Nepal

Kathmandu, September 14

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has urged all district coordination committees and local levels to celebrate the upcoming Constitution Day with pomp and grandeur for three days beginning from September 19 till September 21.

The MoFAGA said the local governments were directed to celebrate the day with much fanfare and illumination in their concerned areas in line with the decision of the Constitution Day Celebration Main Organising Committee headed by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The 37-member committee comprises chief justice, speaker, deputy prime ministers, ministers, former prime ministers, former speakers and incumbent state ministers as itsmembers.

The main event of Constitution Day will be held at the Nepali Army pavilion on September 20 with President Bidhya Devi Bhandari as the chief guest.

An aerial display of a banner reading ‘Constitution Day-2076&, balloons, and flowers will be showered from helicopters as part of the celebration. Similarly, Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepal Scouts are set to perform march past, as per the schedule of events made public by the MoFAGA.

The government has announced a public holiday for September 20 to mark the day. However, various disgruntled forces have decided to observe it as ‘black day&.

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Kathmandu, September 14

Considering the investment and efforts put in by the government in the field ofmaternal health, it is unlikely that the government will meet the target of reducing maternal mortality ratio to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals for Nepal, 2016-2030.

According to the National Demographic Health Survey 2016, the maternal mortality ratio for Nepal was 239 per 100,000 live births for the seven year period before the survey. The confidence interval for the 2016 maternal mortality ratio ranges from 134 to 345 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Achieving the SDGs target of a global MMR to fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030 needs continued investment in maternal health research, programmes and policy. &There should be at least 90 per cent institutional deliveries to bring down the MMR. But currentlythere is only 53 per cent of institutional deliveries,& said Bhim Singh Tinkari, director, Family Welfare Division, Department of Health Services.

Safe abortion too plays a significant role in lowering the MMR. As per the division 58 per cent of illegal abortion is taking place in the country.

&We should make the programmes related to maternal health effective and inclusive if we are to meet the sustainable development goals. Safe abortion services should be made accessible. Travel allowances should be properly given to women to encourage institutional delivery. Use of family planning methods should be increased. Awareness about antenatal health check-up and institutional delivery should be increased,& he said.

Meeting the 2030 targets is a big challenge as there are no parturition centres in many areas in the country. &If we are to reduce the MMR then we must increase the number of parturition centres in remote areas,& added Tinkari. The health centres should also be equipped with skilled manpower and equipment, said Aruna Uprety, a public health specialist.

&Proper coordination between the three tiers of government should be ensured to meet the target. We are working on a roadmap for safe motherhood. This roadmap will explain the necessaryprogrammes and policies required for safe motherhood,& added Tinkari.

&A pregnant woman must get examined at least four times to avoid the risk of maternal and child death. Women in rural areas still do not visit health centres for antenatal and postnatal check-ups,& said Uprety.

Expansion of 24-hour emergency obstetric care services in public health facilities is a must. High blood pressure, nutritional status, untimely arrival at health centres for delivery are also some of the causes for maternal mortality, according to Chhatra Amatya, former director of Department of Management at Department of Health Services.

The majority of maternal deaths are preventable. Many maternal deaths are caused by postpartum haemorrhage, infections, unsafe abortion and other delivery-related complications. &An integrated approach should be taken to overcome all such problems to meet the 2030 targets,& said Amatya.

&There should be preparedness and proper referral system to help women get quality health care,& added Amatya.

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Kathmandu, September 14

The Peace and Security Bill, which is under consideration in the House of Representatives, stipulates a provision of harsher punishment for violation of curfew order in the course of maintaining law and order.

&Anyone, who violates a curfew order issued by chief district officer shall be arrested on sight by security forces and produced before the concerned district administration office. Such person will be liable to a jail sentence for a term not exceeding more than three months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both,& reads Section 17 of the bill.

If there is a state of insecurity or violence or riot in any place, the concerned chief district officer may issue a curfew order by specifying the area to take the situation under control. The concerned authorities must inform the people living in the specified area where curfew has been clamped for restriction of unnecessary mobility.

&No one except the persons having received a secret code from CDO shall step out of his/her house during the curfew period. Any one violating the curfew order shall be arrested outright,& warns the bill. The CDO may also give an order to the on-duty riot police to open fire on a person or group if the situation goes out of control.

According to the bill, riot police shall resort to baton charge, tear gas, water canon or blank fire to disperse the erring crowd. &In case the violent situation persists, the security forces shall warn that they may be compelled to open fire. The security forces may open fire if the person or the group doesn&t step back,& states the bill.

If any person or group turns violent and disobeys the curfew order deliberately, the CDO may issue a shoot-on-sight order. CDOs have been empowered to deploy Nepal Police, Provincial Police and Armed Police Force during curfew. The CDO is obliged to provide information of curfew order to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the province.

Similarly, a CDO may declare any place hit by violent activities and vandalism ‘a riot area& by ensuring smooth supply of essential goods and services. The CDO shall impose curfew and prohibit the assembly or movement of five or more persons in groups during declaration of riot area, besides adopting other security measures.

The bill envisages a seven-member district security committee led by the CDO for maintaining law and order. The committee includes representatives from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, National Investigation Department and Provincial Police, and assistant CDO as members. The functions and duties of the committee are to analyse overall security situation of the concerned district, collect intelligence and maintain peace and security.

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