Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

PRIME MINISTER LOKENDRA BAHADUR Chand is "unhappy" over the incident on Monday (March 31) when he encountered Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, coordinator of Maoist negotiating team, at a public program without prior knowledge, sources say. Chand had gone to the program organized by the Reportersí Club, Nepal unaware that Dr. Bhattarai was coming there and thinking he was the chief guest but upon reaching the Birendra International Convention Center, the venue, he was surprised to see that the organizers had also invited the Maoist leader as the co-chief guest. Sources close to Chand said that the Prime Minister was concerned that appearing together with Dr. Bhattarai could send "wrong message".

THE WORLD BANK HAS AGREED TO provide $75.4 million assistance for the Power Development Project. Out of this total, $ 35 million will go to the Power Development Fund (PDF) and the rest will be used for the rural electrification, micro hydro and alternative energy development, reports said. "The World Bank is interested in the development of hydroelectricity in Nepal. This loan is also a part of that interest," said Bhanu Prasad Acharya, Finance Secretary. An agreement to this effect is expected to be signed soon between the Nepalese government and World Bank officials.

THE UMBRELLA BODY OF THE private sector Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has announced it will felicitate King Gyanendra on Wednesday (April 9) at a special program to be held at the Hyatt Regency hotel. Just two days before the Industry-Commerce day, the FNCCI is to hold the reception in honor of the King. The FNCCI will also utilize the opportunity to present the viewpoints of the private sector before the monarch.

THE GOVERNMENT IS ALL SET TO distribute coupons to the middle class and lower class families this week to avail them kerosene in subsidized rates. When the government hiked the price of petroleum products two weeks ago, it fixed two different prices for kerosene, which is also known as poor manís fuel. The price of kerosene in open market was fixed at Rs 28 per liter but it could be sold to those with coupons from specified outlets at Rs 23 per liter. The decision was made to lessen the hardships of middle class and lower class families. According to Rudra Bahadur Khadka, acting executive director of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC0 said that each family will get 10 liters of kerosene every month at subsidized rate upon producing the coupon.

NARAYAN SINGH PUN, MINISTER for Works and Physical Planning, and convener of government negotiating team said that the government cannot release all Maoist leaders. His statement comes after demands put forth by the Maoist talks team to release five of its central leaders as pre-condition for sitting for talks. Speaking at a public program in Tanahu, a district in western Nepal, Pun said that the government is serious about the demands forwarded by the Maoists. "We have ordered probe into these demands. But we cannot release all their leaders," said Pun.

ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT committed to ensure equal participation in education within two years, 35 percent of girls are still out of schools. Nepal had signed the Dakar declaration three years ago expressing commitment to make education equally available to boys and girls by the year 2005. But according to the 2002 report by the UNESCO, 374,000 girls of 6-10 years of age still do not go to school in Nepal. Likewise, 57 percent of girls over the age of 6 are illiterate in the country. Meanwhile, Devi Prasad Ojha, Education Minister said that the goal of Education for All (EFA) by 2015 could be achieved if there is conducive environment in the country. "It should be taken as a national commitment to achieve EFA by 2015," he said starting the global EFA week on Sunday (April 6).

INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO NEPAL Shyam Saran laid the foundation stones of two school buildings, the Shree Panch Mahendra Janata Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Karmaiya, and the Saraswati Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Hajaria, in Sarlahi district. According to press release from the Indian Embassy, these two schools were experiencing great difficulty in imparting education to students on account of their poor physical infrastructure. "On the recommendation of the Embassy, the Government of India sanctioned grant-in-aid of NRs.4.6 million for the construction of the building of the Saraswati Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Hajaria, and NRs.5.4 million for the construction of the building of the Shree Panch Mahendra Janata Madhyamik Vidyalaya, Karmaiya, Sarlahi" states the release.