February 19, 2002
Grassroots Grant Assistance to PK Campus
|
The Embassy of Japan in Nepal has decided to provide financial assistance totaling five hundred forty-one thousand one hundred and seventy-two US dollars (US$541,172), equivalent to approximately forty-one million, six hundred ninety-seven thousand, three hundred and two Nepalese rupees (NRs. 41,697,302) to three different institutions under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Projects (GGP) scheme of the Government of Japan, in JFY 2001.
Grant contracts to this effect were signed today between His Excellency Mr. Zenji KAMINAGA, Ambassador of Japan, and the chiefs of the respective institutions.
Under the first contract, the Embassy extends an assistance of four hundred twenty-one thousand, eight hundred and eighty-five US dollars (US$421,885), approximately NRs.32,506,239, to Padma Kanya Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, for the execution of the project for Construction of a new Girls' Hostel Building. Established in 1951 for the purpose of encouraging women education, the Campus is the largest women education institution in the country with about 8,000 students and 350 teaching staff. Where about 60% of the students come from outside the Kathmandu Valley, the accommodation capacity of the existing hostel (50 students) in the Campus is far short of actual demand (more than 500). When the construction is completed, the four-storied building will have 100 rooms, can accommodate 200 students, will have study rooms, and other facilities including toilets, bathrooms, dining hall, etc. There will be a provision of 25% reservations for three categories of students, namely, disabled (5% or 10 students), remote rural area (10% or 20 students) and poor (10% or 20 students). The hostel facility will encourage women's education and hence accelerate their participation in social activities as well as in the important task of nation building.
Under the second contract, the Embassy provides thirty thousand, three hundred and one US dollars (US$30,301), approximately NRs.2,334,692, to Jheskang Development Committee in Palpa district, for the execution of the project for Construction of a new school building for Shree Krishna Secondary School Jheskang, Palpa district. Situated in the remote part of Western Nepal, the existing building is in a dilapidated condition and without enough classroom space. About 60~70 students take their classes in a single classroom which actually is enough for only 10~15. After the construction of a two-storied building, with 12 classrooms, the condition of the study environment is expected to markedly improve. It is a participatory project wherein the community is contributing labor. A Japanese volunteer, Mr. Kakimi, has also supported and devoted himself to the realization of the project.
Under the third contract, financial assistance amounting eighty-eight thousand, nine hundred and eighty-six US dollars (US$88,986), equivalent to approximately NRs.6,856,371, is provided to District Development Committee, Kavrepalanchowk, for the execution of the Project for Establishment of a Milk Chilling Center at Bhakundebesi in Kavrepalanchowk district along the Sindhuli Road. It is to be noted here that the Sindhuli Road is being constructed through the Japanese grant assistance and is expected to greatly facilitate the production and marketing of agricultural products. In this background, if a chilling center is established, the two projects are expected to generate multiplier effect in the economic status of the farmers. The farmers in the existing situation are compelled to sell milk to the middlemen and they also face a risk of milk coagulation due to time variation in the collection of their milk in the collection centres.
Speaking on the occasion, H.E. Mr. Zenji KAMINAGA expressed that the Government of Japan laid greater emphasis on women in development for which their education was inevitable. He added that education was vital for the all round development of the country. He further stated that the projects that were targeted at uplifting the status of the farmers, and hence on poverty reduction, were the need of the day as they constituted the largest section in Nepalese society.
|
|
