NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Two Policemen Killed In Baglung

A day after their top leader proposed fresh conditions to hold dialogue with the government, Maoist rebels mounted an attack on a police post at Jhampa in Bohara village development committee in Baglung district on Saturday night. Two policemen were killed, six injured and 16 policemen surrendered in front of the rebels after hours-long gun battle, reports said quoting chief district officer of Baglung, Ratna Raj Pandey. The Maoist rebels locked up the policemen at a local house and took away guns and other ammunition from the police post early Sunday, said Pandey. Hundreds of the rebels had surrounded the police post, situated nearly three days trek away from the district headquarters, on Saturday evening and began their assault at around 6 p.m. Compiled from reports Nov. 19.

Devkota To Form A New Party

After the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Election Commission to annul the registration of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand), its chairman and member of National Assembly Rajeswor Devkota has started preparations to form a new political party, a private daily newspaper reported today. "The new party will accommodate nationalist and democratic forces in the country that couldn't find a place within the banners of Communists and Congress," he said. The EC had annulled the registration of RPP (Chand) after the then Chairman of the party, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, had notified the Commission saying that they had integrated the party with Rastriya Prajatantra Party. A group of dissident workers had, however, said they would run the party with the same name with Devkota as its President. Nepal Samacharpatra Nov. 19.

"India Committed To SAARC"

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Dev Mukharji, has said his country remains totally committed to the idea of SAARC. Addressing a talk program on "Nepal-India relations" organized by the Nepal Council of World Affairs, Mukharji said occasional glitches in the bilateral relations between Nepal and India should be resolved in a spirit of mutual understanding. Replying to a question, the Indian ambassador said India cannot show its magnanimity when it comes to continued terrorism and a state of almost undeclared war between two countries. He was referring to Indo-Pak hostility and its impact on the now stalled SAARC summit. The 11th SAARC summit, due to take place in Kathmandu late last year, was postponed till an indefinite period due to reservations of Indian government over military takeover in Pakistan. Compiled from reports Nov. 15.

Air Services To Jomsom Resume

The five-day long stand-off between the local people in remote northern district of Mustang and private airlines operators ended Thursday after the latter agreed to local people's demands. In a meeting held at Jomsom at the initiative of chief district officer of Mustang, Devi Prasad Bhattarai, the private airlines operators have agreed to provide two emergency seats on every flight for locals at the recommendation of the CDO. Similarly, private operators have also agreed to add at least one flights every week to accommodate local passengers at discounted rates. Local people in Mustang had been demonstrating at the Jomsom airport and protesting against what they called discrimination to locals by private airlines companies. Hundreds of locals and tourists had been stranded at the airport due to the protests. Some 60,000 tourists visit Mustang every year. Compiled from reports Nov. 17.

Six Nepalese Women Rescued

Maiti Nepal, a leading NGO, has rescued six Nepalese women from the India-Nepal border with the help of Indian Police. It is suspected that they were being taken to brothels in India while being promised employment in Kuwait. Two men, who were accompanying the women, fled the area after they saw the police. The women later said the men accompanying them had taken Rs. 37,000 from each of them with the promise of taking them to Kuwait and finding them employment there. Pimps who ultimately end up in the brothels lure thousands of Nepalese girls and women with promises of jobs in big Indian metropolis. According to an estimate, nearly 200,000 Nepalese girls and women are serving as sex workers in India. Compiled from reports November 17.

NEA Asks Its Plants To Reduce Power Generation

The state-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has asked its power plants to reduce output, as there is excess of power supply over demand, an official daily reported. Chief at the 23.8 MW Trishuli Power Plant, Hitendra Dev Shakya, said the plant is now generating 15 MW of power only due to slack in market demand. Sources said the NEA has asked its plants to operate their plants in low capacity as it is compelled to buy power from private power producers including Khimti and Bhote Koshi as per its agreements. Secretary at the Water Resources Ministry Biswonath Sapkota said excess power generated by NEA was getting wasted as the generation of power was more than the demand. It was a mistake on part of the NEA to buy costly power from private developers while wasting the power generated from its own plants, he said. "This is a grave mistake in the water resources sector and should not be repeated in future," said Sapkota. Gorkhapatra Nov. 15.

Bharatpur Municipality Introduces Safa Tempo

The market management committee of Bharatpur Municipality has decided to introduce electric three wheelers in one of the routes of the city core. This decision was taken unanimously on early this month. The committee meeting has also decided to request Martin Chautari, a Kathmandu-based advocacy group, to do a ground work for the operation of a fleet of five electric vehicles in Shahid Chowk - BP Koirala Cancer Hospital route. BPK cancer hospital authority, too, has welcomed the decision for it will provide better transportation service to the patients as well as to hospital staff. Compiled from reports November 17.

FNCCI Asks The Govt. To Provide Security

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), the apex private sector body, has repeated its request to the government to take necessary steps to counter growing attacks upon businesses and industries in the country. Expressing concern over growing incidents of violence and attacks against industries, the FNCCI said it would have negative impact on the country's economy. In a press released issued Thursday, the FNCCI condemned the recent attack on Himalayan Distilleries in Parsa district which was seriously damaged in a bomb attack by suspected Maoist rebels. Similar attacks on factories and industrial complexes in places such as Kathmandu, Siraha, Parwanipur etc. have raised serious questions about the country's law and order situation. "We have repeatedly drawn the attention of the government in this regard, but nothing had been done so far," the Chamber said. Leading dailies report Nov. 17.