7 MEMBERS OF FAMILY SICK AFTER EATING WILD MUSHROOMS IN CAPITAL Kathmandu, 11 July: Seven members of a family in the capital sick and have been hospitalized after eating wild mushrooms collected from a jungle near Bambhyanmg, Prathiva Banskota writes in Kantipur. Two among them are serious. FOUR COMPANIES AWARDED CONTRACTS FOR OIL EXPLORATION Kathmandu, 11 July: The government has awarded three petroleum exploration blocks to the USA-based BBB Champion Company and the Dubai-based Emirates Associated Business Group (EABG), Ashok Thapa writes in The Kathmandu Post.. The Department of Mines and Geology (DoMG) on July 5 handed over Block 10 (Biratnagar) to BBB, while the EABG was given Blocks 8 (Janakpur) and 9 (Rajbiraj). The government has already given seven blocks to the Houston-based Texana Resources Company (two blocks) and a Scottish oil and gas company, Cairn Energy (five blocks). “After studying their documents, we found these companies capable of performing the job and signed a formal agreement with them,” said Sarbajit Mahato, the director general of the DoMG. The department had invited bids for petroleum exploration in these three blocks in January. Responding to the department’s call, three companies—BBC, EABG and Hitech Capital of China—had submitted their proposals in March. The department, however, did not qualify the Chinese firm. “We found the company weak, both financially and technically,” said Mahato. DoMG officials said they signed the agreement with the two companies after a Cabinet approval. The Cabinet had approved the decision around one-and-a-half months ago. The department has asked the two companies to submit their detailed work plan within two months. “If their work plan is convincing, we will give them a go ahead to begin the exploration work,” Mahato said. Both the companies will have four years to complete the exploration work. The department, however, can extend the term for four more years in two installments if they fail to meet the deadline. “For the extension of the term, their work must be satisfactory,” the officials said. With the handing over of the three blocks, all the 10 blocks have been handed over to foreign companies for exploration. The Tarai and the Siwalik hills have been divided into 10 “exploration blocks” of 5,000 sqkm each. Texana Resources Company won the bid for Blocks 3 (Banke) and 5 (Chitwan) and entered into an agreement with the government in December 1998. Six years later, Cairn received a licence to explore five other blocks-Block 1 (Dhangadhi), Block 2 (Karnali), Block 4 (Lumbini), Block 6 (Birgunj) and Block 7 (Malangawa). Nnnn WOMAN DIG SLAPS CONSTABLE IN PUBLIC AT TIA Kathmandu, 11 July: Chief of Mid-Western Regional Police DIG Parbati Thapa Magar on Tuesday slapped a police constable at the domestic terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), Ankit Adhikari writes in The Kathmanu Post. Constable Bina Darai was slapped three times on her cheeks because she failed to recognise the DIG in civvies and searched her person as an ordinary individual. The incident occurred at around 8:45am while DIG Thapa Magar was about to board a Buddha Air plane to Nepalgunj, where her office is stationed. A high-level police official at the TIA, requesting anonymity, said Darai was told to report in writing to her seniors about the “misconduct” DIG Thapa meted out to her. According to the official, the report will be forwarded to the Nepal Police headquarters in a couple of days. “I didn’t search her body out of disrespect. I failed to recognise her since I am new in the service,” the official quoted Darai as saying. According to him, DIG Thapa Magar charged straight on the constable’s face after she started searching the former’s body. DIG Thapa Magar, however, was not available for comments. She is one of the two female police officials to have ever reached the position. Bimala Thapa holds the other post. Thapa Magar joined the police as sub-inspector in 1983. She became a DIG in November 2008. nnnn