatoes, production is low because many chick- quintal, medium quality at Rs536 and rates for this year’s harvest. eggs, meat and tomatoes have a nearly en farms were closed due to India’s low-quality at Rs526. From 2018, the government had 46 percent weight in India’s retail virus lockdown. Sugar producers said that the tier started fixing the floor price of sugar- inflation basket. Food inflation shot Also, high vegetable prices have system will encourage farmers to pro- cane in a bid to end the constant con- up to 11.07 percent in October, the made eggs more affordable for many duce quality products. frontation between sugarcane farmers highest in nine months according to poorer people, said Uddhav Ahire, “The three-tier pricing system will and sugar producers. It had become a data released on Thursday, sending chairman of poultry supplier Anand motivate farmers to produce tradition for sugarcane growers and overall retail inflation surging to Agro Group. high-quality sugarcane. This will ben- sugar mills to engage in a bitter dis- 7.61 percent. Economists say the government’s efit sugar producers as high quality pute over the floor price during har- “We were expecting a hefty correc- extra spending to revitalise the econo- ensures higher quantity,” said Shashi POST FILE PHOTO vest time every year. tion in vegetable prices but just before my could also keep inflation high. Kant Agrawal, president of Sugar Sugarcane is a major cash crop in Nepal. It is cultivated on 71,625 hectares with annual Before the government began set- harvesting, excessive rainfall dam- This fiscal year ending March 31, the Producers Association. production standing at 3.55 million tonnes. ting the floor price, sugarcane prices aged crops,” said Amol Ghule, a vege- government is likely to overshoot its Sugarcane is a major cash crop in in Nepal were normally based on the table trader based in the western state budgeted spending of $407.80 billion Nepal. It is cultivated on 71,625 hec- both sugar and sugarcane producers,” sugarcane farmers. The government rates paid by Indian mills to their of Maharashtra that dominates by more than $60 billion. tares with annual production stand- said Kapil Muni Mainali, president of launched the subsidy to provide res- farmers. Even though the government India’s onion and oilseeds production. Worried about stoking inflation fur- ing at 3.55 million tonnes. Federation of Sugarcane Producers pite to sugarcane producers. The floor has set the floor price of sugarcane, Parts of India’s richest state was ther, the Reserve Bank of India has Normally, crushing 100 kg of sugar- Association. price is the minimum price farmers many sugar mills have not been pay- battered by untimely rain last month. paused its monetary easing since cane will produce 9 kg of sugar. But “We have not been informed about get for their crops, and it is normally ing the farmers on time citing their “Many farmers are having to pre- August, after cutting rates by 115 basis crushing 100 kg of high-quality sugar- the proposed rates,” he told the Post. announced before the harvest based inability to sell their products. pare seedlings again for planting and points since March. cane produces 10 kg of sugar, said According to Mainali, most of the on the recommendations of the Moreover, several sugar mills have this will delay supplies from the new For 29-year-old Karan Solanki, now Agrawal. sugarcane produced in the country is Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock been paying farmers less than the season crop,” Ghule said. the sole earner in his family after his “The high-quality sugarcane bene- of medium quality.“For the produc- Development. floor price fixed by the government. In the past three months, onion mother lost her job during the pan- fits both sugar and sugarcane produc- tion of high-quality sugarcane, farm- The government had also fixed the According to sugarcane farmers, prices have more than quadrupled in demic, higher food prices mean ers,” he said. ers need quality seeds,” said Mainali, sugar price at Rs62 per kg last year untimely payments by the sugar mills India, while soyoil prices have rallied watchful purchases of even the most Sugarcane producers have been adding that farmers do not have access based on the price set for sugarcane. and difficulties in getting quality 23 percent. International prices basic items. requesting sugar producers to hold to quality seeds. “The sugar producers “But consumers were compelled to seeds and fertilizer have forced farm- of edible oils, meanwhile, have hit “We are unable to buy ration in discussions with them as well can provide quality seeds for farmers buy sugar at Rs90 per kg but ers to switch to other crops. record highs due to falling bulk for a month anymore,” said before proposing the three-tier for better production.” sugarcane prices remained the same,” “As a result of that, sugarcane pro- stocks. India imports 70 percent of its Solanki, who runs errands at a private pricing system. In the last fiscal year 2019-20, the said Mainali. duction has declined by 40 percent edible oil from countries such company in Mumbai and lives with “Like in the past, sugar producers government announced the floor price “This entails that farmers are not this year compared to last year’s out- as Malaysia, Argentina, Indonesia his parents and sister. have not consulted them with the pric- of sugarcane at Rs536.56 per quintal. getting the price of cane according to put,” Mainali told the Post. “The sug- and Ukraine. “We only buy in small quantities for ing system although they would not The price included a government the price the sugar sold in the market. arcane production is declining annu- “Palm oil prices have jumped in daily use and avoid using expensive oppose the proposal as it would benefit subsidy of Rs65.28 per quintal paid to The government is favouring the mill ally,” he added. Indonesia and Malaysia, soyoil in vegetables as much as we can.”

