The UCPN (Maoist) has reiterated that the directly elected president would be the chief executive of the nation, Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma informed after the party Central Committee (CC) meeting.
A CC meeting of the party held at the party headquarters in Paris Danda on Wednesday endorsed the agreement signed between the major three political parties the previous day. The Maoists meet, which was boycotted by the party’s hard-line faction led by senior Vice Chairman Mohan Baidya, dubbed the agreement as “pro-people.”

Sharma further informed that the party meeting has refuted the media reports that stated that the prime minister elected through the parliament would be the chief executive of the government.

However, the party meeting remarked that various changes have been made in the state-restructuring map published by various newspapers has changed.

“The state-restructuring would be carried out on the basis of identity and capacity as per the proposal of Constitutional Committee,” Sharama told the reporters.

Three major parties on Tuesday signed an agreement on the major two contentious issues of constitution drafting—forms of governance and state restructuring—and reiterated their commitment to bring out the new constitution before May 27.

After 11 days of speculating about the cause of the Seti flash flood, a team including geologists has concluded that the tragedy was triggered by landslips.
The nine-member team of geologists and representatives of Trekking Agents Association of Nepal, Nepal Police, Nepal Army and local people has returned after studying the landslide site since May 9.
The team has stated that a mass of soil and other particles deposited by old glaciers near the big glacier of Mt Annapurna IV pushed a hillock ranging in altitude from 4,200 meters to 4,500 meters, triggering a number of landslides.
“It seems that a small avalanche opened a series of landslips, triggering the tragedy,” said a geology department faculty at Prithivi Narayan Campus, Pokhara.
The team reasoned that the hillock fell as it could not withstand the pressure of snowfall and rain-soaked terrain. “Parts of the hillock still remain there, but it is not sure whether they will slip further,” said team coordinator Krishna KC.

More than 1,500 houses and sheds belonging to some 800 families were destroyed in a fire that broke out at the house of Nathuni Yadav in Aaurahi VDC 3 on Tuesday afternoon.
Buildings were razed to the ground in Wards No 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. A joint team of Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force took the inferno under control at 5 pm after three hours of efforts.
The total loss of property is yet to be calculated but a preliminary estimate puts it at Rs 10 million. There was no human fatality.
Villager Rakesh Kumar Das said the wind blowing steadily from the east had fuelled the fire. Fire trucks from Lahan and Rajbiraj municipalities were used to tame the razing inferno.
Chief District Officer Dhurba Dhakal and Superintendent of Police Rajeshlal Karna were among the officials to visit the site of destruction. The district unit of Nepal Red Cross Society has provided humanitarian assistance to the victims.

A day after the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM), an alliance of five Madhes-based parties, expressed reservations over the proposed 11-state model federation for the country, it was not yet clear as to how that would play out with regards to the Madhesi alliance staying in the government and in the Constituent Assembly (CA).

The Morcha has primarily objected on two counts—delineation of the state boundaries and the naming of the states.

Leaders of the Morcha are under pressure from second-rung leaders of the constituent parties to pull out of the government and join agitations for a federal set-up that would ensure identity-based provinces.

A meeting of the Morcha on Wednesday, however, could not take a decision. Leaders who attended the talks said deliberations are on and that they are likely to reach a conclusion on Thursday. “Leaders presented their views with regard to staying in the government. The second-rung leaders urged the leadership to quit the government and hit the streets,” said General Secretary of Sadhbhawana Party Manish Suman. As the leaders held the meeting, student leaders of Morcha-affiliated parties gathered outside the meeting hall at Singha Durbar and demanded the leadership step down.

In the meeting, Sadhbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato proposed pulling out of the government immediately.

The party has decided to pull out even if other Morcha partners decide to stay on, Suman said.

Chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar said all options must be explored, including forging a “strong alliance” with the Janajati groups, to press for the issues of identity and federalism before leaving the government.

“While I am ready to resign, that should be the last weapon in our armoury. We should first seek all the other options,” a leader quoted Gachchadar as saying.

Chairman of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Mahanta Thakur urged focusing on the “stated objectives for now”. “We should first warn the Maoists before leaving the government,” a leader quoted Thakur as saying.

The Morcha said the proposed 11-state model “compromised on the principles of federalism and has attempted to divide the Madhes”. The Morcha has sought a contiguous state in the Madhes. It said any deliberations on federalism should either be based on the report of the CA committee or a majority report of the State Restructuring Commission. Both these propose a maximum of two states in the plains.

