Kathmandu, February 13:

The first board meeting of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) following the election of the people’s representatives in the local body decided today to begin process for running a 24-hour city bus service throughout the metropolis.

The meeting was called by the newly elected mayor Raja Ram Shrestha after he took charge of the office today. According to Shrestha, the board also decided to provide free shuttle to journalists showing the press pass issued by the Department of Information and KMC staffers.

Besides, the board meeting also decided to appeal to the civil society, political parties and organisations to help the mayor in his campaign to increase the income and the life-span of the residents of the country’s only metropolitan city.

Earlier, Shrestha was sworn in by Kathmandu District Court judge Om Prakash Mishra. Shrestha, in turn, swore in other representatives.

Addressing a KMC function today, Shrestha said one needed moral confidence to go to the people, adding, he was ready to participate in polls conducted under any government. “I will even participate in the polls conducted by a government under the Maoists,” he added.

Stating that parliamentary elections would be conducted within 2063

BS, Home Minister Kamal Thapa appealed to the Maoists and the political parties to join the mainstream politics.