NEWS NOTES (Spotlight Weelky)

CIRDAP Adopts Plan Of Action

The 13th ministerial level meeting of Governing Council of the Center for Integrated Rural Development for Asia and Pacific (CIRDAP) concluded here Friday adopting an approach for the six-year plan of action (2002-06) for the Center. The plan of action contains policies and strategies for poverty alleviation and rural development, creating employment in the rural areas, institutional development of community-based organizations, self-autonomy and gender equity, among others. Studies said 950 million people living in 13 CIRDAP member countries lived on less than one dollar a day. Three-fourth of them live in the rural areas. Compiled from reports Jan. 19.

Jyoti Elected SCCI Chairman

A leading industrialist and former President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Padma Jyoti, has been elected as the chairman of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). The eighth annual general meeting of the SCCI held in Kathmandu on Thursday elected Jyoti as its chair. Talking to reporters after his election, Jyoti said he would continue to work on enhancing economic cooperation among the SAARC members states on the basis of the partnership approach (between the government and private sector). Established in 1994, SCCI has been instrumental in concluding SAPTA (South Asia Preferential Trading Arrangement) and is lobbying hard to turn this region into SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Area). Leading dailies report Jan. 18.

30 Inmates Escape

Thirty inmates, 12 of them Maoist activists, managed to escape from Surkhet prison in mid-western Nepal on Tuesday night, reports said. According to chief district officer of Surkhet, the inmates had dug some 30-feet deep tunnel from within the prison and concealed the soil on the ceiling. The prison housed a total of 56 inmates. Maoist rebels waiting outside the prison provided cover to their comrades by exchanging fire upon the security personnel for about half an hour, reports said. A three-member government-appointed probe committee, constituted under the convenorship of director general at the Department of Prison Management, has already reached Surkhet to investigate into the incident. The committee will present its report to the Home Ministry within a week. Compiled from reports Jan. 17.

Maoists Kill Local NC Leaders

Over a dozen Maoist terrorists beat Shri Narayan Chaudhary, 56, president of constituency no. one unit of ruling Nepali Congress party in Dang, Tuesday night brutally and left him bleeding. He succumbed to his injuries the same night. The insurgents also looted nearly Rs 300,000 worth property from the house of Chaudhary in cash and kind. The Maoist insurgents also murdered former district development committee president of northern district of Mugu, Bakhat Bahadur Shahi and head master of a Sanskrit high school in Lamjung, Mukti Nath Adhikari, on Wednesday. Kantipur daily reports Jan. 17.

Martial Arts Center Constructed

A multi-purpose Martial Arts Center has been constructed at Naya Bazar in the capital with the Japanese assistance. The 3,000-square meter sports centeróthe biggest facility of its kind in the countryówas built at the cost of Rs 19 million. The government of Japan contributed Rs 6.6million, the Matsumoto city of Japan Rs 8.5 million and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) paid Rs 3.8 million for the construction of the center. KMC also provided land worth Rs 9.2 million for the project. Kathmandu and Matsumoto cities had entered into sister-city relations since 1989. Former Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto demonstrated Kendo—a traditional Japanese martial art at a special function Wednesday. Compiled from reports Jan. 17.

A Joint Team Starts Survey

A joint border survey team comprising Nepalese and Indian officials has started surveying the common, open border between the two countries to check irregular activities along the border, a leading daily reported Wednesday. The daily quoted Dolakh Bahadur Gurung, chief district officer of the eastern district of Morang, as saying that the joint team has started collecting details of encroachments along the no-man land at the border and removing illegal constructions. Both the countries had agreed to form a joint survey team last month to check smuggling and terrorist activities across the border. Kantipur Jan. 16.

Pakistan Unhappy With Nepal

The government of Pakistan has expressed its unhappiness, through Royal Nepalese embassy in Islamabad, on the controversy related to brief detention of one of its employees at the Pakistani embassy in Kathmandu on the eve of the 11th SAARC Summit early this month, reports said. KANTIPUR daily reported that a letter to this effect has been delivered to the charge d' affaires at the Royal Nepalese embassy in Islamabad, Mukti Bhatta. Nepal Police had taken into custody Siraj Ahmed Siraj, a junior staff at the Pak embassy here, allegedly for carrying fake Indian currency notes of 500 rupee denominations worth IRS 47,000 and US$ 9200. Siraj was released later the same day causing much embarrassment to the Pak officials. Compiled from reports Jan. 16.

`Peace Pre-Condition For Development'

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said restoration of peace is a precondition for development of backward regions in the country. Addressing a talk program on the theme ě Good Governance in the Karnali zone,î the premier said Maoist insurgency had had adverse impact on the development efforts being carried out by the government. Vice Chairman at the National Planning Commission, Prithvi Raj Ligal, said the government could not spend even half of the Rs 400 million allocated for the construction of the Surkhet-Jumla road last year due to lack of security. He said this year's budget of over Rs 300 million too is least likely to be spent. Speakers in the program demanded that the government bring out special package for the development of backward regions including Karnali. Compiled from reports Jan. 16.

Govt. To Urge Donors

Reeling under pressure to meet growing security expenses and declining revenue, the government is to call upon the donor community to offer additional support to implement the national budget. Speaking at an interaction program organized by the Society of Economic Journalists-Nepal (SEJON) here Tuesday, Minister for Finance Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that the government would also seek overall support to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and the Tenth Plan (2002-07) from the donors during the Nepal Development Forum (NDF) meet. Previously known as the aid group meeting, NDF is meeting for the first time in Nepal between February 4-7, this year. The NDF meet will also review the Priority Reform Actions (PRAs) committed by the government during the NDF meet in Paris in April 1999. ěThere have been significant progress in meeting most of the commitments made by Nepal in the Paris meet," said Dr. Mahat. Gorkhapatra Jan. 16.

NC Sets Up Fund

The ruling Nepali Congress party has decided to set up a fund to provide relief for the victims of Maoist insurgency. Former Prime Minister and NC President G. P. Koirala announced Wednesday that the fund will be utilized to provide relief to private citizens and security personnel without any political bias. He said his party will collect both cash and kind from the people, including businessmen, and will provide the relief to the needy all over the country. Koirala said the problem of Maoist insurgency could not be resolved by the security forces alone if the political parties remained inactive. "The political parties, army and police should work jointly (against the Maoists) as all of them have faith on democracy and monarchy," he added. Compiled from the reports.