Project insurance

KATHMANDU: Participants representing hydro-electricity project sector and insurance companies on Thursday stressed on the need for insuring the projects to cover all kinds of risks. Secretary at the Nepal Beema Samiti, Ramesh Raj Bhattarai said, “Those availing insurance services should know what kind of insurance coverage they want to have.” J Augustine, deputy general manager of General Insurance Corporation of India, emphasised on insuring the hydro-electricity plants. — HNS

Indian aid

KATHMANDU: The Embassy of India, the Morang District Development Committee and the Nepal Charkha Pracharak Gandhi-Tulasi Memorial Mahaguthi, Biratnagar, signed a memorandum of understanding for construction of a cold storage building at Rangeli of Morang on Thursday. India has agreed to provide a grant of Rs 25.1 million for the purpose, a statement by the Embassy of India said. — HNS

2 hurt in blast

BIRGUNJ: Two persons were injured when a socket bomb thrown by an unidentified group exploded on the main road in Birgunj-11 on Thursday. Two pedestrians were injured when the bomb thrown at a car in front of Sundar Stores missed its target and exploded. Two unidentified persons on bicycle hurled the bomb and fled towards Ghantaghar, eyewitnesses said. Amrika Patel and Arjun Singh were injured, police said.— HNS

Road built

UDAYAPUR: Army personnel, Maoists and villagers have constructed a motorway linking the Bhulke of Triyuga Municipality-7 to Gaighat, the district headquarters of Udayapur. One hundred army personnel from the No. 18 brigade of the Nepali Army and the Maoists had helped the villagers build 2 km motorway. — RSS

1 killed, 54 hurt

Rajbiraj/Itahari: Twenty-nine-year-old Tarkeshor Prasad Chaudhari of Pipra VDC in Saptari was killed on the spot after being hit by a van on the Kadmaha-Gaighat road section of Saptari on Thursday morning. In another incident 22 persons were injured, six of them critically, when a passenger bus heading to Chatara from Jhumka of Sunsari fell into Chatara Canal on Thursday morning, Sunsari Superintendent of Police Yadav Raj Khanal at the District Police Office said. All 23 persons on board the bus including the driver were rescued with the help of locals, SP Yadav said. In another mishap, 32 persons were hurt when a passenger bus bound for Ilam from Kathmandu met with an accident at Bhadgaun Simuwari VDC. — HNS

Hutments for PLA

DAMAK: Construction of concrete hutments for the Maoist People’s Liberation Army personnel in the Maoists’ first division headquarters at Chulachuli in Ilam and three sub-camps has reached the final phase. Construction of some 21 huts in the headquarters and 28 huts each in sub-camps at Tandi, Yangshila and Danabari is underway and will be completed in a few days, deputy commander of the division Pawel said. Each hut will accommodate 15 PLA soldiers. There are around 3,300 PLA men putting up in the Chulachuli headquarters and the three-sub camps. — HNS

Rs 3.8 million looted

MAHOTTARI: An unidentified group looted Rs 3.8 million from the officials of the Everest Sugar Mills, Ramnagar. The Mills employees had withdrawn the money from the Nepal-Bangladesh Bank at Janakpur to pay to the sugarcane farmers. The looters, who came on two motorcycles, stopped the jeep driver on Mahendra Highway near Janga river and looted the cash at gunpoint. The police team from area police office Bardibas chased the looters and engaged in gunfire at Mirchaiya Tole at Basantapur. The looters fled by leaving behind two motorcycles and Rs 1.5 million, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Mahottari, Madan Keshari, said. A pistol and a bullet were also found from the site, police said. — HNS

Royal land grabbed

GORKHA: The Maoist-affiliated Tamu Rastriya Mukti Morcha has grabbed 162 ropanis, a house and a temple belonging to late king Birendra in Gorkha. TRMM grabbed the late king’s land in Raniban, Kuhire Bhir and Maure Bhir forests nearby Gorkha bazaar on Wednesday.

After seizing the land, TRMM declared the land Lakhan Thapa Memorial Community Forest. Lakhan Thapa was the first martyr of Nepal. Up to162 ropanis belong to late king Birendra in Gorkha district. The Community Forest Consumers’ Federation had earlier demanded that the land be registered as a community forest. — HNS

YCL abducts man

ITAHARI: Cadres of the Young Communist League (YCL) abducted Meherman Limbu of Itahari-1from his house on Wednesday night. Limbu was abducted after he did not provide room in his house to establish a YCL office, civil society activist Daniyal Subba said. Civil society members and Limbu’s relatives have urged the YCL for his safe release. He was abducted for investigation in connection with a murder that took place four years ago, a Maoist cadre Ganesh Katwal said. — HNS

JTMM frees man

RAUTAHAT: Cadres of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha-Jay Krishna Goit on Wednesday night released Nagendra Patel, ex-chairperson of Ramauli Bairiya VDC. The JTMM cadres had abducted Patel from his house at Ramauli Bairiya on Tuesday night, his family said. Patel was released at the banks of Bagmati river at Samanpur VDC, JTMM commander Rohit Singh said. — HNS

YCL disrupts traffic

RAUTAHAT: The Young Communist League disrupted traffic at BP Chowk on Birendra Highway in Gaur-5 on Thursday. The traffic was disrupted to protest the murder of YCL Rautahat area no-1 coordinator Krishna Mohan Shah alias Sunil by JTMM-Jwala Singh cadres on Tuesday. Seeking action against the guilty, YCL cadres burnt tyres on the highway. “If the government does not take action, we will launch a strong protest,” YCL district in-charge

Himal said. — HNS