Briefs (Spotlight Weekly)

CALLING FOR THE PROTECTION OF FARMERS’ RIGHTS and food security, an international march of farmers will arrive in Kathmandu on September 25. The march had begun on September 1 in Malaysia and will end amid a huge rally in Kathmandu on September 30. The march aims to raise voices for food security, farmers’ access to land and to make the World Trade Organization (WTO) respect and protect farmers’ rights. Likewise, it also aims to raise awareness in order to curb the negative impacts of agricultural pesticides and genetic engineering.

THE TOTAL PHYSICAL ASSET OF THE RNAC is worth around Rs 4.5 billion. This estimate was made by a team of experts from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The amount, however, does include the goodwill of the RNAC plus the monetary worth of its traffic rights with many countries – which will also be calculated soon. The government had appointed the ICAO team to assess the net worth of the national flag carrier in a bid to turn it into a company. The ICAO took 2.5 months to come up with this estimates. Earlier, officials had estimated the total worth of RNAC to be around Rs 8 billion.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS FORMED A COMMITTEE headed by former chief secretary Dr. Ishwor Prasad Upadhyaya to recommend about the ways to increase salaries and perks to the civil servants. The committee has been asked to study the market prices, inflation and recommend proper salary level.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPROVED THE PROPOSAL to provide reservations to women, Dalit and indigenous people in their entry into civil service for the next five years. The new proposal is based on the Governance Reforms Program (GRP). But the percentage of such reservation has not been made clear. Earlier, the General Administration Ministry had proposed 20 percent, 10 percent and 10 percent each reservations for women, Dalit and indigenous people respectively. A minister said that since the cabinet was of the view that it would be wrong to determine percentage in haste, they left it to be decided later on. In the new policy approved by the cabinet, the government has also decided to give 11 day holiday to male staffs during the birth of his child. Earlier, only women staffs were given 2 months leave after delivery. In order to encourage women to enter the civil service, the government also plans to set up child care centers. Likewise, it has also made some changes in rules regarding the promotion of bureaucrats. The policy was changed as per the GRP, which the government is implementing with the financial support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

THE NHRC HAS STRONGLY DEPLORED THE GOVERNMENT and the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) for unchecked rise in human rights abuses. It appealed to the government to come clean regarding the situation of those said to have been ‘disappeared’. It has warned that it could ask for the help from the international community if the Nepal government did not pay heed to its appeals. The NHRC also came down hard against the Maoists. It said the recent claim made by Maoist chairman Prachanda that they have not compelled any teacher or student to attend their program as ‘laughable.’ It has condemned the Maoists activities including killings of individuals, looting, abduction, illegal executions and use of children in conflict.

THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB) has approved a US$ 40 million loan to help reduce poverty and develop rural infrastructures in poor and remote conflict-affected areas. The project will cover 18 districts, including 14 districts in the western, mid-western and far-western regions, which are among the poorest and most affected, said the ADB statement. The project, due to be completed in August 2011, aims to improve the rural transport infrastructures consisting of roads, trails and bridges. The bank hopes to restore incomes and livelihood of the poor by carrying out a social mobilization program in each district through local NGOs.

THE NEPAL OIL CORPORATION (NOC) has given the responsibility of selling a fixed quantity of kerosene at a subsidized rate to the Salt Trading Corporation (STC). The NOC and STC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to this effect on Saturday. According to regulations, STC will appoint retailers to sell kerosene at the subsidized rate and will take full responsibility for the quality and quantity of kerosene sold by the retailers at the subsidized rate.

THE MINISTRY OF GENERAL ADMINISTRATION has refused to accept the proposals to transfer a number of government officials from various ministries. Sources said that ministries headed by UML leaders have asked for permission to transfer officials. The Finance Ministry has asked to transfer 22; the Local Development Ministry has asked to transfer 35 and Labor Ministry has asked to transfer 15 officials. But the General Administration Minister Krishna Lal Thakali refused to accept the proposals saying that such rampant transfers would lower the morale of bureaucracy and was against the existing laws. Officials cannot be transferred without the prior approval from the General Administration Ministry.