NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Amnesty Condemns Maoists For Employing child Soldiers

Ligal

The Amnesty International (AI), a London-based human rights watchdog, has condemned the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) for abductions, killings and recruitment of child soldiers in Nepal. In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the AI said the underground party has abducted nearly three dozen children including girls, below the age of 18, within the last few weeks. The Amnesty said it did not receive any response to its letters sent to two senior Maoist leaders, Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Comrade Prachanda and Dr. Baburam Bhattarai through an intermediary in late June. The AI had asked them to end a series of abductions and recruitment of children in their ranks, among others. Leading dailies report.

"Maoist Problem The Most Serious Problem": Army Chief

Chief of the Army Staff General Prajwalla Shumsher Rana has said the Maoist problem is a serious and most sensitive aspect of national security in the present day Nepal. Addressing a function at the Army Command and Staff College at Shivapuri on Wednesday, Rana said in this context the timely expansion and improvement of the Royal Nepalese Army was the need of the hour. Saying that the national prosperity and national security as complementary to each other, General Rana said it is the job of the National Security Council to identify issues of national security and direct the country on such matters. "No matter which political party holds power it is necessary to invigorate the NSC and to make it more creative to give continuity to the country's security concept in the broader interest of the country," he said. Rana's statement has come in the aftermath of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Koirala's announcement a few months back that he was going to activate the NSC in view of the growing Maoist activities. The NSC has Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Royal Nepalese Army chief as its members. Leading dailies report Aug. 10.

Govt. To Provide Free Internet

Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta has announced that the government will make available free Internet connections to all 205 members of Parliament through the state-owned Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) for one year. If the lawmakers enjoy it, the government may consider of extending the facility. He also said that the government will provide free Internet access to government-run schools in Kathmandu district. He, however, did not say who will bear the cost of computers and other logistics to these schools most of which are in neglected conditions and in poor shape. Leading dailies report Aug. 10.

Crime Goes Up Bordering Town Of Birgunj

The criminal activities are on the rise in the major business town of Birgunj, bordering India, in southern Nepal, reports said. According to police, cross-border crime has jumped by as much as 100 percent over the last few months. Other crimes recorded a 20 percent increase over the same period. "The main reason for this massive increase in crime is Nepal's open border with India," said S. K. Karmacharya, superintendent of police in Birgunj. Not only in city areas, criminal gangs from across the border have been creating terror in the small villages along the border. Local people said such gangs are involved in acts including looting, kidnapping and rape, among others. Recently, Nepal and India have agreed to extend cooperation at official level to check such crimes but it is yet to be translated into action. Compiled from reports Aug. 11.

Eurorient Apples For Arun III Survey License

A senior official with the US-based Company, EurOrient Investment and Banking Group, has said if they get permission they will start construction of the 402 MW Arun III hydropower project from next year. Talking to reporters a day after applying to the Nepal government for the survey license of Arun III and Aandhikhola hydropower projects, EurOrient's managing director Ron Nechemia, said there would be no problem to sell power generated from the project to power hungry northern Indian states. Indian northern states are in need of 15,000 MW of power. Therefore there will be no problem in selling power to them after entering into `power purchase agreement (PPA)' with individual buyers. The Power Trade Agreement initialed between the junior ministers of Nepal and India three years back allows independent power producers of Nepal to enter into PPA directly with prospective buyers. Nechemia said he had enough contacts in India as his company was already engaged in above half-a-dozen power projects there. If the government issues license to EurOrient, it will have nearly one year to apply for the construction license of the Arun III project. Leading dailies report August 11.

Public Expenditure Management Commission IN The Offing

The government is going to constitute the Public Expenditure Management Commission (PEMC) soon, a senior official said. Vice Chairman at the National Planning Commission Prithvi Raj Ligal said the Commission was being set up with a view to ensure optimum mobilization of resources and enhance productivity through management in the public expenditure. Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya had proposed to set up the Commission in this year's budget. Ligal said the tendency to take projects in one's constituency is also responsible for misuse of resources. Both the government and donor agencies should be blamed for this, he said. The World Bank suspended the Nepal Irrigation Development Project after one year, which means that it will not give return even after certain expenditure? Who will take its responsibility? he asked. Himalaya Times Aug. 11.

