Truck-hit man dies

RATNAGAR: One person died when he was knocked down by a truck in Chitwan on Thursday. The deceased is Sunil BK. He was knocked down by a truck coming towards Chitwan from Bhairahawa. BK, who was severely injured in the accident, was rushed to Bharatpur Medical College but succumbed to his injuries, police said. — RSS

Telecom chief held

MORANG: Police arrested Jiyalal Mehata, chief of Nepal Telecom, Inaruwa branch, on Thursday afternoon on the charge of his involvement in the abduction on July 17 of Suman Pokharel. Pokharel is the supervisor at Nepal Telecom regional office, Biratnagar. He was abducted from Amahibela of Sunsari. An underground group had taken responsibility for his abduction. — RSS

Locals’ eco concern

MORANG: Locals have protested the increasing excavation of sand and quarrying of stones by using excavators from river beds. The locals are up against the excavation of sand and quarrying from rivers and streams in the VDCs in the north of the district saying that this has led to environmental degradation in these areas. Big contractors are found to be using excavators and cranes for quarrying stones and sand from rivers. The District Development Committee (DDC) has awarded contracts to the big construction companies here for quarrying sand and stones from local rivers. The people in these VDCs have complained that haphazard quarrying has loosened the soil near the riverbanks and this has increased the risk of soil erosion. . — RSS

Squatters’ plea

BIRGUNJ: Ten thousand families in Subarnapur Village Development Committee in the district do not have the land-ownership certificates with them. This fact came to light when these families, through the Chief

District Officer, submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Land Reform and Management putting forth various 7-point demands on Thursday. In the memorandum, the families deprived of land-ownership certificates have stated that they have been permanently living in Subarnapur VDC since 1964. They stated to have legally settled in

Subarnapur VDC by paying the land revenue. — RSS