THE VISITING DIRECTOR OF ASIA PACIFIC FORUM K. Fitzpatrick has advised the human rights organizations to have ‘critical involvement’ with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). At a time when there is a debate among human rights organizations whether to support or not the NHRC, Fitzpatrick, at an interaction with rights organizations in Kathmandu , advised them to take a middle path while keeping close eyes on its activities. He also advised them to closely monitor whether the NHRC investigates incidents of rights abuses; whether it makes field trips; how it conducts the probe; and how it builds its relations with the civil society.
SUPREME COURT (SC) ON July 19, issued an interim order asking the Nepal Telecom (NT) not to go ahead with its plan of operating CDMA-based wireless telephone service. The order was issued in response to writ petition that the NT was planning to operate the service without obtaining license from Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA). Telecom has claimed that since it had been providing basic telephone service for decades, it did not need to seek new license to provide similar service. “Since telecom has already obtained license to operate basic telephone service, it does not need to seek new license to operate similar service based on wireless technology,” said advocate Bharat Raj Upreti, who pleaded on behalf of the NT. The NTA, too, has said that the Telecom Policy allows NT to operate such service. NT officials have said that they will have to bear huge losses if they are not allowed to operate the service, for which they have already completed preparations. It has already invested around Rs 2 billion in the new technology. NT hoped to serve around 366,000 customers who are currently in queue seeking NT’s service.
A NOTORIOUS POACHER WHO WAS INVOLVED in killing rhino and selling its horns in international market has been nabbed. The officials of the Royal Chitawan National Park , Pemba Sherpa, a resident of Sitapaila, Kathmandu , was arrested a few weeks ago. He was found to be in possession of one horn, vehicle and Rs 446,000 cash. Kamal Jung Kunwar, assistant conservation officer at the RCNP, said that one-month-long investigation revealed that Sherpa was one of the chief poacher involved in exporting rhino horns to international market. He had been arrested from the buffer zone following tip-off from local informer. The park officials expressed hope that with the arrest of the leader of the poachers, the incident of rhino killing will come down in the days to come. Sherpa conceded his crime before the reporters. “I have sold around 20 horns to Tibetan traders till now. Each horn fetched around Rs 3 to 4 lakhs,” he said.
INFORMATION MINISTER and government spokesperson Tanka Dhakal has informed the formation of high level committee to suggest ways to resolve the problems of landless squatters and free Kamaiyas. “The committee will undertake a study and suggest concrete ways to resolve the problems related to landless squatters and free Kamaiyas,” Dhakal said. Likewise, the government has also formed a high level committee to study and suggest ways to overcome the problems witnessed in the smooth management of supplies in Kathmandu and other parts of the country.
COUNTERING THE WIDESPREAD allegations that the country was pushed to verge of financial ruin during the 12 years of democracy, former ministers, planners and experts have compiled statistics that show the remarkable progress the country made in various sectors during the period. According to the data, the county made progress in education, health, infrastructure, media and sundry other sectors. The number of schools increased from over 25,000 to over 37,000 between 1990 and 2002. Likewise, the average life span of a Nepalese citizen increased from 53.5 to 61.9 years between 1990 and 2002. The poverty reduced from 42 percent to 31 percent. The length of road increased from around 7000 km to over 17,000 km. Total installed power soared from 227 MW to 585 MW. Telephone lines increased phenomenally from 45,000 to over 300,000. These information were made available at a program organized by Nepal Intellectuals Society. Former finance minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, economists Dr. Minendra Rijal, Dilli Khanal and Dr. Bishwambher Pyakuryal, among others, took part in the discussion.
THE GOVERNMENT COULD COLLECT only Rs 69.87 billion as revenue in the fiscal year 2004/05. This is Rs 4 billion less than the original target. This also shows that revenue collection could increase by 12.1 percent. The revenue collection could not pick up as desired due to slackening foreign trade and impact of insecurity. Of the total revenue, Rs 54.05 billion were raised from tax revenue and Rs 15.82 billion were raised from non-tax revenue.
