News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Heavy Snowfall In Different Hilly Region

The winter rainfall that started from Sunday (January 23) morning has resulted in heavy snowfall in many high hilly regions across the country. In places like Dolakha, Sindhupalchowk, Makwanpur, and many northwestern districts, heavy snowfall has affected the lives of the people. According to Hydrology and Meteorology Department, in the last 24 hours, rainfall was recorded in most parts of the country. There was 28.4 ml rainfall in the valley alone during the period. Snowfall was recorded even in Nagarkot hills – 20 km away from Kathmandu. Hundreds of people especially the youths thronged Nagarkot to enjoy the snowfall. Other high hills surrounding the valley like Phulchowki and Champadevi also witnessed more snowfall on Sunday. Leading dailies report.

Govt. Ready To Uphold Education As Peace Zone: Minister

The government has said that it is ready to uphold the principle of accepting education sector as a peace zone. The government has called back the security forces that had stationed in schools and would now like to see the Maoists, too, stop constructing bunkers in schools and using them as places to store weapons, said Bal Krishna Khand, Minister of State for Education, speaking at a program in Sunsari district. The minister added that the government – in order to uphold the principle – would now refrain from arresting student Maoists belonging to the All Nepal National Free Students Union (Revolutionary) and would soon release those already arrested. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Nepal Telecom To Resume Communication Within A Year

Nepal Telecom has said that it will resume the communication services at places that currently remain without it due to the Maoist actions of destroying telephone towers within a year even if it has to employ expensive technologies. The NT will use “district Satellite” technology to resume communication service to the places where the Maoists have destroyed telephone towers rendering a large chunk of population beyond contact. Still now, the NT has not been able to reconstruct around 16 repeater towers in different districts. Since the possibility of reconstructing towers in those areas is slim, the NT has decided to employ different technology. “We will need at least Rs 300 million to employ the technology of District Satellite,” said an official at the NT. Besides, the NT would also need to pay Rs 20 million as rental charges (for satellites) every year. The new technology would be employed in not only the 16 places but also for the benefit of other places that are yet to have any communication link till now. Even though the new technology is expensive, the NT will, however, charge the customers at present rate only. Nepal Samacharpatra daily reports.

Irregularities In Membership Distribution In NC

There have been charges of gross irregularities in the awarding and renewing active membership in the NC by the faction led by party general secretary Sushil Koirala on the eve of its forthcoming general convention. At present, the party is busy holding conventions at district level. Central member and former deputy prime minister Ram Chandra Poudel has demanded the special meeting of the party central committee to investigate and decide on the ‘current irregularities in the membership distribution.’ He has alleged that the general secretary has sidelined old, honest and active members and instead awarded membership to non-political persons across the country. Poudel is one of the leaders who has stated that he would contest the post of party president in the upcoming convention. Sushil Koirala and Shailaja Acharya are the two other candidates for the post. However, current party president Girija Prasad Koirala has not rejected possibilities to run for the post again. Leading dailies report.

Chaturbedi Sent To Jail On Corruption Charges

The Special Court has sentenced Ramagya Chaturbedi, former chairman of Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNA), to two years of jail and Rs 30 million as penalty after convicting him of gross irregularities and corruption when he headed government corporations like RNAC, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), National Construction Company of Nepal (NCCN) among others, in the past. The Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had charge-sheeted him of corruption and that he had amassed properties worth over Rs 70 million. The Special Court stated that Chaturbedi was unable to justice the source of his income. Chaturbedi is said to have stayed away from the court fearing arrest. Leading dailies report.

NRN Set Up Fund Of US$ 100 Million

The Non Resident Nepalis (NRN) have announced that they will set up a fund of US$ 100 million in order to promote the market of Nepalese products and increase investment. The earnings of the NRN living worldwide will be channeled through the fund to be used for the benefit of investment in Nepal. The Doha conference of the NRN held in Qatar made this announcement. It has also proposed the preliminary structure of the capital fund, which will now be discussed by the NRNs across the world. Canada-based Dr. Aditya Jha had prepared the structure in which the operators of the fund include government representative and investors representing Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), NRN and other foreign investors. President of NRN International Coordination Council Dr. Upendra Mahato demanded the formation of legal framework on the part of the government to attract the NRN investment. Kantipur daily reports.

