News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

35 Maoists Killed In Dailekh

Around thirty-five Maoists were killed in a fierce fighting between the security forces and the armed Maoists near Ratapani village of Dailekh district on December 14. The security forces did not sustain any injuries, reports Gorkhapatra daily and Radio Nepal. However, Kantipur daily reports that only 14 Maoists were killed in the incident. The military had even dropped bombs from the air during the incident. The security forces had attacked the shelter and training facility of the rebels, reports say. Meanwhile, on the same day eleven personnel of the Armed Police Force (APF) including an inspector were killed in a strong ambush explosion set up by the Maoists. The APF personnel were killed when the vehicle they were traveling in (en route from Bardibas to Jaleshwore) fell into the roadside ambush. Compiled from reports.

NEA Not To Accept Contractors’ Conditions

The board of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has refused to comply with all the conditions set forth by the multi-national contractors DDC-JV of the 70-MW strong middle Marsyangdi hydroelectricity project. The multinational contractors came up with harsh conditions to restart their civil construction works, which they suspended indefinitely a month ago. Their conditions for the NEA include asking it to pay the controversial bill claims, accept the different variation orders, bear the cost of delay, increase the project duration and so on. The NEA board has said that the cost of the project will escalate if all of its conditions are met. The board chairman Minister for Water Resources Sarbendra Nath Shukla said that there is no reason why it should comply with all its conditions. He said that the NEA team will hold talks with the contractors and if they do not budge, then the NEA will have to look into other alternatives. The other alternatives include appointing the Chinese partner of the multi-national contractors, appointing the Swedish contractor, who had also bid for the project in the past or calling for new tender. The NEA team will hold the talks in Germany this week. Kantipur daily reports.

Koirala Urges Cadres To Coordinate With Unified Command

In an interesting development, president of Nepali Congress and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has urged the cadres of his party to move ahead by coordinating with the unified command of the government to launch their political activities in villages and districts. Earlier, Koirala used to term the unified command as the indication of rising militarization in the country. Addressing a party meeting on Saturday, Koirala said that now the Congress will re-launch its political activities in the villages, which had ceased after its cadres were forced to vacate their native places due to Maoist threat. He said the activities of the party cadres will also encourage the unified command. “Currently the unified command is limited only at the district headquarters. It is the duty of the Congress to take them to the villages,” he said. He added that, initially, such coordination will begin in 15 districts starting from December 16. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

East-West Information Super-Highway Under Construction

The works of laying down optical fibers alongside the East-West highway have reached final stages. The project, being undertaken under the grant assistance of Rs 1.34 billion from the Indian government, is expected to unveil the information super-highway. Currently the radio waves travel via air, which will, after the completion of the project, travel via the optical fibers laid down in ground – making the whole process more reliable, economical and of higher quality. According to Krishna Prasad Ghimire, acting manager of the project, almost 80 percent of the work has completed. “We can start the network using the optical fiber within the end of this year,” he said. He said that rates of trunk calls will substantially decrease once this system comes into place. Kantipur daily reports.

TU In Grave Financial Crisis

The oldest and largest university of the country – Tribhuwan University (TU) – is facing a grave financial crunch and has asked the campuses affiliated to it to search for alternative sources for funds. The university officials say that it needs Rs 2.34 billion to cover its expenses for this fiscal year. But the government has only released Rs 1.29 billion. It also raised Rs 270 million as fees from students. But the shortfall is too great. And the current amount is enough only to meet the salaries of teachers and employees. “We have asked the campuses not to spend the money we give on chalks, dusters and other stationery items and just spend on giving salaries,” said Rector Dr. Mahendra Singh. There are 200,000 students in the TU. The number of teachers stands at 5,638 while there are 5,690 employees. Leading dailies report.

King Should Take Initiatives: Bhattarai

Former prime minister and senior Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said that the King should take the initiatives for resolving the current political crisis. “King only can end this turmoil and, therefore, he has to take the initiative,” said Bhattarai speaking at a program in capital on Wednesday where he was felicitated for his untiring devotion to human rights and democracy. Bhattarai rarely takes part in public programs these days owing to ill health. He also said that the parties would need to strengthen their agitation in case the King does not take the initiatives. Leading dailies report.

