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Floods toll at 46 in West

ANKE/KAILALI: The flash floods and landslides continued taking toll in the western districts today as 12 more deaths are reported. With this, the toll has risen to 46. Six persons have still been missing while more than 25, 000 people have been rendered homeless in the nature’s fury. Three more deaths are reported from Achham villages where 17 were already perished on Tuesday. Likewise, four of a family died in Parbat and two in Kanchanpur today. One more person died in Bajhang today, adding the toll to three. Two others - one each in Doti and Jumla - also died today, the police said. Six persons — two in Kailali, one each in Dang, Rukum, Lamjung and Banke — have gone missing in after they were swept away by rivers. Durga Bahadur Bhandary, Binu Bhandary, Sima Bhandary and Dipachan Bhandary were those killed when their houses in Thapathana VDC-5, Parbat, collapsed in a landslide early morning, the local police said. The three fresh deaths were reported from Achham’s Marku VDC-7 on Wednesday, CDO Gyan Prasad Dhakal said. More than 150 families have been displaced in the district.

The swollen Karnali River has surrounded around 500 residents of Kailali’s Dhanasinghapur and Narayanpur areas. Family members of some 100 households have been marooned. Kailali CDO Hari Krishna Poudel said the landslide victims could not be rescued due to the unavailability of helicopters. Other 1, 000 families have been displaced by the flood in the district. In Banke’s Baijapur, five persons who had gone to the Rapti riverbanks in search of gold two days ago, is yet to be known. Lack of search of those missing and rescue of those stranded have been aggravating the situation in the flood-hit districts. The landslide victims of Achham’s Patalkot have been living with empty stomach as foodstuffs could be supplied to them. In Doti, more than 2,000 displaced families have been taking shelter in schools and other buildings. There too, they are facing problems due to lack of proper foodstuff and drinking water.

PM’s detour from everyday politics

Kathmandu - Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal seems to have developed a penchant for doing things out of the box, especially ever since his successful endeavour last month to save a haemorrhaging rural woman, for which he earned accolades aplenty. He squeezed out time from his hectic political schedule to visit the victims of the April uprising two days ago and, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nepal set out on a brief excursion of the Capital city to learn about people’s lives and sufferings. Prime Minister Nepal and his incumbent team boarded a tourist bus (Ba. 1 Pa. 45), leaving a bevy of journalists, who were present at the Prime Minister’s Office to cover the Cabinet meeting flabbergasted as none had the slightest clue what the Prime Minister and Co. were up to.

“The prime minister wanted to take stock of the problems the Valley denizens are facing. So, the best way was to take a tour,” said the prime minister’s political adviser Bishnu Rijal. Accompanying Prime Minister Nepal were Deputy Prime Minster and Minister for Physical Planning and Works Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar, Home Minister Bhim Rawal, Local Development Minister Purna Kumar Sherma and Labour and Transport Minister Md. Aftab Alam. The concerned secretaries, chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Chief and Valley Chief of Nepal Police were also on board. The round trip began from Singha Durbar via Thapathali, Kalimati, Kalanki, Sita Paila, Swoyambhu, Maharajgunj, Lazimpat and Tundikhel.

But that which had started with all smiles did not sum up all too well. A pile of garbage greeted the prime minister at Swoyambhu. The luxury bus failed to save the Prime Minister and Co. from quite a few jolts, thanks to innumerable potholes. And of course, the prime minister—habituated to cruise along roads—witnessed haywire traffic. “He was a bit unhappy,” said Rijal. “He has instructed the line ministries, secretaries and officials concerned to look into the matter and bring forth an integrated plan to improve the condition of road, garbage and traffic.” “The traffic was out of gear, it needs immediate attention,” Home Minister Rawal briefly remarked.

सलमान र आमिर सँगै

मुम्बई, असोज २२ - सलमान खान र आमिर खानबीच साझेदारी हुने भएको छ। दुवैले एउटै फिल्ममा अभिनय गर्नेछन् र फिल्ममा दुवैको लगानी रहनेछ। स्त्रि्कप्टको टुंगो लगाउन बाँकी रहेको उक्त फिल्ममा आमिर खान प्रोडक्सन र सल्मानका भाइ सोहेल खानको प्रोडक्सन हाउसले संयुक्त लगानी गर्ने सम्भावना छ। एक स्रोतका अनुसार फिल्ममा सलमान र आमिरको बराबर दृश्य हुनेछ र अरू कलाकार तथा निर्देशकको छनोट हुन बाँकी छ। सलमान र आमिरले एकसाथ अभिनय गरेको एकमात्र फिल्म सन् १९९४ को राजकुमार सन्तोषीद्वारा निर्देशित 'अन्दाज अपना अपना' हो। आमिरको 'गजिनी' रिलिज भएपछि दुईको सम्बन्ध गाढा भएको हो। त्यसबेला देखि नै दुवैले संयुक्त काम गर्ने चर्चा सुरु भएको थियो। समान भूमिका र उति नै दृश्य दिनुपर्ने शर्त उनीहरूको भएकोले दुवैले बाहिरका फिल्म खेल्ने साइत जुर्न नसकेको हो। केही अघिसम्म सलमान र आमिर दुवै फेरि 'अन्दाज अपना अपना'को दोस्रो भागमा आउन लागेको र यसका लागि निर्देशक सन्तोषीले तयारी गरिरहेको समाचार प्रकाशित भएको थियो। दोस्रो भागमा अभिनय गर्न आमिर राजी नभएकाले यो प्रोजेक्ट अगाडि बढ्न नसकेको समेत बताइएको थियो। समाचारप्रति आमिरका प्रवक्ताले यसो भनेका थिए, 'अहिले आमिर थ्री इडियट्स र बन्ने क्रममा रहेका अरू तीनवटा फिल्ममा व्यस्त छन्। अहिलेलाई 'अन्दाज अपना अपना'बारे कुनै योजना छैन।'