Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King gyanendra receiving "Holy Thread" from monk Kumar Kahsyap at Annandakuti Mahavihar

THE NEPALI CONGRESS LED by G. P. Koirala has alleged the Election Commission of failing to ask the government to strictly follow election code of conducts. A statement by the party said the EC remained mute when the government was misusing the state power and forcing the government-run media to call PM Deuba as party president. The party also expressed concerns over what it said delays in declaring the genuine NC party saying that the only legal president in the party was Mr. Koirala.

OVER ONE DOZEN REBELS have been killed during the on-going security operations in the country over the last three days. According to the Defense Ministry, eight rebels were killed on Friday and Saturday while seven more, including three in Saptari, two each in Rukum and Humla districts, on Thursday. The troops also recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives from the sites of encounter. A sentry on duty shot dead a woman in Baglung district on Friday after she allegedly disobeyed his warnings.

A GOVT. FORMED committee to review the prices of petro-products in the domestic market to discourage smuggling out of cheaper oil from Nepal to India and to contain the widening domestic oil deficit has recommended the government to immediately hike petro-prices. The committee submitted its recommendations to the Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies on Friday. The committee has recommended that the government immediately hike the prices of petroleum products to bring it to parity with prices across the border. The price of petroleum products in the Indian market is higher than that in the Nepali market. While per liter petrol, diesel and kerosene cost Rs 48.50, Rs 30.60 and Rs 22.70 respectively in the bordering Indian cities, they cost Rs 46, Rs 26.50 and Rs 17 respectively in the Nepali side.

FORMER PRIME MINISTER Kirtinidhi Bista handed over Tuborg Excellence Award and cash prize to students who secured top ten positions in the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) exams conducted last year in the capital Sunday. Addressing the function, Vice Chairman of Kathmandu University, Suresh Raj Sharma, said despite recent disturbances education sector in the country was performing satisfactorily. Mohan Gopal Khetan,† chairman of Gorkha Brewery Limited-that set up the award a decade back-said his company had set up the award to encourage country's young talents.

LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY (Nepal) Ltd.† has announced that it will go public on August 5. The company is a joint venture between the Life Insurance Corporation of India and Vishal Group of Nepal. The company will raise Rs.50 million through the sales of† 500,000 shares with a par value of Rs.100. 20 percent of the LIC's shares will be sold to the public, company officials said.

THE INTEGRATED INTERNAL Security and Development Program (ISDP) is being resumed in Gorkha, Pyuthan and Salyan districts beginning mid-July this year, officials said. ISDP activities were deferred in the districts following the declaration of the state of emergency last November following escalation in Maoist offensive.† The decision followed a review of ISDP activities implemented in the previous year in several districts o undertake development activities severely affected by the Maoist terrorism. The review was made by a task force formed under the convenor-ship of Dr Jagadish Chandra Pokhrel, member of the National Planning Commission. The ISDP was dropped in Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Kalikot and other districts looking at the security environment there. The government has allocated Rs 1,350 million for the program in the fiscal year 2002-03, up from Rs 600 million allocated last year.

NEPAL AND INDIA HAVE agreed to launch joint science and technology promotion programs in both the countries, the Indian Embassy here said Friday. As per the agreement, both the countries will exchange scientists, increase access of the nationals to facilities in scientific institutes and laboratories and launch awareness programmes in schools. Other points of agreement are to hold training under the science and technology programs and arrange for visits of Nepalese students to India. A Nepalese delegation led by Minister of State for Science and Technology, Bhakta Bahadur Balayar, also visited various offices and centres of scientific research and development, such as Indian Meteorology Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) based in New Delhi, the embassy said.

THE ICC CONSULTING, BANK of Scotland has taken over the management of state-owned Nepal Bank Limited for the next two years. Newly appointed CEO of the NBL, J. Craig Mac Alister, said his group will take initiative to develop international level banking standards at the NBL. The new management will present its plan of action to the Nepal Rastra Bank within 45 days which will be implemented after endorsement from the central bank. The Nepalese government has decided to hand over the management of NBL and Rastriya Banijya Bank to international consulting firms under the financial sector reform project with the support of the World Bank. The central bank officials said they were preparing to sue a US company, Deloittee Touche Tomahatsu, for failing to take over the management of the RBB even after entering into agreement with the NRB for the same. Governor of NRB, Dr. Tilak Rawal, said that the process to hire a new management firm for RBB will be initiated soon.

PRIME MINISTER Sher Bahadur Deuba said Birgunj Dry Port would come into full operation once an agreement on extending a railway line to Birgunj is signed during Nepal-India secretary level talk scheduled to be held in August this year. Mr. Deuba made this statement while addressing a meeting attended by industrialists and businessmen in Birgunj. He also made it clear that his government was ready to bring about necessary reforms in revenue administration and local administration provided that the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) come up with a proposal for the same. The Prime Minister said the government was ready to bring about flexible changes on labor policy, allowing the industrialists to "hire and fire" their workers based on their performance. "I am not in favor of keeping the laborers in their jobs who do not work," he added.