Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

Queen Komal (at the center with the winners of this year's Aishwarya Vidya Padak

IN HIS MESSAGE TO THE NATION ON THE OCCASION of the Constitution Day, King Gyanendra has said that it is imperative that an environment of peace, security and good governance prevails in the country, while all those committed to multi party democracy work together in earnest, in order to relieve the country of the prevailing uneasy situation and achieve the goals enshrined in the constitution. He expressed hope that this day inspires all those who have faith in democracy to unite in fulfilling popular aspirations and realizing the objectives enshrined in the constitution.

THE ROYAL NEPALESE ARMY (RNA) HAS SET UP a four member committee headed by Lt. Colonel Deepak Narsing Rayamajhi to probe the Friday evening shooting incident in Balaju, Kathmandu, in which a driver was shot to death by an army personnel. The committee is said to be in contact with the victim’s family to come up with its findings. According to brigadier B.A. Kumar Sharma, head of the RNA’s human rights cell, the committee would recommend, within a week or two, whether the army personnel ought to be tried in military or the civilian court. The personnel in question is currently in army custody. Brigadier Sharma added that the case was serious because a civilian has been killed.

THE UNITED NATIONS HAS EXPRESSED GRAVE CONCERN over the use of children and adolescents by the armed rebel forces in 15 nations including Nepal. The list prepared by the UN puts Nepal in the 10th position among the 15 countries where the child soldiers are in use by the rebels. The report has been presented to the General Assembly and the Security Council. The UN has been actively trying to prevent the recruiting of children below 18 years of age in armed forces. “Twenty three rebel forces active in Burundi, Colombia, Congo, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Myanmar, Sudan and Uganda are still recruiting the child soldiers,” the report states. Likewise, the report adds that children continue to be armed in seven other countries including Afghanistan, Nepal, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Chechnya of Russia, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO provide compensation of 10,000 pound to each of the ex-Gurkha soldiers who were made the Prisoners of War (POW) by the Japanese soldiers during the Second World War. The decision was made a year after the London High Court ordered the British government to pay the ex Gurkhas compensation at par with their British counterparts. The ex-Gurkha soldiers or their widows who were made the POW will be entitled to the compensation.

THE CUSTOM OFFICIALS OF NEPAL AND TIBET HAVE agreed to meet every six months to iron out problems that may emerge. The ongoing Kathmandu meeting of the high level custom officials of both sides reached to this agreement. In a MoU signed by the two sides, the officials have agreed to resolve problems seen in the custom areas. The meeting also agreed to resolve the problem regarding the custom evaluation. “The meeting has been very positive,” said Krishna Hari Baskota, director general of Department of Customs. The meeting also discussed how to increase trade between the two sides.

THE HYDROPOWER EXPERTS HAVE SAID THAT NEPAL should not give away its big hydropower projects in exchange of mere 15 percent of free electricity. Recently, in view of the bilateral talks between the two countries on developing 600 MW strong Budhi Gandaki project, there had been comments that Nepal would be handing over the project to India in exchange of 15 percent free electricity. According to Dhruba Raj Bhattarai, deputy executive director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, the 15 percent of electricity is a very nominal amount. Citing the example of Bhutan he said that Bhutanese government is selling 336 MW of power (of Chukha project) to India at the rate of Indian Rupees 1.5 per unit for the last 17 years. “Bhutan has earned IRs 17 billion in this period. Had it agreed for exchange of 15 percent free power, it would have earned only IRs 4 billion,” he said. India had constructed the project in 60 percent grant and 40 percent loan basis. India is also constructing 1020 MW strong Tala project in Bhutan with the intention to buy all the power. Dr. Santoshananda Mishra, a director at the NEA, said that India will be buying Bhutanese power at the rate of IRs 1.75 pre unit beginning this November. India had also proposed Nepal that it would buy the latter’s excess power at the rate of IRs 1.5 per unit.

THE JOINT TEAM OF THE SECURITY FORCES AND THE POLICE, in a three-day search operation, seized two trucks of illegal materials, including explosives and arrested two persons. The team seized ten sacks of explosives from the Sunrise Guesthouse, Bagbazaar and arrested two Indians, Abdul Badi and Habit Sadar from Kolkata. The team had carried out operations at Kirtipur, Panga, Lalitpur, Kalanki and Mahaboudhha after receiving a tip-off.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS FORMED THE POWER DEVELOPMENT BOARD (PDB) to implement the power development projects that will be operated under the loan assistance from the World Bank. A significant part of the project is the Power Development Fund (PDF). Lekhman Singh Bhandari, the director general of the Electricity Development Department, has been assigned the ex officio chairman of the Board. Other members include Lal Shankar Ghimire, an official from the Ministry of Finance, Shobhan Dev Pant, from financial sector, Robin Shrestha, from among experts and a representative from the Law Ministry.