Kathmandu,February11, 2006 After protracted haggling over the “negligible” salary structure of Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation pilots, the corporation has agreed to hike perks and allowances of pilots flying in the domestic sector. The RNAC board reportedly endorsed the pilots’ salary and perks review committee’s recommendations on pilots’ pay scale. Its decision is likely to be effected soon. The RNAC board recently endorsed the committee’s report on the domestic pilots’ salary and perks, an RNAC source told this daily. The six-member committee headed by Krishna Bahadur Poudel, deputy general manager at RNAC, recently submitted the report to the RNAC authorities. However, Mohan Khanal, managing director of RNAC, said the board was positive about the committee’s recommendations which is expected to be finalised soon. “Once the board gives the green signal on paper, the pilots’ hike will immediately come into effect,” he said. The RNAC management will raise the pilots perks, based on their “flying hours”. The hike has everything to do with pilots’ productivity, since the more they fly the more benefits they will enjoy, said Khanal. Pilots’ meal allowance will also see a hike, amongst others. However, the RNAC is yet to decide on the hike in actual figures. There are currently 12 RNAC pilots operating in the domestic sector. Three pilots fly in both the domestic and international sectors. Meanwhile, the corporation has reportedly hired one more pilot in the domestic sector. ‘Abductions discourage industry’ Kathmandu,February11,2006 Human rights activists and representatives from business\\organisations surged for the immediate and unconditional release of the three employees of Surya Tobacco Company (STC), who were abducted by the trade union wing of the Maoists nine days ago. Pravakar Bikram Shah, production manager, Survajit Rana, factory engineer and Dambar Mani Limbu, commercial manager at STC were abducted by the Maoists from Nitanpur of Baraon February 3. Speaking at a programme in the capital today, human rights activists urged the Maoists to comply with the international human rights laws, while representatives from the business organisation urged the Maoists not to discourage business activities with such abductions. “The demands of the trade union wing of the Maoists (published recently are beyond the reach of a company and the practice of pressuring the government by abducting people who are not involved in the war is a condemnable act,” said Sindhu Nath Pyakurel, an advisor of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Chandi Raj Dhakal, president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), said that politics and industrial activities should not be mixed together.