New Indian envoy

New Delhi: The Indian Foreign Ministry today issued a press release announcing Rakesh Sood’s appointment as Indian envoy to Nepal. Sood, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1976, is currently the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan. Foreign ministry sources said it will take Sood at least a month to take up his new posting. — HNS

Siraha bazaar shut

SIRAHA: Protesters on Thursday shut district headquarters Siraha bazaar demanding that two persons held on the charge of their involvement in a vandalism in the Siraha Hospital two weeks ago be freed. Police had held Bijay Yadav and Arjun Yadav of Siraha-2 recently on the charge of vandalising the hospital and mistreating health workers. — HNS

Goods looted

BARA: An armed gang looted goods worth Rs 1.5 crore from Shree Pashupatinath Industries at Jeetpur-6 of Bara district on Thursday. The looters took away the goods in a truck at around 4 am, the Bara District Police Office said. — HNS

Bill registered

Kathmandu: The chief whips of the three major parties — Nepali Congress, UML and the Maoist — on Thursday jointly registered a proposal to amend the interim constitution amendment bill at the parliament secretariat. The parties have sought amendment on Article 61 in bill proposing that the appointment of parliamentary secretaries — to be appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Speaker — should also be stated in the interim constitution. The government in its amendment proposal had added a clause in the Article 61 proposing the appointment of General-Secretary to be mentioned in the interim constitution. — HNS

32 lecturers resign

CHARIKOT: 32 lecturers of the Charikot Multiple Campus, Dolakha, tendered their resignation on Thursday. They demanded salaries equalling those of third grade secondary school staff. They were paid Rs 9,000 per month but now have asked for Rs 11,500. They have sought an audit and transparency in the book-keeping. Assistant principal Pushkar Nath Pokhrel said the lecturers took this step as the administration was not paying heed to their complaints. The teachers had stalled teaching activities for three days to press their demands. Campus chief Balkrishna Joshi called the teachers for talks but they quit instead. Meanwhile, ANNISU-R and Nepal Student Union cadres kept campus chief Joshi and reader Shankar Lal Shrestha captive for two hours to press their demands. — HNS