King's picture to be removed from currencies in Nepal

Kathmandu, Jan 25 (UNI) Nepal's completely powerless King's picture is to be removed from bank notes and will be substituted with pictures of national luminaries and the Himalayas, media reports said here today.

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has already submitted nine different samples for the notes to be issued shortly, The Himalayan Times quoted Finance secretary Vidhyadhar Mallik as saying.

''The fresh proposal has nine samples depicting Lord Buddha as a symbol of peace in different postures, while some of them have the pictures of Mt Everest and Bhrikuti,'' Mr Mallik said, adding that the coin depicting a farmer ploughing the field has already come into mass circulation.

''It is the first coin that has not mentioned even the King's name,'' he said.

''If everything goes as per plan, the new notes will come into mass circulation by May or June this year.'' Drastic changes have been made in state affairs following the April movement against the dictatorial rule of King Gyanendra.

The Parliament has cut off all the powers of the King and disconnected his links with the Nepal Army.

The new Interim Constitution promulgated on January 15 has not given any role to the King and the fate of monarchy will be decided by the representatives of the Constituent Assembly election to be held in June this year.

UNI