NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Enron Corp. Asks Govt. To Negotiate With India

A bridge

The US multinational company, Enron Corp., has asked the Nepal government to enter into an agreement with the Indian government to finalize the issue of downstream benefits that will accrue from the proposed multi-billion dollar Karnali-Chisapani project within one year. KANTIPUR daily today quoted a highly placed source at the Ministry of Water Resources as saying that the government is all set to sign on a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian government to this effect. "After the issue is resolved, Enron will negotiate with the Indian side regarding entering into the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)," the official said. Earlier, the US power giant was told by Nepali officials to hold dialogue with India regarding compensating Nepal for the downstream benefits to be accrued from the regulated flow of the Karnali river. If the government can sign on an MoU with the Indian side in this regard, it will be instrumental in inviting Enron investment to the 10,800 MW hydropower project in far-western Nepal, analysts said. The US company has been trying to get survey license of the mega-project for the last four years. Kantipur Feb. 10.

38 Policemen Killed in One Month

A total of 38 policemne were killed in the last 40 days as the Maoist rebels scaled up their activities on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the "People's War." During this period, 29 suspected Maoist rebels were killed. "Since January this year, more people have been killed in comparison to the rebels reversing the previous trend," Sushil Pyakyrel, a human rights activist told a gathering on Thursday. More than 1100 people have been killed since the war began in February 1996. The so-called war enters its fifth year on February 13. Compiled from reports Feb. 13.

UML To Launch New Campaign

The main opposition party Unified Marxist Leninist has decided to launch a campaign to collect donations to provide relief to victims of the four-year-old Maoist insurgency. The party will kick off the campaign on February 13 -- the day the insurgents mark the start of fifth year of their anti-establishment movement. UML will mobilize its organization "people's volunteers" to collect donations. According to MP Pradeep Nepal, who heads the people's volunteers, the collection will be utilized to provide relief to family members of those killed by both the Maoists and the police. "By undertaking this campaign, we want to emphasize that this problem (Maoist insurgency) is not person-specific or party-specific. Rather it is problem of the entire countrymen." Ghatana Ra Bichar February 9.

Campuses To Be Privatized

College classroom

After public enterprises, it is now the turn of campuses to be privatized. According to news reports, the government is planning to privatize five campuses currently under the affiliation of Tribhuwan University (TU). The five campuses include Amrit Science College, Shankardev, Padma Kanya, Min Bhawan and Public Youth. After privatizing, the campuses will be provided one hundred thousand dollars a year each by the World Bank for the improvement of physical infrastructures. The initiatives to privatize the campuses will be taken from the next academic session. Samakalin February 10.

Masal Takes Action Against Its Own MP

Radical communist outfit Masal, which has nearly half a dozen MPs in the current parliament, has decided to take action against its own MP Pari Thapa. The party, whose electoral organization is called National People's Front (NPF), has publicly criticized Thapa. According to a statement issued by the NPF Chairman and MP Chitra Bahadur KC, Thapa failed to suggest amendment to the bill proposed to amend internal administration (Nepal Act) as directed by the party. "His weakness has caused a setback to our party's political prestige," the statement reads. Budhabar February 9.

Winter Session In March

Heated discussions are likely to take place in the upcoming winter session of the parliament scheduled to start from March 1, 2000. The formal decision to this effect is expected to be announced sometime in the first week of March. A number of important bills including the ones concerning election commission, terrorism and other items of public interest like price hike will be the highlight of the winter session. Besides, the rift that appeared in the ruling Nepali Congress in the last few months might also take a decisive shape during the session. Bimarsha February 11.

UML Stalwart Impressed By Cuba

After a two-week-long tour of the US and Cuba, general secretary of Unified Marxist Leninist and leader of the main opposition Madhav Kumar Nepal returned to the country visibly impressed with the socialist Cuba. "I was impressed by Cuba's success in the field of education and health," said Nepal. The UML strongman, who could not meet Cuban President Fidel Castro, due to lack of time, said the manner in which Cuba has preserved its nationalism and patriotism under the very nose of USA is exemplary. Extolling the success of socialism in Cuba, Nepal said he did not see a single beggar there. Budhabar February 9.

Rural Settlement

Through the scheme of rural settlement, Rural Housing Company has provided housing plots to a total of 11,229 families in different parts of the country in last one decade. The same scheme also helped develop three market places, seven bus stands and nearly 500-meter long embankments for river control in project areas. The Company was set up nearly four-decade back for the development of systematic housing and settlement facilities to poor people. RSS news agency February 14.

Budgetary Deficit Increases

Nepal Rastra Bank

The trade deficit widened significantly during the first five months of the current fiscal year 1999/2000 despite a rise in exports and imports, read a press statement issued by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). According to the NRB report, the fiscal sector recorded a wider budgetary deficit due to a mismatch between the rate of resource mobilization and the rate of government expenditure. The government expenditure recorded a significant growth of 26.1 percent amounting to Rs 1735.6 million as compared to the growth of nearly 4 percent during the same period last year. This high growth was mainly due to increase in regular expenditure by 24 percent and development expenditure by 33 percent. On the external sector, both exports and imports have registered a growth of 37.8 percent and 38.2 percent to Rs 19040.9 million and Rs 49709.1 million respectively. Despite an impressive export growth, trade deficit increased by more than 38 percent to Rs 22668.2 million, the report said.

Activists Arrange Wedding

The women rights activists have now started to arrange weddings too. Recently, in Chitawan district when a local Romeo refused to marry his long time Juliet, the local women's pressure group undertook a street demonstration and forced him to tie the nuptial knot. Bidur Pandey had loved local lass Sharmila Kandel for the last many years and had promised to marry her. But when he hinted of breaking the promise, social and women pressure group came to her rescue. They organized a demonstration, obstructed traffic on the Mahendra highway and eventually forced Pandey to capitulate. Amidst increasing pressures from women's group and under the initiative of local police, Pandey publicly accepted Kandel as his better-half. Jana Bhawana February 14.