Ilam Toll: 23 Security Personnel Killed

The number of security personnel killed in the clash with the Maoists in Malate near Puwakhola of Ilam district in Mechi highway has reached 23. Four security personnel are still missing while 40 others previously missing have come into contact. Among the dead include second lieutenant Upendra Ranabhat. A team of 72 security personnel including 20 police personnel had gone to the area in order to clear the obstruction put by the Maoists in that section of the highway. A large number of Maoists launched a surprise attack from surrounding high hills to the team as they were on their way back after clearing the obstruction. Reports say that the Maoists exploded three powerful mines before launching the attack. Witnesses said that Maoists killed some of the injured security personnel by hitting with sharp weapons. Security sources have said that the Maoists, too, sustained heavy casualties. However, only six of their bodies could be recovered so far. Kantipur daily reports.

Nepal, India Reach Initial Agreement On Extradition Treaty

The Home Secretaries of Nepal and India signed the ‘initial agreement’ on the updating of the Extradition Treaty and Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) in New Delhi on Thursday (January 20). The updated treaty and MLA will come into force after the Home Ministers of the two countries sign it. “The updated treaty and MLA has provisions to help investigators reach the suspects and smoothen the court proceedings. However, this will depend on individual case and the request made by one of the countries,” said Chandi Prasad Shrestha, Home Secretary, told the reporters after returning to the capital. “But this provision does not mean that Indian police can do anything inside Nepal,” added another Nepalese official. The treaty and the MLA are aimed at checking the growing nexus between left wing extremists in both countries, combating terrorism and other cross border criminal activities. As per the revises treaty, its provisions will be applicable to the criminals whose offense demands more than a year of imprisonment. “This will be a major step in our bilateral relations,” Indian Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh told the reporters in New Delhi. Meanwhile, the two countries have agreed to set up Integrated Check Post in Nepalgunj-Rupediya border point and to step up cooperation in the field of training. Leading dailies report.

Police Raid Hashish Processing Factory

The anti-narcotics wing of the Nepal Police has raided a house that was being used as a hashish processing factory. In the raid at the house in Gwarko, Lalitpur, the police recovered modern machines being used for the purpose along with 48 kgs of hashish being stored. The raid came in the wake of the arrest of one drug dealer Bhoj Bahadur Ale Magar along with 19 kgs of hashish. Magar is said to be working under the person who ran the factory. The police are on the look out of the person. Leading dailies report.

Amnesty Concerned Over Rising Extrajudicial Killings

The Amnesty International-Nepal has stated that over 2000 people have been killed illegally since the breakdown of last ceasefire one and a half year ago. In a report made public on Thursday, it has said that although the incidents of disappearances have come down, it is concerned with the increase in extrajudicial killing. It has urged both the government and the Maoists to observe their human rights commitment in order to stop such killing. “Maoists have not followed the Geneva convention despite the commitment from their leaders,” said Pradeep Pokharel, president of AI-Nepal, adding, “Impunity is the cause of extrajudicial killing.” The report states that AI-Nepal has submitted 125 cases of extrajudicial killing to the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) for its response. Leading dailies report.

Entrepreneurs Shocked With The High Cost

The Indian Railways has directed that it would now stop the operation of cargo delivery up to Raxaul border point and instead operate it to link the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Birgunj directly. This decision is going to affect the import activities. Until now only the import from third countries were being transported to ICD since it started operation in July. Meanwhile, importers have expressed serious concern over the high rate of cargo delivery up to ICD and have urged the Indian railways to continue service to Raxaul as well. The importers had expected the cost of delivery to come down by as much as 40 percent after the operationalization of ICD. “But it shocked us after looking at the cost of cargo delivery up to ICD,” said Ashok Baid, an importer. According to Birendra Shanghei, vice president of the Birgunj Chamber of Industry and Commerce, whereas the cost of delivery from Madhya Pradesh (in India) to Raxaul is Rs 240 per metric ton, it costs Rs 480 for delivery to Birgunj ICD. Kantipur daily reports.

Bhotekosi Demands Rs 250 Million

The Bhotekosi Power Company (BPC), which claims that Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), owes it US$ 3.6 million, has threatened that it would 'take the money' through bank guarantee (LC) anytime. The latest development comes at a time when the government was trying to settle the payment dispute through mutual negotiations. BPC is a 'take or pay' agreement. NEA contends that it is not liable to pay the amount in excess of agreement. US-based Panda Energy has investment in the project. BPC's managing director Sandip Shah has written a letter dated January 17 asking the NEA to pay the outstanding amount or else it would do so through the bank guarantee. Kantipur daily reports.