FOREX ‘Difficult issues remain’: Pandemic draws more Latin American US Dollar 119.67

Euro 141.47 Pound Sterling 157.73 UK, EU will resume trade poor into banking system Japanese Yen 11.39 Chinese Yuan 18.11 talks on Monday Qatari Riyal 32.87 REUTERS Australian Dollar 86.90 LONDON, NOV 14 Malaysian Ringit 29.03 Many businesses Britain and the European Union will Saudi Arab Riyal 31.91 resume trade talks in Brussels on hope that a deal Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank Monday after so far failing to close will be clinched gaps between their positions on two of the thorniest issues that have long PRICE PER TOLA soon to avoid BULLION dogged the negotiations: competition rules and fishing. chaos. Fine Gold Rs 95,200 With just seven weeks before a status quo transition period ends Silver Rs 1,220 and Britain completes its Brexit “The negotiating teams are working journey out of bloc, both sides very hard to bridge the significant SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA have stepped up negotiations on a deal gaps between us. For our part, we con- that would protect nearly a trillion tinue to seek solutions that fully dollars of trade from possible respect UK sovereignty but the GASOLINE WATCH disruption. familiar, difficult issues remain But after missing a mid-November including on the so-called level play- deadline, British officials say ing field and fisheries.” AP/RSS there has been little movement on He also moved to deny suggestions Tatiana Gomez shows how using her cell phone she pays a utility bill, in Bogota, Colombia. stubborn differences over fair that the departure at the end of the competition rules and fisheries, with year by Johnson’s senior adviser, ASSOCIATED PRESS doesn’t cost anything,” she said. region have used virtual finance London repeatedly pushing for Dominic Cummings, would mean a BOGOTA (COLOMBIA), NOV 14 Across Latin America, the Covid-19 tools to distribute pandemic aid, tak- a deal that would respect the country’s softening of position in London, crisis has yielded a rare bright spot: ing a cue from Africa, which has sovereignty. saying: “The government’s position in Sonia Fierro has lived her entire adult Millions of people like Fierro who long used similar alternatives, The EU has urged Britain to com- relation to the future trade agreement life selling children’s books on the were long excluded from traditional according to the Better than Cash promise, saying its geographic prox- negotiations is unchanged.” streets of Colombia’s capital, earning banking have joined the financial sys- Alliance, a coalition of governments imity to the bloc means it cannot be While many deadlines have been wages that barely cover her living tem using digital banking services. and international organizations push- handed a deal similar to those Brussels missed in the years of Brexit talks expenses, let alone the monthly fees Governments tapped into the services ing for digital banking options to help have agreed with countries such as since Britain voted to leave in that come with a bank account. to dole out emergency assistance, and reduce poverty. Canada. So far, despite describing 2016, some businesses are getting When the pandemic left her short the result has been a significant reduc- In Colombia, at least 1.6 million some progress, neither side has increasingly twitchy over whether on cash, she qualified for government tion in the number of people who rely people who never had a bank account moved far enough to allow for any the government is prepared for aid, but she needed an account where solely on cash. have joined the nation’s financial net- breakthrough. January without, or even with, the money could be sent. With the help “To be able to store money, save work since April. Eighty percent use “The talks are continuing in London a deal. of her tech-savvy daughter, she money and pay with money is actually digital wallets like DaviPlata, accord- today, there will be a pause over the Many hope that time pressure signed up for a virtual banking app a really important part of being ing to Luis Alberto Rodríguez, direc- weekend and then we are expecting and a Covid-19 crisis spiralling called DaviPlata, which allows users lifted out of poverty because it makes tor of the Department of National the talks to resume in Brussels on across much of Europe will focus to receive money, retrieve cash and you more resilient to economic Planning. Officials say 85.9 percent of Monday,” a spokesman for British minds on clinching a deal to avoid make payments. shocks,” said Mahesh Uttamchandani, Colombians now have some type of Prime Minister Boris Johnson told chaos in commerce, energy ties “It’s the best thing they could a financial inclusion expert at the account, a level the government did reporters on Friday. and aviation. have done because it’s easy and World Bank. Fourteen countries in the not expect to reach until 2022. G20 strikes historic debt pact to help poorer states hit by Covid

REUTERS uled. International Monetary Fund framework, with several countries tries eligible for the debt payment PARIS/TOKYO/WASHINGTON, NOV 14 Managing Director Kristalina already asking for debt treatments, in freeze put in place in April, but which Georgieva called the framework a his- particular in Africa,” French Finance only included private sector creditors The United States, China and other toric achievement and said it should Bruno Le Maire told his G20 counter- on a voluntary basis, the G20 state- G20 countries on Friday agreed for the increase private sector participation parts during an online meeting. ment said. “Debt transparency is first time on a common approach for and speed up resolution in cases China, which accounted for 63 per- extremely important,” Japanese restructuring government debt as the where debts were unsustainable. cent of overall debt owed to G20 coun- Finance Minister Taro Aso told coronavirus crisis leaves some poorer “Let’s be very frank here. We are not tries in 2019, has been reluctant to reporters after a G20 conference call. nations at risk of default. out of the woods. This crisis is not acknowledge the need for outright The new framework requires all The agreement came as Zambia over. We need further support through cancellation or reduction of debts. public creditors to participate, after said it would not pay an overdue debt relief and through fresh financ- Estimates of total Chinese lending— China was criticised by some G20 Eurobond coupon by Friday’s ing,” she told G20 officials. African which surged in the past 20 years— partners earlier for not including debt deadline, putting it on track to states alone face a financing gap of range from $350 billion to over $1 tril- owed to its state-owned banks. become Africa’s first pandemic-era $345 billion through 2023, she has lion, the US official told reporters Wary about debt write-offs, Beijing sovereign default. warned. Non-governmental groups after Friday’s G20 meeting. has defined the state-owned China Citing the scale of the Covid-19 pan- said the accord should have gone fur- Under the new framework, creditor Development Bank as a private insti- demic and “the significant debt vul- ther by including middle-income countries will negotiate together with tution, resisting calls for full partici- nerabilities and deteriorating outlook countries and forcing private inves- a debtor country, which will be expect- pation in debt relief. Tim Jones, head in many low-income countries,” G20 tors to accept cancellations. ed to seek the same treatment terms of policy at Jubilee Debt Campaign, finance officials agreed more help was A senior US Treasury Department from private sector creditors. said in a statement that the G20 needed than a current freeze in offi- official said Washington was open to The scheme borrows heavily from announcement allowed for, but dis- cial debt payments that runs out at the extending the joint framework to REUTERS rules established by the Paris Club couraged outright debt cancellation, end of June. include middle-income countries George Washington is seen with a surgical mask on one dollar banknotes in this illustration. group of mostly wealthy nations and did not create a mechanism to Major creditors, including China, and small island states, but that view established in 1956, which until now compel private sector participation. will be expected to follow the joint was not shared by all G20 members and Turkey into a coordinated debt especially by China, carefully. was the only joint forum for negotiat- “This announcement falls far guidelines agreed by the G20, which at this stage. restructuring process for the first “I count on everyone’s constructive ing debt restructurings. The new short of what is needed to tackle the lays out how debt deemed to be unsus- The official said the framework time, but said Washington would spirit to ensure swift and cooperative framework aims “to facilitate timely wave of debt crises in poorer coun- tainable can be reduced or resched- brought creditors such as China, India be monitoring its implementation, implementation of the common and orderly debt treatment” for coun- tries,” he said.

