NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Govt. To Provide Subsidy On Fertilizer

The government has decided to resume subsidy on fertilizer, which it had revoked last year. The cabinet has decided to grant full subsidy on the interests on loans, which the state-owned Agriculture Input Corporation (AIC) would borrow from different banks to finance its fertilizer imports. Earlier, the subsidy was given on fixed amounts at the time of fertilizer imports. The subsidy, that would be applicable to import urea only, will also be made available to the private parties involved in importing fertilizer. The price of urea will come down after the new provisions, said Nitya Raj Koirala, general manager at the AIC. The government was forced to revoke its decision under intense pressure from farmers who were complaining of cheap Indian agro-products flooding Nepal. India still provides subsidy for most agriculture inputs to its farmers. Kantipur Nov. 12.

Rebels Kill A Congress Activist

Suspected Maoist rebels shot dead Nepali Congress activist Tel Prasad Sherchan alias Bharat early Friday as he was on a morning walk at ward No. 1 of Baglung municipality, the district headquarters. Four unidentified persons had followed him and fired shots from close range. Sherchan tried to chase away the assailants before he collapsed. Local people suspect the assailants to be Maoist rebels. Rebels are said to be looking for revenge against Sherchan for his role in killing of a Maoist rebel a few months back in his village at Pala in the same district. Compiled from reports Nov. 11.

NIDC On The Verge Of Collapse

The state-owned Nepal Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC) is on the verge of collapse because of "unnecessary government interference" in its functioning and lack of accountability, senior officials at the corporation said. At present, the NIDC has Rs 2.2 billion outstanding loans out of which Rs 300 million remains to be recovered from government undertakings like Butwal Spinning Mills (BSM) Ltd., Himal Cement and Gorakhkali Rubber Industry. Of the three, BSM alone accounts for a total outstanding loan of more than Rs 234.8 million. Uttam Narayan Shrestha, general manager at the NIDC told the Public Accounts Committee of the parliament Friday that the NIDC management was not free to take decisions as they had to seek directives from the Department of Industry. NIDC officials also presented a list of those firms and companies, which had been given a loan of more than Rs 10 million. Kantipur Nov. 11.

K. C. Says Police Welfare Fund Is Illegal

Auditor General Bishnu Bahadur K. C. has said the Police Welfare Fund (PWF) being operated by Nepal Police and its transactions are illegal. Briefing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament Thursday, K. C. said a government agency can't open and run an non-governmental agency under existing laws. The PWF has, however, failed to follow regulations and has refused to its account books checked, he said. The parliamentary committee had sought KC's advice regarding its probe into a controversial deal by the PWF. The PWF had given an exclusive rights to Indian Oil Corporation to supply all lubricants and grease for to be used in the vehicles used by Police all over the country for the next 15 years. KC said forcing police personnel, who have served abroad under the United Nations Peace Keeping Force, to contribute a portion of their earnings to such a fund is illegal. But both the Nepal Police and Royal Nepal Army have been practicing this for quite long. Leading dailies report Nov. 10.

More Than 60 Bhutanese Killed

At least 61 Bhutanese nationals have been killed by the Royal Bhutan Army during their struggle for human rights in the Dragon Kingdom over the last one-decade, activists said. Bhutanese refugee leaders Hari Adhikari and R.P Subba criticized the Bhutanese government for refusing to respect human rights and establish democracy in Bhutan. They also called for effective international support for their movement. Nearly 100,000 Bhutanese are languishing in Nepal for the last one decade after Bhutanese security forces allegedly drove them out while implementing a discriminatory citizenship law introduced in the mid-eighties. Compiled from reports Nov. 9.

Acharya Announces Her Candidacy

Nepali Congress central leader and former deputy prime minister Shailaja Acharya has decided to field herself for the post of party president with a view to restoring the politics of norms and values. In a statement issued on Saturday, Acharya, however, said she would not fight against the incumbent party President and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who has already announced his decision to run for the post. " I will make every effort till the last minute to win his (Koirala's) support," said Acharya. She also criticized former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also contesting for the top post, for many of the ills in the ruling party at present. Compiled from reports Nov. 12.

Govt. And Opposition Fail To Arrive At Consensus, UML Supports 'Bandh'

The government and opposition parties failed to arrive at a consensus Sunday on reducing prices of petroleum products. Addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya said the government was looking into all possible ways to seek a proper solution. Officials at the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), however, said the state-owned corporation was not in a position to reduce the prices. "The NOC can't reduce the prices at a time when the prices of petro-products continue to surge in the international market," said Madan Raj Sharma, executive director of the NOC Saturday. Meanwhile, the main opposition party, UML, has said it will extend its full support to the two-day 'bandh' (nation-wide general strike) called by the Group of Nine Left parties later this week (November 16 and 17), HIMALAYA TIMES daily reported. The left parties have been waging protests asking the government to withdraw the recent hike in the prices of petroleum products. Compiled from reports Nov. 13.

Rebels Hurl Bombs In The Capital, Congress Leader Escape

Suspected Maoist rebels hurled bombs at Bhotebahal in the capital and caused explosions at Pashupati Spinning Mill at Balkumari in Madhyapur Thimi municipality on Sunday evening. No major casualties were reported during the incidents. Two people were reportedly an injured during the blasts. Police said investigation is underway . Meanwhile, secretary of Nepali Congress district unit in Dailekh, Mani Ram Regmi, escaped after remaining in captivity of the Maoist rebels one month. According to police, Regmi managed to flee from the rebels off watching him and later was airlifted for treatment in Bheri Zonal Hospital in Nepalgunj. Police said the rebels had tortured Regmi. Compiled from reports Nov. 13.

Donors Express Concern About Refugees In Bhutan

The seventh Round Table Meeting (RTM) between Bhutanese and its development partners held in Thimpu last week urged the Bhutan government to find an early and peaceful solution to the problem of nearly 100,000 Bhutanese refugees, delayed reports said today. During the meeting held between November 7 and 9, representatives from Austria, Japan and Denmark urged the Dragon Kingdom to end discriminatory laws and practices, if any, so that all permanent residents of Bhutan could be fully and psychologically integrated into Bhutanese society. This is the first time that the members of the international community spoke on the Bhutanese refugee issue at the high level aid forum, organized jointly by the Bhutanese government and UNDP, within Bhutan, said Rakesh Chhetri, a Bhutanese human rights activist based in Kathmandu. Compiled from reports Nov. 13.

UML Asks Govt. To Stop Handover Of The Management Of Banks

The main opposition Unified Marxist-Leninist party has criticized the government's recent decision to award the management of two of the country's largest commercial banks, Nepal Bank Limited (NBL) and Rastriya Banijya Bank (RBB), to international management consultants. In a statement issued Sunday, the UML accused the ruling Nepali Congress party of inviting international consultants without proper homework. "The application by KPMG Barents Group, that had declared the two banks as technically insolvent after a study, speaks volumes about the foul play beneath the surface,' said the party. The government must immediately halt the process of granting the management contracts to international consultants and, instead, look for other viable alternatives from within the country for the reforms of these banks, the UML said. More than 40 international companies have applied to take over the management of the two banks initially for a period of two years after an advertisement published by the government in September 30 issue of The Economist magazine. Compiled from reports Nov. 13.