Enron Required To Fulfil Conditionalities

An all-party meet held at the Prime Minister's Office last Friday has asked the US power giant, the Enron Corp. to fulfil three conditionalities in order to get survey license to develop multi-billion dollar Karnali-Chisapani hydro-power project in far-western Nepal. According to UML spokesman and former Water Resources Minister Pradip Nepal, who participated in the meeting, the three conditions include ascertaining benefits accruing through the project to a lower riparian country, developing physical infrastructure such as clean drinking water, education and proper sanitation at the project site and that World Bank's contributions to Nepal should not be affected by the project's financing. The US Company had said that it would seek loan from the World Bank, among others, to develop the project. Nepali Congress representative and former Water Resources Minister Laxman Ghimire said that there had been a political consensus to grant Enron the survey license for the 10,800 MW project. Meanwhile, officials said that the government was likely to sign on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Enron within a week. The US Company then could get the survey license within one year, the source said. Kantipur Dec. 7.

'Donors Could Fund For Development In Maoist Areas'

Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Mitsuaki Kojima, has said that donors including Japan could assist in the development of Maoist-hit areas provided Maoist activities come to a halt. Talking to reporters here at an interaction program on Thursday, ambassador Kojima termed the on-going Maoist insurgency in the country as unfortunate and said that it was tantamount to trying to force minority opinion upon majority. "No country in the world can tolerate insurgent activities," said the ambassador calling upon the government and people of Nepal to find the solution to the Maoist violence through peaceful means. He also pointed toward the need of effective utilization of foreign aid. The underlying principle of our aid is to support self-help approach in the recipient country, he emphasized. He also said that corruption needed to be controlled in order to get high returns for investment, both domestic and in the form of foreign aid. Leading dailies report Dec. 10.

Maoist Leader Warns The Govt Not To Koll The Arrested Leader

General Secretary of the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Comrade Prachanda, has warned the government not to kill its senior party leader recently arrested by Police. Police had recently arrested Dinesh Sharma, a trade union leader, whom the Maoist party later identified as its central committee member. Police had reportedly arrested Sharma in the capital on Dec. 4. Comrade Prachanda has demanded that the government deal with Mr. Sharma in a dignified way as a 'war prisoner' as per the Geneva Convention. "If the government kills Sharma or makes him disappear, its consequences could be very serious," he warned. Prachanda also alleged that the government has 'kidnapped' about 70 of its party members and supporters so far and later declared them as disappeared. Jana Ahwan Dec. 10.

'Govt Has Prepared An Integrated Security Plan'

Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka has said that the government has prepared, what he said, an integrated security plan for the Maoist-affected districts incorporating three main programs. Talking to RSS news agency in Nepalgunj, Minister Khadka said that the programs included building consensus among political parties, taking development programs to the doorsteps of the affected people and an administrative security plan to safeguard the people's right to live and work. Replying to another question, Minister Khadka said that the government was taking the Maoist violence very cautiously and with much tolerance. "But it should not be taken as our weakness," he said. Minister Khadka is to visit Rolpa district, the Maoist-flash-point, to inaugurate the meeting of district development council. Compiled from reports Dec. 6.

Pro Maoist Students Clash With Police, Set Campus On Fire

One of the largest campuses in the country turned into a battle ground on Sunday (Dec. 12) when pro-Maoist students clashed with Police and set the campus rooms on fire. The Police said that at least three policemen were injured and millions of rupees worth property of the Prithvi Narayan Campus in Pokhara was damaged during the incident. The clash took place when police entered into the campus premises and tried to disrupt a program being organized by the ANNFSU (Revolutionary), said to be close to the underground Maoist party. Students beat up the Campus chief, vandalized computers and other educational equipments and put furnitures, exam copies and other properties of the campus on fire. The fire brigade could enter the premises and extinguish fire only after three hours as the students had locked the campus gate from inside. Police said that it has arrested nearly one dozen students in connection with the violence. Compiled from reports Dec. 13.

'Maoists Violence Is Not A Cause'

Former Nepali Congress MP and ideologue Pradip Giri has said that Maoist violence is the outcome of existing problems in the country including poverty, unemployment, corruption and other distortions. The problem should not be seen in isolation. It is not the cause of present ills but only an effect. Since the system of governance in Nepal has a very small base and it is yet to be democratized, a handful of 'revolutionaries' are challenging it, said Giri. He said that as Maoists are trying to copy what Mao and Lenin said decades ago in different context, they are sure to fail. But problems like this can't be resolved unless the state power is democratized at a fast pace and Nepalese society is transformed in political, social and economic fronts. Deshanter, Dec. 12.

'I Don't Believe In Idols'

Noted artist, litterateur and researcher Lain Singh Bandgdel has said that he doesn't worship idols though he is working to repatriate stolen idols of different gods and goddesses. "I believe in God but one hasn't to visit temples to find God," said Bangdel, who has recently authored a book entitled "Stolen Images of Nepal." Several antiques and idols have been returned to Nepal after the publication of his book. Bangdel said that he found several idols stolen during the course of his research itself. He said that he was working to create awareness about rich Nepalese heritage out of his passion. " I am very satisfied to serve my country in whatever way I can," said the 75-year-old artist. Chhalphal, Dec. 12. (Photo)

Black Topped Road Crumbles Within Six Months

The 4.6 km portion of the Ratna highway in mid-western district of Surkhet has developed crumbles on the sides within six months of black-topping. The Hattisar-Bange Simal portion of the road was cosntructed at a cost of Rs 170 million under the World Bank's loan assistance. Though it is the responsibility of the contractor to maintain the newly constructed road for one year, the contractor hasn't done anything to repair the road. The Divisional Road Office in Chhinchu said that it hasn't been able to pay for laborers and carry out regular maintainenace works as it is yet to receive the allocated budget from the center. Kantipur, Dec. 11.

"We Have A State Of Semi-Democracy"

A renowned physician, Dr. Madhu Ghimire has said he is still optimistic that the democratic polity will deliver the goods in the country. "But I must say that I have been frustrated to see the activities of those who claim themselves to be the messiah of democracy," said Ghimire. According to Dr. Ghimire, though Nepalese leaders talk of people's participation every where they take decisions in the closed rooms. Leaders have confined democracy to their kitchen, drawing rooms and secret rooms. They are not worried with the plight of the country and people. So, what we have now is a state of semi-democracy, said Dr. Ghimire. Nepalese people are being exploited since the time of Ranas. Even after the restoration of democracy a decade ago, they are yet to present themselves as a power to reckon with, he added. Bimarsha, Dec. 10.