Local elections after January-end: EC

JHAPA: Election Commissioner Ayodhi Prasad Yadav on Monday ruled out the possibility of holding local bodies’ election until the end of January next year. Speaking to mediapersons at a press meet in Birtamode, Jhapa, Yadav said that the Election Commission could not hold local polls as there was no law governing such an election at present. “We are ready to hold the polls, but it is impossible to hold it simultaneously across the country like it was done with the CA polls,” said Yadav. “It is not a good idea to hold election in all the areas of the himalayan, hilly and Tarai regions simultaneously,” said Yadav. The Election Commission will intensify initiatives to hold election for local bodies soon after the government introduces the election code, he said.

Road obstructed

KHOTANG: Vehicular movement on the Diktel-Batal road in the mid-hills has been halted due to incessant heavy rainfall in Khotang. “As there are innumerable potholes and the road is too muddy, the stretch from Diktel to Batal has been disrupted,” said Transport Entrepreneurs’ Association Chairman Ganesh Bikram Shahi. Batal is a two-hour walk from Diktel. Hundreds of people and vehicles have been stranded due to disruption of vehicular movement and this will continue until the road stretch is black-topped, said entrepreneurs.

Rape-accused held

RAUTAHAT: A person was arrested for raping a girl from Garuda Bazaar of Garuda Municipality in Rautahat on Monday. The accused rapist has been identified as Santosh Sah of Debahi VDC. Sah had raped a sixteen-year-old girl on May 11 at night when there was no one at her house, said police. The neighbours had tried to take the accused under control, but he was able to escape from the scene after the incident.