BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

AMID CONTROVERSY REGARDING the appointment of a former chief justice as chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), members of the newly appointed NHRC have taken oath of office. Newly appointed chairman of the Commission, Nain Bahadur Khatri delivered oath of office to members of the Commission, Prof. Kapil Shrestha, Sushil Pyakurel, Ms. Indira Rana and Dr. Gauri Shanker Lal Das at the Commission's Office last week. Some ruling and opposition party legislators had criticized the appointment of Khatri to the prestigious post saying that he was responsible for handing down death sentence to two pro-democracy activists during the Panchayat regime. Khatri has, however, refuted such reports and has claimed that he was not involved in any such decisions.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE A provision to supply fertilizer in 23 remote districts of the country, through Agriculture Inputs Corporation (AIC), where road network doesn't exist and businessmen also don't supply the fertilizer. As the AIC and private sectors are supplying fertilizers in other districts, there hasn't been any policy change in case of such districts, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry said.

THE SUPREME COURT HAS ISSUED a show cause notice to Mahendranagar municipality in far-western Nepal regarding its decision to ban the use of polythene bags. The Court issued notice in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Gopal Prasad Aryal on behalf of Nepal Plastic Industries Association (NPIA). The petitioner claimed that the Municipality's decision went against the rights provided by the country's constitution and was also against the spirit of the Industrial Enterprises Act 2049 B. S. The municipality had recently imposed ban on the use of polythene bags within the municipal area with a view to control pollution.

A TOTAL OF FIVE PERSONS went missing when a boat crossing the Arun river in eastern Nepal capsized after hitting a boulder in the middle of the raging river near Kundulye Ghat of Kharang VDC in Sankhuwasabha district on Monday, reports said today. According to the Police, a person travelling in the boat was able to swim to safety. None of the six persons could be identified. Police said a search operation has already started to rescue the missing persons.

THE RASTRIYA JANATA PARISHAD (RJP) merged with the ruling Nepali Congress amidst a function held at NC's central office on Tuesday. "Since our effort to give an alternative democratic party did not materialize, we have decided to merge with the NC," said Shri Bhadra Sharma, President of the RJP. A former general secretary of NC, Sharma had later joined the Panchayat regime while all the political parties were banned in the country.

A TOTAL OF EIGHT COMPANIES have filed their applications along with proposals with Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) seeking license to run cellular mobile telephone service in the country. The selection of the service provider will be made in two phases, officials said. The Authority had called for applications and proposals in line with the government's policy of providing license to run such service to one private sector cellular mobile phone service provides besides the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC). NTC has already its mobile phone services, according to RSS news agency reported.

THE PARLIAMENTARY PUBLIC ACCOUNTS Committee (PAC) has directed the government to take departmental action against director general of the Department of Printing Narayan P. Lamsal within two months for alleged irregularities in procuring a security press. The Committee has accused Lamsal of violating tender procedures while entering into contract with the Heidelberg Company of Germany. After the first global tender was dropped in which three international companies had participated, the Department entered into an agreement with the German company that agreed to provide the press at the cost of Rs 24.8 million.

THE PAY COMMISSION CONSTITUTED by the government has said the raise in salary and benefits to the government employees, as announced in the budget for the fiscal year 2000-01 — will incur an expense of Rs 10.76 billion to the government exchequer. According to the Commission, the new pay scale will incur financial liabilities of Rs 5.98 billion in the civil service, Rs 2.45 billion in the Royal Nepal Army and Rs 2.33 billion in the Nepal Police. The Commission has also proposed new grades on line with the new pay scales for the civil servants, RSS news agency reported.

SOME 250 HOUSES IN MID-WESTERN Nepal have been feared to have been washed away in a flood caused by swelling of the Geruwa river due to influx of a flooded distributory of the Karnali river. According to local residents, the swelling was due to incessant rains from Wednesday till Friday. Police said they were able to rescue 198 people belonging to 55 families with the help of local residents. In a separate incident, 19 laborers, who were trapped in an island near Banbasa barrage, were rescued on Friday evening.