C M Y K SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 | 06 WORLD Progressive groups look to make early Biden’s possible India links mark on Biden White House spark genealogical frenzy AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Much of the lobbying centres on who Biden should—or should not—appoint to key posts as he builds out administration. CHENNAI, NOV 14 Already bursting with pride at Kamala ASSOCIATED PRESS curbing lobbyist and corporate inter- Harris’s ancestry, India has now start- WILMINGTON, DEL, NOV 14 ests in government, a stark departure ed digging up potential local roots for from the Trump administration’s US President-elect Joe Biden. Leading progressives are pressuring friendly relationship with large busi- The next leader of the United States President-elect Joe Biden to embrace nesses. But he’s also leaning on advis- has speculated that he might have had their policy agenda even as more cen- ers with deep Washington experience relatives in colonial India. While there trist Democrats argue such proposals and calling for bipartisanship and is no proof, the Biden name has prevented the party from retaking full healing a divided nation—meaning become a genealogical target of inves- control of Congress. his new administration could tigation across the country. For now, much of the lobbying cen- drift naturally toward the middle, A plaque commemorating 19th-cen- tres on who Biden should—or should steered there by his top choices for top tury British ship captain Christopher AFP not—appoint to key posts as he builds positions. Biden has been a popular selfie spot in The grave of Christopher Biden, a potential out the administration that will take Biden won the presidency by refus- the eastern city of Chennai since the ancestor of US President-elect Joe Biden, in office in January. ing to embrace his party’s most liberal US election. Chennai, India. The left-leaning think tank causes, government-funded health And a Biden family in western Progressive Change Institute part- care under “Medicare for All” and the India says it has become “exhausted” eventually settled down in Madras,” nered with more than 40 activist Green New Deal, a collection of pro- by calls since their namesake staked which is now known as Chennai. groups and on Friday released a posals to drastically remake the econ- his claim to the White House. Despite the speculation, there detailed list of 400 progressive policy omy to combat climate change. He The American vote has been under has been no confirmation that the experts they want Biden to bring on. AP/RSS moved to the left amid the coronavirus the spotlight in India because Biden’s Biden brothers are related to the That follows a separate effort from President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theatre in Wilmington. outbreak, though, and is now promis- running mate is the daughter of a 77-year-old American. more than half a dozen progressive ing to revive the economy once the migrant from Tamil Nadu state. If the president-elect does have an groups this week that signed letters pandemic subsides by spending $2 tril- The 56-year-old Harris has made Indian ancestor, Christopher is con- urging the president-elect against Trump, still not conceding defeat, trumpets vaccine progress lion to create green jobs and prioritize much of her Indian connections sidered the most likely candidate, naming anyone with ties to major cor- infrastructure improvements that and how she likes to eat “idli with a according to experts who have studied porate interests to key Cabinet posts. WASHINGTON: Gliding over significant action on the pandemic or to coordi- reduce emissions and work to curb really good sambar”—typical food family records. “Now is absolutely the moment to challenges still to come, President nate with the Biden team during the climate change. from the south. There are also Bidens in Mumbai push Biden to do what’s necessary to Donald Trump offered a rosy update final two months of his presidency “We’re assuming he wants to imple- Less attention has been paid to and Nagpur in Maharashtra state who meet the moment,” said David Segel, a on the race for a vaccine for the resur- will only worsen the effects of the ment the agenda that he campaigned Biden, who has established Irish links. could be descendants of Christopher, former Rhode Island state representa- gent coronavirus as he delivered his virus and hinder the nation’s on and to implement that agenda he But he spoke of possible Indian con- one of eight children of a John Biden tive and executive director of Demand first public remarks since his defeat ability to swiftly distribute a vaccine will need folks in his administration nections on a trip to Mumbai in 2013 who could be the common link. Progress, which was among those by President-elect Joe Biden. He still next year. who have that commitment to getting when he was vice president. The media attention has been signing the letters. did not concede the election. As states impose new restrictions in things done for the public good,” said Biden said in a speech that he had overwhelming, according to the “And that means a robust economic Trump spoke from the Rose Garden the face of rising caseloads, Trump Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the received a letter from an Indian Biden Maharashtra Bidens. response, a robust health care Friday as the nation sets records for asked all Americans to remain “vigi- Progressive Change Institute. “If he after becoming a senator in 1972, sug- Indian media has speculated that response, a willingness to push back confirmed cases of Covid-19, and as lant.” But he ruled out a nationwide has corporate lobbyists in his admin- gesting they could be related. their late grandfather Leslie wrote to against concentrated corporate power hospitalizations near critical levels “lockdown” and appeared to acknowl- istration, it would derail his agenda.” “One of the first letters I received the US politician. that’s fomenting inequality. And he and fatalities climb to the highest lev- edge that the decision won’t be his Lauren Maunus, legislative and and I regret I never followed up on it,” Rowena Biden, a family member in has a mandate to do all of that.” els since the spring. He said a vaccine much longer. advocacy manager for the Sunrise he said. The letter said their “mutual, Mumbai, insisted that they were not The jockeying amounts to the open- would ship in “a matter of weeks” to “This administration will not be Movement—a youth, activist organi- great, great, great, something or other trying to establish any relationship. ing round of what is likely to be a vulnerable populations, though the going to a lockdown,” he said. zation that promotes the Green New worked for the East India Trading “We wish Mr Joe Biden all the lengthy debate over the future of the Food and Drug Administration has “Hopefully whatever happens in the Deal—said Biden bested Trump by Company back in the 1700s”. best for his new role as president Democratic Party. Some centrists have not yet been asked to grant the neces- future, who knows, which administra- “embracing a Rooseveltian vision” It sparked excitement in Chennai, of the USA but we are not trying to blamed losses in the House and a dis- sary emergency approvals. tion it will be I guess time will tell, but that includes the most ambitious