NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Secretary Level Talks On Reviewing 1950 Treaty

Foreign Secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa is leaving for New Delhi on January 29th leading a Nepalese delegation to talk to his Indian counterpart regarding the review of 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the two countries. During the visit of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala to India last year, it was decided that high-level officials from both countries would look into the matters regarding the review of several provisions of the treaty. Nepal has been calling for the review of the treaty as many of its provisions were inactive in the changed context. Three years ago, Nepal had also submitted its written desire of amending some of the provisions that it disagreed with. "We will discuss on all issues relating to 1950 treaty. We will put forth our views and listen to theirs," said Gyan Chandra Acharya, spokesman at the Foreign Ministry. He added that the two-day meeting will discuss all issues of bilateral interest. Kantipur January 29.

Viagra Illegal In Nepal

The Department for Drug Administration (DDA) has said that the sale of the anti-impotence drug Viagra is illegal in Nepal. The department's statement comes after a modified version of Viagra manufactured by Indian companies became available in the market here. "We don't allow the sale and distribution of Viagra as it is not a primary necessity for the Nepalese," said DDA chief Dr. Asfak Shekh. "Viagra and its substitute drugs are not free from side effects. Only those drugs which have fewer side effects will be allowed for sale in Nepal," he said. Even the Indian government banned the trading of Viagra some time earlier. But after the Indian Drugs Controller gave permission for the production of the drug, Indian companies have started manufacturing it under the trade name of "Penigra". "The use of Viagra and its substitute may have a negative effect upon Nepal's youth," said Dr. Rajendra Bhadra, sexologist. Medics here express fear that the drug might be misused at a time when problems like "quick ejaculation" is on the rise among Nepali youth. Meanwhile, the Chemist and Druggist Association of Nepal has said they will never agree to the entry of Viagra and its Indian edition into the country. The Kathmandu Post.

WTO'S Impact On Garment Sector

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has called for wide discussion on the possible impacts of World Trade Organization (WTO) and ways of minimizing them. Addressing the 13th annual general meeting of Garment Association of Nepal (GAN), he expressed concern for the Nepalese garment sector which will cease to enjoy the current quota facilities after 2005 when WTO's provisions will fully come into effect. PM Koirala said the government was willing to sit down with the private sector to discuss the prospects and challenges of the WTO. He also revealed that the government was planning to privatize the Hetauda Textiles Industry soon. "I urge you to take over the industry and produce quality yarns so that they could be used for making clothes for police and army," Koirala told the Nepalese garment entrepreneurs. The total annual garment exports from Nepal was worth more than Rs 11 billion during the last fiscal year, a remarkable rise from Rs 5 billion the previous year. But garment entrepreneurs fear that the billion-plus exports could come down to mere millions if timely measures were not taken to make Nepalese garment industries competitive after the WTO provisions come into effect. Compiled from reports.

Police Kill Five Dacoits, Two Rebels

Police killed five dacoits who were reportedly blocking the Pathalaiya-Nijgarh section of East-West highway early Wednesday with a view to looting night buses plying along the road. One person killed in the shoot-out has been identified. Deputy Inspector General of Police Sahabir Thapa said the police patrol team resorted to firing at the dacoits after they opened fire at them. Meanwhile, police said they have gunned down two rebels, one of them an area commander, in an encounter with Maoist rebels in mid-western district of Rolpa Wednesday. Police also arrested another area commander of the Maoists at Gharti Gaon in the same district with three guns and two socket bombs, reports said. Compiled from reports.

Web Conference On Political Violence In Nepal

A worldwide web conference on political violence in Nepal is to kick off Wednesday, organizers said. Prof. Claude Bruderlien, director of Harvard program on humanitarian policy and conflict research, said the on-line conference will provide a platform for all the parties concerned to engage in a virtual dialogue and put their sides to the international audience. Talking to reporters here Wednesday, Prof. Bruderlein said such initiatives had been fruitful to bring the parties involved in political violence in other parts of the world too. He said some 60 participants, including representatives of the underground Maoists in Nepal, have also been invited to take part in the virtual conference. The conference can be accessed at www.preventconflict.org. Compiled from reports.