Maoist Students To Close Down Schools For Five Days

After they closed the schools of the eastern region for three days last week, the Maoist students organization has now announced they are going to call strikes of educational institutions in Bagmati and Narayani zones from December 17 to 21. The All Nepal National Free Students Union – Revolutionary (ANNFSU-R) has said that the strike has been called to press their 26 points demands including release of their leaders who they claim have been abducted by security forces. The organization has also warned of indefinite strike after February 29 next year if the government does not meet their demands. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Nepalese Vegetables Will Fly To Gulf Countries

On December 12, a cargo aircraft of the Qatar Airways will be carrying loads of Nepalese vegetables to Doha. This is the first time Nepalese vegetables will be flying to third countries. Among the first lot of Nepalese vegetables to be exported include Cauli flower, potatoes, lady-fingers and other green vegetables. Salt Trading Corporation is undertaking this whole export. According to Parmeshwore Mahaseth, chief executive of the corporation, one thousand kilograms of green vegetables will be exported in the first phase. The corporation had undertaken a study which had pointed that there is a big market for vegetables in Arab countries. The corporation is shortly going to set up its branch office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates from where it will coordinate vegetable exports to Gulf countries like Qatar, Saudi Arab, Yemen, Kuwait and Iraq. Nepal has a very favorable climate for vegetable farming. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

India To Buy Power From West Seti

After endeavors of last one decade, the Indian government has finally agreed to buy power from the West Seti Hydroelectricity Project. The Indian government’s Power Trading Corporation (PTC) and the Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation (SMEC), which has the license to build the project, has reached into an agreement to this effect. According to the agreement, the PTC will buy the 750 MW power from the project at the rate of 4.865 cents (Rs 3.6) per unit. This rate is almost half compared to the rate at which the Nepal Electricity Authority buys power from Khimti and Bhote Koshi projects. The SMEC has handed over the formal letter and the agreement paper to the Department of Electricity Development last week. The Nepalese government had given SMEC the license to build the project in 1994. The SMEC can buy the power for 30 years after which it will have to hand over the project to the government. The SMEC will give Nepalese government 2.5 percent royalty and 10 percent of electricity for free The total cost of the project is said to be around US$ 860 million. The construction of the project will begin after the India’s Central Electricity Regulatory Commission gives its approval of the agreement. It is expected to give such approval within few months. Kantipur daily reports.

People Defy Maoist Diktat To Visit Service Camps

Despite the Maoist order asking people not to visit there, the people of Melamchi village in Sindhupalchowk turned up in thousands at the mobile service camp organized by the government. The rebels had imposed a week-long restriction on the movement of villagers in order to foil the service camp. However, according to chief district officer Rudranath Basyal, 1434 villagers came to the camp in the span of two days to receive citizenship certificates. The camp provided passport to 25 persons and it provided health check-up to 290 villagers. Kantipur daily reports.

Indian Maoists Arrested While Trying To Enter Nepal

The Indian police have arrested five Indians who were on their way to enter Nepal carrying 1660 books on Maoist warfare on Tuesday in Nautanwa post near the Indo-Nepal border. The arrested persons include Biswanath Gupta, Ram Narayan, Aniruddha Prasad, Ghanashyam and Pradeep Jaiswal. All of them are Indian nationals. According to Indian police, they had had relations with Maoists of Nepal for the last three years. Among the books confiscated by the Indian police include ‘Military Training Guide and Art of War – Part 1 and 2’, ‘Military Training Guide and Science of War’ and ‘Jungle Warfare’. The name of the publisher in all those books were written to be ‘The People’s Liberation Army, Nepal, CPN (Maoists) Western Central Command Division Office’. All the arrested Indian nationals are said to have links with Indian Maoists, according to police. They have been sent to Gorakhpur prison. Among the arrested persons, Jaiswal is also said to be involved in arms trade. The Indian police have also raided Jaiswal’s arms godown in Gorakhpur, the reports say. Leading dailies report.