TWO POWER PROKECT LICENSES SCRAPPED Kathmandu, 13 Feb.; The Ministry of Energy has scraped license of two hydropower projects of Myagdi district, RSS eports from Myagdi. The Ministry scraped the licenses of the Upper Myagdi Hydropower Project (61.2 MW capacity) and Myagdikhola Hydropower Project (32 MW capacity) after the projects did not carry out any works receiving license, according to the Electricity Development Department. Senior Engineer and Information Officer at the Department, Gokarnaraj Panta, said that the licenses were scrapped after the projects did not renew the licenses and they failed to create the documents demanded by the Department. Panta said that the Ministry has scraped licenses of six hydropower projects including the two hydropower projects of Myagdi district within a week. With this, the new investors get chances for investment on the hydropower projects, claimed the Ministry. According to Local Development Officer, Bishnu Prasad Sharma, hydropower declaration letter has been issued with the commitment not to obstruct on hydropower projects as the Myagdi district alone has possibilities of generating 1000 MW electricity. Nnnn RS.3.48 BILLION WB LOAN Kathmandu, 13 Feb.: The World Bank (WB) has provided loan assistance and grant assistance of Rs. 3.48 billion to the Government of Nepal for the implementation of the Project for Agriculture Commercialization and Trade, RSS reports. At a programme organised at the Ministry of Finance today, Secretary at the Ministry, Shantaraj Subedi, and Country Director for Nepal of the WB, Tahseen Sayed, signed the agreement. A total of Rs. 1.91 billion will be loan assistance and Rs. 1.56 billion will be the grant assistance. According to the Ministry, the amount will be spent to make smallholder farmers competitive in markets. The objective of the project is to help farmers' groups and cooperatives engage in profitable market oriented production and improve access to markets, create and strengthen industry-wise partnerships along the value chain and reducing existing obstacles to agriculture and food trade. On the occasion, Secretary Subedi said that the support received from WB would help build capacity of farmers by making improvement in the agro-sector. nnnn