envi- capital of Tamil Nadu state, which establish any connections or linkag- appointing performance in the Senate Public health experts worry that I can tell you this administration will ronmental plan in US history. is also home to Harris’s Indian es,” she told AFP. on Republicans’ ability to paint Trump’s refusal to take aggressive not go to a lockdown.” (AP) Maunus, whose group helped com- relatives. “We share a last name and that’s Democrats as having moved too far to pile the list of 400 experts recommend- A plaque at St George’s Cathedral in about it,” she said. the left. ed for the Biden administration and, Chennai that celebrates Christopher “All of us are well-to-do financially That’s creating tension for a party Much of the focus will be on how tions for more than 200 days without separately, signed the letters to Biden Biden, born in 1789, has suddenly and have well-settled lives so we that should be basking in the glow of Biden fills out his administration. In Senate approval. and Senate Democrats, said it wasn’t become a local tourist draw. don’t need any gains—monetary or defeating an incumbent president for a letter earlier this week, top progres- Doing either would keep Senate simply a matter of policy debate with- “We’ve come to know the records of non-monetary.” the first time in nearly 30 years. sive groups asked Biden to “decline Republicans from blocking Biden’s top in the Democratic Party, but instead a two Bidens—William Biden and Rowena Biden said that after the “We’re a big family. There’s lots of to nominate or hire corporate choices—especially the most progres- case where many corporate and fossil Christopher Biden—who were broth- first reports came out about different parts to the family,” said executives, lobbyists, and prominent sive ones whose nominations would fuel interests are trying to seize the ers and became captains of the East the possible links, “people started Mitch Landrieu, the former corporate consultants to serve in face the toughest confirmation fights. mantle of political centrists to protect India Company on merchant ships in tracking us to our house and Democratic mayor of New Orleans high office.” Additionally, the groups sent a similar their financial interests. the 19th century,” the Bishop of everyone in the family had to bear the who has a reputation as a political They also said he should aggressive- letter to Senate Democrats instructing “He was elected on this promise of Madras, Reverend J George Stephen, brunt of it”. centrist. “It’s a welcome discussion ly make appointments while Congress them to hold Biden accountable to being a climate president,” Maunus told AFP. The “undue limelight” had cast a because the country is changing dra- is not in session and employ the those demands. said of Biden. “We think it’s both pop- “While William Biden died at an shadow over “the primacy of Mr matically, and we have to think of how Vacancy Act, a 1998 law that allows for Biden has promised to expand ular and politically advantageous to early age, Christopher Biden went Biden’s win and our privacy as well”, to navigate into the future.” appointments to administration posi- Obama administration ethics rules lean into this role.” on to captain several ships, and she said.

BRIEFING Vietnam braces for Typhoon

Israeli operatives killed al Vamco, 53 dead in Philippines Qaeda No 2 in Iran: NYT REUTERS long coastline. Vamco will be the 13th WASHINGTON: Al Qaeda’s sec- HANOI/MANILA, NOV 14 storm that affects the Southeast Asian ond-in-command, accused of helping country this year, where more than to mastermind the 1998 bombings of Vietnam was bracing for Typhoon 160 people have been killed in natural two US embassies in Africa, was Vamco to make landfall in the coun- disasters triggered by a series of killed in Iran in August by Israeli try’s central coast early on Sunday, as storms since early October. operatives acting at the behest of the the death toll in the Philippines rose “There has been no respite for more United States, the New York Times to 53 from that country’s deadliest than eight million people living in reported, citing intelligence officials. storm this year. central Vietnam,” said Nguyen Thi Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went Packing winds of up to 165 kph (103 Xuan Thu, Vietnam Red Cross Society by the nom de guerre Abu mph), Vamco is forecast to hit a swathe President. “Each time they start Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned of Vietnam’s coast from Ha Tinh to rebuilding their lives and livelihoods, down by two men on a motorcycle in Quang Ngai province, the govern- they are pummelled by yet another the streets of Tehran on August 7, the ment’s weather agency said on storm.” Times reported on Friday. The killing Saturday. In the Philippines, coast guard and of Masri, who was seen as a likely “This is a very strong typhoon,” disaster agencies scrambled on successor to al Qaeda’s current lead- Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Saturday to rescue thousands in a er, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was kept Phuc said, warning provinces in northern province after the 21st secret until now, the newspaper said. Vamco’s projected path to prepare for cyclone to hit the Philippines this A senior Afghan security source told its impact. year tore through the main island Reuters in October that Masri, who The provinces plan to evacuate of Luzon late on Wednesday and has long been on the US. 468,000 people by the end of Saturday, early Thursday. state media cited the government’s Vamco has killed at least 53 people, disaster management authority as injured 52 and left 22 missing in the AP/RSS Airports near Ethiopia’s Tigray saying. Vietnam is prone to destruc- Philippines, according to the A policemen helps traditional drummers, who have travelled from villages, hire a taxi to be dropped at a worship venue for performance ahead state attacked with rockets tive storms and flooding due to its Philippines police and army. of Hindu festival Kali Puja, in Kolkata, India, on Saturday. ADDIS ABABA: Two airports in Ethiopia’s Amhara state which neigh- bours Tigray where federal troops are fighting local forces were targeted by rocket fire late on Friday, the govern- ment said. One of the rockets hit the Trust in vaccines vital to halting pandemic, WHO expert says airport in Gondar and partially dam- aged it late on Friday, said Awoke Worku, spokesperson for Gondar cen- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ing the pandemic, she said. “We are not going to be successful involved in evaluating, we will not be should be able to immunise 20 percent tral zone, while a second one fired GENEVA, NOV 14 But with the pandemic continuing as a world in controlling the pandemic compromising on safety or efficacy,” of their population by the end of simultaneously landed just outside of to surge after already claiming some with the use of vaccines as one of the she said. 2021,” O’Brien said. the airport at Bahir Dar. The govern- As the world celebrates advances in 1.3 million lives, she voiced deep con- tools unless people are willing to get O’Brien acknowledged that there That, she said, would go a long ment blamed the ruling party in vaccines against the novel coronavi- cern at growing signs of vaccine hesi- vaccinated,” O’Brien said. were a number of outstanding