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The Odaan Restaurant & Lounge is a new addi­tion to the burgeoning restaurant scene on the Bansbari road (the road from Narayangopal Chowk that leads to Budhanilkantha). They cater to the growing populations of the otherwise quiet neighborhood of Bansbari, Golfutar, Chapali, Bud­hanilkantha and other areas in proximity.

Coming back to Odaan, it is a multi-cuisine restau­rant and lounge that serves breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and drinks. Chinese, Continental, Tibetan, American, Indian and Nepali dishes are offered on the extended menu that includes everything an empty tummy would want—from “Aaloo Choyela” to “Thai Chicken with Basil”; “Pork Thukpa” to “American Chopsuey”; and “Maharaja Non-Vege­tarian Thali” to “Pepper Chicken Sizzler”—all under one artistic roof.

 THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Dhido Thakali Thali Set

- Tibetan Cuisine

- Pepper Chicken Sizzler

Opening hours: 11 am - 9:30 pm

Location: Bansbari Road, Ktm

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 3,000

Reservations: 01-4374939

Q. Three words that best describe you

A. Simple, hard-working, honest

Q. Your favorite country to travel to

A. Hong Kong. Been there thrice already but still can’t get enough.

Q. Best compliment you’ve received

A. That I look like Slash from Guns N’ Roses, especially with my hat on.

Q. Words that keep you motivated

A. No pain, no gain

Q. One Nepali musician you idolize

A. Manoj Kumar K.C from 1974 AD

Q. Your favorite Mongolian Heart song

A. “Sapana” from our new album Mon­golian Heart vol. 7

Q. If you could have coffee with one celebrity, who would it be

A. Binod Chaudhary

Perhaps it is a touch unfair to judge the com­petence of Nepal Police and Home Ministry on the basis of a single case. As they have repeatedly pointed out, the rape-and-murder of Nirmala Pant, the 13-year-old native of Bhimdatta municipality in western Nepal, was a rare unsolved case. In the four months since that incident, haven’t the police been rather efficient in apprehending cul­prits, and soon, in similar cases? That might be true. But it is equally true that no other case has left as big an imprint on public imagination.

Partly based on their assessment of how the state has handled the Pant case, many now see Nepal Police as irredeemably corrupt, and no more than pawns of their political masters in government. They suspect the Pant family has been denied justice as their daugh­ter’s murderers had friends in high places. This is no idle speculation. Given the length to which the police went to tamper with vital evidence at the crime scene, it does seem like they were trying to protect some peo­ple. Nor should it have taken so long to solve a straight­forward rape-and-murder.

Of late, human rights activists in Nirmala’s hometown have been staging daytime torchlight rallies, in search of that elusive justice. Is there justice for common folks in Nepal, they ask? As hope faded that Nirmala’s killers would ever be nabbed, her father, Yagya Raj, was close to losing his mind. Right now he is undergoing psy­chiatric treatment in Kathmandu. Nirmala’s mother, Durga Devi, was having to constantly shuttle between Kathmandu (to tend to her ailing husband) and Bhim­datta municipality (where she went to take part in pro­tests for timely justice).

The whole country is still riveted on the Nirmala Pant case. They see how callous the state has been towards the bereaved family. The longer this case drags on, the greater will be their cynicism of the government and its security organs. It bodes ill for the Nepali state and democratic forces when extremist outfits like the Maoist party led by Netra Bikram Chand have to step in to vouch gun-barrel justice to the fam­ily. After immense public criticism, the police on Dec 7 made an arrest in relation to the Pant case. But they have made similar arrests before. Before anyone else, they will have to convince the bereaved family that justice has been done.

The recent criticism of the government, and of the prime minister in particular, has clearly touched a raw nerve of KP Sharma Oli. The criticism was centered on how the prime minister helped with the logistics and cost of an international summit being hosted by an organization of dubious credentials in Nepal. The Nepal chapter of the Uni­versal Peace Federation (UPF) has in the past been accused of involvement in forced conversion of people into Christianity. Many commentators in this country where over 80 percent people identify as Hindus found that problematic. Others faulted the government for paying the bills of a summit from which Nepal stands to gain little. Most problematic was the prime minister’s acceptance of a reward worth $100,000 from the UPF as well as ‘blessing’ of its head who boasts of being ‘Female Jesus’. Why did the prime minister have to sink so low? There may be a few reasons. One is that the UPF has been sponsors of all-ex­penses-paid foreign trips of senior Nepal Commu­nist Party leaders, so they somehow felt beholden to the organization. There were speculations that the organizers also gave ‘heavy donations’ to the ruling parties—in return for Nepal government agreeing to confer greater interna­tional legitimacy on the UPF.

PM Oli clarified that as a secular state Nepal could not bar any faith

In his defense, PM Oli clarified that as a secular state and as a country traditionally known for its hospitality—and one that is looking to bring in two million tourists a year to boot—he found no reason to object to the religion of the UPF top brass. He also said that should the intellectuals who have recently criticized him get into a serious debate with him, the prime minister would make them lose face, exposing their hypoc­risy. He then added that the summit had greatly boosted Nepal’s international image.

