Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

People celebrating the festival of holi

KING GYANENDRA returned Kathmandu Sunday after visiting the western region of the country. The state-controlled Radio Nepal said that the royal visit was meant to assess the security situation in the region. It did not give details. King Gyanendra, accompanied by Crown Prince Paras, and top government officials including Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and chief of the army staff Prajwolla Shumsher Rana, had reached mid-western town of Nepalgunj Friday. His Majesty also visited western town of Pokhara on Saturday. During the three-day trip, Crown Prince Paras and premier Deuba also visited western districts of Achham, Dang and Salyan where the Maoist insurgents had made major attacks over the last few months. Nearly one hundred and fifty people had died, most of them security personnel, when the rebels had mounted the biggest assault in the six years of insurgency in Achham district last month. The Royal Nepalese Army has launched a major offensive after the Achham attacks killing hundreds of Maoist rebels.

CHAIRMAN OF NATIONAL Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Nain Bahadur Khatri, has expressed concerns over reports of people being killed while in detention by the security forces. Addressing an interaction program here Monday, Mr. Khatrióa former chief justice of Nepal's Supreme Courtósaid it would highlight the terrible state of the country if the people were being killed after arrest. While condemning the Maoist act of killing innocent civilians and targeting security personnel in the name of "people's war," Mr. Khatri asserted that the government must not resort to "revenge killing."

TWO BUSINESSMEN in western town of Butwal handed over Rs. 1.5 million, to the security officials on Wednesday. The businessmen said two local Maoist leaders Ram Prasad Banjade a.k.a. Tankamani and Chakramani Khanal a.k.a. Baldev had given around Rs. 2.5 million to the two businessmen on condition that the latter would supply necessary goods to the rebels. The money is believed to have been looted from different banks during the Maoist raids. The security forces had earlier arrested these businessmen on suspicion of having connection with the rebels.

OVER 6.63 MILLION kgs of tea was produced in the country in the last fiscal year 2000-01, officials said. According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, tea was cultivated on nearly 12,000 hectares of land in the last fiscal year. Over the last few years it has been observed that a growing number of small farmers are also taking interest toward tea cultivation. Tea cultivation first started in Nepal with the establishment of the Illam Tea Estate in 1920 B.S. and the Soktim Tea Estate in 1992 B.S. the then Badahakim Gaja Raj Singh is credited for this. The Nepalese government offers 50 per cent grant on the interest on the total loans taken for tea cultivation, waives 90 per cent of the land revenue and has also lifted the ceiling on land acquisition, if used for tea cultivation.

SECURITY EXPENSES IN the last four months have exceeded by an additional over one billion, a leading daily reported Tuesday quoting a highly placed source at the Finance Ministry. The government had earmarked a budget of Rs 10.31 billion for security expenses this year. "With the government already accepting to release Rs three billion to Royal Nepalese Army and around Rs one billion to the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police, the total security expenditure in the current fiscal year could touch Rs 15 billion," the official said. The government now has to walk a tight rope following skyrocketing security expenditure and squeezing revenue.

AS THE VIEWERS have turned away from the "box office," more than 90 percent of the producers are suffering losses and even half of the investment made is hard to be earned back, Naresh Poudel, Vice President of the Film Producers Association of Nepal told RSS news agency. Around 50 films are produced every year in the country while only 38 films could satisfy the limited domestic market, industry watchers said. They said the on-going Maoist insurgency, the royal palace massacre in last June and state of emergency have driven the movie-goers away from the cinema halls.

AIR INDIA HONORED ITS TOP SALES AGENTS in Nepal for their exceptional performance and support, at a function held at Hotel De l' Annapurna on 26th March 2002. The function was well attended by people from travel and tourism industry. The award for excellence was presented by Madhav B. Lokur, Commercial Manager-Northern India and Nepal, who flew in from New Delhi to felicitate the top agents. Air India with its codeshare/interline partners extends convenient connections to more than 80 destinations worldwide. During the last six months it has added five aircrafts (on dry lease) thereby increasing its capacity by 20 percent. Three more aircrafts are to be leased shortly. The airline has improved its loadfactors (during December 01-March 02) manifold and will be in profits during 2001-02, after a gap of almost six years. Air India operated 92 Haj flights with its own aircraft and carried more than 30,000 passengers (including all the Haj pilgrims from Nepal) this year. It has also introduced additional flights to Gulf and Far East. In addition, it has also introduced attractive fares and schemes. The recent introduction of attractive fares and "companion free schemes", Yatrik (enabling customers to buy tickets on-line), flight information through mobile phone and extension of FFP to UK, USA and Canada, above 90 percent on time performance, superior inflight services and enhanced security measures are a major attraction for passenger traveling on Air India. The airline remains committed to provide services of highest standards for both passenger and cargo movements from/to the Kingdom of Nepal.