DAMAULI: A suggestions collection team for the constitution draft has been sent to all the VDCs and municipalities in Tanahun. Chief District Officer Mahadev Pantha said that the team would collect suggestions from three municipalities and 40 VDCs of the district. He said the suggestions would be collected from July 18 at the VDC level while the team would collect suggestions from people in constituencies on July 20 and 21. Shankar Bhandari was deployed in Constituency No 1, lawmakers Ramchandra Paudel and Bhul Bahadur Ale in Constituency No 2 and Tuk Raj Sigdel and Aasha Koirala will collect suggestions from Constituency No 3. The collected suggestions will be presented in the Constituent Assembly.

‘Decision justified’

JHAPA: Unified CPN-Maoist treasurer Haribol Gajurel on Thursday clarified that his party’s decision to write the constitution in consensus was necessitated by circumstances. Speaking at a programme organised in Birtamod, Jhapa, in order to collect feedback on the draft constitution, the Maoist leader spoke of the party’s compulsion to give in to the ruling parties. “As statute making wasn’t possible without Congress and UML, we had no way but to compromise,” he said, responding to his own cadres’ accusation that the party had quit its agenda and sealed the 16-point deal with coalition partners. “In fact, the agenda of inclusiveness, republicanism and secularism are ours and we’ve not left them,” he argued.

Held with fake IC 

PYUTHAN: Police arrested three Indian nationals with fake Indian currency notes from Swargadwari Shelter of Pyuthan on Thursday. The arrested have been identified as Sita Devi Harijan, 55, her daughter Kamala Devi, 28, and her in-law Sakaturam Harijan, 30, of Uttar Pradesh, India. Police said the trio had been buying the goods with the fake notes at Dharampani Bazaar area. Meanwhile, shopkeepers informed the police after they suspected the notes. Police arrested them as the notes proved to be fake. Case Department Chief Parbat KC of District Police Office said police have seized the fake Rs 15,000 IC notes from the arrested. Police chief Tul Bahadur Karki of DPO said that the legal provision was to send the arrested to jail for five years with compensation, if they were guilty.

Rapist held

PHIDIM: Panchthar Police arrested Jeet Bahadur Angdembe, 42, of Sarangdanda on the charge of raping a 14-year-old girl in the district, on Thursday. According to sources, he allegedly raped the girl when she was alone at home on July 14. The accused was held and a rape case was filed after the girl’s check-up confirmed rape, informed Inspector Rabi Raj Thapaliya.

Bandh affects life

JHAPA: Life in Jhapa was partially affected on Thursday due to the strike enforced by the Limbuwan National Revolutionary Party in nine districts east of the Arun River. The party had called the bandh demanding that the nine districts east of Arun River be declared Limbuwan districts. While vehicular movement was disrupted, businesses ran as usual in Chandragadi. Birtamod was partially affected, but businesses in the second main market of Jhapa, Damak, operated as usual. Police arrested seven cadres of Limbuwan party for forcing vehicles to stop on the East-West Highway at Buttabari. Among the detained are Asim Majhi, 17, Purna Majhi, 21, Santosh Subba, 22, Chandraraj Limbu, 29, Suresh Tamang, 21, of Shaniarjun, Jhapa; and Bishal Sherma, 22, of Pathari in Morang.