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VDC chairman shot dead

Kathmandu, 28 January: Man Bahadur Khatri, chairman of Jitpur Village Development Committee (VDC) in Jajarkot district was dragged out of a neighbour's house and shot dead by Maoists Friday. Khatri, a Nepali Congress affiliate was living in hiding ever since he managed to escape from rebel captivity two years ago. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Bhattarai nominated in NC apex body

Kathmandu, 28 January: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala nominated Krishna Prasad Bhattarai in the Central Working Committee (CWC) Sunday. Bhattarai
is the first among the 18 CWC members that the president is allowed to nominate. The recent 10th
General Convention of the party elected the other half of the 37-member body. Bhattarai's nomination was announced in a programme held in the Congress central office to distribute certificate of membership of the executive body of the party. Convener of the Election Committee of the party Mukunda Regmi presented the certificate to the newly elected CWC members.

Addressing the programme, Koirala said that as per the mandate of the general convention, he would work for complete unity in the party. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Kathmandu, 28 January:  The NEPSE index rose by 8.29 points at the end of a five-day trading Friday, for the first time in several weeks. Trading opened at 459.28 points Monday and closed at 467.37 points Friday.

Altogether 50,028 shares of 37 enlisted companies valued at Rs 48.9 million were sold of which 93.88 percent shares were of commercial banks. Nepalnews.com/br/at

ADB president ends Nepal visit

Kathmandu, 28 January: Discussions on how to fight poverty more effectively dominated the agenda during the four-day visit of Asian Development Bank President Tadao Chino to Nepal that ended Saturday.

In meetings with the Prime Minister and other senior officials and political leaders, Bank president Chino emphasised the need for policies to support pro-poor economic growth, including an enhanced priority to human development and an increased role for the private sector to combat poverty. The importance of sub-regional co-operation to both Nepal and her immediate neighbours was also discussed.

Measures to improve governance, including the efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service, and combating corruption, all critical to the effective utilisation of aid, were extensively discussed. Chino also stressed the need for the government to aggressively pursue its comprehensive economic reform agenda set out at the Nepal Development Forum in Paris last year. The bank president also struck a note of caution saying that the level of future ADB assistance would be linked to progress in these areas in line with its policy of allocating resources based on country performance. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Kathmandu, 27 January: King Birendra sent a condolence message to Indian President RK Narayan Friday condoling the deaths of at least 1,500 persons in a quake measuring 7 points on the Richter scale that hit the western state of Gujarat on Friday.

The King condoled the deaths on behalf of the government and on his own. The quake that was also felt in Nepal, killed people mostly in Gujarat in western India and some parts of Pakistan. nepalnews.com/br/at

Government warns against illegal possession of weapons

Kathmandu, 26 January:The government issued a strong warning today against possessing any
fatal weapons without valid license. In a notice issued by Ministry of Home Friday, it is said that
those who keep fatal weapons without having valid license will be severely punished, as keeping guns without valid license is illegal in Nepal. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

NSU convention begins in Chitwan

Kathmandu, 26 January:The eighth general convention of Nepal Students Union (NSU), student
wing of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) began in Chitwan Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel and NC central leader Sailaja Acharya jointly inaugurated the NSU general
convention. The convention will elect a new leadership of the NSU for the next three years and also adopt its programmes for the duration. 
Inaugurating the convention, DPM Poudel and NC leader Acharya said that NSU played a crucial role in democratic movement in the country and called upon the students to maintain its revolutionary character. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala also sent a message wishing success to the student's three-day convention. Nepalnews.com/yl/at

Parliamentary probe for sacking official

Kathmandu, 26 January: A parliamentary probe has recommended suspension and departmental action against Chief District Officer Shyam Prasad Mainali and two police officials responsible for the shooting and deaths of two of the 189 inmates at a jail riot in Nepalgunj 14 January.

The Human Rights Commission of Parliament, which released its report in the capital Thursday, said one of the inmates was shot after surrendering. Government has ordered an official probe while the National Human Rights Commission is also investigating the firing. The inmates were on protest demanding better conditions in the jail. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Rumour management suggested

Kathmandu, 26 January: A probe that studied last month’s riots and communal violence that killed seven persons and injured hundreds has made recommendations on rumour management without specifying how it should be done, Home Ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said.

The report is however silent on how the rumours began. Former Home Secretary Bhojraj Pokhrel submitted the report to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel Thursday, one week after the appointed date because government leaders were away attending the Nepali Congress Party’s national convention.

A source close to the three-man probe committee earlier told Nepalnews that it needed more time to identify the rumourmongers. The government has not extended the term of the committee while thanking it for its work. nepalnews.com/br/at

Maoists destroy police post

Kathmandu, 26 January: No casualties were reported from a Maoist attack that destroyed a newly constructed police post at Tripurakot in Dolpo district west Nepal Wednesday, underground party sources said. The insurgents decamped with stored food and some weapons when the police were away on patrol. Gunfire was also exchanged between police and rebels in a village in neighbouring Rolpa district Wednesday, police said.

Meanwhile police have arrested an Indian national Dinesh Kumar Koiri Monday under suspicion of selling arms to Maoists. Koiri was arrested while travelling on a train between Jayanagar and Janakpur and is said to have been carrying some arms and ammunition at the time of arrest, police said. nepalnews.com/br/at

CIAA summons Chataut again

Kathmandu, 26 January: The government’s anti-corruption body, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), again summoned and interrogated Tarini Dutta Chataut, former Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, on the controversial Lauda Air deal. The summons came even after he resigned from the post of Minister over the same issue.

CIAA officials interrogated Chataut for about four hours on various aspects relating to the deal with Austria's Lauda Air to lease a Boeing 767 aircraft for a period of 18 months. Chataut is learnt to have said that he had no involvement in the deal as it was concluded between the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) and Lauda Air.

