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SPOTLIGHT Family wishesh for good health and long life to King Gyanendra on his 61st auspicious birthday |
PRIME MINISTER GIRIJA PRASAD KOIRALA witnessed the 'Bhoto Jatra' ceremony organized at the end of the chariot procession of Rato Machhindranath in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Sunday evening. PM Koirala, who enjoys the powers of the head of the state, witnessed the Bhoto Jatra amidst a huge public gathering. Earlier, the King would witness the traditional ceremony. Nepal Army presented guard of honor to the Prime Minister when he arrived at Jawalakhel to witness Bhoto Jatra. Speaker Subash Nemwang, Chief Justice Dilip Poudel and some ministers were also present there.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SPECIAL HEARING COMMITTEE (PSHC) on Friday (July 6) approved nominations of four judges of the Supreme Court after completing the hearing of their appointment process. The hearing committee questioned four judges- Damodar Prasad Sharma, Ram Kumar Prasad Shah, Gauri Dhakal and Kalyan Shrestha -regarding the complaints about their integrity and other professional issues, before they were confirmed as the apex court judges. The committee had earlier received altogether 14 complaints against the four judges who were recently recommended by the Judicial Council for permanent status.
THE SPECIAL COURT , on Friday (July 6), decided to set free suspended governor of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) Bijaynath Bhattarai on bail. Bhattarai was freed on the deposition of bail amount of Rs 250,000. The decision was made by Special Court bench of judges Bhup Dhoj Adhikary, Komal Nath Sharma and Cholendra SJB Rana. Earlier, the Special Court had, on Thursday, ordered the police to detain Bhattarai until Friday's hearing on the corruption case filed against him by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). Along with NRB director Surendra Man Pradhan, Bhattarai had faced CIAA charge of embezzling Rs 24.5 million in ending contract of consultant of supervision strengthening project under financial sector reforms program.
ELEVEN PERSONS WERE KILLED when a tractor they were traveling in fell off the road into an irrigation canal in Manusmara in Sarlahi district on Friday (July 6). The tractor was transporting persons of a marriage party from Sisautiya village to Tandi of Barahathwa when it fell off the road at around 10 pm. Superintendent of Police Ganesh KC has informed that they have taken out 11 dead bodies including nine kids and two adults from the canal.
CONTINUING WITH THE SUSTAINED RISE OF INDEX, Nepal Stock Exchange (Nepse) witnessed the increase of 19.82 points this past week. According to weekly share trading analysis report, the Nepse index, which had stood at 593.65 points on the opening day, soared to 613.47 points on the closing. The Nepse – the only secondary share market in the country – scaled historic heights reaching past 600 points this week. Meanwhile, the price of gold has decreased marginally during last week. It decreased from the price of Rs 16,347 per tola to Rs 16,282 per tola in one week.
THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) has expressed concern over the recent filing of corruption charge against top officials of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and has hoped that the issue will be resolved as rapidly as possible on the basis of credible evidence. Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Alexander Pitt, resident representative of IMF, stressed on the need to settle the issue as soon as possible to end ongoing confusions, restore the morale of the central bank's staff, and refocus NRB on its mandate. "We hope that with an early and credible resolution of the issue, NRB can refocus its energies on carrying out its mandate as quickly as possible," Pitt said. He further stressed that an expeditious resolution is critically important for continuation of financial sector reform being led by NRB. "The ongoing reforms are crucial for economic progress in Nepal including in the context of PRGF-supported program," he further noted.
TWO CONGRESS LEADERS were gunned down by unknown group in Nawalparasi on Monday (July 2) evening. The group shot dead former Nepali Congres-Democratic (NC-D) regional chairman of Nawalparasi's constituency no 3 Bechaye Yadav and NC deputy chairman of Bhujahawa village, Gobari Yadav. According to witnesses, a group of four persons on two motorcycles killed the two leaders at Guthichowk in Bhurjawa VDC at around 6:45. The site of the killing lies some 15 km south of Bardhaghat on the East-West Mahendra Highway . There had been repeated assaults and attempts on Bechaye Yadav's life by the Maoists and members of the then anti-Maoist retaliation committee three years ago. Yadav was displaced and forced to resettle in India but had been living in the capital lately. Police believe that "criminal gangs" are responsible for the killings.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED to provide guarantee for loans worth Rs 1.2 billion for Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC). According to government spokesperson and Information Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the government has decided to instruct Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to provide loan of Rs 800 million and Citizen Investment Fund (CIF) to provide loan of Rs 400 million to the NOC on its guarantee. The government hopes that the loan amount will help NOC pay some of its dues to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), which would then ease the supply of fuel. Currently, the bandhs in Terai as well as lack of adequate supply have triggered acute shortage.
