NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Nepal, China To Expand Cooperation

The fourth meeting of the Nepal-China non-governmental cooperation forum held at the Chinese industrial city of Wuxi concluded Saturday with a determination to enhance bilateral trade and investment and overall economic relations. According to the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), separate joint-venture agreements on herbal processing plants, agriculture and commercial farms, trade through the land route, and the establishment of a pharmaceutical industry in Nepal were signed during the meeting. The meeting decided to organize a Chinese exhibition in Nepal in December 2001, hold the fifth meeting of the forum in Pokhara, promote religious and other forms of tourism, facilitate banking services along the Nepal-China border and study and recommend future cooperation in agriculture, information technology, solar energy and hydropower. RSS report, December 3.

Hospital Staff Continue Strike

Despite a government ban on strikes by health workers, technicians at the pathology and radiology units in government hospitals in the capital continued to stay away from work last week. The health workers have been demanding the continuation of ‘hazard allowance’. The government had cut the allowance after raising the salary of government employees in mid-July this year. Health Secretary Padma Prasad Pokhrel has warned the striking health workers that they will be prosecuted according to the law if they do not return to work immediately. The Finance Ministry is studying the workers’ demands for the allowance, Pokhrel said. Compiled from reports December 3.

Maoist Rebels Kill Two Civilians

Maoist rebels have killed two people in the remote northern district of Kalikot after killing 11 policemen during a devastating attack at Kotwada police post in the district last week. According to Kantipur daily, in a public notice the rebels have said they have ‘eliminated’ Dadhi Bista, a disabled man, and a schoolteacher, Agu Bahadur Giri, for allegedly spying for police. The rebels had abducted Bista and Giri nearly one and a half months ago. Compiled from reports Dec. 3.

NIDC Official Demands Reforms

A top official at the Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) has urged the government to initiate a process to reform the state-owned corporation instead of hastily selling it to the private sector. Talking to reporters at his office last week, chairman of the NIDC board of directors, Dr. Biswombher Pyakhurel, said the government should think of reforming NIDC so that it can exploit it resources productively. Hasty privatization without working on the corporation’s infrastructure might be ineffective, he said. The government recently listed NIDC among the corporations to be privatized in the near future. NIDC has been incurring losses for the last three years. NIDC officials said the corporation has to collect Rs. 2.31 billion disbursed as loans to industries out of which overdue loans amount to Rs. 2.2 billion. A noted economist, Pyakhurel said NIDC is facing a dire situation for the last few years because of deep-rooted anomalies in the policy level. He added that NIDC should start a minimum level of commercial banking activities for its survival. Compiled from reports December 3.

Lauda Aircraft Finally Arrives

The controversial Lauda Air B 767 jet lease-purchased by the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport early Friday and left for New Delhi on a scheduled flight the same evening. RNAC officials said the introduction of the fourth wide-body aircraft into its fleet would help their international operations. RNAC employees, however, claim the new aircraft was not essential for the national flag carrier and that it would result in under-utilization of the existing fleet. The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee had instructed the state-owned corporation not to enter into the deal, saying it was against the national interest. A case against the deal is also pending at the Supreme Court. The RNAC has lease-purchased the wide-body jet for a period of 18 months. Compiled from reports December2.

IT Policy Drafted

The government has formulated the Information Technology (IT) Policy 2000 with a view to systematically using IT in education, health, agriculture, tourism, trade and other sectors. The policy document has made a provision to set up a 21-member National IT Development Council to review the IT policy and address other problems that may be confronted while expanding the IT sector in the country. The policy has proposed a 12-member National IT Coordination Committee under the minister for science and technology. The document also has provisions to set up a separate National IT Center with its regional and district offices. The policy has said a comprehensive program will be drafted to provide computer education for all by 2010. Similarly, it has given emphasis on e-commerce, e-education and e-health. According to spokesman at the Ministry of Science and Technology, Punya Prasad Neupane, the government plans to set up an IT Park at Banepa, east of Kathmandu, initiate computer education right from the schools and develop computerized records in all government offices. The government also plans to export Rs 10 billion worth of software within the next five years. The government is going to present a bill to this effect in the upcoming session of the parliament, officials said. Nepal Samacharpatra November 30.

Inmates Clash In Birgunj

The tense situation at the Birgunj jail in southern Nepal ended Sunday after the jail administration shifted 11 of 27 inmate monitors from the jail, reports said. Several inmates were injured in clashes at a prison in Birgunj Saturday as police lobbed tear gas shells and fired in the air to bring the situation under control, published reports and officials said. Inmates were protesting the excesses of a " naike" (the monitor) chosen from among the prisoners to run the jail administration, an official said. Inmates and local officials began talks Sunday to resolve the issue as the situation around the jail returned to normal, a Home Ministry official said. The inmates were demanding action against a " naike" who several weeks ago allegedly severely beat a prisoner, leading to his death. There are more than 500 prisoners in the Birgunj jail. Compiled from reports Dec. 4.

Gautam Alleges Role Of Indian Embassy, Mainali Reacts

Fire-brand communist leader and general secretary of the CPN (M-L) Bamdev Gautam has alleged that the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and Indian intelligence agency RAW are active to disrupt the party's upcoming convention in the Nepalese capital, Kantipur daily quoted Gautam as saying Sunday. Another senior leader of the party, C. P. Mainali, however, said Monday that the comments by Gautam were "undiplomatic, irresponsible and directed from vested interests." Both Gautam and Mainali were instrumental in breaking away from the CPN (UML) more than two years ago and floating their own party criticizing, among others, the ratification of Nepal-India Mahakali Treaty and alleged encroachment of Nepalese territory by the Indian army at Kalapani. The ML, however, could not bag a single seat in the parliamentary elections held last year. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu had not responded to the allegations levelled by Gautam till Sunday. Compiled from reports Dec. 3.

Singh Refutes Nepal Gameplan

Joginder Singh, the former chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India said that Indian government cannot act against the interest of Nepal. "As far as I know, Indian government or the Vajpayee government will not do anything that can adversely affect Nepal's interest," said Singh, who was in the capital to launch his book "Inside CBI". According to Singh, the Nepal Gameplan report, which created a furor in Nepal after it was published in India Today, was 'spread by media'. "If you think the intelligence report is good, then take action, if you don't then throw it away," said Singh refusing to take the report as prepared by the Indian government. Singh, who headed the CBI for eleven month, was the first chief of the bureau to write such book. His tenure is known for some high profile expose of corruption and irregularities in high places. Kantipur daily November 28.