BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

King Birendra receiving Bhi Tika

AFTER SUCCESSFUL OPERATION OF private-sector run cable car to reach Manakamana temple in western Nepal, local authorities are making efforts to link Swargadwari, a noted religious site in Pyuthan district in mid-western Nepal, through cable car. The Swargadwari Management Committee set up in Dang district has decided to give the rights of cable car operation to Gorkha-Mankamana Darshan Pvt. Ltd. that has been operating similar service to Mankana temple in Gorkha District. The private sector company will conduct a feasibility study and present its estimate of the project within the next six months.

POLICE HAVE SEIZED MORE THAN 30 quintals of hemp from different houses located at Ankaar and Bhatauliya villages of Mahottari district in eastern terai early this week. Police have also arrested 19 men and five women, including local politicians, with the hemp and five processing machines. Action is being taken against those arrested under the drugs control act. Meanwhile, an American national, Gregory Roberts Sender, was arrested Friday with 300 grams of hashish before boarding a Royal Nepal Airlines flight bound for Bangkok, police said.

THE INDEX A NEPAL STOCK Exchange Ltd. (NEPSE) increased by 37.20 points at the end of five-day trading last week. The index, which stood at 433.92 points on the opening day of trading last Monday, closed at 571.12 points on the closing day last Friday (Oct. 20). The NEPSE index of commercial banks shot up to 567.13 from 505.43 points. Shares worth Rs.74.73 million were traded during the week in 977 transactions.

THE MAOIST REBELS HAVE RELEASED 13 persons from their captivity in the remote mid-western district of Jajarkot recently after they agreed not to work against the rebels, reports said. Some of the abducted victims said they were forced to pay hefty ransom while others were severely beaten. Five youths that were selected previously for the police service said they were released after they said they would not join the force upon their return home.

THE FIFTH NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION Day will be observed on December 9 this year and January 20 next year, officials say. Officials say they plan to administer polio drops to 3.9 million children under the nationwide program. Around 3.85 million children were administered polio drops throughout the country last year. Nepal has plans to eradicate polio by 2002.

THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN has agreed to provide a grant assistance of about Rs 31.6 million to Nepal for the supply of exhibition equipment to the national museum under a cultural grants program. An agreement to this effect was signed by Finance Secretary Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala and Japanese ambassador to Nepal, Mitsuaki Kojima, on behalf of their respective governments. The Japanese government has also provided assistance to Royal Nepal Academy, National Sports Council and National Library under its cultural grant program. Similarly, the Japanese government is also going to provide a financial assistance of about Rs 2.41 million to the Japan University Students Association, Nepal (JUSAN) to implement a project for the improvement of environment and for carrying out clean up activities at Changu Narayan village, a world heritage site. Nearly 25,000 tourists visit the temple in Bhaktapur district every year.

THE TRIBHUVAN UNIVERSITY AND Osaka Sangiyo University of Japan have reached an understanding to undertake educational research and exchange of their

teachers and students. As per the agreement, the Sangiyo University will extend cooperation to set up a revolving fund to establish an Information Technology Center and undertake educational research and for the exchange program of their faculty and students. An understanding to this effect was reached during TU Vice Chancellor N. P. Jung Shah's recent visit to Japan, the University said.

THE SUPREME COURT HAS issued a show cause notice to the government on its decision to ban torch lit rallies across the country. The decision came Monday in response to a writ filed by three lawyers. In their petition, the lawyers argued that the government's decision to ban such rallies violated citizens' right to freedom of speech and expression. A single bench of the Supreme Court presided over by Justice Kedar Prasad Giri issued the order to the cabinet secretariat asking it to furnish details on why it thought it was necessary to implement the ban. The government banned all torch lit rallies across the country last month saying that it posed danger to law and order situation in the country. Opposition parties have however, defied the order on several occasion.

THE MAOIST REBELS HAVE abducted five persons near Ruku village in remote northern district of Kalikot Friday, officials said. Those kidnapped included teachers Jashi Giri, Dadi Bista, Agra Bahadur Giri and Jaisige Luhar. Kamal Kadayat, an aspirant for a job in the police, was also abducted. Meanwhile, the rebels have released sub-inspector Khum Bahadur Khatri Saturday after keeping him in their custody for over a month back. Khatri and his assistant, Ram Bahadur Khadka, had been abducted by the rebels early last month. Khadka was released earlier by the rebels. In yet another incident, a woman Maoist rebel has been killed during an exchange of fire between the Police and rebels on Monday morning in Kalikot district.

THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) is to intensify a campaign to eradicate leprosy from the kingdom by the end of the year 2003, reports said. The assistance will be used in analyzing the present leprosy situation in Nepal, conduct training for health workers, produce educational materials, launch awareness campaign and supervise programs to control the disease. Similarly, the Netherlands Leprosy Relief agency will provide Rs. 51 million in addition to $50,000 to launch an eradication program in east Nepal.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS EXTENDED date for submission of proposals for buying majority shares of the state-owned Butwal Power Company till December 1, 2000. The Privatization Cell of the Ministry of Finance made the announcement. Repeated attempts to sell the profit making Company have succumbed to controversies in the past. Earlier, the date for filing applications was slated till October end this year. The government had decided to ask fresh applications to sell 75 percent stake in the company after one of the two international bidders, London-based IPC, decided to pull out of the privatization process alleging the government of favoritism.