Mustang municipalities receive energy plans
Municipal Energy Plans (MEPs) of Varagung Muktichhetra and Gharapjhong Rural Municipalities in Mustang were formally handed over to the local governments on January 7.
The handover ceremonies were held at the Municipality offices where Dr Ranjan Prakash Shrestha, Senior Project Manager at the European Union Delegation to Nepal and Dr Frank Fecher, Program Manager at GIZ Nepal formally presented the MEPs to Rinzen Namgel Gurung, Chairperson of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality, and Mohan Singh Lalchan, Chairperson of Gharapjhong Rural Municipality.
Developed with technical support from the REEEP-GREEN project implemented by GIZ Nepal, the five-year MEPs aim to promote clean energy use, improve household wiring, encourage electric cooking, support energy-efficient tourism, and enhance productive energy use, particularly for women and marginalized groups.
Varagung Muktichhetra has estimated an implementation budget of Rs 147.3 million, while Gharapjhong has allocated Rs 218.9 million.
The plans will be integrated into the municipalities’ annual and long-term development strategies to strengthen local development and climate resilience.
Vapes worth Rs 22.4 million confiscated
E-cigarettes (vapes) worth Rs 22.4 million have been seized at the Korala border on Monday evening.
The Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Mustang Customs Office seized 16,000 units of vape from a container bearing the registration number plate Na 6 Kha 7591.
According to Santosh Basyal, the information officer of the District Police Office, the container driver, Pema Lama from Sunsari Rural Municipality-5, Sindhupalchok, has been taken into custody while the vehicle has been impounded.
Vapes worth Rs 68.1 million had been seized from Korala border transit last year also.
Illegal firearms recovered in Syangja
Police found a loaded gun and related materials in Lewa, Biruwa Rural Municipality-6. The police team said that they have recovered the gun and related materials from the house of 72-year-old Ram Bahadur Sunar.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Prasanna Raj Chaudhary informed that during a house search, ammunition and other materials were found while the loaded gun was being repaired.
One loaded gun with a single barrel, two loaded guns with no barrels attached, and one loaded gun without barrels and no barrels attached. Similarly, four iron rods, six loaded gun barrels, 142 grams of gunpowder, 107 lead pellets, six caps, and one kilogram of soda used to make gunpowder were found, according to Prana Chaudhary.
In addition, three iron horses used to make loaded guns, two tweezers, four iron nails, and one iron clamp were found. The District Police Office, Syangja, has stated that the goldsmith has been arrested along with the materials and necessary legal action has been taken in the case related to arms and ammunition.
Poll access difficult in Gorkha
To reach the polling stations in remote areas of North Gorkha, one has to walk for at least three days from the last point of the road. To reach the 25 remote polling stations that are not connected by road, one has to walk for three days from Chumanubri-3 Pangsing, the last point of the road.
225 polling stations and 335 polling stations have been determined in Gorkha for the upcoming election of members of the House of Representatives to be held on March 5. Of these, 24 sites are very far from the road network. Most of the polling stations in Chumanubri and some in Dharche are far from the road network, according to the Election Office. 23 polling stations in Chumanubri Rural Municipality and one polling station in Dharche are located in areas not connected by road network, according to the office.
The farthest is the Samdo Basic School Center in Chumanubri-1. To reach there, one has to walk for at least three to four days from Pangsing, where the road has reached. Similarly, one has to walk for at least three days to reach the Gaurishankar Basic School polling center in the same ward. One has to walk for three days to reach the Chhuleni Basic School center in Ward No. 7.
According to the details provided by the District Election Office, to reach the VDC building Syo Center, Community Building Lho Center, Buddha Basic School Center in Ward No. 7, and Chhekam Basic School Center, election staff have to walk for two days from Pangsing, where the road has reached. To reach Prok Basic School Prok, Himchuli Basic School Chhak, Namrung Health Post Center, and Kwak Basic School Kwak in Ward No. 4, they have to walk for two days from Pangsing, where the road has reached.
According to the details received from the office, election staff and security personnel are forced to get out of their cars and walk for a whole day to reach Krak Basic School Center and Gumba Himali Basic School Center. Similarly, in Ward No. To reach Sipchet Basic School Center, Chumling Basic School Center, Siddha Ganesh Basic School Center and Khar Community Khop Center in Ward No. 6, one has to get off the motor and walk for another day.
Ward No. 3’s Buddha Secondary School Center, Buddha Himali Basic School Nyak Center, Sidung Basic School Sasryu Center, and Film Basic School Pati Center are also not connected by road. To reach these centers, one has to get off the vehicle and walk for one to four hours.
Ward Chairperson Ramsing Gurung said that even though a road has been constructed to Hulchuk Voting Center in Dharche Rural Municipality-1, motor vehicles will not be able to operate. He said that since there is no bridge in Budhi Gandaki, even if a road is dug, vehicles will not be able to reach Ichcha Basic School Center there. He said that the voting center is about two hours' walk from the road.
