said that Lumbini, which is the birth place of Lord Gautam Buddha,
can play an important role in the exchange of friendly ties between
the two countries.
"He can be and should be the focal point of friendly exchange between
the two countries," said Prime Minister Bhattarai.

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ADDITIONAL SSB DEPLOYED ALONG INDO-NEPAL BORDER

Kathmandu, 30 Nov.: India had deployed additional Seema Surakshya Bal (SSB) force along the Indo-Nepal border.
This was stated in a written reply presented Tuesday in Lok Shava, lower house of parliament, by State Minister for Home M. Ramchandra.
One platoon has been deployed at 450 check posts along the border.
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H1N1 BIRD FLU VIRUS STRAIN DETECTED IN VALLEY

Kathmandu, 30 Nov.: H1N1 virus has been detected in birds that died of bird flu at a settlement along Manahara Khola in Thimi on the Kathmandu, Bhaktapur border last week.
The bird flu outbreak was the first in the Valley only months after the country was free of the disease by government.
The first came was reported in Jhapa adjoining the Indian state of West Bengal several years The outbreak of the contagious disease was confirmed Friday after tests in Great Britain three days after birds started dying in Thimi.
But government reacted only Monday by declaring the outbreak; birds in the area began to be culled Tuesday morning.
The Rising Nepal adds: A rapid response team Tuesday destroyed 308 chickens and ducks at Manahara landless squatters’ village of Bhaktapur after the detection of bird flu in the locality.
The team from Veterinary Health Directorate, Bhaktapur, and Animal Rapid Response team destroyed 232 ducks, 76 chickens, 14 kilograms of eggs and two sacks of poultry feed, Dr. Hari Dahal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture, said.
The veterinary health directorate had sent 29 samples from the fowls in OIE reference lab, London, on suspicion of bird flu on 14 November.
The lab detected bird flu (H5N1) viruses in all samples on 27 November.
After the lab detection, a committee led by the Minister for Agriculture had declared Manahara a disaster-hit area and decided to destroy the chickens and ducks.
Five chickens had died on November 10;30 on November 11 and 8 on November 12 at the farm of Chandra Bahadur Tamang, a local.
The bird flu was suspected after the dead chickens of Tamang’s poultry farm were tested at the central Veterinary Lab, Tripureshwor, which detected H5. Samples of 29 chickens had been sent to London for further tests for the presence of N1, Dr. Dahal said.
According to Dr. Dahal, the government distributed Rs. 39,832 as compensation in the area.
Five months ago, the government declared Nepal as a ‘bird flu free’ country.
In 2009, bird flu was detected for the first time in Nepal.
After the bird flu detection in Kathmandu for the first time, the government has directed authorities to stop poultry import in the border areas.
The Ministry of Agriculture has asked the people not to panic as the flu has not spread in other areas.
Bird flu has spread in the neighbouring country, so Nepal is not totally free the risks, Dr. Dahal said.
Meanwhile, price of chicken has gone down heavily in Saptari district for the past few days.
According to Mohamad Nijam of Apan Kishan Fresh House, price of chickens was sold at Rs. 140 per kg, down from Rs. 240. Mohamad Abul of Kisan Fresh House said they were compelled to slash the price after chicken as supply was more than the demand.
Abul added that there is no alternative to decreasing the price of chicken. More than 2,000 kgs of flesh is being consumed per day at the district headquarters, Rajbiraj. Poultry farmers have been hit hard due to lowering of the price of chickens.
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