once-over

Bandh withdrawn

SIRAHA: The Siraha district working committee of the CPN-Maoist has withdrawn chakka jam for a day on Saturday. The committee took this move taking into account the full moon day, which is observed as a festival here. Meanwhile, a report from Rautahat said the Maoists’ Rautahat district bandh programme which was held for the past four days was withdrawn from Saturday. They withdrew the bandh when the Maoist district level leaders and the local administration agreed to release the Maoist cadres Jayaram Yadav and Rajkumar Yadav. The administration also agreed to take the case on Gaur massacre filed by the Maoists. Meanwhile, police released 36 Maoists cadres on Friday who had been arrested for allegedly blazing a passenger bus. — HNS

MJF holds rally

BARA: Upendra Yadav-led Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) on Saturday staged a rally in Kalaiya demanding implementation of the 22-point agreement reached with the government. The Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum’s rally went to various parts of the city and converged into a corner assembly at Mulchowk. Addressing the corner assembly, local leaders Rambabu Yadav, Sahid Akamad Hawari, Umesh Lal Das, Promod Gupta and Chuman Babu, among others, called on the government to implement the pact. — HNS

Rape-accused held

ITAHARI: Hadis Miyan and Neddi Miyan of Pakali-3 VDC in Sunsari district were arrested on Friday night on the charge of raping a 12-year-old girl of Pakali-5. The Pakali area police office said a third youth involved in the incident has been absconding. — HNS

VDC secretaries’ move

MAHOTTARI: District-based VDC secretaries said that they will carry out their work from the district headquarters, Jaleshwor. “Since various groups and individuals are demanding donation and threatening to kill, secretaries have decided to perform their duties from Jaleshwor,” the Mahottari chapter of VDC Secretaries’ Rights Protection Centre (VSRPC) said. “If any difficulty to carry out our work appears even after staying in Jaleshwor, we will resign en masse,” a joint release issued by VSRPC chairman Shivaram Pandeya and secretary Abdul Raain said on Saturday. — HNS

‘YCL breaking laws’

Dhankuta: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Prithvi Subba Gurung today said the government staffers have to work for the people by tackling the threats to them with legal measures. He also accused the Maoists of threatening government staffers by expanding their organisation in the offices. While directing the regional and district chiefs of government offices after inaugurating a building of Bhanu Higher Secondary School at Dandabazaar of Dhankuta and a building of Budhuk Higher Secondary School at Maunabudhuk, Gurung said the Home Ministry should take strong steps to control Young Communist League’s activities which violate the laws. — HNS

21 killed in a month

RAJBIRAJ: 21 persons have been murdered in Saptari in one month, said Prakash Khatiwada of INSEC at a programme organised here on Saturday. Over 113 persons were abducted, 23 motorcycles robbed and 49 families displaced during the period, he added. Among the abducted, Jana Tantrik Mukti Morcha (Goit) (JTMM-G) kidnapped 29, JTMM-Jwala

43, Madhesi Mukti Tigers 28 and unidentified group abducted 13. — RSS