CUF floated KATHMANDU: Non-government organizations working for consumer rights united on Thursday as Consumer Unity Forum (CUF) to fight for consumers’ rights. CUF has formed a 13-member ad hoc committee led by Shambhu Prasad Kadariya. Kamal Kanta Poudel is vice-president; Madhav Timilsina, general secretary; Saraswati Maharjan, secretary; Bikash Kharel, treasurer and Navaraj Pandey, Sushma Timilsina, Binod Sadaul, Nagendra raj Sharma, Ramesh Dhamala, Rajan Gautam, Navaraj Thapa and Ganesh Simkhada are members. The ad hoc committee will work to bring all organizations under an umbrella. — HNS

Bank transactions hit PARASI: Bank transaction are badly affected after employees of Nirdhan Utthan Bank Limited launched phase-wise agitation. They are on strike to protest threats of murder and donation terror by various armed and non-armed groups and demanding security for the bank employees. Many service recipients of the bank have been hit due to the strike. About a month ago, miscreants shot and injured Ramrakh Yadav, an employee of the bank’s Beltari branch in Nawalparasi, before looting money from him. Another staff Shiva Sharma was shot dead in the district last year. — RSS

NT goes hi-tech BAGLUNG: Nepal Telecom (NT) will distribute telephone lines based on NGN technology next month in Mustang. The telephones based on the modern technology will be distributed as a pilot project for now. NT’s regional chief Surendra Narayan Malakar said the technology is new to Nepal and foreign technicians are scheduled to arrive here to fit the telephone lines within a week. Telephone users can use high speed internet through telephones under NGN technology. Currently, telephone service in Jomsom is based on C-dot technology. NT will distribute 500 lines based on NGN technology. It has also installed telephones under NTSAT technology in villages around Jomsom in Mustang and two villages in upper Myagdi. Malakar said telephones of NTSAT technology will also be installed in Pharma, Altang, Khani, Kagakot and Lajang VDCs of Dolpa two weeks later. — RSS

Economic diplomacy KATHMANDU: A promotional programme was organized here recently with the objective of mobilizing the various diplomatic missions under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the promotion of economic diplomacy. The economic diplomacy promotional programme was organized by the Consulate Generals as per the Government of Nepal’s policy of expanding the economic diplomacy by making it an integral part of Nepal’s foreign policy. The objective of the programme is to attract the tourists from China and third countries to Nepal. — RSS