Convention put off

KATHMANDU: Nepal Janata Party postponed its national general convention scheduled for February 3 until the next decision. Issuing a press release on Monday, the party said the present political impasse has been the cause of the postponement.

Amendment sought

MAHENDRANAGAR: It has been demanded to amend the Bill on Far-Western University 2066 tabled by the government in the parliament recently. The far-western university establishment committee formed in Kanchanpur has objected to the suggestions given by the government-constituted task force. The committee claimed that the suggestions have failed to address the far-western people. The committee called for the four-point amendment to the Bill including keeping other campuses in the region under the University and a total government investment in it. Committee secretary Nityananda Pandey said the government ignored the University by not providing facilities similar to facilities given to the mid-western and Chitwan agricultural universities.

Power generation

DADELDHURA: Locals of a Janajati settlement of Dadeldhura district have lit up their home generating electricity on their own effort. Twenty families of Asurani in Sirsha VDC have been enjoying 24-hour power supply following the generation of two kilowatt electricity. We raised money for the construction of the small hydropower project from among the locals, said Lal Bahadur Thapa, a member of consumer committee. "We repeatedly demanded electricity from the Nepal Electricity Authority, but to no avail. Therefore, we ourselves illuminated the village," said Dambar Budha, a local.

New leprosy cases

LAHAN: After the government announced the elimination of leprosy, new patients suffering from the disease has been found in Siraha. Fifteen new leprosy patients have been found in Hanumannagar, Kuruba, Kalyanpur and Madav VDCs recently, according to a study conducted by Nepal Leprosy Sangati, Lahan. Programme coordinator Kumar BC said 108 leprosy are under medication, adding that 57 among them are suffering from communicable leprosy and the remaining 51 from non-communicable. The government on Jan. 19 declared the elimination of leprosy, once a major public health problem in the country.