NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Agitated Mob Pushes The Bus Into Trishuli River

In what is seen as a bizarre incident, locals at Charaudi town in Dhading district followed a bus carrying pilgrims from India, forced the passengers out of the bus and pushed it off the road into the Trishuli river. Reason: the bus had killed a six-year-child at Daraudi along the highway on Friday afternoon. As the bus fled from the scene, the local people were able to catch it up at a place known as Darechowk in Chitwan district. The driver of the bus fled to safety, reports said. Police said all the passengers of the bus were safe inside a local police station at Mugling. Police have been looking for the culprits. Himalaya Times June 30.

Rodrigo Calls For Speedy Implementation OF SAFTA

Secretary General of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Nihal Rodrigo has urged all SAARC member countries to work unitedly toward speedy implementation of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). The proposal aims at making South Asia a free trade area allowing duty free access to the products and services between member countries in the region. Rodrigo also called for a common stand-point among the members on the issue of mutual interest such as intellectual property right. Addressing a three-day long workshop jointly organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Thursday, Rodrigo also called upon the member countries to develop common standpoint on issues of mutual interest such as intellectual property rights. Participants are attending the workshop from Chambers of Commerce from Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Compiled from reports June 29.

Calcutta Port Strike Ends

A 15-day long strike at Calcutta port in India ended on Thursday. Indo-Nepal Truck and Trailers Association, an organization of transporters called the strike that partially affected the flow of Nepal-bound goods imported from third country, involved in the transportation of goods to Nepal. The strike ended in a compromise between the Association and Nepal Cargo Clearing Agent Association .The two sides agreed to stick to the transportation fare as agreed upon between them a few months back. Similarly, they also agreed that providing security to the imported goods during transit would be the responsibility of the transporter. Calcutta is the main port for Nepal-bound cargo from where it is transported by trucks up to the Nepal-India border. Compiled from reports June 29.

Controversial Provision In The Communication Act Dropped

Amid protests from national media and international rights organizations, a parliamentary committee has decided to unanimously drop the controversial provision requiring renewal of publication in the amendment bill on Communication Act 1991, KANTIPUR daily reported today. The Committee was studying the bill before presenting it to the Parliament According to Raghuji Panta, a UML lawmaker and a member of the committee, the decision was taken unanimously after members agreed that the provision in the bill could be used by the government to harass the newspapers. If passed in its original form, the Act would have made it necessary for the publications to renew their registration every year failing which their registration could be canceled by the local administration. Now the bill says the publisher will have to notify the concerned authorities in writing within five years of its registration whether the publication has started or not. The registration of the publication will be automatically cancelled if it isn't published during the whole five-year period. President of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Suresh Acharya, has welcomed the decision of the House Committee. Compiled from reports June 28.

Trans-Himalaya Traders Criticize The Govt. Rules

Nepali businessmen who trade with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China have complained against the new system of banking made mandatory by the government for the trans-Himalaya trade. At an interaction program organized by the Trans-Himalaya Trade Association on Wednesday, traders criticized what they said was the impractical system of trade imposed by the government since 16th of July this year. They decried unanimously that the business of many Nepali retailers is in jeopardy due to the banking regulations that have been introduced by the government. Chief of the Tatopani Customs Office Bharat Raj Subedi said the customs revenue have been rising since the new regulations came into effect. "The system of banking cannot be called unsuccessful because revenue collected in the past ten days is Rs. 100 million which is more than it used to be in the past." Director of Foreign Exchange Department of Nepal Rastriya Bank said the system of banking offers maximum flexibility to the local retailers. It takes time to realize flexibility associated with the system, he said. Compiled from reports June 28.

More Than 150 Children Killed In Six Months

At least 159 children have been killed during the first six months of year 2000, an organization working for children's rights said. The major causes behind the deaths were violence, Maoist war, accident or suicide, a half-yearly report of Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center (CWIN) said. Out of the reported child deaths, a majority of them, comprising 107 died in accidents whereas seven were killed in domestic violence. Similarly, six children died in Maoist-related violence and 19 committed suicide due to family tension and mental pressure.18 new-born were deliberately murdered while carelessness on the part of the doctors killed two children, the report said. Leading dailies report June 26.

Maoists Raise Funds From Farmers In Rukum

The activists belonging to the underground Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) are raising funds from farmers producing vegetable seeds in the far-western district of Rukum, reports said. According to local farmers the Maoists are collecting around 1- 10% of their total earnings as donation for their 'people's war.' The farmers have said the rebels have asked them to grow their vegetables in a commune system and pay a certain amount of money to the Maoists. Police in the area, however, said they had not received any such complaints from the local people in this regard. Compiled from reports June 26.

Marfa Apples Could Fetch Up To Rs 100 Million A Year

Apples produced in northern Himalayan district of Mustang, popularly known as Marfa apple, could fetch up to Rs 100 million a year if there were transport facilities to take them to the nearest market, entrepreneurs said. Addressing an interaction program organized here on Tuesday, chairman of Mustang district development committee Nirmal Gauchan said the district has been producing 1,500 tons of apple annually out of which only 750 tons could reach the market. Moreover, the high cost incurred in transporting the Marfa apples has made them costlier than those imported from India and China, he said. Gauchan said some three decades back the district had 8,000 apple trees producing 3,000 tons of apple per annum. But the spread of harmful disease compelled the farmers to cut down nearly 50 percent of the trees, he said. Leading dailies report June 26.

ANFA Under Fire

The three member probe committee formed to investigate the legitimacy of the present All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and its financial transactions has submitted its findings to the Ministry of Sports and Education. The committee has not only termed the present ANFA executive committee as illegitimate but also charged them of indulging in financial irregularities. The committee has recommended dissolving the present ANFA and forming a legitimate one. According to Ministry source, the committee was formed one and a half month ago after a controversy erupted regarding the election of the Association. The report has pointed to various financial irregularities regarding the association's financial transactions. Meanwhile, Ganesh Thapa, the President of ANFA, has said that he has not done anything wrong. "We were busy in developing football in the country and may be in our earnestness to do that, we made some mistakes. But that was not intentional," says Thapa. Just recently Thapa, a former national football star had drawn praises for bagging the ambitious FIFA Goal Project for Nepal. Deshanter July 30.

Aftab Alam Made A Scapegoat

Minister of State for Forest and Soil Conservation Mohammad Aftab Alam has been made to resign forcefully. To keep the main opposition UML in good humor, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has sacrificed a young, energetic Congress leader from Rautahat. Alam, the heir of late Sheikh Idris, had won the last election securing the maximum number of votes. Alam's influence was not only limited to Rautahat district but the whole Terai belt of Central Region. Threatened by his growing political prowess, UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, who is also trying to build his political base from that region, attempted to clip Alam's wings. UML had been demanding Alam's resignation alleging him to have masterminded the abduction of district UML leader a couple of months ago. As PM Koirala is feeling the heat from within the Congress, he tried to win the opposition's heart by removing Alam. Punarjagran August 1.