CHINA Vs INDIA (is media trust worthy?) Nepalese gov't to show new face before nation www.chinaview.cn 2005-02-05 21:40:30 KATHMANDU, Feb. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The newly formed Council of Ministers, or cabinet, chaired by Nepal's King Gyanendra, is showing a new face to the public by assuring good governance and determination of hitting hard on corruption. In its first meeting after being formed on Wednesday, the 10-member cabinet decided to implement a 21-point reform plan, which will focus on anti-corruption, good governance, economic growth and poverty alleviation. The cabinet meeting decided to set up a Royal Commission within15 days to probe and take strong action against those who amassed huge property by evading tax and smuggling, state-run Radio Nepal on Saturday quoted a statement of the cabinet office as saying. The government will empower the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, an anti-graft body, both technically and infrastructure-wise, to facilitate its actions against corruption rampant in the country. The government will set up a land bank and make judicious distribution of land to squatters, landless peasants and freed bond laborers. With a view to alleviate poverty, the government will initiate a long-term program to modernize farming, implement small and big irrigation schemes. The disabled, underprivileged and lowest casted students will be provided with free education up to secondary level along with free textbooks and provision of scholarships. As the tourism industry has huge prospects in Nepal, the government has formulated a master plan to provide necessary cooperation and facilities to hotels, resorts, tourism destinations and tourist industries. Addressing unemployment issues, the government decided to generate employment opportunities in the country, besides seeking opportunities abroad. Nepal's King Gyanendra dissolved the coalition government led by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday and imposed an indefinite state of emergency throughout the country. The state of emergency in Nepal, instead of affecting normal lift in the country, has brought about a rare peaceful situation in the capital Kathmandu. Street demonstrations, various strikes and vandalism on government vehicles, which were quite common in Nepal for the past several years, have disappeared since Tuesday. Shops, schools and gas stations are running as usual and no long queue is seen. And all kinds of foods are available on the market. The only inconvenience to the people living in Nepal, including foreigners, is all kinds of communications - telephone, mobile phone and internet connections -- have been cut off since Tuesday. On Wednesday, King Gyanendra formed a 10-member new Council of Ministers, or cabinet, under his chairmanship. The main task of the cabinet is achieving peace in the country and holding general elections within three years. Home Minister Dan Bahadur Shahi said on Wednesday, since the guerrillas has insisted they would only talk with the king, and the executive power has been revested to the monarchy, he new expected the guerrillas to start the dialogue with the new government. More than 11,000 Nepalese people have lost their lives since the anti-government insurgency broke out in early 1990. Many Nepalese people welcome the king's move, starting it as "timely and a positive step." King Gyanendra's "historic and inevitable step will open up new avenues for the development of the nation by maintaining law and order, restoring peace, protecting democracy and consolidating real multi-party system as per the will of Nepalese people," said Manju Ratna Shakya, president of Nepal Journalists Association. "Most of Nepalese people expressed firm belief that peace will be restored in the country," Shakya said. Enditem