NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

Ambassador Gautam Returns Home

Royal Nepalese Ambassador to the United States, Damodar Gautam, has returned home after the government abruptly recalled him before the completion of his tenure, a newspaper report said. Gautam refused to comment on the affair but sources said he was engaged in a "letter war" with Foreign Secretary Narayan S. Thapa regarding the government's decision. He even challenged Thapa to mention if he had made any mistake during his assignment in Washington D.C. Thapa did not respond. The government had decided to recall Gautam, a former chief secretary, reportedly because of the prime minister's "unhappiness" over his performance. Gautam returned home after completing less than two and half years of his four-year term. Nepal Samacharpatra March 2.

Nepal Condemns Taleban ACT

The Nepalese government has condemned what it described as reprehensible acts of the Taleban government to demolish the statues of Lord Buddha in Afghanistan. In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is a matter of deep concern for the government and the people of Nepal that two ancient Buddha statues in central Bamiyan province of Afghanistan have been partially damaged and disfigured. "It is, therefore, only appropriate that we call upon all the peace-loving people and governments worldwide to join hands and begin diplomatic representations in an effort to preserve and safeguard this world cultural heritage," the ministry said. RSS reports March 2.

Religious Groups Slam Move

A number of organizations have condemned the Taleban government's decision to destroy more than 2,000-year-old Buddha idols in Bamiyan province of Afghanistan. In a statement, Dharmodaya Sabha, a Buddhist organization, said the despicable act of the Taleban government deserves condemnation from all. World Hindu Federation, Human Rights Organization of Nepal and other organizations have also condemned the Taleban government's recent decision. Compiled from reports March 5.

Army To Stop Illegal Trade

The government is preparing to mobilize Royal Nepal Army personnel to control illegal trade at five major customs points bordering India and China, a leading newspaper reported Friday. After police and local administration failed to check growing illegal trade, the government has decided to mobilize the army, a senior official at the Finance Ministry said. The government is drawing up plans to mobilize the army at Birgunj, Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj customs bordering India and at Tatopani customs bordering the Tibet autonomous region of China. Nearly 250 army personnel will start patrolling the open border at these custom points beginning this month. According to a report compiled by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, goods worth nearly Rs 10 billion are entering Nepal from India and those worth Rs 1 billion from Tibet annually without paying duty. If the illegal trade could be controlled, Nepal's customs revenue could go up by nearly 50 percent, the report said. Officials hope that with the mobilization of army, other criminal activities along the border could also be checked to a great extent. Kantipur March 2.

'Hotel Strike Will Cause Huge Losses'

Tourist in a Hotel

After hotel employees unions declared that they would resort to nation-wide strike beginning March 15 to press their demand of 10 per cent service charge, Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has said the proposed strike would demolish the entire industry. Terming the strike as 'illegal', HAN said during each day of strike the number of average tourist arrival of 1,500 per day will come down to zero; tourism receipts of around 460,000 dollars per day will be lost and the nation will lose about Rs 5 million being collected daily from the tourism sector as value added tax (VAT). Similarly, the daily transaction of around Rs 55 million in the tourism industry will come to a halt as 350 travel agencies, 846 hotels, 400 trekking agents, 70 rafting companies and 600 restaurants will be closed. Moreover, the strike will put around 1.5 million hotel employees and their dependants under financial crisis, the association said. Hotel workers have threatened to go on a nationwide strike if their demand of mandatory introduction of 10 percent service charge is not met. Compiled from reports March 2.

ADB To Provide Over Rs. 22 Billion Loan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide a loan worth Rs. 22.64 billion (US$ 306 million) to the Nepalese government to help implement projects focusing mainly on poverty alleviation during the next two years. Talking to reporters Friday, ADB resident representative Dr. Richard Vokes said 75 percent of the 2002-2004 loans would directly address poverty reduction, primarily in social infrastructure and agriculture sector. Most of the proposed loans would come in small packages. The bank is also a lead financier in the Melamchi Water Supply project and the Kaligandaki a hydro-electricity project. Meanwhile, an ADB mission that visited Nepal last month, held consultations with senior government officials on issues related to ADB's support for the government's poverty reduction strategy, and initial work to prepare a Poverty Reduction Partnership Agreement between ADB and the government, among others. Compiled from reports March 3.

Ex-Kamaiyas To Get Land Within Two Months

The government has directed the convenors of the land registration committees being sent to the districts to complete the work of registering the land being occupied by the landless and former kamaiyas (bonded laborers) within the month of Chaitra (mid-April) this year, RSS news agency reports. According to the Ministry of Land Reforms and Management, a meeting held under the chairmanship of Minister for Local Development Govinda Raj Joshi also directed the district executive committees concerned to extend necessary cooperation to the land registration committees. The government has decided to provide up to five katthas of land to the former kamaiyas in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur districts. The Nepali Congress government had declared the kamaiyas free from debt bondage in July last year but is yet to properly rehabilitate them. Meanwhile, former US President Jimmy Carter has written letters to King Birendra and senior government officials drawing their attention to the pathetic conditions in which former kamaiyas are living. Compiled from reports March 1.

Verdict On Lauda Air Deal In Mid-April

The Supreme Court has said it will rule on the controversial Lauda Air deal on April 18 this year. The court is hearing the Lauda Air deal case in response to a petition filed by advocates Gopal Sivakoti "Chintan" and Rajaram Dhakal in November last year arguing that deal was illegal and full of irregularities. The writ had named the Prime Minister, Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, RNAC, ICTC and Nepal Rastra Bank as respondents. Compiled from reports March 3.