ONCE-OVER

74 abductees set free

Taplejung: Maoists on Friday set free 70 students and four teachers, who were abducted from different places of Taplejung on Wednesday. The Maoists had taken the abducteees to Guphapokhari of the Sangkhuwasabha, where they announced the release of policemen,who were abducted from the Area Police, Pashupatinagar, last month. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of four government officials, who were abducted on Thursday, is still unknown. — HNS

Cop commits suicide

NEPALGUNJ: A police constable of Rukum District Police Office, Chakra Bahadur Thapa of Basudevpur, Banke, shot himself dead on Wednesday, according to the police. The motive behind the suicide is yet to be ascertained. Thapa is survived by his pregnant wife and a three-year-old son. — HNS

Keep govt vehicles off road

JANAKPURDHAM: The District Administration Office, Dhanusha, in a circular issued on Friday, called on government staffers not to ply government vehicles till Sunday. The office issued the circular after agitating students burnt a van belonging to the Agriculture Development Office, Morang, on Tuesday. While the five parties have asked the staffers not to use government vans till Saturday, Maoists have announced a Dhanusha bandh on Sunday. — HNS

Jhapa to be drug-free

BIRTAMOD: A meeting held in Charpeny, Jhapa, decided to make Jhapa a drug addiction-free district in three years. Cooperation from the Amda Hospital and Life Service Centre would be sought to meet the objective. A DDC official said that funds would be allocated to eliminate drug addiction. — HNS

TU results published

KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan University has published the results of the postgraduate first year annual examinations in Chemistry and the postgraduate level second year Microbiology (except thesis), Meteorology (except thesis) and Botany (except thesis) annual examinations as well as the postgraduate level Computer Science and Information Technology second year third semester examinations. — RSS

Buddha Jayanti plans

BUTWAL: The Lumbinit Development Trust is organising a series of programmes to mark the 2548 Buddha Jayanti at Lumbini, a press release states. It will organise inter-campus essay contest on May 3, free health camp and scholarship will provided to Dalit women on May 4 and prayers and worships will be offered on May 5. — RSS

Textbook scarcity

RAJBIRAJ: Students of 28 schools of Saptari have been unable to pursue their studies due to lack of textbooks of Maithili subject. The district education office had asked the curriculum development centre to send the textbooks in December last year, but the books have not arrived yet. — RSS

Programme for farmers

UDAYAPUR: The Morning Farmers Group of Saunegaon and the Women Rehabilitation Centre (worec), Udayapur, organised an interaction on agriculture on the occasion of the International Labour and Seventh National Tea and Coffee day on Thursday to make the farmers self-reliant. — RSS

Ambulance misuse

DOLAKHA: The people of Dolakha district have been complaining that many vehicles, including an ambulance donated by a South Korean Club, are being misused. According to Bhimeshwor municipality mayor Basudev Thapa, Muktiman Rajbhandari is using the ambulance, which was donated to the Gaurishankar General Hospital. — RSS