ques- way to providing protection to health- Tigray, the Tigray People’s Liberation rus, a top WHO expert warned in an tancy, with misinformation and mis- More needed to be done to tions about the Pfizer-BioNTech vac- care workers and the most vulnerable Front. “The TPLF junta is utilising interview with AFP that public dis- trust colouring people’s acceptance of boost public “confidence in the cine candidate and its peers, including populations, as well as those essential the last of the weaponry within its trust risked rendering even the most scientific advances. fact that the vaccines that WHO is how long protection against the virus to keeping societies running, like arsenals,” the government’s emergen- effective treatments useless against would last. teachers. cy task force wrote on Twitter. the pandemic. And while the vaccine candidates After that, how quickly everyone “A vaccine that sits in a freezer or are being tested for how effectively else could access a vaccine would in a refrigerator or on a shelf and and safely they protect people from largely depend on which country they Iota threatens second tropical doesn’t get used is doing nothing to developing the disease, it remains live in, and whether their government help shorten this pandemic,” said unclear whether they actually avert had made deals to access vaccines that hit for Nicaragua, Honduras Kate O’Brien, director of the World asymptomatic infection and transmis- obtain approval. ST PETERSBURG, FLA: Tropical Storm Health Organization’s immunisation sion of the virus. “We would expect many more doses Iota was brewing in the Caribbean department. A big question, she said, is: “does it in 2022,” O’Brien said. Sea early Saturday, threatening a sec- US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and change your likelihood of transmit- Meanwhile, the logistical challeng- ond tropical strike for Nicaragua and its German partner BioNTech ting to anybody else?” es of getting approved vaccines out to Honduras, countries recently ran- announced on Monday that their pro- Despite the remaining questions, billions who need it are daunting, sacked by a Category 4 Hurricane spective vaccine had proven 90 per- the WHO is betting on one or more from manufacturing to ensuring the Eta. The National Hurricane Center cent effective in preventing Covid-19 vaccines winning approval soon, fol- transportation and storage at the in Miami said Iota could bring dan- infections in ongoing final phase lowed by a rapid scale-up of produc- extremely low temperatures some of gerous wind, storm surge and as trials involving more than 40,000 tion and distribution. the candidates require. much as 30 inches (76 centimetres) of people. Anticipating the huge demand for “A vaccine that is highly efficacious rainfall to the two Central American O’Brien hailed the interim results any approved vaccine, the UN health and is safe... still is only valuable for a countries, approaching their coasts as as “extremely important”, and voiced agency has helped create the so-called public health impact if it actually gets early as Monday. The system formed hope that preliminary data from a Covax facility to ensure equitable to the people that it needs to protect Friday afternoon. The storm was handful of other candidate vaccines distribution. and is used widely in populations,” located early Saturday about 340 in similarly advanced trials would But even with gargantuan O’Brien said. miles (545 kilometres) south-south- come through soon. efforts, it will take a while before Developing a safe and effective vac- east of Kingston, Jamaica, and had If the complete data show that there are enough doses for cine “is like establishing base camp at maximum sustained winds of 40 mph “one or more of these vaccines has everyone, and the WHO has set out Everest,” she said. (65 kph). There were no coastal warn- very, very substantial efficacy, AFP guidelines for how to prioritise the “But actually getting to the impact ings or watches in effect as of that is really good news for putting US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said their prospective distribution. of vaccines is [like] having to climb Saturday morning. (AGENCIES) another tool in the toolbox” for fight- vaccine had proven 90 percent effective. “The goal here is that every country Everest.”

C M Y K 07 | SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 SPORTS | MEDLEY BRIEFING Brazil labour to 1-0 win, Uruguay defeat Colombia Mourinho handed suspended one-match European ban Firmino scores the only goal for Brazil who are without six players including Neymar, while Uruguay secure 3-0 victory over Colombia in an away match. LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur manager ASSOCIATED PRESS including goalkeeper Martin Silva, Jose Mourinho has been handed a SAO PAULO, NOV 14 defender Sebastian Coates, midfielder suspended one-match European com- Federico Valverde, and striker Maxi petition ban, UEFA said on Friday. Brazil struggled to beat Venezuela 1-0 Gómez. But a mistake by Colombia The Portuguese coach was deemed to at home, but that was enough for defender Yerry Mina in the fifth min- be responsible for the late kickoff of coach Tite’s team to take the lead in ute gave Uruguay the lead. Mina lost Tottenham’s Europa League match at South American World Cup qualifying the ball near his penalty box, Nahitan Royal Antwerp on October 29. UEFA’s with nine points from three matches. Nández pounced, and Cavani hit gen- Control, Ethics and Disciplinary body The winning goal in Sao Paulo was tly from close range, giving no chance said the ban is deferred for a proba- scored by Roberto Firmino from close to goalkeeper David Ospina. tionary period of one year. Spurs range in the 67th minute. Colombia missed a chance when were also fined 25,000 euros for late Brazil did not have six players from Duvan Zapata’s header hit the right kickoff plus 3,000 euros for a breach their original squad for the match, post. Uruguay came back through a of UEFA’s equipment regulations. including injured Neymar. They will counterattack. Rodrigo Betancur also be absent for Tuesday’s clash at stopped a Colombia push and fed Argentine midfielder Palacios Uruguay, who earlier beat Colombia Suarez. The striker passed it back to away 3-0. Uruguay are in fourth posi- Betancur inside the penalty box and suffers spinal fracture tion after the win in Barranquilla the midfielder was brought down by BUENOS AIRES: Argentina midfielder with six points, one behind second Jeison Murillo. Suarez, the top goal Exequiel Palacios fractured a bone in place Argentina. The top four teams scorer in South American qualifiers, his lower back during the 1-1 draw will automatically qualify for the 2022 netted his from the spot in the 54th with Paraguay in Thursday’s World World Cup in Qatar. The fifth-place minute. Nunez made it 3-0 in the 73rd, Cup qualifier, the Argentine Football team will go into an inter-continental and Colombia got into deeper trouble Association (AFA) confirmed on play-off. in the last minute when defender Friday. Palacios sustained the injury The Brazilians had four goals disal- Mina was sent off after receiving a in an aerial duel with Angel Romero lowed during the match — three for second yellow card. in the first half of the contest at La offside reviewed by video assistant Colombia dropped to seventh place