 |
||
|
||
BRIEFS |
|
||
|
||
BRIEFS |
KING GYANENDRA CONFERRED the visiting chief of army staff, Indian Army, General N.C. Vij, the honorary rank of General of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) at a special investiture ceremony held at Narayanhity Royal Palace on Wednesday (April 23). The visiting Indian army chief visited the RNA divisions at the western Nepalese town of Nepalgunj on Wednesday. He held discussion with Prime minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and attended separate receptions hosted in his honor by RNA chief General Pyara Jung Thapa and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Sharan. IF THINGS REMAIN unchanged, all the rivers in the Kathmandu valley could turn into sewages within the next ten years due to pollution, warned environmental experts on Thursday (April 24). Speaking at a seminar on the river pollution experts called for urgent action to prevent such tragedy. Already major rivers in the valley like Bagmati and Bishnumati are polluted as unchecked urbanization and unbridled population has deteriorated their condition. A FOUR-MEMBER MISSION of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is arriving in Kathmandu to hold discussion on economic development of Nepal. The mission, headed by Hisan Shishido, will stay for more than two weeks in Kathmandu. During its stay here, IMF officials will hold discussion with the officials of Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) on monetary situation. They will meet the officials of Ministry of Finance and discuss about the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and the Tenth Plan. THE FORTHCOMING BUDGET will be an attempt to strike a balance among various prevailing compulsions, according to Finance Minister Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha. Addressing a program organized by Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday (April 23), Dr. Shrestha said that there were positive indications and that the economy was picking up following the ceasefire. AS PER THE TWO-DAY strike announced by students organizations affiliated to different political parties, petrol pumps remained closed on Saturday and Sunday (April 26 and 27). The student organizations have been organizing violent agitation to force the government to roll-back its hike in the price of petroleum products. There are 750 petrol pumps in the country with around 400 located in Kathmandu valley alone. FOLLOWING THE SUPREME Courts' order not to implement the recent decision by the government to transfer the cardiac surgery unit at the Bir Hospital to the Martyr Ganga Lal National Heart Center, the cardiac surgeons at the hospital have resumed the cardiac surgery on Wednesday. The Supreme Court, in response to writ petition to that regard filed by the surgeons Dr. Damodar Pokharel, Dr. Abani Bhusan Upadhyaya and Dr. Kiran Shrestha, ordered the government not to implement the decision. The decision (to transfer the unit) was made by Health Minister Dr. Upendra Devkota. THE EXPORTS OF VANASPATI GHEE from Nepal has stopped after the interim order by the High Court in Kolkata, India asking the Central Warehousing Company ñ the Indian authority which provides license for ghee export ñ to stop providing the ëNo Objection Certificate'. The High Court gave the interim order in response to writ petition filed by Indian ghee producers who have argued that exports from Nepal were hurting them. According to renewed Indo-Nepal Trade Treaty, Nepalese ghee producers are allowed to export 100,000 metric tons of their produce in a year. Last year, Nepalese producers could export only 96,000 metric tons of ghee. The recent decision by the Kolkata high court has hampered the ghee industry in Nepal. Over 16 ghee industries have now grinded to halt. THE RESIDENTS OF north-western district of Darchula are hit by famine. They have started receiving rice under expensive deals struck with traders in exchange for Yarsagumba, the plant-cum-bug wonder ëherb' that sprouts in the snow line areas through June-July. The traders have kept the villagers at the receiving end. The residents of the upper Darchula including Khandeshwori, Ghusa and Gulzar are living on the costly rice and eagerly waiting for Yarsagumba collecting season. Latinath, Guljar, Khandeshwori, Ghusa, Sitola, Seri, Sipti, Eeyarakot, Huti and Pipalchauri village development committees (VDCs) are the worst hit by famine, after the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC), stopped supplying food grains to Khandeshwori, Tinker, Susera and Pargadh since 2058 BS for security reasons. THE VISITING CHIEF of army staff, Indian Army, General N.C. Vij said that the Indian government would soon provide weapons worth Rs 1 billion to the Royal Nepalese Army to help the latter in its fight against terrorism. "We have already provided weapons worth Rs 2 billion and we will soon be providing additional weapons worth another Rs 1 billion," said General Vij, addressing retired Indian Gurkhas at a pension distributing camp in Pokhara on Thursday (April 24). "Unfortunately, Nepal has been suffering from terrorism for the last two/three years. In a time of crisis like this, India stands by Nepal. We will do whatever to help Nepal in this regard," said General Vij. THE REVENUE ADVISORY board held a
regional meeting at Biratnagar recently where 200 businessmen from the eastern
region attended the program. Speaking at the program Rajendra Kumar Khetan, vice president
of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) said that if the
government does not sort out many existing problems, then the private sector would not be
able to deliver more employment and revenue. Senior government officials and
representatives of different chambers were present at the program. |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