Minister Against Cartel

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ram Krishna Tamrakar said that in the present context of open economy, it is wrong for the entrepreneurs to control competition by forming cartels. Addressing the second annual general meeting of Nepal Freight Forwarders' Association (NEFFA), Minister Tamrakar said for the economic development of a land-locked country like Nepal, the government supported the entry of foreign companies in the freight forwarding business here. He said that the government could not restrict the foreign freight forwarders in the name of protecting Nepalese entrepreneurs as it was against the spirit of economic liberalization. NEFFA has been critical of any move to allow foreign freight forwarders here. It believes that their entry would hamper the interest of Nepalese freight forwarders. Leading dailies report.

Verification Team Visits Fefugee Camps

Representatives from Nepal and Bhutan, on Friday and Saturday, visited all the seven camps of Bhutanese refugees in eastern Nepal as part of the agreement reached between the two governments regarding the verification of refugees. Earlier the Bhutanese side led by Dr. Sonam Tenzing and the Nepalese side led by Usha Nepal sat for a dialogue on Wednesday and Thursday to prepare for the verification process. The refugees languishing at the camps heartily welcomed the verification team. The Bhutanese side even interacted with some refugees who seemed more than willing to talk to them. Meanwhile Usha Nepal talking to Nepal Television said the process was moving in the right direction. But it will still be few months before actual repatriation of refugees starts happening, she said. Currently around 1,00,000 refugees from Bhutan are languishing at camps in Eastern Nepal. The Beldangi camps in Jhapa alone are home to some 50,000 refugees. Leading dailies report.

Nepalese Lives Feared In India's Quake

Hundreds of Nepalese are feared to have been affected by the devastating earthquake in Gujarat, India that has already claimed 15,000 lives. According to Kantipur daily, as Gujarat is one of the favored destinations of Nepalese workers, chances are high many of them could have been affected by the quake. As yet, there has been no news regarding the situation of Nepalese workers there. Nepalese ambassador to India Bhekh Bahadur Thapa has said that the Nepalese mission has drawn the attention of Indian authorities to this situation. "But till now we have no news," he said. Leading dailies report.

Opposition Joins Hands Against Koirala

In a fresh attempt to dislodge Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, main opposition party UML has joined hands with the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). After their meeting on Friday, the leaders of the two parties have decided to jointly seek Koirala's resignation. They have decided to present Koirala with a memorandum seeking his resignation prior to the winter session of the parliament slated early next month. Apart from the controversial Lauda air deal, these parties have also accused Koirala of failing to maintain law and order. The two parties have also agreed to seek support from small parties including the nine-leftists in their campaign. Leading dailies report.

Irrigation Fegulation To Be Amended

The Department of Irrigation (DoI) is preparing to amend the current irrigation regulation as it was fraught with practical problems. The regulation, which was introduced one year ago, does not have clear provisions regarding the compensation to be given to the owners of land that is acquired and does not include the participation of the consumers. Immediately after it was introduced, the consumer groups had criticized it calling for the amendment. "The department decided to amend the regulation as many of the demands of consumers were found to be legitimate," an irrigation official is quoted to have said to Nepal Samacharpatra daily. Some 1.1 million hectares of land in the country currently enjoy the surface/underground irrigation facilities. Leading dailies report.

Privatization Of BPC In A Turmoil

Three years have passed since the government decided to privatize the Butawal Power Company (BPC) and still there is no end in sight. Recently, the government has extended the deadline for applications (for purchasing BPC) for the fourth time since it called for it two months ago. The Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Finance Ramchandra Man Singh told Gorkhapatra daily that the deadline has been extended as per the request of some investors. "We extended the deadline so that we can talk with them on some issues. But this will be the last extension." Investors want Power Purchase Agreement between the Nepal Electricity Authority and the BPC, say sources. Till now, Independent Power Company from Britain, Interkraft from Norway, Pacific Hydro Company from Australia, Sanima from Russia and two each from India and China have applied for the BPC. But if PPA materializes, there will be more investors interested to buy the company, say sources. Leading dailies report.

CIAA Interrogates Chataut

A day after his resignation was accepted, Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) conducted an interrogation lasting three hours with former Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Dutta Chataut regarding the controversial Lauda air deal. This is the second time the anti-corruption body has grilled Chataut after it first questioned him ten days ago. He had also faced the questioning by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee regarding the deal. According to the investigation officer and CIAA commissioner Basudev Lamichhane, Chataut will be further questioned on January 26. Appearing after the marathon interrogation, an exhausted Chataut said he resigned with the objective to help in the investigation procedure. "My resignation, in no way, proves irregularities in the deal," said Chataut. The opposition parties had been asking for the resignation of the prime minister himself because the controversial air deal was approved by the cabinet four months ago. Leading dailies report.