Bombonera and was replaced by referee and one because of a foul. But in the standings. They next play Giovani Lo Celso, who took the cor- that did not hide the flaws of a disor- Ecuador in Quito. “In the two first ner from which Nicolas Gonzalez ganized team that had lost Neymar, goals we made mistakes,” Colombia headed home Argentina’s equaliser. midfielders Philippe Coutinho and coach Carlos Queiroz said. “We have The AFA did not specify how long Fabinho, and defenders Eder Militão, to take responsibility. They made Palacios would be out for, adding that Rodrigo Caio and Gabriel Menino for fewer mistakes and in football that is the 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen the match. AP/RSS the team that wins.” player’s condition would be moni- Venezuela defended well during Roberto Firmino (right) has scored in all three World Cup Qualifier matches for Brazil who occupy top spot in the CONMEBOL Qualification. Also on Friday, Chile beat Peru 2-0 tored in hospital. most of the match, but created little with Arturo Vidal scoring in the 20th risk for goalkeeper Ederson. The only scored in all three Brazil matches in American World Cup qualifiers was at play, which means they could leave minute with a screamer from mid- goal of the match at the Morumbi sta- qualifiers. Tite admitted Neymar was Chile in 2015, but the performance and more gaps for us to counter,” he said. range and in the 35th, just pushing the Ireland’s Browne tests dium came when midfielder Everton deeply missed. “In one moment he can the absent players gave the impres- Uruguay defeated Colombia 3-0 in a ball past the line. The Chileans are positive after England game Ribeiro crossed from the right, left- do something that no one else antici- sion that record is at serious risk at match marked by goals from their now in sixth place with four points. back Renan Lodi won a head contest pates,” Tite said. “We were Copa Uruguay. Midfielder Allan disagrees, 33-year-old strikers Edinson Cavani Their next match is at Venezuela on LONDON: Ireland midfielder Alan with Venezuelan defenders and the America champions last year without though. and Luis Suarez, and Darwin Nunez Tuesday. On the same day Peru, in Browne has tested positive for Covid- ball ended with Firmino, who just him, but we still missed him.” “It will be totally different against added the third. eighth position with only one point, 19, less than a day after playing pushed it to the net. Firmino has Brazil’s last defeat in South Uruguay. They will come at us and Uruguay were without key players will host second-place Argentina. against England in Thursday’s friend- ly at Wembley. Browne, 25, is the sec- ond Ireland player to test positive for the novel coronavirus this week after striker Callum Robinson missed the 3-0 defeat for the same reason. “There Russian athletics marks five years Southgate hails Harry Kane’s are no close contacts of the player and the rest of the staff & squad test- ed negative ahead of Sunday’s UEFA Nations League against Wales,” the under suspension for doping ability to provide assists Football Association of Ireland said REUTERS finisher. Clearly the combinations at on Twitter on Friday. ASSOCIATED PRESS to get back your flag and anthem,” of an appropriate cultural shift within LONDON, NOV 14 club level with Son (Heung-min), in MOSCOW, NOV 14 three-time world high jump champion the sport in Russia, for the benefit of particular (are impressive). So we’re Mariya Lasitskene, a prominent voice clean athletes everywhere, in order to England manager Gareth Southgate privileged to have him... it’s great to Salah tests positive for virus Russia marked five years under criticizing the slow pace of reform, consider federation’s reinstatement.” said he is not surprised by the number see him hitting that sort of form.” CAIRO: Liverpool striker Mohamed suspension from international track wrote on Instagram on Friday. She A limited number of Russians, of chances Harry Kane has created for Kane was an unused substitute in Salah has tested positive for the coro- and field on Friday, with its return added an ironic “thank you” to the including Lasitskene, have been Tottenham Hotspur this season, add- Thursday’s 3-0 friendly win over navirus on the eve of Egypt’s Africa from the doping sanction seemingly Russian Sports Ministry, Russian allowed to compete as “Authorized ing the striker’s passing ability has Ireland but is set to earn his 50th cap Cup of Nations qualifier against still far away. Athletics Federation and national Neutral Athletes” at events such as always been as good as his finishing. against Belgium. “I’m hoping he does Togo, the Egyptian Football Russia was suspended in 2015 by Olympic committee. She was favourite the world championships after being Kane has scored seven goals and get that 50th cap... because it would Association said on Friday. “The med- World Athletics, then known as the for gold at 2016 Olympics but missed vetted. Even that system was curtailed provided eight assists in eight Premier mean we would have got through ical swab conducted on the mission IAAF, after investigations found wide- the games when only one Russian ath- for the 2020 season after Russian feder- League matches for Spurs this season another couple of days without losing of our first national football team spread doping and cover-ups. Runner lete, US-based long jumper Darya ation officials were accused of and Southgate said that he was another player,” Southgate, who is showed that our international player, Yulia Stepanova and her husband, for- Klishina, was approved to compete. obstructing an investigation. Who will delighted to have the 27-year-old firing without the likes of Marcus Rashford Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star, mer anti-doping official Vitaly “This has been a much longer pro- be eligible for next year’s Tokyo on all cylinders for Sunday’s Nations and Joe Gomez due to injuries, said. was infected with the coronavirus, Stepanov, testified and provided cess than we would have hoped or Olympics remains uncertain, too. League clash against Belgium. “Harry’s scoring record for us is phe- after his test came back positive,” the undercover footage showing top ath- expected but World Athletics remains Efforts to reinstate the federation “I know there seems to be more nomenal. You always know, going into federation said in a statement. “The letes appearing to discuss using determined to ensure that there is known as RusAF have been held back emphasis or more spotlight on that a game with the likes of him and player does not suffer from any symp- banned substances. Since then, genuine reform within the Russian by disagreements over how effective part of his game now, but he’s definite- Raheem (Sterling), that we’ve got tre- toms. The other members of the team Russians have been primarily compet- federation,” World Athletics told The and sincere are the country’s efforts to ly always had it,” Southgate told mendous goal threat now, which a lot tested negative. In addition to his iso- ing at track meets as neutral athletes Associated Press in an email. “The implement anti-doping reforms. reporters. “He’s as good a provider countries would be delighted to have.” lation inside his room and also isolat- without national symbols. World Athletics Council has made it Russia paid a $5 million fine in August, and as good a passer as he is a finisher After Belgium clash, England take ing all his contacts.” (AGENCIES) “When even five years isn’t enough clear that it will need to see evidence but after missing the initial deadline. and he is, of course, an outstanding on Iceland at Wembley three day later. