BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

CROWN PRINCE DIPENDRA HAS called upon all sections of Nepalese society to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS. In his first public speech at the advocacy convention on HIV/AIDS last week, the Crown Prince said there would be serious problems in future if the disease was not checked in time. Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said the government was preparing a long-term policy to control the disease. UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Henning Karcher said the epidemic had recently become noticeable among most vulnerable groups like sex workers and intravenous drug users in Nepal and warranted immediate attention. US Ambassador to Nepal Ralph Frank, British Ambassador Ronald Nash and Australian Ambassador Crispin Conroy assured their governments' cooperation with Nepal in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The meeting was organized jointly by the Health Ministry, Family Health International, the United Nations Development Program and the United States Agency for International Development.

A SPECIAL CONVENTION OF university teachers' unions last week formed the Nepal University Teachers' Federation (NUTF) with all the three major factions — the pro-Congress Nepal University Teachers' Association (NUTA), pro-left Progressive University Teachers Union (PUTU) and pro-RPP Academic Group — coming under one umbrella. Bhimsendas Shrestha, chairman of NUTA and convenor of the NUTF ad-hoc committee, said there was a need for such a federation since the teachers' unions in the past were led by specific groups affiliated to political parties. This gave way to political intervention in the education places, he said. Inaugurating the convention, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala called on university teachers to launch a campaign against growing Maoist activities in the country. He said teachers had played a major role in the restoration of multiparty democracy a decade ago and had a similar responsibility to make democracy a success.

OFFICIALS HAVE RECOMMENDED survey licenses to five private investors interested to develop hydropower projects in Nepal, Kantipur daily reported last week. The Department of Electricity Development (DED), which reviewed the proposals, has forwarded the selected proposals to the Ministry of Water Resources for final endorsement. According to officials, the survey license for the 27-megawatt Khimti II project has been recommended to the Statkraft of Norway, which constructed the 60-megawatt Khimti I, that went into operation this year. Other projects in this category are 121-megawatt Upper Marsyangdi, which has been recommended to Swiss company Vatec, the 308-megawatt Lower Arun to Brazilian Brass Power, 300-megawatt Upper Trishuli and 51-megawatt Likhu-4 to Australian Pacific Hydro Limited. If the ministry gives the nod, the department will issue the survey license to the concerned parties. After getting the license, the investors would have to conduct a feasibility study of the project and enter into a power purchase agreement with either the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for domestic use or with foreign power authorities (read: India) if they want to export power.

THE FEDERATION OF NEPALESE Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) announced weeklong programs to promote occupational safety for workers in Nepal. During "Safety Week" that started from December 3, different programs were organized with a focus on the occupational health and safety of the laborers in Nepali industries. Chairman of the Employers' Council of FNCCI, Rajendra K. Khetan, stressed the importance of programs to make laborers, industrial employers and the representatives from the government aware about their roles in occupational safety.

HELP NEPAL NETWORK, an organisation representing Nepalese expatriates in different parts of the world, has extended financial assistance of about Rs 350,000 which will be used for providing Hepatitis B vaccination and reconstruction of a school building in Pyuthan. Out of the total amount, Rs 125,000 will be used for the renovation of school building. An equal amount will be collected from the local people, said Jeev Raj Neupane, headmaster of the school. In the second phase of the programme, Help Nepal will provide Rs. 120,000, which will be used to inoculate 125 school children against Hepatitis B.

THE RULING NEPALI CONGRESS and the main opposition CPN-UML have agreed to form a task force to study possible amendments to some provisions of the constitution as proposed by the latter. After a meeting of senior leaders of the two parties Wednesday, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala agreed to form the task force. During the meeting, CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said failure to amend certain provisions of the constitution would invite serious political as well as social problems in the future. The CPN-UML has proposed changes in the provision of parliamentary constituency delineation and reforms in the electoral system. The main opposition party also wants to change parliamentary constituencies only in every 25 years, instead of the present 10 years, ensure the provision of a caretaker government to conduct elections and make the upper house of parliament the chamber of different nationalities.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED to start distributing land to recently liberated landless Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) in five districts of western Nepal by the end of this month. A decision to this effect was taken on Wednesday at Deputy Prime Minister's office. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel, Secretary at the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management (MoLRM) Yoddha Saha and the chairmen of the District evelopment Committees (DDCs) of Banke, Bardia, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur. Bishnu Prasad Sharma, president of the Landless Problem Resolution Committee (Banke), said 186 landless Kamaiya families in Banke, 3,155 in Bardia, 158 in Dang, 2,647 in Kailali and 717 in Kanchanpur will be given between one kattha (3645 sq. feet) and five kattha (18225 sq. feet) of land each. Secretary Saha said ministry officials, along with the DDC staff, were carrying out a study on surplus land for distribution, and measuring and recording the areas in the five districts. After we receive reports by December 30, we will start distributing the land, he said. The government had declared kamaiyas free from debt bondage and the practice illegal in July this year.

A GROUP OF MASKED PEOPLE carrying arms threatened a group of 28 tourists and looted Nepalese Rs 80,000 and other valuables with them last week, Gorkhapatra daily reported. According to the report, the armed group, comprising half a dozen people, looted the tourists who were taking rest at Gaighat in Chitwan district Thursday after they had completed rafting on the Trishuli river. Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office in Bharatpur, Ramji Thapa, said the armed group fled to a nearby jungle. He said police were investigating the case and suspected the armed group to be Maoist rebels.