Poll plans

KATHMANDU: Minister for Forest and Land Conservation Salim Miya Ansari has said the government is committed to holding parliamentary elections within 2063 BS as per the intentions of the King to consolidate democratic process through elections and restore peace in the country. Speaking at a programme organised here on Saturday by the Nepal Journalists’ Association, Minister Ansari said that the present government was successful in conducing the civic elections in a free and fair manner. Mentioning that he has initiated works on extricating corruption and maintaining good-governance from his ministry, the forest minister said the media should help make the attempt a success. — RSS

No-strike call

KATHMANDU: Independent National Democratic Trade Union Federation organised a condolence meeting in the capital on Saturday in memory of transport workers killed in course of Nepal Bandh (general strike) called by different parties and organisations on different dates during the last 16 years. At the programme, Assistant Minister for Labour and Transport Management Ravindra Khanal and others paid tributes to the workers killed in course of bandh programmes. Shedding light on adverse impacts caused by blockade, Nepal Bandh and other protest programmes of the sort on the daily life of hundreds of workers, Khanal called on the concerned sides not to call for such programmes in future. — RSS

Talk on conflict

LALITPUR: Minister for Land Reforms and Management Narayan Singh Pun has said conflict has been flaring up in the country because of lack of equal distribution of land and its effective management. Inaugurating an interaction on ‘’land administration and management reform’’, Minister Pun said conflict starts due to the lack of proportionate distribution of opportunities in political, social and economic sectors and added that the establishment of sustainable peace will not be possible unless the programmes to uplift the landless and the impoverished people are implemented effectively. Assistant Minister Yagya Bahadur Budhathoki said development will not take place unless the landless and the impoverished people are brought to the mainstream of development.— RSS