Prohibitory orders

NEPALGUNJ: The Banke district administration office (DAO) on Wednesday issued prohibitory orders in the area lying between municipal building and Charbahini (a military brigade). Issuing a statement, the local administration said the prohibitory orders will take effect from Wednesday itself. The DAO said it has prohibited staging of demonstrations and gatherings in the area from Wednesday till May 24. “The prohibitory orders were issued to save government property from possible attacks,” said the Banke Chief District Officer, Narendra Raj Sharma. — HNS

Strike in Kailali offices

Dhangadhi: Staffers of most of the Kailali-based government offices brought office work to a halt today. They were protesting yesterday’s attack on acting chief district officer of Kailali, Ganga Bahadur Mahara Chhetri. Giving the government five days to arrest the attackers, the staffers, following a meeting, said they would not resume work unless the attackers were arrested. Activists of the Tharuwan National Mukti Morcha (TNMM) had assaulted Chhetri on Tuesday. Karmachari Milan Kendra, Government Employees’ Organisation, Government Employees’ Union and Officers’ Union (Sangam) also sent a memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala through the DAO. — HNS

Dacoits loot 9 houses

Siraha: A gang of 50 masked dacoits struck nine households at the Larikanha Tole in Silorbapachhabari VDC in Siraha and decamped with cash and property worth Rs 1.5 million. The gang looted houses belonging to Jawahar Shah, Mahadev Shah, Om Prakash Shah, Sahadev Shah, Ramudgar Yadav, Jawahar Yadav, Sami Akhtar Raeen, Sutawa Raeen and Ram Prasad Shah, Laxman Shah, a local, said. The dacoits also detonated a bomb and opened three rounds of fire, said Urmila Shah, another local. There were no casualties. House owners Jawahar Shah, Mahadev Shah, Sutawa Raeen and Ram Prasad Shah were injured when they tried to fight off the dacoits, Siraha DPO said. The dacoits were wielding homemade weapons, police said. —HNS

Maoists raid houses

RAMECHHAP: Maoist cadres have been accused of searching three houses belonging to NC cadres at Chanakhu VDC on Saturday. A group of Maoist cadres searched three houses, including mine, at night, said Hem Krishna Karki of Chanakhu-4. Two other houses belonged to Hem Bahadur Karki of Chanakhu VDC-5 and Maiya Karki of Chanakhu-3. A local, Binod Karki, said a group including Maoist cadres Rajesh Bohara, Raj Kumar Bohara searched the houses. Ramechhap in-charge of the CPN (Maoist) Rajan Dahal denied involvement of his party in the search. — HNS

Rs 18m Indian aid

KATHMANDU: The Embassy of India has decided to provide a grant assistance of Rs 18 million to the Dhading Bensi-based Nilkantha Campus for the construction of a new building and purchase of furniture. The embassy and the District Development Committee (DDC), Dhading, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect on Tuesday. With this fund, Nilkantha Campus, the first public campus in the district, will be able to expand the specialised streams, including management and science after the construction, the embassy said in a press release on Wednesday. — HNS

Four kids faint

MAHOTTARI: Four students of the Jaleshwor-based South Asian Cambridge Secondary English Boarding School fainted due to scorching heat on Wednesday. They fainted during PT exercise and recovered after primary health care. Temperature in Jaleshwor hit 40 degree Celsius on Wednesday. The surge in temperature, continuing for a week, has affected life. — HNS

Youth swept away

DHANKUTA: Krishna Shrestha, 28, of Dharan Municipality-10, drowned while swimming in the Tamor River on Monday. Shrestha came for picnic at Mulghat of Dhankuta from Dharan. Police are conducting a search for Shrestha. — HNS

Deuba-Zheng meet

KATHMANDU: President of the Nepali Congress (D), Sher Bahadur Deuba, met Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Zheng Xiangling, on Wednesday. The two discussed current political situation in the country and China’s support to the peace bid. — HNS