NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

UN To Launch Poverty Alleviation Program

A senior official in the United Nations system has said the world body is now ideally equipped to launch a "very strong poverty alleviation program" in Nepal. The visiting UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP assistant administrator for Asia and Pacific, Dr. Hafiz Pasha, said the UN is looking for other new areas of cooperation to reach out to the ‘ultra-poor’ in the villages to try to alleviate poverty as early as possible. Narrating his experience after visiting the UN programs in western districts of Baglung, Syangja and Kaski, Dr. Pasha said he was highly impressed by the enormous participation of women in community development programs and local institutions in Nepal. There has been a considerable degree of social mobilization in Nepal and there is a need to invest more in education, health and physical infrastructure to combat with the predominant rural poverty, he said. Compiled from reports Aug. 31.

Businessmen Warn Of Agitation

Business leaders have warned of agitation and strike in protest against the Income Tax bill being discussed in the parliament, saying that the bill is complex, impractical and does not take into account the concerns of the taxpayers. Addressing an interaction program here Wednesday, vice-president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Rajendra K. Khetan said the bill seems to be a poor copy of the tax laws in the western countries and has failed to take into account Nepal’s economic situation. He claimed that the bill, currently being discussed at the Finance Committee of parliament, contained articles and clauses that were in contrary to accounting principles and granted discretionary powers to the tax officials. President of Nepal Chamber of Commerce Rajesh Kaji Shrestha said the bill would hit the already weak Nepalese industries. Officials have, however, brushed aside such allegations, saying that the new act would increase transparency and expand the narrow tax base in the country. Compiled from reports Aug. 30.

`Dalit’ Activists March Into Pashupatinath Temple

Hundreds of `dalit’ (so-called untouchables) people jointly entered the premises of Pashupatinath and Guheswori temple in the capital Wednesday morning and worshipped Hindu gods and goddesses. Organized at the initiative of `Nepal Utpidit Jatiya Mukti Samaj,’ a sister organization of the CPN (UML), the function was also participated in by opposition lawmakers and human rights activists. The peaceful march was organized after a government announcement said that barring people from entering Hindu temples because of their caste would be punishable. President of the Samaj, Chhabilal Biswokarma, welcomed the government decision and said his organization would organize a nationwide campaign to abolish the practice of untouchability. The participants in the prayer ceremony also took part in a `mass tea party’ organized at the end of the worship. Compiled from reports.

Great Potential For Hill Development

There is a great potential for the development of Nepali hills and mountains by exploiting sectors of comparative advantage, a recent study said. According to the Hill Options Study conducted by SAPPROS, a think tank, with the help of the International Fund for Agriculture Development, there is a tremendous possibility of producing high-value crops, livestock farming and development of micro enterprises in the hilly and mountainous areas of the country. Addressing a two-day seminar organized here to discuss the findings of the study, Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat admitted that local community-based agencies were more efficient and cost effective in delivering services to the rural people compared to the government. Member of the National Planning Commission, Hari Shanker Tripathi, said the level of poverty was disproportionately high in the rural areas and there was a need to launch sustainable poverty alleviation endeavors in these regions. Compiled from reports Aug. 29.

‘India, Palace And NC May Be Backing Maoists’

Leader of the main opposition, Madhav Kumar Nepal, has alleged that the Maoists are being used by India, the royal palace and the ruling Nepali Congress to fulfil their own vested interests. Addressing a meeting of intellectuals at his party’s central office at Balkhu Sunday, UML general secretary Nepal said India may have been providing certain ‘backing’ to the Maoist insurgency with a view to keeping Nepal under its ‘security umbrella.’ There is enough room for suspicion since Indian TV channels are showing Indian military marching within Nepalese territory and the frequency of high-level Indian dignitaries visiting Nepal has also gone up, he said. Referring to India’s forced military intervention in Sri Lanka in the eighties, Nepal said both the royal palace and Nepali Congress could be assisting India in its ‘grand design.’ The palace may have ‘backed’ the Maoists with a view to end the multi-party polity in the country whereas Nepali Congress, too, may have been assisting the Maoists to finish off the UML, he claimed. Kantipur Sep. 03.

‘Becoming The People’s King’

Senior journalist Dhruba Hari Adhikari narrates the new monarch’s views on contemporary issues after his audience with King Gyanendra at Nirmal Niwas last week. Excerpts:

King Gyanendra on his personal property and businesses:

I am aware that the King should not be involved in trading and businesses in competition with the people. As far as the personal property I owned before ascension to the throne is concerned, I have already transferred the (legal) rights to those who are entitled to it. The other property and physical facilities being used by my predecessors are the property of the country, including my present residence. So there should not be any confusion.

On the role of army in the Holeri episode:

The decision to deploy the army (to rescue nearly 70 policemen abducted by the Maoist rebels) had been taken as per the proposal made by then premier (GP Koirala). But the army unit may have failed (in meeting its objective) due to lack of appropriate plan of action. I think the Maoists should be drawn toward electoral politics by persuading them to give up arms. Under no circumstances can the situation of a Nepali raising arms against another Nepali be accepted.

On the issue of population and citizenship:

Right from the days when I was engaged in the nature conservation, I have been saying that Nepal doesn’t have food and other natural resources to sustain a huge population. Regarding the citizenship issue, the court has already furnished its recommendations and verdict. All of us should abide by that. The king must have a broad heart. I have a dream of becoming the ‘people’s king’ who could accommodate Nepalese having faith in different ideologies. Let’s see what happens.

On relations with India and China:

The reality is that the two big countries are our neighbors. We should not provoke one against the other, because that would be a short-sighted policy. We should be sensitive toward the rational concerns of our neighbors, at the same time protecting our dignity and honor. China has emerged as an economic force in the global scenario. As a neighbor, it will be wise for Nepal to make efforts and initiative to utilize the opportunities that would be available from China. Naya Sadak, Sep. 03.