Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

King Gyanendra inspeecting the Royal Army's UN Peace keeping force in Paanchkhal

IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THE PERENNIAL problem of highway obstruction due to landslides and floods, the government is mulling to develop a speedway to link Kathmandu with Terai. According to Tirtha Raj Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Works and Physical Planning, the government has written a letter to the Japanese government to study the feasibility of such speedway. A recent cabinet meeting had approved making such request.

THE LONDON-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS WATCHDOG Amnesty International (AI) has called on the Chinese and Tibetan authorities and diplomats to immediately ‘stay the execution’ of two Nepali citizens Ishwori Kumar Shrestha and Rabi Dahal, and conduct a fair review of the trial. The two along with Rewat Kumar Dahal had been arrested on charges of drug peddling in Khasa of Tibet a year ago. While the two were delivered death sentences, the third person has been sentenced to life prison.

INDIAN AMBASSADOR SHYAM SARAN HAS SAID that his government has adopted a new policy of helping in the development of bordering Terai areas in Nepal. “We have started helping in the link roads, education, industrial and agricultural cooperation in border areas,” he said, adding, “People of Terai are natural bridge for the existing cordial relations between the two countries.” Saran is leaving for New Delhi soon after completing his 19-month-long tenure in Kathmandu. He has been appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs.

THE ICC, WHICH HAS BEEN ENGAGED in the management of the Nepal Bank Limited (NBL) for the past two years, has agreed to cut down the management fee by at least 20 percent for the next one year. The ICC agreed to this proposal following two rounds of tough negotiation. As per the new agreement, the ICC will accept US$ 2.88 million as management fee for the coming year. Earlier, it had received US$ 3.61 million as annual management fee. The earlier agreement period is expiring on mid-July after which the new agreement will take effect. The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) had awarded the management of the NBL on contract to the ICC – in accordance with the financial sector reforms program – with the objective to improve the financial health of the ailing bank.

THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU) HAS WELCOMED the formation of all party government in Nepal. In its recent statement, issued by Danish embassy on its behalf, the EU has urged to bring in the Maoists to the political mainstream through talks. The EU has also expressed hope that the current government will be able to resolve the constitutional crisis in the country. Likewise, it has also expressed optimism over the holding of the elections with wide participation.

THE ORTHODOX TEA PRODUCED IN ILAM –a government declared Tea Zone – are finding difficulties in their exports to India due to complicated quarantine system imposed by the India authorities in Panitanki border area. Entrepreneurs have said that the Indian system of quarantine certification is very time-consuming and tedious. It often takes weeks for tea to get necessary certification. This system has hurt the production of orthodox tea in Ilam, Panchthar, Tehrathum and Dhankuta districts. Hundred percent of the tea produced in these districts are exported to India and from there to the European countries. The Indian custom office in Panitanki sends some sample of the tea to a lab in Kolkata. Only after a report from Kolkata arrives, do they provide the certificates – which takes anything between one week to 22 days by which time the quality of the tea would have deteriorated.

THE MAOISTS HAVE LOOTED THREE TRUCKS of food grains that was being transported to Achham district where people are suffering from food shortage. Claiming that the district is shut down for three days, the Maoists returned the buses and other vehicles heading to the district. However, they took hold of the three trucks carrying the food grains. The food grain belonged to the World Food Program (WFP).

OM HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTER IN Kathmandu has opened the first In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) clinic to help the child-less parents. According to Dr. Bhola Rijal, director of the hospital, presently the hospital is providing the service to 17 couples. “We plan to provide this service at a reasonable price. In India, one has to spend over 400,000 for this service whereas here we are planning to provide it at around Rs 200,000,” said Dr. Rijal.

BHUTAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS HAVE asked the Bhutan government to discontinue talks with Nepal until and unless the latter properly investigates the incident of December, 2003 when Bhutanese officials were manhandled by refugees. The refugees were enraged after the Bhutanese officials spelt out derogatory and extreme conditions for their repatriation. Nepal has already investigated and submitted its report of the incident. Around 40 members of Bhutan National Assembly have said that the incident had hurt the prestige of Bhutan. Some members even speculated that the refugees were hobnobbing with the Maoists. Bhutanese foreign minister Khandu Wangchuk has stated that Nepal’s report of the incident was not acceptable.