BRIEFS (Spotlight Weekly)

SPOTLIGHT Family prays for the prosperity and happiness of Her Majesty Queen Aishworya on the occasion of Her Majesty's 52nd auspicious birthday.

Leading Nepal and Indian women entrepreneurs have agreed to make concerted effort to share information and promote the market. The reached agreement at an international program, organized by the Women Entrepreneurs of the (Federation of Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and the representatives of Indian chamber of Commerce held on Thursday, 2 November 2000. The 18-member delegation of Indian Women entrepreneurs led by Renuka Shah held discussions with about a dozen of Nepali women entrepreneurs lead by Shanti Chand.

The agenda of the program was to explore market for the products of Nepali women entrepreneurs in India and visa-versa. Binod Bahadur Shrestha , third vice president of FNCCI urged Indian women entrepreneurs to work in Nepal. Shanti Chadda, president of Women Entrepreneur development committee at FNCCI, said that women entrepreneurs could utilize Nepali products remaining idle. She added that although they can produce many things, there is no market for their products and India's cooperation is vital. Renuka Shah said that the interaction was an excellent opportunity to expand relations with Nepali women entrepreneurs, and added that all women work together for a better future.

The Kirat religion and Literature development Association is to convene the first International conference from November 9 - 11. The conference coincided with the 166th birth anniversary of reverend Phalgunada, a profounder of Kirat religion and philosophy. It will focus on world peace and fraternity. Representatives apart from Bhutan, India, Hong Kong, Myanmar and other various national organizations and religious communities, ethnic groups and political parties will participate in the conference. Atmananda Lingaden 'Seeing", the sixth religious teacher of the Kirat religion will also attend the conference.

A rat entering a power plant at Lahan sub-station of Nepal Electrical Authority (NEA) caused a fire in it, disrupting power supply to most of Siraha and Udaypur district recently. The damage to the machinery from the fire is estimated at about Rs 1.2 million, according to NEA branch manager Brajbhusan Chowdhary. The power supply to Atari, Damper however, resumed however with the installation of 33 k.v. Breaker according to the sub-station technician Ganesh Thapa.

Chrysanthemum show held in Lalitpur (November 4): On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty the King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 's accession to the throne, the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and the department of Botany organized the 5th Chrysanthemum competitive exhibition at the Royal Botanical garden, Godavari. Harishakher Tripathy, member of the National planning commission said that the department of Botany had played a significant role in the production and marketing of Chrysanthemum flowers in the country. As reported on leading national dailies

Officials hold talks to check crime in border areas: (Birgunj, 4 November) An informal meeting between Nepalese officials and Champaran District Magistrate Chanchal Kumar of India was held with the purpose of controlling criminal activities and maintenance of law and order in the border areas of the two countries. They are learnt to have reached mutual cooperation on the control of border crimes. CDO(Central District Officer) of Bara, Parsa, Rauthahat and Chitwan were present at the meeting from the Nepalese side and security officials from eastern and western Champaran district of India attended the meeting held on the initiative of CDO of Parsa, Dolakh Bahadur Gurung.

With majority of industries in Rupandhei district are in doldrums and some others completely shut down, the industrial future of this town, once heading towards industrialization, looks gloomy. Butwal Thread Industry, Everest Rolling Industries, Gorkha Biscuit Factory, Texyarn Recycling, Arun Foods and Unique bamboo products are operating under capacity and Mahendra Sugar Industry; one of the largest of the district has been shut down completely.

Small scale industries are also facing similar fate. According to a small Scale and cottage Industries, district office, Rupandhei, out of 4,761cottage industries over two thousand cottage industries have collapsed. Despite relatively good infrastructures like; road, power, telecommunications and transportation facility, the industries have succumbed to pressures from India.

Hariyali Nepal Party has demanded that the King must issue an ordinance without delay to implement the Anti-corruption Act to punish the corrupt politicians. The central committee of the party decided that the King must hold a round table conference of all political parties within and out side the parliament and selected intellectuals to make recommendations to him for future action to save the country from misrule and lawlessness. Kuber Sharma, President of the Party has written to all the political parties requesting them to spare no efforts for the promulgation of the ordinance by the King to check corruption, misrule and lawlessness. He has also written to the Maoists to respect the views of the common man by putting forth the condition to punish the corrupt politicians by sending them to jail and confiscating their illgotten properly as its top priority for talks with the government. Sharma has also written a special letter to His Majesty King Birendra exhorting him to take speedy action by promulgating the ordinance.