Meanwhile, an informal meeting of office bearers of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party-Nepal on Wednesday suggested the party pull out of the government. “Office bearers suggested that you cannot go for protests while in government, hence it is better to pull out,” said TMLP-N leader Dan Bahadur Chaudary. The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Ganatatrik is scheduled to hold its central committee meeting on Thursday to finalise the party’s position.

Solar-powered electric fences surrounding the VDCs bordering Chitwan National Park have greatly rid the villagers of wild animal attacks and rampage.
Earlier, wild animals from the park used to enter the surrounding villages and attack local people and destroy crops. Some people were even displaced from Simara due to floods and wild animal menace.
With the installation of electric fences in Jagatpur, Meghauli, Patihani and Bagauda VDCs in the buffer zone, local residents are sleeping like a log. Regular threats from wild animals have largely gone down. The fences have been set up to 35 km areas from Dhowaha to Pauhari with the help of Terai Arc Landscape Project.
Prabhu Mahato, a local resident, said wild animals used to destroy crops. But the locals heaved a sigh of relief after solar-powered electric fences were set up, he said. “Crops are ready for harvest.

A higher secondary school in Baglung district has been accused of misappropriating scholarship funds.
Devisthan Higher Secondary School situated at Devisthan was supposed to provide the scholarship funds released by the government to poor and intelligent students. However, even 11 months after the Department of Education released money the school has not done anything except facing mounting criticism over reported irregularity. Twenty two students are entitled to receive Rs 3,000 each per year.
The students who deserve scholarship are have a tough time purchasing educational materials such as text books and other stationery.
“We have not received the scholarship money for the past one year. My mother herself bought me textbooks,” said a tenth grader, Jita Pun.
She said the head teacher did not heed their requests for funds.  Padam Bahadur Thapa, accountant at the District Education Office, said his office releases Rs 66,000 per year to 22 students of Devisthan School. He, however, said the school has not sent details of scholarship distribution yet.
District officials have also heard of complaints of irregularity while distributing scholarship funds at Gynendra Secondary School and Janajagrit Secondary School, he said.

District Administration Office, Humla, clamped an indefinite curfew order in the district headquarters Simikot and the adjoining areas on Wednesday as a scuffle between two groups took a nasty turn. The curfew was imposed from 12:30 pm. 
The local administration clamped the prohibitory order as the clash between Simikot folk and villagers of Thehe went out of grip. They clashed following a dispute over an election of the management committee of Simikot-based Manasarobar Secondary School.
"Police resorted to baton charge as two rival groups started to clash. But the situation deteriorates. The meeting of district security committee decided to impose curfew to take the situation under control," said acting Chief District Officer Narendra Pariyar.
The two groups clashed on Tuesday following a heated dispute during the election of management committee chairman. The youths of Simikot allegedly thrashed the residents of Thehe after the latter beat up a schoolteacher Kailash Rokaya.
The tension escalated as some 200 villagers wielding batons from Thehe came to Simikot on Wednesday apparently for retaliation. They arrived in the district headquarters as the Simikot folks took out a rally demanding action against those involved in assaulting Rokaya.

Police clashed with agitating Tharuhat group after the latter crossed the boundary line set by police here in Dhangari, Kailali on Wednesday. Police used force to stop a torch rally of Tharuhat against the campaign of integrated Far West region.

Police intervened while the rally that started from Campus road moved past the Park Mode. The rally was heading towards Chauraha Chock where activists of “Undivided Far-West” were gathered.
The clashed ensured after the police tried to stop the Tharuhat rally from marching ahead the border line to prevent the possible clash between Tharuhat and the demonstrators of ‘Undivided Far-West.

Police had marked a borderline in the Park Mode to prevent possible clash between those for and against the integrated Far-West region.

A condolence meeting was organised on Wednesday at the site of the jeep accident of the then General Secretary Madan Bhandari and Organisation Department Chief of the CPN-UML Jeebraj Ashrit, at Dasdhunga in Chitwan district.
Speakers at the programme said that it was sad not to find out their murderers so far.
On the occasion, Politburo member of the CPN-UML, Kashinath Adhikari said that it was sad not to find out their murderers though the party was in power for three times, and expressed hope that the murderers will be found out at any cost.
He said the national consensus government was formed due to initiatives of the CPN-UML, and added the new constitution will be promulgated on the slated time.
A rally was organised from the CPN-UML Party Office, Bharatpur, which converged into the condolence meeting after reaching Dasdhunga.

Twenty-two students have been expelled from Saptari district for their involvement in undisciplined activities in today’s examination of Grade 11 run by the Higher Secondary Education Board.