Fulfillment of 1,100 VDC secys unlikely in near future

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 19

The Ministry of Local Development is uncertain about when some 1,100 VDC secretaries lying vacant for about a year will be fulfilled. The MoLD accuses the Ministry of General Administration of not working seriously to fulfill the vacant posts.

About half of the posts have been lying vacant for about a year while rest of the posts for about six months. There are 3,915 VDCs and 58 municipalities across the country.

Talking to this daily, State Minister for MoLD Ganesh Bahadur Khadka said, "We are rigorously worried about this and working to fulfill the vacant posts." However, he was unable to fix the deadline for appointing them. "This may take longer time due to the legal process," he added.

Minister Khadka said they attempted many times to make the local bodies operate smoothly for carrying out development projects and implementing the budgets. "There is a big problem in the local bodies, where the elected representatives are empty for last eight years," he said.

"We proposed the cabinet, the MoGA and Public Service Commission many times to take immediate steps to solve the problem," Khadka said. "However, none of them took it seriously. It is the main responsibility of the MoGA to appoint and transfer the government staffs," he added. "But it has turned deaf ear to this problem."

Chandra Ghimire, spokesperson for the MoGA, said that it was a case of big number of employees, not a couple or one dozen. "The MoLD has proposed us different alternatives. Working Committee formed in the MoGA to look into it has prepared a report with alternatives such as transfer of the government staffs or mass appointment on contract," he said.

Ghimire said it was still being discussed in the minister level and would be tabled to the cabinet soon. However, he could not mention any specific date or period.

Bhuvani Prasad Ghimire, president of the VDC Secretaries Rights Centre, said that it was the government's helplessness and negligence towards such a serious problem. "Present political situation and the government apathy are major causes that have badly affected the process of the local development," he added.

The VDC secretaries are still facing dire situations of donation pressure and threats to life, said Ghimire. "The VDC secretaries cannot go to even in the Lalitpur villages," he worried. "Many are still compelled to work from district headquarters while others are holding activities of upto seven VDCs."

State Minister Khadka said that, on the one hand, the development activities including distribution of social security funds were hindered, on the other hand, the development budgets were misused in the absence of concerned authorities. "The ministry has taken it seriously but there is little hope to solve it immediately. The government should have held the local elections to resolve this impasse," he added.

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Aweful anecdotes of goat-sellers in Dashain

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
KATHMANDU: September 24

Like previous years, Khadga Bahadur Shrestha, 38, a resident of Gajuri-1 in Dhading district, is once again here in the capital for about a week along with a pair of goats.

He desperately hopes to get lucky like last year and make a few thousands before heading back to his village to celebrate this Dashain. But as of Thursday, his sacrificial goats remained unsold, dampening his Dashain prospects.

It is not only Shrestha, but many other residents of adjoining districts of the Kathmandu Valley, who had come here to collect some amount to celebrate Dashain, have not been able to sell their castrated goats.

“It’s been a decade I have been selling goats. However, this is the first time I am unable to sell a single goat,” he revealed.

Such is the case of many other street goat sellers who can be spotted in Balkhu, Bhrikuti Mandap, Bagbazaar and New Bus Park areas.

“We’re here for a couple of days waiting for the prospective goat buyers, but to no avail,” said Jeet Bahadur Ghale, another farmer from Nuwakot district, who is seen along with Shrestha at Balkhu.

“It seems I should return empty handed,” he said. According to him, people just come and ask the price and start bargaining with a huge margin.

“We take back our goats to home if they cannot be sold in appropriate rate,” Ghale said. He has brought eight goats - among which four were purchased in the village and four were reared by himself.

“People out here offer just Rs 250 per kg of live goat while per kg of mutton in the market is above Rs 450,” he lamented.

Consumer Nabin Puri, who was searching for a goat for about four hours in the market, said that the rate of the goat was increased this year. “Last year, the goats were being sold at the rate of Rs 190 per kg but Rs 300 has been fixed for the same this year,” said Puri, an office staffer in the capital.

Raj Kumar Lama, 32, a seller stationed at Baghbazaar, said that they were forced to sell the goats at cheaper price than they purchased. Lama and his four friends had brought 37 goats, hoping that they would sell quickly as in previous years. “We’re very disappointed this time. Not a single goat has been sold out yet,” he said. “If

I can’t sell them by Saturday, I’ll take the goats back home.”
Lama said that they pay Rs 5 each goat to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City for keeping in the street. “During night time, we pay Rs 15 per goat to the school for providing room,” he added.

Bhim Bahadur Bhale, 65, from Kampur in Dhading, said that they just sold five of 25 goats they brought in here. “If we’re unable to sell them off now, then we’ll come back here again in Tihar, the second biggest festival of Hindus.”

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Vendors struggle hard to buy joy in Dashain

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, September 18

The street vendors would be relieved from the hassles caused by the city police at least during the Dashain festival for selling goods on the streets. Despite against the traffic rules, it is a consideration for the ordinary people to earn happiness in the greatest festival of the Hindus.

"I have sighed relief at least during the Dashain as we are allowed to sell the goods on the streets for earning something to buy happiness in my family," said Leela Shrestha, 44, from Chainpur VDC-8 in Dhading district. "In other days, we were terribly troubled while selling goods on the streets," Shrestha said.

Shrestha spouse along with two sisters and three daughters have been living in a rented room in Kathmandu for more than a decade. They have maintained their livelihood and mediocre life in the expensive capital city by selling ready-made clothes on streets. They have been able to educate their children in the city from the toiling labours.

