Minister's denial

PARSA: Assistant Minister for Physical Planning and Works Kalawati Paswan refuted the charges of misbehaving with Bara Acting Local Development Officer Shyam Sundar Mishra. Organising a press meet in Birgunj on Monday, Paswan said, "I have not misbehaved with him". Instead, "Mishra and engineer Meghu Jayasawal misbehaved with me when I tried to protest their plan of deducting the dues of Rs. 220 million to be cleared by the DDC contractors,"she said. Paswan also claimed that after the incident, she including the Bara district chairman of Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) have been receiving repeated death threats through their cell phone.

Marijuana haul

LAHAN: Police seized 40 kilogram of marijuana in Siraha district last night. A patrolling team of police led by Armed Police Inspector Rajesh Kharel raided the house of Jokhin Tatma at Kalyanpur VDC-9 at around 9 pm and impounded the illegal drug. The marijuana was buried in a sack inside sand, police said, adding that the persons accused of hiding the cannabis. Police said the marijuana is worth Rs. 100,000 in Indian markets.

Eye treatment camps

NEPALGUNJ: In a bid to control blindness, one of the five major disabilities, eye camps are going to be organised in all VDCs of Banke. Nepal Eye Association and Phattebal Eye Hospital will run the camps. At the camps, cataract patients will get discount on operation. A fund collection campaign has been launched in the district to make cataract operation free of cost. During the first phase around 1,000 eye patients will be treated, said Association secretary Ratan Kumar Tandan. According to a survey, 1,700 people cannot see from their both eyes and 3,670 cannot see from their one eye in Banke. — RSS

Potent waterfall

DANG: A beautiful waterfall in Dang district has remained in shadow due to lack of promotion. With its origin in a jungle, the 45-metre Purandhara waterfall, 12 km south of Hapur, falls in the Babai River. Locals said the waterfall that used to receive Indian tourists is awaiting conservation and promotion. "Near the waterfall lie a Shiva temple and natural caves," said Dhan Bahadur Budhathoki, a local. "But all these do not count much as it is hard to see visitors coming to see the waterfall." Though Dang Tourism Development Committee had conducted a field study for the promotion and conservation of the waterfall some months ago. "Now we are preparing a master plan," said Nidyananda Sharma, committee advisor.