NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Maoist Rebels Loot Rs Seven Million In Far West

Suspected Maoist rebels have looted nearly Rs seven million in cash and kind from a local bank in remote far-western district of Achham on Friday night, reports said. According to Police, a group of about 200 rebels attacked at a local police post, telecom tower and local branch of Nepal Bank Limited simultaneously at Binayak market in Binayak village development committee, nearly eight hours walk from district headquarters Mangalsen. Police surrendered to the rebels after they ran out of bullets at the end of three-and-half-hours long gun battle with the latter, reports said. Maoists later took away about a dozen rifles and also abducted two junior police officials from the post. Police has mounted a massive search to locate their abducted colleagues, reports said. Compiled from reports March 5.

`Deuba Committee Violates The Mandate'

The high-level committed headed by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has violated its mandate by urging the rebels to come to the table of dialogue, a leading weekly commented yesterday. According to the weekly, the government had constituted the committee to hold talks with different political parties and recommend ways to resolve the four-year-old Maoist problem. The committee, however, gave up the task of conferring with other parties in the mid-way and tried to negotiate with the rebels directly. At a time when the committee is yet to be clear on the ruling pary's assessment of seeing the rebellion as a "terrorist activity," its attempts to broker a peace with a view to prolong the life of the Bhattarai government are not likely to pay, the commentary said. Deshanter March 5.

Koirala Starts Home Work

Former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President G. P. Koirala has started consultations with experts, academics and former bureaucrats on the priorities to be set by his government. Koiralaís exercise is seen as a preparation to take over mantle of the government from his old-time colleague, Prime Minister K. P. Bhattarai. Koirala has told his aides that he was confident of timely hand over the power to him by Bhattarai. Sources close to him suggested that Bhattarai might resign from his post by mid-March as per an understanding with Koirala recently. Bimarsha March 3.

"Downstream Benefits As Per Int'l Norms"

A senior US official has said that any water resources utilization accord should conform to international agreements on downstream utilization and advantages. Deputy Secretary of the US Energy Department T G Glauthier, taking part in the Worldnet Dialogue on Tuesday, said that the 1961 US-Canada Treaty could be emulated in any other regional pacts. The said Treaty gave Canada the entitlement to half of power generated downstream, which it sold to the US on a long-term basis. Glauthier was responding to questions a group of three Nepali panelists at the program organized here by the American Center. The program was a curtain raiser on the eve of upcoming Regional Energy Meet due to be held in Kathmandu next week. Leading dailies report March 1.

Nepal Urges For Harmonization In Trade Policies

A senior Nepali official has urged for harmonization of trade policies in the SAARC region. Addressing a national workshop on ìIntra- and Inter-subregional trade in SAARC regionî here on Wednesday, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce Mohan Dev Pant urged the United Nations agencies like UNCTAD and ESCAP to come out with coordinated approach in areas of trade facilitation for better results. Pant said that in line with policy of liberalization, Nepal had removed export and import licensing system except for a few quantitatively restricted products. Leading dailies report March 2.

Govt. Considering `Fast Track System'

Minister for Industry Omkar Shrestha has said that the government is considering introducing ìFast Track Systemî to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country. Minister Shresthaís comments have come at a time when FDI to Nepal has declined by half over the past two years. Addressing a press meet at his Minister on Thursday, Minister Shrestha said that the government was working on formulate an ëIndustrial Perspective Planí to boost up the countryís industrial sector. He also said that the Ministry was engaged in amending the existing Industrial Act in order to further liberalize the industrial sector in the country. Leading dailies report March 3.

Maoists Loot Bank

Hundreds of rebels belonging to the underground Maoist party attacked a local police post in Binayak village of Achham district and looted 10 million rupees from the Nepal Bank Limited office there. According to Additional Inspector General of Police Krishna Mohan Shrestha, the rebels have abducted two police officers during the incident. The attacking rebels destroyed the police post and a telephone tower after three-hour-long cross-fire between them and the police. The rebels finally took hold of the police office after the police spent their entire stock of bullets. Deshanter March 5.

RPP (Chand) To Be Expanded

Although its founder leader Lokendra Bahadur Chanda has already merged with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the recalcitrant leader Rajeshwor Devkota has vowed to keep the splinter RPP (Chand) alive. Sources close to Devkota reveal that the party is going to expand its present central working committee in next few days. At present, the splinter party has 12 CWC members. Most of its prominent leaders abandoned the party to cross over to the mother party RPP few months ago. Although the splinter party has not a single MP in the Lower House its President Devkota and another leader Chanda Shah are Upper House members. Samakalin March 2.

Bhattarai's Four Projects

Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has expressed his wish to complete his four "pet" promises before handing over the leadership of the government. Among those four pet projects include the initiation of official dialogue to resolve the Maoist problem, constitution of Human Rights Commission, building machineries to control corruption and going on an official tour to India. Beside these four dream projects, Bhattarai has also expressed desire to give a final shape to the Melamchi Drinking Water Project. Punarjagran February 29.

Winter Session For One Month

The seventeenth session of the parliament will continue for at least one month, according to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Rana Bhat. He says that the government has informed the House that it would introduce 35 bills in the current session. But the government ha only registered two bills at the parliament secretariat till date. And since both the concerned ministers have already resigned, these two bills technically cannot be introduced in the House. Ghatana Ra Bichar March 1.

UML Sponsors Travel For Elderly

The main opposition party recently sponsored a Desh Darshan (country visit) program for 37 elderly persons from Janakpur, Bagmati and Narayani zone. The program was organized by Manmohan Memorial Academy. During its conclusion program, MP Ishwor Pokhrel said the party's late leader Manmohan Adhikary had an emotional relations with the elder citizens of the country and the current program, too, was aimed at realizing the dream of late Adhikary to sponsor visits of old persons and develop intimate relations with them. The older citizens, who went on the tour, expressed happiness over the tour and thanked the party for sponsoring the visit. Chhalfal March 5.

Relations Cold Between Bamdev And C.P.

Relations between the two main leader of the Marxist Leninist party Bamdev Gautam and C.P. Mainali has reached to their lowest ebb as they are no more in speaking terms. Mainali and Gautam are engaging in a bitter war of words through various media. Last week, when Mainali alleged the general secretary Gautam of being close to royal palace as well as UML, the latter has also publicly criticized Mainali through his henchmen. The party is currently busy in its review meeting in Janakpur. According to analysts, there will be a bitter rivalry within the party once the leaders return from Janakpur. Jana Bhawana March 6.