Shrestha couple said that the city police used to snatch away their clothes when they used to sell the items on the streets around Sundhara in other days. "We earn some Rs 300-400 each day," they echoed. "The consumers bargain very tightly even though we are selling the items at low price."

Consumer Ramila Devkota, who was shopping for her kids, said that the clothes sold in the streets were definitely cheaper than in the commercial houses. "However, we are accustomed to bargain tightly," she said laughing.

Another vendor Meghnath Siwakoti from Sunkhani VDC in Dolakha district has been continuing this profession for about eight years. "It is hard to celebrate the festival due to the skyrocketing price in the market," he said.

"This time, the sale is very low perhaps because of economic meltdown," said Siwakoti. "In the previous years, we used to make sale of upto Rs 5,000. However, I have hardly earned Rs 500 per day this year," he grieved.

Siwakoti, who is also the member of the Joint Business Association of National Trade, expressed qualm over the people in power doing whatever they like but only ordinary people were forced to abide by the law.

This time, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has allowed the vendors, who number in hundreds of such sellers, to make though little money by bargaining with the tightfisted consumers. The KMC has made a routine from 1pm to 8pm to sell the goods on the streets effective from September 13 to 27. They will be permitted from 11am from September 19, which is the Ghatasthapana (First day of the festival).

"We provided them this special opportunity during the festival after the different organisations belonging to trade and business communities asked us for consideration," said DSP Dhanapati Sapkota, chief of the Implementation Division under the KMC. "We have also specially made arrangement of two places-Baghbazaar and Balkhu for selling goats. However, there is no restriction for other vendors," he added.

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Dashain Festival brings smiles among Hindus

All the homes of Hindus, either they were haves or have-nots, in Nepal smiled and cheered at this Dashain Festival throughout the nation though in scarcity or problems. Dashain, the greatest festival of the Hindus, was celebrated for fifteen days beginning from September 30 and ending October 14. The very day of the Dashain fell on October 9.

People in the previous years were terrified due to the prevalent armed conflict and violence in the country. After the improvement in the peace process of Nepal, they never felt panic, stress and trauma of war in their festive moods of this year. “We felt free and secured this time, and celebrated the festival in a mood of full joy and rejoice,” said Gaurav Aryal, who is originally from Palpa, Lumbini and a graduate student at Himalayan White House Graduate School of Management, Kathmandu.

Though I have been working in Kathmandu, I visited my house at Rampur village of Palpa, I along with my bro Gaurav received Tika from my mother whom we loved much. I offered tika to my nieces too at my home. It was more than wonderful and we enjoyed too much whatever moments we had even if it was limited time with us. I am the man of enjoying every moment even in hard, difficult and painful times. But it was pretty enough as it was the festival.

Dashain, the most important and greatly celebrated festival is the very popular and bears a value of Nepalese culture. All the government offices or schools and other offices remain closed during the festival period. People of all ages, young to old, take this festival as good and holy day to bless and wish good to their relatives and friends. Older people offer tika along with blessing to the juniors and well-wishers. All make merry and have fun of victory over sorrow and pains faced throughout the year.

The first day, beginning of the festival is known as Ghatasthapana-the placing of the sacred vessel. According to the tradition, all devout Hindus should take an early morning bath in the holy river and return carrying some sand from the riverbed. At the same time, a small clay pot is filled with water from the same river and placed by the sand. Barley, wheat and maize seeds are planted for germinating in this pot and nurtured for nine days. The just grown soft plants are taken as holy thing and worn on the 10th day, widely known as Dashain Tika, Similar with other Nepalese festivals, this ritual has also a specific meaning of creation and justice. In this case, the river water represents the mother goddess Durga, according to legends, crushed many powerful demon hordes in an epic battle. For the next nine days, devotees go to different prescribed sites for early morning bathes and worship different forms of Goddesses.

The next major celebration even occurs on the 7th day of the festival when the sacred flowers and leaves used to bring from the old palace of Nepal unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah at Gorkha. However, after the fall of Monarchy in Nepal, the tradition was broken this time and performed the activities at Hanuman Dhoka gate in Kathmandu where brass bands are waiting to celebrate the occasion. At the same time, guns and cannons are fired at Tundikhel parade ground.

The eighth day of the festival is known as Mahashtami and is marked by a fast by all orthodox Hindus. In the morning, animal sacrifices are carried out at temples dedicated to Goddess Durga.

On the 9th day, all temples dedicated to Durga are bathed in sacrificial blood as a tradition. On this day, even vehicles and other mechanical items are worshiped and sacrificed so as to prevent accidents during the coming year. Similarly, all instruments, weapons and implements of all professions are worshiped in the hope that Durga will bless their usefulness and accuracy. In the evening, there is an elaborate sacrifice at the Taleju temple near Hanuman Dhoka in Kathmandu.

The peak of Dashain celebration reaches on the tenth day known as Vijaya Dashami, or the Day of Victory over the evils. On this day, all the Hindus are supposed to visit their elders or superior relatives, starting with their parents. The main purpose of this visit is to receive tika and shoots of the barley known as jamara. Tika is a red dot or smear placed on the visitor's forehead by the senior relative. Also frequently used in other festivals and even in daily worship, the tika consists of vermilion powder, rice and curd. People visit their relatives to receive tika on the day. As all visits cannot be completed in one day, they continue until the end of the festival. The holy period of two weeks beginning from new moon ends at the full moon day.

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