SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, DEC 27 -
The secretary general of the UN World Tourism Organization, seven SAARC tourism ministers and the secretary of the Cambodian Tourism Ministry have confirmed that they will be attending the inauguration of Nepal Tourism Year. NTY 2011 is scheduled to be launched on Jan. 14 at Dasrath Stadium in Kathmandu at 11 a.m.
Tourism ministers from China and Japan have expressed interest to participate in the function, but they have not confirmed, said Nepal Tourism Board spokesperson Aditya Baral. The government has invited the tourism ministers of 24 Asian countries to the inaugural to strengthen bilateral ties and promote tourism in the region.
SAARC tourism secretaries are scheduled to arrive on Jan. 11. There will be an extensive joint secretary level meeting of the SAARC Tourism Working Committee from Jan. 12-13 where discussions will focus on the problems and barriers confronting tourism promotion.
On Jan. 13, the SAARC ministers will endorse the meeting’s declaration. On Jan. 14, NTY 2011 will be inaugurated amid a gala function.
“We are inviting President Ram Baran Yadav to inaugurate the ceremony at Dasrath Stadium,” Baral said. According to the NTB, over 28,000 people are expected to participate in the three-hour-long event. The SAARC inter-government body will discuss the possibility of joint marketing, softening the visa regime, giving access to cross-border driving licenses, making Indian currency more flexible and increasing inter-SAARC movement by air by the national flag carrier of each country, a government official said.
The NTB has proposed giving a public holiday to government staff on the day. The NTB said that all the districts would organize the NTY 2011 launching programme under the coordination of their respective chief district officers. Similarly, tourist destinations like Pokhara and Chitwan, among other places, are aggressively preparing for their own special functions.
According to the Tourism Ministry, Nepal received more than 500,000 tourists in 2009.
Monday, December 27, 2010
NAC trade unions at loggerheads
SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, DEC 27 -
Unions at the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) that had united against the Fifth Freedom Right awarded to Air Arabia are now divided on whether NAC Managing Director Kul Bahadur Limbu be allowed to enter the office.
After the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case against NAC Executive Chairman Sugat Ratna Kansakar and suspended him, the executive authority of the corporation has fallen into Limbu’s hands.
The unions’ meeting held on Monday discussed the matter extensively. However, no agreement was reached.
“If we were to stop Limbu from entering the office, there will be more delay in bringing back the aircraft that was sent for maintenance,” said Rajendra Regmi, president of Nepal National Employees’ Union, after the meeting.
Regmi added that disrupting the administrative and management work would further increase the cost of the aircraft maintenance. “So, we decided to let Limbu to resume work on Monday.”
On the other hand, Tarani Raj Dahal, president of NAC Employee’ Association, said the meeting did not withdraw the agitation and Limbu would not be allowed to resume duty.
Dahal said that until the post of Chairman that has remained vacant after the suspension of Kansakar is filled, there are fears that the board may take a unilateral decision. “We can make the payment for aircraft maintenance until Jan. 10,” added Dahal. According to Dahal, the unions’ are scheduled to meet Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari and Secretary Kishore
Thapa on Tuesday to press them to fill the Chairman’s post at the earliest.
The NAC trade unions had called an indefinite strike in NAC’s domestic operation two weeks ago, demanding that the government revoke its decision to allow Air Arabia to operate Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur flights.
The unified trade union committee had also barred NAC’s top-level officials from carrying out their duties and demanded they lobby with the government to immediately begin the purchase process of new aircraft and end the ongoing dispute regarding the executive power of NAC.
KATHMANDU, DEC 27 -
Unions at the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) that had united against the Fifth Freedom Right awarded to Air Arabia are now divided on whether NAC Managing Director Kul Bahadur Limbu be allowed to enter the office.
After the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) filed a corruption case against NAC Executive Chairman Sugat Ratna Kansakar and suspended him, the executive authority of the corporation has fallen into Limbu’s hands.
The unions’ meeting held on Monday discussed the matter extensively. However, no agreement was reached.
“If we were to stop Limbu from entering the office, there will be more delay in bringing back the aircraft that was sent for maintenance,” said Rajendra Regmi, president of Nepal National Employees’ Union, after the meeting.
Regmi added that disrupting the administrative and management work would further increase the cost of the aircraft maintenance. “So, we decided to let Limbu to resume work on Monday.”
On the other hand, Tarani Raj Dahal, president of NAC Employee’ Association, said the meeting did not withdraw the agitation and Limbu would not be allowed to resume duty.
Dahal said that until the post of Chairman that has remained vacant after the suspension of Kansakar is filled, there are fears that the board may take a unilateral decision. “We can make the payment for aircraft maintenance until Jan. 10,” added Dahal. According to Dahal, the unions’ are scheduled to meet Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Sharat Singh Bhandari and Secretary Kishore
Thapa on Tuesday to press them to fill the Chairman’s post at the earliest.
The NAC trade unions had called an indefinite strike in NAC’s domestic operation two weeks ago, demanding that the government revoke its decision to allow Air Arabia to operate Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur flights.
The unified trade union committee had also barred NAC’s top-level officials from carrying out their duties and demanded they lobby with the government to immediately begin the purchase process of new aircraft and end the ongoing dispute regarding the executive power of NAC.
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