BABBLES         

By Babbler The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has exported electricity worth nearly 17 billion rupees to India. It is a good news but how much net profit the NEA earned from the export of electricity, has not been mentioned. The general public are consuming electricity at 15 rupees per unit. We doubt the NEA is not getting the same price by exporting electricity to India. Industries are paying higher prices while consuming electricity. If the NEA supplies electricity in the local market, it surely makes a profit but we are not sure about how much profit the NEA is making by exporting electricity to India. As the NEA has not mentioned the profit that it gained from exports, surely, it is supplying electricity to India at below the production price. Maybe, it is doing a loss business. This could be Kulman Ghishing's gimmick! Institutionalization of corruption Nepali Congress’ deceased leader Girija Prasad Koirala institutionalized corruption in Nepal. In a write-up about interesting incidents of NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka, senior journalist Dev Prakash Tripathi described the first incident that Khadka faced after becoming the minister was collecting seven hundred thousand rupees. Khadka received a call from the then prime minister Koirala asking him to manage seven hundred thousand rupees and Khadka asked the secretary to manage the money. The next day, Khadka received one million rupees and submitted seven hundred thousand rupees to Koirala and three hundred thousand to someone else. Khadka faced a jail term on the charge of earning huge property without a source. Similarly, Jaya Prakash Gupta, a close aide of Koirala also faced a jail term on the charge of earning a huge amount of money without sources. Just recently, the Supreme Court has given a verdict with a financial fine and a jail term against ex-minister Gibinda Raj Joshi, who was also the right hand of Koirala at one time. Perhaps, Joshi and Gupta may disclose such incidents sooner or later. We might have read one interview of the late NC leader Pradeep Giri that he denied to become a minister when Koirala asked him to submit several hundred thousand rupees in advance. Nepal establishing a world record Nepal is a fragile country and establishing negative records in all sectors. Indicating political instability, a French newspaper has stated that Nepal has established a new world record in frequent changes of the government. We are satisfied that either in a negative or a positive way, Nepal is being talked about by foreigners.   QUOTES OF THE WEEK Nepal should accept India’s sphere of interests. Nepali patriotism is a raw nationalism. Swornim Wagle It is seriously objectionable and condonable to listen about looking after India’s sphere of interests under the Monore Doctrine. Isn’t he aware that Nepal is a sovereign and independent nation? Raghujee Pant There is a mistake in the existing system and even if Lord Shri Ram is entrusted with the responsibility of the executive head in the wrong system, the result cannot be satisfactory. Devprakash Tripathi When reading the monetary policy, the direction of building a socialist-oriented national economy was not found. The policy was seen to hurt the national product by accelerating youth migration by providing loans without collateral for foreign employment. Article 7(1) of the Constitution was found to be violated by the unnecessary use of English words in 41 places. Bhim Rawal The Nepali Congress is not represented in the Constitutional Council. That is why efforts have been made to replace the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Action is being taken against Deputy Speaker Ranamagar by making the matter of sending a letter to the American Embassy a case. There is evidence in the letter which is not registered at the embassy. Ratna Sansar Shrestha The previous alliance government was an alliance of thugs, murderers, smugglers and land mafias, but collapsed when the national sister-in-law was about to be arrested. This NC-UML coalition government is for saving the sisters-in-law and 'Ba'. What do those folk say who believe the present lok (loot) tantra is the best system in the world? Dipak Gyawali When the landslide of the Bhutanese refugee scams was about to reach Budhanilkanth, then Sher B Deuba and Arju Rana put pressure to remove Shyam Gyawali and Manoj KC of CIB and after the Home Minister refused, Prachanda removed them in the absence of the Home Minister. Narayankaji Shrestha Language is a country's civilization, culture is its originality and identity, and loss of language means the loss of the nation's original assets, language must be applied in practical education to build it. Biraj Bhakta Shrestha What will happen to the file of the fake Bhutanese refugee who walked to Tikapur through Balmandir in a scout dress and wearing Bansbari leather shoes? Rabi Lamichhane

 Excerpted and translated by Sushma Shrestha.