The first National Blood Conference organised here from June 13 by the Blood Donors´ Association Nepal (BLODAN) held in the capital has demanded that service of Central Blood Transfusion Center, the body assigned for management, test and distribution of blood, be made effective with increasing public awareness on the importance of blood donation. Representatives from the World Health Organisation, Ministry of Health and Population and Nepal Red Cross society attended the conference.
Participants of the programme presented 15 different working papers on topics like ´Motivating people for blood donation and its safe management,´ among others. According to Association Chairman Mahendra Bilas Joshi, the conference expressed commitment to making the blood-related programmes more effective in the days ahead. Association Central Member Bishnu Shrestha said they were planning to operate various public awareness programmes on the importance of blood donation very soon.
Foreign minister meets with diplomats
KATHMANDU June 17: Foreign Minister Madhav Prasad Ghimire had a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of various countries based in Nepal, and providing significant contribution to the Nepal Peace Fund.
Matters relating to bilateral relations and the Fund activities were discussed. On the occasion, Swiss Ambassador to Nepal Thomas Gass welcomed the announcement of elections for November 19. Founded in 2007, the Fund has been receiving financial contribution from Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, European Union and Britain. The fund is focused basically on the peace process and post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction. Meanwhile, the government of Switzerland has provided a grant assistance of Rs. 904.3 million including for the upcoming elections to the Constituent Assembly. An agreement towards that end was signed today in presence of Finance Minister Shanker Prasad Koirala by Finance Joint-secretary Madhukumar Marasini and Ambassador Gass. Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Koirala said the coming budget will give high priority to the CA elections and would ensure that there will be enough budget for the same. Ambassador Gass expressed happiness for being able to support the Peace Fund in order to make Nepal´s peace process successful. RSS
Special Court sentences timber smugglers to jail
KATHMANDU June 17: The Special Court on Monday sentenced the District Forest Officials and Community Forest Users´ Committee office-bearers in Bardia to between three months to two years of jail after finding them guilty of illegal felling of trees in the community forest.
The order by a joint bench of Supreme Court Chairman Kedar Prasad Chalise and members Mohan Raman Bhattarai and Bhupendra Prasad Rai sentenced then Forest officer Prabhu Nath Yadav to two years in prison and assistant forest officer Hari Narayan Acharya to 18 months in jail, according to registrar of the Special Court Dhir Bahadur Chand.
Likewise other accomplices in the crime forest officials Suraj Nidhi and ranger Bishnu Prasad Yogi were awarded a year-long jail sentence while Shyam Nath Jha, Bodha Narayan Kunwar, Lalan Kumar Jha were sentenced to six months in prison. Another Ranger Upendra Giri was sentenced to three months in prison.
Similarly, 15 office-bearers and members of the forest users group were handed down a month-long jail sentence, Registrar Chand said.
The forest officials and users were found guilty of deforestation and causing damage to forest products worth Rs. 6.5 million.
A case was filed against them at the Special Court as per the Corruption Control Act on October 4, 2012.
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