Central Bank Intervenes In The Money Market

The Nepali currency continued to slide down by 35 paisa on Tuesday despite intervention by the Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of the country. The rupee traded at a record low of Rs 72.70 for a dollar on Tuesday. Earlier, the NRB sold US$ 18.8 million to the commercial banks to meet the growing demand for the greenback. The Foreign Exchange Dealers' Association had requested the central bank to provide them with more foreign currency to meet the market demand late last week. The depreciation of Nepali rupee was a direct fallout of weakening Indian currency against the greenback. Nepali currency has been pegged against Indian currency. After maintaining stability for over two years Nepali currency has been sliding since May 28 this year. Since then it has depreciated by nearly 3.5 percent. Nepali currency has depreciated by nearly 25 percent over the last three years after the East Asian economic crisis. Compiled from reports Aug. 9.

A Post Graduate Applies For The Post Of A Cleaner

After not being able to find a job years after completing his post graduation, visually impaired Govinda Acharya has applied for the post of `cleaner' at the central cafeteria at the Tribhuvan Univeristy, Kirtipur. "I have met the Vice Chancellor and Rector (of TU) more than a hundred times and urged them to appoint me as a lecturer but in vain. Finally, I decided to apply for this post in response to a TU advertisement," said Acharya. The third visually impaired person in Nepal to hold the higher degree, Acharya has secured good second division marks in Nepali. He is also studying at Masters Level first year in Literature English and also wants to study Buddhist philosphy. A father of two girls, 34-year-old Acharya wants to set a record by becoming the first visually impaired Ph. D. holder of the country. "If I could get the job of a lecturer, I could fulfill my dream," he said. Nepal Samacharpatra Aug. 8.

Artistes Condole Muscian Grung's Death, Demand Prosecution

A protest demonstration

Cine actors and musicians in the capital have condoled the death of a promising singer-musician Praveen Gurung and have asked the government to prosecute the culprit. At a condolence meet held in memory of Gurung in the capital on Sunday, film artistes and musicians said the untimely death of Gurung was not just the loss of his family and friends but of the whole country. Gurung had died last week after a Pajero vehicle allegedly being driven by Prince Paras hit his motorbike near the Royal Palace. Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi told the Parliament last week that Police was investigating into the incident. Compiled from reports Aug. 14.

Strike Of Corporation Employees To Continue

Despite assurance from the government to fulfill some of their demands, representatives of nearly 70,000 employees of the state-owned corporations have said they will continue their general strike on Monday. After two days of strikes last week, the employees had been offered significant concessions from the government. Employees of state-run financial and utility corporations shut-down banks and corporations last week demanding that the government refrain from cutting their pay and benefits. They also demanded a pay hike at par with other full-fledged government employees. A directive issued by the Finance Ministry Friday said the corporation employees' pay and benefits would not be cut. The Ministry, however, said the employees will have to negotiate with their respective corporations on the issue of other benefits. The government has also threatened action against the striking employees if they fail to show up at their offices soon. Compiled from reports Aug. 14.

RNAC Pays Advance To Procure Two ATR Planes

The state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) has decided to pay a total of US$ 400,000 as the 'refundable commitment fee' to a French company to procure two ATR 72-500 aircrafts. A source at the RNAC said the Corporation has decided to pay a total of 21.9 million dollars to the company. Executive chairman at the Corporation, Hari Bhakta Shrestha, however, said the Corporation has decided to pay US$ 16.7 million only, KANTIPUR daily reported. Shrestha said the French company has agreed to provide one aircraft in December this year and another a month later. The Board of directors of the RNAC has also decided to request commercial banks in the country to provide guarantee of US$ 35 million to procure the said aircrafts. GORKHAPATRA daily reported today that the Corporation had decided to procure ATR aircrafts through sealed quotation bids after it failed to lease a wide body aircraft through tender process even after five months. The Corporation had canceled an agreement with an Australian company that had promised to lease out a wide body jet, a month back as it reportedly failed to meet the agreed provisions. Compiled from reports Aug. 14.