Madhesh bandh call

BARA: The Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum organised a torch rally in Kalaiya on Thursday, the eve of the Madhesh bandh called by the forum demanding release of its party cadre Jitendra Shah. The forum’s central member Ramsahaya Yadav, Bara president Sahid Ahmed Hawari and secretary Pramod Gupta called on the people to make the bandh a success. — HNS

Houses looted

SIRAHA: Dacoits looted property worth Rs 80,000 from three houses at Bishnupur VDC-8 on Wednesday. Around 15 dacoits looted the houses of Laxmi Shah, Rajendra Chaudhari and Ajaya Chaudhari at 1am, a local Saroj Chaudhari said. — HNS

Demand for pay hike

SIRAHA: Activists affiliated to the Child Development Centre in Siraha on Thursday threatened to lock the District Education Office if their demand to increase their salary is not met in three days.— HNS

Police post blown up

RAJBIRAJ: Cadres of the JTMM-Goit detonated a bomb in the area police office building at Baharain VDC on Wednesday. The building had remained vacant after police personnel stationed there had been shifted. — HNS

Held with illegal arms

MAHOTTARI: Locals of Gaushala VDC at Nawarajtole on Wednesday caught four persons with illegal weapons and handed them over to the police. Ishwor Shah, Ramanandan, Dhaniram Mahato and Jeevan were caught with one homemade pistol and four bullets, Mahottari DSP Madan Keshari said. — HNS

Rural energy project

Dhading: With a view to alleviating poverty and contributing to sustainable development and social service, the Renewal Energy Project (REP) was launched on Wednesday in three village development committees in Dhading. The REP, with the joint investment from the Government of Nepal and the European Commission, has been launched in Mahadevsthan, Kiranchowk and Mulpani VDCs. This was informed at a programme held by the Lalitpur-based regional office of the Alternative Energy Promotion for Centre Renewal Energy Project at Dhadingbesi. — HNS

Info kit launched

Kathmandu: The National Health Training Centre on Thursday launched an information kit to help achieve the Millennium Development Goal’s (MDG) target of meeting 60 per cent skilled attendance during births by 2015. The kit — ‘Maternal and Newborn Care, Learning Resource Package’ — comprises complete training materials for the Skilled Birth Attendants and evidence-based information on maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity. — HNS