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** If it feels like powerful people are being too critical Fight any urge to go it alone today. At first glance, it You’re ready to handle all your commitments with You’ve achieved a whole lot recently, and you of you right now, try not to overreact. It’s not easy or might seem like it would be easier to get things done effervescent zeal today! A lesser being would find all deserve to brag a little bit! Get your closest wise to ignore the comments of influential folks, but by yourself, but you have to start reaching out for the details too overwhelming, but not you. You feed friends together for a celebration, virtually if you right now it’s not constructive to dwell on what they guidance from others if you want to get the most off the pressure and speed through the day like a have to, or socially distanced if you can meet in find wrong with you either. possible value out of experiences. whirling dervish. person.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** Try to avoid giving bad news to anyone today. It could Your mind is sharp when it comes to numbers today, People who seem to be simple and carefree are often Adopting the “live and let live” philosophy will help stir up some things that don’t need to be revisited. which means it’s a great time to look at your finances hiding a few secrets. Keep that in mind when you’re keep you grounded today, and help you make the right But if you absolutely have to relay negative news, be with a fresh eye. Review your budget and you could having a confidential conversation today. Don’t just decisions. If someone else’s choices are upsetting as tactful as you can about it. Avoid making jokes or see a few items that can be adjusted. One small alter- assume that they don’t know what you’re talking you, you have to try to let go. You can’t change who using humor to deflect the tension. ation could yield some big rewards quite soon. about. They might know more than you do! they are or what they think.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** Running around tending to tasks will probably be the You’ve had a long time to tidy up that messy situa- You may have been given some responsibilities that Consider yourself lucky if you’re assigned to a sup- most physical exercise you have time for today. tion, and you still haven’t finished the job! True, it’s require you to be the voice of authority. This is a porting role. A low-stress environment is just the There are going to be a lot of people demanding your no fun to apologize and admit you were wrong, but change if you’re usually the one making all the wise- ticket for you right now. Being more of a behind-the- attention, obligations to take care of, and errands to until you do you won’t be able to put this thing cracks. While initially challenging, this role is going scenes player will give you a chance to get a fresh run. behind you. Just tackle it head-on. to start feeling more comfortable to you. look at the goals you need to tackle next. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 | 08 BLACKBOARD (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Hard work matters Similes and metaphors Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, SUSHANT THAPA

sacrifice and, most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. I cannot forget the figurative language, they assured me a lot. I worded like the wordsmith and pictured my pain like a painter Stroking the canvas I wrote for the thin air I wrote for the heavy heart I also wrote for the expressive art My repetition of same old words bring me to nowhere Therefore, I want the words to be figurative. In search of meanings I left the similes and metaphors I asked a few poets— Why did they bid goodbye to the figurative language? They said they also embraced the meaning instead However, I lacked the courage to discard the figurative language For, I am delighted to become a bird and fly in the sky I am happy to become a fish in the sea My being something else is also my cosmos of existence.

Thapa is a student of MA in English Literature from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India.

SHUTTERSTOCK SAROJ WAGLE And when this happens, people have this thing you can do is turn a deaf ear to it and tendency to blame others, even circumstances. focus on achieving your goals. few days ago, one of my sisters When things go wrong, it is hard to believe that Apart from that, it is not hyperbolic told me, “Give your best for it is because of our own doing. But we must to say that most people are over ambitious— whatever you do in your life, and accept and take responsibility for problems but without a clear plan. And because then you will undoubtedly suc- when they do arise in our lives. of that they do not have faith in themselves ceed. Hard work pays off.” Instead of pointing the finger at others, we and in what they really want to do in life. Her wise words hit my mind ourselves should correct our ways in order to They forget that we have to keep reminding likeA a fire. I mean to say that not in a negative move ahead in the right direction. ourselves that we have to take things step by way, but in a positive way. step, and everything will be okay in the end if Many of us are guilty of not being the we work hard and have a clear plan of action. most sincere when it comes to work, and the When things go wrong, Therefore, we have to patiently wait for that so most hardworking. But in today’s world, it is we can achieve our goals. only through hard work that we can achieve it is hard to believe To sum up, to quote the legendary Pele: our goals. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, But reaching our goals is not easy. On the that it is because of perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and path of achieving our goals, we face many most of all, love of what you are doing or problems and many times we may lose our our own doing. learning to do.” path as well. This is the reason why, as we can In today’s world, there is no shortcut formu- see in our society, people study subjects la for success. The only formula is believing in that will assure they do not stray away from Then, there are also some people who will ourselves for the sake of achieving our goals. their path to success. try to bring you down. People will talk non- After all, hard work really matters. They do not take risks—even if they are not sense about you and backbite. I must say that interested in pursuing the path they have this is not good at any cost. No good ever comes Wagle is an MBA graduate from Charotar taken. As a result, they cannot alter their plans from bringing others down. For those who University of Science and Technology, Gujarat, later in life even if they are unhappy. hear people back-biting about you, the only India. SHUTTERSTOCK FICTION PARK The porter Anderson started calling out his wife’s name hysterically, but no one was there to help him. He was convinced the porter took off with his belongings and something horrible had happened to his wife.