He, however, said that the deal was done in the "best interests of RNAC". As the interrogation was not completed Thursday, it is to continue on Friday. Chataut was summoned as the aircraft was leased even after Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) instructed the government not to implement the deal until investigations were complete. PAC is also investigating the issue.

The former Executive Chairman of RNAC, who made the deal with Lauda Air, has already been suspended on the instruction of CIAA. Opposition parties have demanded Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s resignation on moral grounds over the Lauda Air deal claiming that since the deal was implemented against the instructions of the Parliamentary committee, it violated Parliament norms. nepalnews.com/yl/at

Nepal, Pakistan accord to avoid double taxation

Kathmandu, 26 January: Pakistan is the latest country with which Nepal has signed an agreement to avoid double taxation. The agreement aims to stop tax evasion, protect investors and promote investments in both countries. Finance Secretary Dr Bimal Koirala and Pakistani Secretary for Revenue Division Riaz Hussain Naqvi signed the agreement.

Accords have been signed with India and Sri Lanka, and an agreement was also signed with Austria last month. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Tremor rocks Indian subcontinent

Kathmandu, 26 January: Several people in India were killed when an earthquake measuring 7 points on the Richter scale and lasting for about 20 seconds rocked the Indian subcontinent at 9:04 am NST on Friday. The epicentre lay near the city of Ahmedabad in the Indian state of Gujarat and tremors could be felt in parts of India, Nepal and Pakistan, seismologist Madav Raj Pandey said. Although no casualties have been reported in Kathmandu, people could be seen coming out onto the streets, as many of the old buildings here are especially vulnerable to the slightest tremors. Office buildings like the UN Complex in Lalitpur were evacuated for about half an hour. Nepalnews.com/br/at

Policeman Killed, US Interests May be Targeted

Kathmandu, Jan.26: Maoists may hit American interests in Nepal as one more policeman was killed in a communist attack in Dang district Thursday, diplomats and police said.

A policeman died en route to hospital after he was injured in an exchange of gunfire with rebels at Dhanauti village in west Nepal, police said. Reports from Washington said American interests and Americans may be targeted in Nepal and has issued travel restrictions to its citizens.

" The US embassy in Nepal has received indications that American interests and organizations perceived to be American may be targeted," the State Department said in a statement. Personal and official travel of all US embassy employees outside Kathmandu Valley is prohibited, it said. " American citizens in Nepal should also exercise caution and evaluate carefully the implications for
their safety and security with regard to any travel in Nepal," the statement added. More than 1,500 persons have been killed as the communist insurgency its sixth year on February 18. nepalnews.com br

Administration decentralized

Kathmandu, 25 January:  For the first time, a civilian chief administrative officer with sweeping powers will be appointed in the development regions to maintain law and order. The provision has been made in an amendment to the Local Administration Act 2028 (1971) through an ordinance
promulgated by His Majesty King Birendra Monday.

This is the first major administrative change in Nepalsince the restoration of democracy in 1990. The chiefs will be based in Dhankuta, Pokhara, Surkhet and Dipayal. 

“The regional administrator will be responsible for running and coordinating the general administrative in the region as per the policy and directives of His Majesty's Government,” an announcement said. The chiefs will also be responsible for maintaining law and order, supervising and coordinating district administration within the regions. The regional administrators will head regional security committees consisting of representatives of the army, police, armed police and the local chief of the National Investigation Department to maintain peace and stability. Chief district officers in the region will execute the administrator's orders. There are 75 administrative districts within the development
regions.

The proposed Armed Police Force will be headed by an Inspector General based in the capital. The King issued another ordinance Monday to establish the unitfor the first time. A central security committee headed by either the Home Minister or the Minister of State of Home will maintain internal peace. Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Nepal Army, secretaries of the Defence and Home Ministries, Inspector General of the Police, Inspector General of the Armed Police and head of the National Investigation Department are members, together with a joint secretary of the Home
Ministry as Member-Secretary. The ordinance will be presented to parliament for approval next month. Nepalnews.com/br/at 

Convertible currency rises 

Kathmandu, 25 January: Nepal has convertible currency to finance imports for 11 months, the Nepal Rastra Bank said. Foreign currency holdings of the banking system increased by 30.1 percent to Rs 105509.4 million as of December 2000. 81.2 percent of this is in convertible currency
and 18.2 percent in non-convertible currency, the central bank said. 

The overall Balance of Payments recorded a surplus of Rs 4571.1 million in the first five months of fiscal 2000-2001 because of substantial capital inflow. Inflation during the period was less than three
percent because of the decline in prices of food and beverages. Resource mobilization increased by 16.9 percent after higher growth in revenue collection. Nepalnews.com/br/at 

Crown Prince Dipendra inaugurates CAN Info-Tech 2001 

Kathmandu, 25 Janaury: HRH Crown Prince Dipendra Thursday inaugurated the five-day CAN Info-Tech 2001 exhibition designed to create awareness and promote information technology in
Nepal. HRH Dipendra visited the nearly 100 stalls at the Birendra International Convention Centre and acquired information from national and international participants. 

The Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) has been holding such exhibitions annually since 1995. The CAN also works with the government to promote Information Technology in Nepal. Participants from Nepal, USA, Italy, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia will attend seminars and workshops to discuss advances in technology. The exhibition also provides an opportunity for networking. On display are hardware, software, computer books and office equipment. Nepalnews.com/br/at 

One more policeman killed

Kathmandu, 26 January:One more policeman died in the anti-democracy movement of the Maoists after exchanging gunfire with rebels in Dhanauti village of Dang district west Nepal Thursday.Nepalnews.com/br/at