NC panel reshuffled

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday reconstituted its foreign department under the coordination of party central member Sujata Koirala. It is the second time that Koirala has been appointed as the foreign department chief. The reformed foreign department has Dr Suresh Chandra Chalise, Dr Shambhuram Simkhada, Rajeshwor Acharya, Dr Keshav Mathema and Ramesh Dhamala as members. — HNS

Man hacked to death

RAUTAHAT: Shambhu Ray Yadav, a resident of Phatuwa Harshaha VDC in Rautahat, was hacked to death by an unidentified gang of three persons at Santapur Dostiya VDC on Saturday night. Yadav was stabbed with a dagger while he was on his way home from his daughter’s house at Bijaypur, the police said. — HNS

Student thrashed

Sindhupalchowk: A student was thrashed here on Sunday by a conductor of a microbus after a dispute over discount on travel fare for another student. Conductor of the microbus Kami Sherpa hit student Hari Krishna Shrestha with an iron rod in his head after the dispute. Shrestha sustained serious injury after the conductor of the microbus affiliated with Araniko Transport hit him. He is getting treatment in Chautara hospital, locals said. The dispute arose after Madhav Karki, a student, asked for the discount. The microbus staffers, however, refused to provide the discount as the quota for discount had finished. After Sherpa thrashed Shrestha, irate students and locals smashed the windowpanes of the microbus. The students said they would not let the microbuses ply until action was taken against Sherpa. — HNS

Teachers’ protests

Kathmandu: The forth meeting of Relief Grant Teachers’ Organisation on Sunday decided to go for phase-wise protests if the government failed to address their demand within two weeks. A statement issued here by the organisation asked the government to provide Rs 2,000 extra in the teachers’ welfare fund. “The government has not provided us with the announced sum,” the statement read. “We will stage protests from February 1 to March 13 if the government ignored our demands.” The teachersplan to submit a memorandum to all the District Education Offices, gherao them on February 24 and padlock the offices on

February 25. — HNS

Deal on local bodies

NARAYAMGARH: Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Jha on Sunday said political parties were near to a consensus on their representation in the local bodies. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Chitwan Festival, Jha said the deal on formation of local bodies would be finalised in two weeks. — HNS

Boy hurt in blast

NEPALGUNJ: A kid was injured when a stray bomb went off at New Road in nepalgunj on Sunday morning. Bhupendra BK, 9, was injured after he began playing with the bomb thrown in the garbage near a Buddhist monastery after taking it for a toy, said inspector Pradip DC. BK is getting treatment at a local hospital. — HNS

DEO padlocked

SIRAHA: Demanding the government to provide increased salary to the relief quota teachers, the Relief Teachers’ Rights Protection Union, Siraha, padlocked the District Education Office from Sunday. Their six-point demand includes providing 23 per cent of amount to the teachers under the quota of relief teacher welfare fund and allocating the salary and perks equal to permanent teachers. — HNS

Army man missing

SANKHUWASABHA: A Nepal Army man deployed for the security of Tumlingtar airport from Amardal Batallion in Khandbari has been missing in Arun river since Saturday. Rajendra Rana, a permanent resident of Shreepur VDC of Kanchanpur, was swept away after he dived into the river for a swim. — HNS