SUSHIL KOIRALA OPPOSES COSTLY GOVT. EXPENSES FORMER PARTY LEADERS WHO HELD TOP POSITIONS IN GOVT. Kathmandu, 28 July:: Nepali Congress (NC) President Sushil Koirala has said that no facilities from state coffers should be given to distinguished personalities active in politics, RSS reports. It was quite irrelevant for the incumbent government with caretaker status to decide to provide privileges to former VIPs instead of maintaining fiscal austerity, President Koirala further said. He was addressing the closing ceremony of the three-day relay hunger strike that was staged by Nepal Civil Society at Shantibatika, Ratna Park since Thursday. The relay hunger strike was organized against the government's decision to provide state facilities to former special personalities. "Every conscious citizen has crucial role in ridding the country of corruption," Koirala noted, adding that the movement initiated by the civil society for fiscal transparency is relevant and genuine. Leader Koirala suggested, "It would be a justified to mobilize the fund required to provide facilities to former special personalities to sustain the livelihood of poor people." NC central member Dr Ram Sharan Mahat said it is unsolicited corruption on the part of the government to decide through ordinance to provide facilities to former special personalities. Chairperson of CPN (Maoist) Matrika Yadav accused Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai of making such decision through ordinance with an eye on facilities that he would get in future through this decision. Society Chairperson and former administrator Khem Raj Regmi said that they would launch nationwide signature campaign against the decision for three days. The Society resorted to hunger strike in protest against the government's decision to bestow facilities such fuel expenses and residential allowances to former Prime Ministers, former Home Ministers and former Chief Justices for lifetime. Some 9,500 persons and 62 organizations had expressed solidarity in the campaign. RSS Nnnn PREGNANT WIFE KILLED BY HUSBAND Kathmandu, 28 July; A man has allegedly murdered his pregnant spouse in Birgunj of Parsa, RSS reports from Parsa.. Badal Gosai (Das) from Bihar, India has allegedly strangulated his wife Soni Devi Gosai. Soni was four months pregnant. Soni was at her maternal home at Bhagawati Tole, Birgunj Sub Metropolis- 5 for few days in course of medical checkup. Badal arrived here to meet his wife yesterday. The Gosai couple had shared a single room in the night. But, in the morning Soni's maternal side opened the door forcefully that was locked from inside as it was remained closed till 10 in the morning today and found their kin dead. Badal was not inside the room. Soni and Badal had tied a nuptial knot in April. Police have suspected that Badal killed his wife by strangling her with a rope. According to spokesperson of District Police Parsa DSP Rabindra KC, an investigation into the case is underway. The body of the deceased has been kept at the Narayani Sub Regional Hospital, Birgunj for post-mortem, it is learnt. nnnn