BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

Their Majesties King and Queen grant audience to Norwegian Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek

THE STATE-OWNED NEPAL OIL Corporation has said that it is working on a plan to introduce dual pricing in kerosene through ration card system. Chairman of the NOC, Raj Krishna Amatya, said that the Corporation has already sent a proposal to the Ministry of Supplies in this regard. Minister of Supplies Prakash Man Singh also said that the system would be useful to supply kerosene at a subsidized price to the targeted group. At present, the NOC is subsidizing the prices of kerosene by Rs 3.37 per liter. Following the hike of electricity tariff by 25 percent a couple of months back, the industrial sector is increasingly substituting the consumption of power with kerosene, reports said.

THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT Program (UNDP) has agreed to provide technical assistance worth Rs 82 million to implement the second phase of Sustainable Community Development program in Humla, Myagdi and Okhaldhunga districts. Under the first phase of program, poverty alleviation and environmental management activities were carried out in 45 village development committees in Dang, Surkhet and Kailali districts.

THE SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) has said that it would continue its support to the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). A total amount equivalent to US$ 475,000 will be provided for the next three years toward the Center's Core Program for sustainable development in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayas, the ICIMOD office in Kathmandu said. Sweden is one of the seven donors that provide core support to the Center. The main focus of ICIMOD's present program is promoting options for improved livelihoods from mountain households, gender balanced development and management of common propertyóthe natural resources.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT has provided a grant of over US$ 36,000 to WWF Nepal office to carry out tiger monitoring project in Chitwan, Bardia and Shuklaphanta tiger conservation units. The WWF Nepal will use the funds to work with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and The King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation to monitor tigers in the wild, the British embassy said. According to latest census of tigers, there are nearly 100 breeding age tigers in Nepal. The Nepal government has endorsed the national tiger conservation plan, prepared with the help of WWF Nepal office, early this month.

THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN has agreed to provide grant assistance of about Rs 48.2 million to carry out detailed design of approximately 39-km long Sindhuli Bazar-Khurkot section of Dhulikhel-Sindhuli road. The detailed design of this section is expected to be completed within one year. The 37 km long Sindhuli-Bardibas section of the road has already been completed and 50 km long Dhulikhel-Nepalthok section is under construction with the financial and technical assistance of the Japan government since 1996. Similarly, the Japanese government has also agreed to provide a grant assistance of about Rs 56.7 million to Nepal government under the debt relief measures.

Singer Ram Krishna Dhakal walked away with the trophy for Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Male Vocal Performance at this year's Hits FM Music Awards held on January 15. Dhakal, who had started his career in the early teens by singing songs of late Narayan Gopal, is gaining popularity of late. Kunti Moktan was awarded Best Female Vocal Performance. Pop singers Nabin Bhattarai and Deepak Bajracharya shared the trophy for Best Pop Vocal Performance (Male). Reema Gurung bagged the award for Best Pop Vocal Performance (Female). Singer, lyricist and composer Koili Devi was honored with Life Time Achievement Award.

The Ministry of Local Development has submitted a plan of action to the Minister Chiranjibi Wagle. The action plan was prepared by suggestion committees of Syuchatar, Sitapaila, Ramkot and Bhimdhunga Village Development Committees for carrying out various development and construction works in the areas which are to be affected by the development of proposed Syuchatar landfill site. The Ministry has also decided to carry out various development and construction works in the area in coordination with the ministries and other sectors concerned. The priority areas are construction of Kalanki-Syuchatar-Nursery Bhanjyang-Bhimdhunga road, the Ringroad-Sitapaila-Ramkot-Bhimdhunga road and other activities relating to drinking water, education, health, soil conservation, irrigation and the like.