But what he left out was more meaningful. He didn’t say why he was adamant on hosting the summit, despite being advised against it by senior government officials. He didn’t say how much the government had spent on security and care of the around 1,500 visiting VIPs and VVIPs. He didn’t say how being awarded by Hak Ja Han, the UPF chairperson and a leader of what has been described as a ‘divisive Chris­tian cult’, was becoming of a prime minister of a secular state.

With no easy way to wiggle out of it, the prime minister is trying to deflect genuine criticism with pure bluster. But deep down he must know he made a huge mistake.

To all the photography enthusiasts out there, Rot­aract Club of Patan in association with Mhasika Education and Entertainment is holding a month-long photography workshop. This is the perfect opportunity for those aspiring to be professional photographers as well as those with an intense passion in photography.

Commencing at the start of December, the work­shop will have only 25 participants. So hurry up! The topics that will be covered include exposure, light rules, night and low light photography, raw editing (Photoshop and Lightroom), camera type, lens type, as well as guest lectures by established professional photographers.

The content, originally priced at Rs 10,000, is now being offered at 50 percent discount.

Register at: https://goo.gl/forms/USr9JC5tHgKXTHC83

Contact: Rtr. Susmita Baskota 9849932965

The Royal Saino Restaurant and Bar at Durbar­marg is one of the oldest establishments in the area that has stood the test of time and the change in preferences of the customers. Royal Saino is run by a business family with more than three decades of history in hospitality and the restaurant itself is a part of the glorious history of Durbar Marg, one of the poshest locations in Kathmandu. Royal Saino is a multi-cuisine restaurant offering everything from Continental to Chinese, Indian to Nepali food. It is also famous for its “Belle Mo:Mos” which have quite a reputation among locals and for­eigners alike. Check out Royal Saino’s Trip Advisor page and you’ll find people swearing by its food on the reviews section. Consistency in food through all these years and quality in service along with its multiple seating arrangements help Royal Saino maintain its legacy and thrive at a time when dozens of restaurants are opening and closing every year in and around Durbarmarg.

THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Royal Saino Special Roasted Duck

- Mo:Mo Platter

- Sizzler

Opening hours: 10 am - 10 pm

Location: Durbarmarg, Ktm

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 1500

Reservations: 01-4230890

Annapurna Post daily presented a motorcycle to the first month’s winner of its subscriber scheme. Kavre’s Paanchkhaal’s Bipin Balakha was given TVS Stryker Motorcycle key by Hari Bahadur Thapa, editor-in-chief of Annapurna Post, at a program in the Annapurna Corporate Tower in Tinkune.

Balekha runs Palpali Lumbini Bhojanalaya in Pep­sicola. He won a motorcycle after just two days after subscribing the newspaper. Overjoyed, he said, “I regularly read the Annapurna Post, as do my clients in my eatery.” On getting the key, he said, “I have won something for the first time in my life. Many thanks to the Annapurna Media Group.”

In this one-year subscriber scheme, there will be 10 lucky draws each month. Among them, seven will be held in Kathmandu and three in other prov­inces. One lucky winner will get scholarship worth Rs 3 million

There is little not to like about the contribu­tion-based social security scheme unveiled by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Nov 27. From now on, all working Nepalis in formal or informal sector, and both private and public enter­prises, will contribute 11 percent of their basic monthly salary to the new Social Security Fund. This will in turn be topped by another 20 percent by their employers. As workers will be entitled to nearly two times more money than they have to deposit, it will be in the interest of all working individuals, irrespective of their income size, to enlist.

Of the 31 percent, 1 percent will cover medical treat­ment; 1.4 percent will cover accidents; 0.27 percent, dependent family members; and 28.33 percent, old-age pensions. While other coverages will be activated after six months of paying into the social security pool, the old-age pensions may be claimed by those over 60 who have contributed to the fund for 15 years. Any way you see it, the start of the first-of-its-kind universal social security scheme is a landmark for Nepal. It is also perhaps the first major step towards the creation of the kind of socialist, welfare state envisioned by the new constitution.

It is indeed a monumental development for low-wage workers who heretofore had it hard, many of them unaware where their next meal would come from. Now, for a minimal contribution, they will be able to better plan their future. But first, the scheme needs to work. Questions have been raised regarding the potentially trillions of rupees that could be collected. With such gigantic sums involved, how will transparen­cy and good governance be ensured? And when that is cared for, what will be done with the money? One good idea is to invest it in big-ticket national projects.

But before all that, how will the ‘basic salary’ of each contributing worker be determined? Many industries and businesses don’t pay their workers mandated basic salary. These employers will now have to increase their salary bill, an issue over which they have tussled with successive governments. Nor was the way PM on Nov 27 Oli took nearly all the entire credit for the scheme seemly. But however the scheme was unrolled, there is no gainsaying its potentially life-changing impact on millions of Nepalis.