LB THAPA your wife will be with you and the culprit will be under our custody,” assured ow old are you? I don’t inspector Dammber Bahadur. think you can carry this Inspector Dammber received a message load. It is simply too much on his wireless set that Thaman Budha for you,” said Anderson, a was arrested. trekker from Germany. His “Mr Anderson, Thaman Budha has wife Sophia was also with been arrested and we will be there within Hhim. Anderson had been to Nepal several 20 minutes”, said the inspector trium- times before, but it was Sophia’s first time phantly. And very soon they reached the trekking in Nepal. place where Thaman Budha was under “Sir, my name is Thaman Budha and I police custody. am 50 years old. I’m strong enough to Thaman Budha was then not fully con- carry this load and I will not have any scious. Inspector Dipesh, in charge of the difficulty,” said Thaman Budha with con- area police station, said, “He was with fidence. two persons. When they saw us, the two “If you think you can carry this lug- men ran away but he stood there. Fearing gage, then I don’t have any problem. But he might run away, we landed our stick on can you please lift the luggage once? To his leg and he fell unconscious. Now I make sure if you can carry it or not. I realise that he was already injured badly. don’t want you to leave the luggage in the These injuries are not because of our middle of the trek. Here in Ghandruk, I beating”. can find porters, but up on trail it will be Inspector Dammber asked two police- difficult to find porters,” said Anderson. men to accompany him to take Thaman “Don’t worry, sir. I assure you you will Budha to the health post for treatment. be highly satisfied with my service as a When doctors saw Thaman Budha, they porter,” said Thaman Budha, carrying asked what happened to him. the load. “This man had brought a foreign lady “Well, I’m convinced,” said Anderson, SHUTTERSTOCK for the treatment. Now she is better,” said with a broad smile on his face. takes goats and one buffalo out for graz- meantime, Anderson encouraged his wife tion was critical, as her pulse was very the doctor and they showed Sophia’s bed. Anderson had come to Nepal for the ing every day and my daughter goes to cut and asked her to continue walking, low. Anderson was also in semi conscious When Anderson saw Sophia, he held her first time some 8 years ago. Ever since grass and collect some dry wood in the because the weather was fast turning condition. against his chest and began crying like a then, he had come to Nepal almost every forest. My wife takes care of household ominous. Black clouds had begun swirl- After about one hour, Anderson child. year for trekking. Although he was not a activities,” replied Thaman Budha. ing from the horizons and visibility had regained consciousness and looked Sophia said that if she was alive it was professional trekker or any sort of climb- “It seems life must be very difficult in dropped drastically. around, but he found himself alone there. only because of Thaman Budha. er, he would trek for sheer pleasure. When your village. By the way, where is your The first few droplets began falling The heavy rainfall had been over. Thaman “We had been hit by a powerful lighten- he was a young man he would go for long, village?” asked Sophia out of curiosity. sporadically. Thaman Budha put down Budha was not around, nor was the doco. ing. Thaman Budha took out the entire difficult treks, but now Anderson, 56, was Thaman Budha’s talk sounded outlandish his load and began covering his doco Their luggage was strewn on the ground. luggage from the doco and made space for happy doing short treks. to Sophia. (corn basket) with a plastic lest the lug- Then he realised his personal bag in me. For the safety of our money and valu- Only last year he had been to Mardi “It is Homa-Hangbang village. It lies 25 gage got wet. It was only drizzling and so which he had his wallet, credit cards and able belongings, he put our bag in the Himal. That was the best trekking experi- km west from Libang, the district head- Anderson and Sophia continued walking. his expensive camera were missing. doco as well. Without stopping for a ence he had ever had in his life. Anderson quarters of Rolpa. It is a remote village in But all of a sudden a heavy downpour Sophia was also nowhere around. moment, Thaman Budha brought me told many stories of his trekking Rolpa. There was no motorable road until made them rush to take immediate refuge Anderson started calling out his wife’s here. Had I been left there I would have adventures in Nepal to his wife Sophia. 2019. We villagers contributed our labour under a big tree. name hysterically, but no one was there to been dead by now”. After listening to Anderson’s wonderful and finally a graveled road was built. help him. Anderson was convinced that In the meantime, Thaman Budha felt trekking stories, Sophia, 53, decided to That connected our village to upper Thaman Buddha took off with his belong- better and he spoke with Anderson, “Sir, I accompany her husband for a short trek Lisbang. Now life is a little better than He had come to Nepal ings and something horrible had hap- saw your condition was not as critical as this time. before. At least now we can sell our pro- pened to Sophia. madam’s. I could not carry both of you in Anderson and Sophia had only just duce to nearby villages including Libang,” for the first time some As Anderson was already familiar with one doco, which is why I decided to carry started the trek. They had started walk- explained Thaman Budha. the place, he walked ahead briskly for ma’am and I brought her to the health ing from Nayapul to Ghandruk with a “Very interesting,” said Sophia, 8 years ago and has about half an hour and reached a post. Then, I was taking two local men porter, and already Sophia was awestruck as she looked for her husband who was local police station. He lodged a com- with me to bring you too but the police at Nepal’s wealth of natural beauty. Birds, coming up slowing. They were passing since then returned plaint against Thaman Budha for kidnap- attacked us. However, I’m very glad to see rivers, mountains and forest simply left through Bhanjyang Danda. It was a steep ping his wife and stealing his valuable you in good condition”. Sophia mesmerised. uphill three-km trail that meandered almost every year. belongings. “You see, sir. Thaman Budha has They had breakfast at Ghandruk and through the hill and ended on the A police team was immediately dis- proved he is a real Gurkha: honest and set out for an arduous trek. Bhanjyang Kot. Sophia was very tired and patched along with Anderson. brave” said inspector Dammber proudly. “Do you have family, Thaman?” asked asked Thaman Budha to take a little While the rain poured, the sky broke “Don’t worry, sir. He must have not And the case against Thaman Budha was Sophia. break. out with a deafening sound and a bright gone very far. We will catch him. immediately dismissed. “Yes, ma’am. I have my wife and one Finally, they reached Bhanjyang Kot. light hit the tree. The light was so bright Moreover, I have already alerted all police Later, it was known that Anderson and daughter and one son. My son and daugh- They had lunch and spent some time that Thaman Budha turned blind for stations in this region. Now he cannot his wife Sophia had visited Thaman ter are twins. Now they are ten years old,” there before resuming their trek. Now, the some time. He was on the ground and his escape. You will see he will be under our Budha’s home village and helped him to said Thaman, adjusting his weight. trail was all steep downhill. Sophia found doco was nearby him. Thaman Budha custody within a few hours,” said police start a new business in Libang, the dis- “Oh, interesting. You have twins. Do walking downhill was much more diffi- wanted to lift his doco, but he saw inspector Dammber Bahadur confidently. trict headquarters of Rolpa. they go to school?” asked Sophia. cult than walking uphill. Her legs were Anderson and his wife Sophia fall uncon- “I’m worried about my wife,” said “No, ma’am. They don’t go to school. I trembling and she felt as if her legs would scious to the ground. Thaman Budha ran Anderson hopelessly. Thapa is a Pokhara-based freelance writer have little land and livestock. My son soon refuse to carry her weight. In the towards them. He realised Sophia’s condi- “I promise you Mr Anderson, very soon and author.

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