Strike affects life

Biratnagar: Life remained paralysed here due to one-day-long Mechi-Koshi traffic strike called by the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal Trade Union Workers’ Union, on Saturday. The strike was called to press the five-point demands, including the release of arrested Maoist party cadres. No passenger buses plied here on Saturday. Owing to the strike, eastern regional markers —Birtamod, Dharan, Damak, Itahari, Biratnagar, among others — were partially affected. — HNS

‘Forces kill one’

NAWALPARASI: Security forces shot dead a Kumal youth at Kokhetar of Arkhala VDC-9 on Thursday, locals said, adding that the forces had buried the body on the same day. The unarmed youth, a resident of Singawa village of Bulingtar VDC-1, was shot on his head. The entire village was terrorised for two days following the incident, locals said. Villagers of Bulingtar have dug out the body and performed last rites. The incident site lies 40 km north of Kawasoti, along the Mahendra Highway. District-based security sources have not confirmed the incident. — HNS

Blockade called off

Mahottari: Clearing the obstructions on the jungle areas of Mahottari-Sarlahi road section of the Mahendra Highway, Maoists called off the blockade on Saturday. Maoists had obstructed the road section, calling blockade in Mahottari-based four security camps since Friday against the killing of two Maoists. Meanwhile, Maoists condemned the injuring of six civilians in a landmine blast on Friday. The locals and Maoist cadres cleared the obstructions of the road section, passengers said. —HNS

Maoists kill one

KATHMANDU: The Maoists on Saturday shot dead Ved Bahadur Lama of Dhalkebar, Dhanusha District, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday. According to the ministry, the Maoists had shot dead Shankar Mallaha of Rupauliya Bazaar, Nawalparasi District, on Friday. Four our people were injured when the Maoists detonated a socket bomb at the Kalaiya area of Bara on Friday, the Ministry of Defence further said. — RSS

Shopkeeper shot at

BARA: Bhikhari Shah Kanu, a shopkeeper of Khotuwa-4, Bara, was hurt when three people shot at him when he was headed for his retail shop in Parsauni Chowk on Friday, locals said. Kanu, who sustained bullet wounds on his thigh, was taken to Birgunj for treatment. — HNS

‘No to meddling’

BHAKTAPUR: Foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nepal would not be tolerated, president of the Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party (NWPP), Narayan Man Bijukchhe, has said. The seven political parties should not carry out their activities at the beckoning of the foreigners, he said, releasing a book titled Divya Dristi on Saturday. Culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi, president of the Newa De Dabu Malla K Sundar, and editor of the book Kumar Ranjit dwelt on the book. Penned by Divya Ratna Hada, the book comprises 45 essays on different topics. — RSS

Health camp held

BAJURA: A weeklong free specialist health camp is underway at District Hospital, Bajura, from March 8 with the assistance of INF Institute, Pokhara. A team of 20 Ear-Nose-Throat (ENT) specialists, some of them foreigners, is involved in providing services to the people. Some 1,814 persons underwent health check-up, and six patients underwent operation of their ears on the first day of the camp. Attempts are underway for holding a specialists’ health camp for the treatment of diseases of women in the district immediately after the conclusion of the camp, chief district officer Dullu Ram Basnet said. — RSS

Damages being paid

LAMJUNG: Mid-Marsyandi Hydroelectricity Project has begun providing compensation to the locals, whose houses have been affected due to different factors in course of the construction of the project. Some 516 houses in different village development committees located at the vicinity of the project site have been found damaged due to blasts and other construction works, according to administrative officer Lok Prasad Nepal. A total of Rs 1.391 million will be provided as compensation to the locals, he said. The construction works have mainly affected houses in ward numbers 3, 5, 8 and 9 of Bhote Odar village development committee. — RSS

Scholarships given

DAMAULI: Some 300 students of Primary, Lower Secondary, High and Higher secondary Schools of Tanahu district were given scholarships at a programme organised here on Friday by the Village Service Fund Tanahu. On the occasion, senior citizens Kesh Kumari Shresha (94), Rudra Bahadur Newar (84) and Sharmila Kafle, one of the top scorers in school leaving certificate examinations from Minma Bithpu, were given cash prize and felicitated. — RSS

Graft control seminar

DAMAULI: A western regional level Seminar on Awareness on Corruption Eradication, jointly organised by the Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industry, Kathmandu, (FNCSI Kathmandu), and the Federation of Cottage and Small Industry Tanahu concluded on Friday. — RSS

STD service disrupted

JALESHWOR: Thousands of people of Mahottari district have been affected after telephone service was disrupted for three days. The local service of the telephone numbers ranging 20,000 to 20,300 were opened on Friday whereas STD and ISD services have been totally blocked. The locals said they have to go to Dhanusa and India for making phone calls. — RSS