NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Lalitpur Asks MOH To Stop Tests

Lalitpur sub-metropolis has requested the Ministry of Health to stop research tests for Hepatitis 蕄' vaccine for sometime now keeping in view of the long-term health concerns of the volunteers. An U. S. institution, Walter Reed A. Research Unit Nepal, in cooperation with the US Army Medical Research and Material Command, had started research tests of the vaccines among 3,000 local people in eight wards of the Lalitpur sub-metropolis. Mayor of Lalitpur sub-metropolis, Buddhiraj Bajracharya, alleged that the tests had been started by luring away the volunteers without giving them adequate knowledge about the tests and without taking permission from the sub-metropolis. Chief of the research project, Dr. Mrigendra Prasad Shrestha, however, said that the research had been launched after getting permission from concerned government agencies and Lalitpur sub-metropolis. He said that nearly 24,000 people within the capital valley got affected from Hepatitis 蕄' transmission every year out of which nearly 2 percent died. Himalaya Times Marhc 17.

NBL Closes Down Its Branches

Nepal Bank Limited, the oldest bank in the country, has decided to close down its one dozen branches in the Maoist-affected region. The Bank management took this decision after the armed rebels looted millions of rupees from its five sub-branches in Rukum, Surkhet, Achham and Pyuthan districts over the last few months. The Bank has decided to close down its sub-branches in Bardiya, Dang, Dadeldhura, Doti, Darchula, Baitadi, Bajhang, Banke, Kanchanpur, Jajarkot and Baglung districts effective from Wednesday (March 15). All other districts, except Baglung, fall in Far-Western and Mid-Western development region. Baglung district lies in the Western development region. The Bank had already closed down its branches in Surkhet, Salyan, Rolpa, Darchula and Bardiya districts. A source at the NBL said that the Bank had decided to close down these sub-branches and accommodate them at the branch offices in respective district headquarters after government-run security agencies expressed their inability to provide security to these far-flung branches. Besides NBL, Maoist rebels have also targeted Small Farmers Development Program of Agriculture Development Bank and remote branches of Rastriya Banijya Bank. Nepal Samacharpatra March 17.

Private Airlines Operators Demand Hike

Private airlines operators in the country have demanded that the government allow them to raise air fare due to increase in their cost of operations. Chairman of Nepal Airlines Operators Association (NAPA) Dipmani Rajbhandari said that costs like customs duty on spare parts and price of fuel have gone up significantly over the last five years. So, we should be allowed a hike in air fare, he said. Executive chairman of Buddha Air, Surendra Bahadur Basnet, said that airlines operators were not making any profit on the basis of their investment and current air fare. "The government should ask private airlines to go for a healthy competition after fixing an appropriate fare," he said. When contacted, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Nagendra Ghimire, said that the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation was reviewing present air fare with respect to demands by the private airlines operators. "At a time more flights are being demanded at remote places within the country, it would be taken as positive if the government asks the private airlines to operate their services in those place by raising some fare," he added. Nepal Samacharpatra March 16.

IMF Expresses Concern

The annual country report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed serious concern regarding fiscal performance of the country saying that it was disappointing in 1998/99. The Bank has also shown concern over excess liquidity in commercial banks. A fairly loose monetary policy led to excess liquidity in commercial banks, much of which has been placed in foreign currency assets, the Fund said. The Fund has, however, lauded Nepal's macro-economic stability and improvement in the external position while expressing concern over delayed structural reforms, weak fiscal performance and problems in the banking sector. Compiled from reports March 15.

Five Maoist Rebels Killed

Five suspected Maoist rebels, including a woman, have been killed during an encounter with Police at Siuna village development committee ward no. 6 of Kalikot district on Friday morning, Police said. Deputy Inspector General of Police at Nepalgunj, Rajendra Bahadur Singh, said that the dead persons are yet to be identified. Police also recovered two locally made guns, five hand-grenades and some newspapers and diaries from the site of encounter. Kantipur March 18.

EC Cancels Registration Of RPP (Chand)

The Election Commission has canceled the registration of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand) after its central working committee decided to merge with Rastriya Prajatantra Party headed by former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa. The meeting of the Commission on last Thursday decided to remove RPP (Chand) from the list of political parties registered with the Commission for election purposes as per the notification of its leader and former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, RSS news agency reported today. The Commission has also decided to remove the election symbol (man holding a plough) allotted to the party from the set of election symbols allotted by the Commission. The Commission also rejected a petition by the dissident group within RPP (Chand) demanding that the party be recognized with Rajeswor Devkota as its Chairman. Leading dailies report March 18.

IA Seeks Permission For "Routine Work" At The TIA

The Indian Airlines (IA) has sought permission from Nepal to allow its staff in Kathmandu to carry out some "routine works" at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). A proposal to this effect has already been submitted to the concerned Nepali officials, a government-owned daily reported today. According to the report, the IA has sought permission to regulate delivery of baggages from Check-in point to the plane, inspect the baggages and monitor the food to be taken into the craft, among others. The IA proposal is related to its aircraft and passengers and has got nothing to do with the security system at the TIA, a source at the Indian Airlines said. Meanwhile, First Secretary at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Manoj Kumar Bharati, said that the Indian government has never talked of stationing its armed security personnel at the TIA. He said that alleged Indian intervention into Nepal's sovereignty in the aftermath of hijacking of Indian Airlines plane was nothing but an exaggerated propaganda created by some section of the media. Indian Airlines has suspended all of its flight to Nepal after the hijacking of its IC 814 flight on the way from Kathmandu to New Delhi in December, last year. Gorkhapatra March 20.

Millions Of Rupees Allegedly Embezzled In PSCP

Millions of rupees have been embezzled under the Primary School Construction Project (PSCP) undertaken by Nepal government with the assistance of a Japanese agency, Sampo International Corporation. Sampo International had agreed to provide Nepal government a sum of Rs 520 million to procure materials for the construction of 2400 class rooms in seven districts of the country. Local contractor appointed by the donor agency has, in collusion with senior officials, allegedly embezzled millions of rupees by procuring construction materials at three times higher price than the prevalent market rate. Of the total project cost, only Rs 140 million is said to have been the actual expense resulting into embezzlement of nearly Rs 380 million, sources at the project said. Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Jaya Ram Giri, however, said that it was the responsibility of the foreign agency to procure goods as per the agreement. "Our role is to receive goods as a witness," he said. Nepal Samacharpatra March 20.

MOTCA Turns Down RNAC's Request

Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has turned down a request by the state-owned Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation to lease a Boeing 757 for a period of three weeks without calling tenders. It has also rejected RNAC's proposal to extend lease period of the China South West Airlines' aircraft for another three months. The RNAC had sought permission from the government to lease the Boeing 757 aircraft for three weeks as one of its jets, ACA Boeing 757, is scheduled to leave for Brunei next month for regular maintenance check-up. The Ministry made it clear that it could not allow the national flag carrier to lease an aircraft without calling global tenders. Meanwhile, sources said that a RNAC team has already left for China to extend the lease term of the CSWA aircraft. Kantipur March 20.