NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Corruption In Construction

Officials at The Ministry of Education and Sports have said they have heard about inflated price while procuring bricks to construct primary school buildings under the Japanese assistance. Secretary at the Ministry Khagendra Basnet told the Public Accounts Committee of the Parliament on Monday that he had heard of procuring bricks at Rs 7 (that would cost Rs 2 at local market) by Syanpo International, the contractor hired by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). "But we don't exactly know how much they pay per piece as they don't need to show the details of purchase as per the agreement." According to Kantipur daily, the Japanese contractor hired by JICA has been supplying low quality construction materials at inflated prices. JICA has been supporting construction of 600 blocks of classrooms in seven districts. The Japanese embassy in Kathmandu is yet to make its comment public regarding the controversy. Compiled from reports June 6.

RNA To Get Avro RJ-100

The Defense Ministry has sent a purchase order to British Aerospace Systems to procure Avro RJ-100 as per the decision of the cabinet late last month. According to an investigative report, the price of the aircraft, to be used by Royal Nepal Army, has been inflated by nearly US$ 8 million to US$ 33 million (nearly Rs 2.31 billion). The Ministry is, however, yet to send payment to the British company. The NC-UML government-led by G. P. Koirala last year had decided to procure the same aircraft without calling global tender but had to give up the idea amidst much uproar in the media. Kantipur June 7.

'Access To Road Crucial For Poverty Alleviation'

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Poudel has said access to road is crucial for poverty alleviation. Addressing a seminar entitled "The role of rural access in poverty alleviation" organized by RAP (Rural Access Program), Poudel said infrastructure like roads ensure better access to services such as health, education, agriculture support and market. Currently under design, RAP is a road development project funded jointly by grant aid of the Department for International Development of the British government and Nepali government. The 21.2 million pounds six-year project — likely to be implemented from 2001 — aims at linking Bhojpur district with a feeder road and building about 60 km of rural roads in three eastern and three mid and far western districts. Leading dailies report June 7.

Congress Legislators Criticize The Govt.

The ruling Nepali Congress lawmakers on Wednesday criticized the two-month old G. P. Koirala government for failing to allocate budget to different districts in an equitable manner, failing to maintain law and order in the Maoist-affected areas and maintaining partiality by the party leadership, among others. Former Prime Minister duo K. P. Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba and their supporters aired their grievances over the style of working of the Koirala government. Bhattarai, who was forced to resign early this year by his own colleagues, asked Koirala to honor the sentiments of those Congress legislators who voted against him during the parliamentary party elections. Deuba criticized the government's decision to appoint former chief justice Nain Bahadur Khatri as Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi was the focus of criticism of some legislators, one of them even demanding his resignation. Prime Minister Koirala listened patiently to the issues raised by the legislators and assured immediate action, reports said. Leading dailies report June 8.

Public Holiday On Sunday Loses Its Relevance

The government's nine-month-old decision to observe two-day holiday on the premises to reducing unnecessary expenditure in fuel and other costs has become irrelevant. According to a report, joint secretary level staff of the Ministries still get 120 liters of petrol per month for their vehicle even though the working day has been reduced to five-day-a-week. Similarly, the government provides Rs 68,400 for the maintenance of the vehicle whereas a driver gets Rs 48,000 a year as remuneration. Thus the cost of a vehicle procured at Rs 500,000 goes up to Rs 1.4 million within a period of five years. This shows that providing vehicle to the officials has become a costly affair for the government. Budhabar June 7.

Biratnagar Hospital Resumes Operations

The agitating doctors at the Koshi zonal hospital in eastern town of Biratnagar returned to work on Tuesday after the local administration assured them of tight security within the hospital premises. All 24 doctors at the hospital had resigned en mass after a group of local people beat one of their colleagues, Dr. Narayan Basnet, severely on Sunday alleging him of carelessness while treating Sudip Subedi, a local resident. Subedi, who had met with an accident, had died as soon as he was admitted at the hospital. Leading dailies report June 8.

Home Minister Joshi Deplores The Indian Intelligence Report

Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi has said that the article in India Today magazine alleging increased Pakistani ISI activity in Nepal and the so-called report on the Internet are totally baseless, malicious and motivated. Replying to questions raised by the members of National Assembly on Friday, Minister Joshi said the Prime Minister himself and Foreign Ministry have already denounced the report. The main opposition, Unified Marxist-Leninist, has also condemned the report saying it to be "false and misleading." Meanwhile, general secretary of the CPN (ML) Bamdev Gautam has said the report has not only intervened in the self-dignity and domestic affairs of Nepal but has raised a serious question over the attitude of Indian leaders. Gautam also demanded that the government make public an official statement on behalf of the sovereign state of Nepal and its self-respecting Nepali people. Himalaya Times, June 10.

Supreme Court Asks The Govt. To Set Strong Pollution Standard

In a landmark judgement, the apex court in the country issued an order on Thursday against Ministry of Population and Environment (MoPE) asking it to set stringent pollution standard in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Biratnagar and Birgunj metropolises within six months. A division bench of the Supreme Court comprising justices Kedar Nath Upadhyay and Hari Prasad Sharma delivered the judgement in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Bhoj Raj Aiyer of People's Interest Protection Forum. The Court has ruled that the Ministry work toward setting more stringent standard than the Nepal Emission Standard 1999. Leading dailies report June 9.

"Air Mafia Have Barred Us From Acting Independently"

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Dutta Chataut has said, "air mafia have barred the government from acting independently." Replying to questions raised by Foreign Affairs and Human Rights Committee of the Parliament on Friday, Minister said mafia have their access everywhere. He, however, did not name anybody. Minister Chataut said the main job of his ministry has been to deal with the state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation only. Former Assistant Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Narayan Singh Pun also agreed that a gang of air mafia were active in Nepal. The Ministers duo, however, did not explain how the so-called mafia interfered in the government's business. Nepal Samacharpatra June 10.

Carpet Witnesses Growth

The export of carpet witnessed a sharp 50 percent fall during the first three months of the year 2000 compared to the same period last year. Nepal exported 669,000 sq. meters of carpet during the last three months of the year 1999, while the total export by the end of March this year was only 336,000 sq. meters. Saturation of the major importer, German market, and Nepal's inability to explore the new markets, devaluation of German currency and Euro and the flow of cheaper Indian carpet have been the major causes for the downward trend in the export of the major foreign currency earner. Compailed from reports.