LT. GEN GAURAV SHUMSHERE RANA FORMALLYTAKES CHARGE AS CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF IN SMOOTH TRANSITION Kathmandu, 10 Aug.: Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Gaurav Shumsher J.B. Rana formally took charge as the Chief of Army Staff from Friday, RSS reports. A meeting of the Council of Ministers on August 1 had assigned Rana the responsibility of Acting Chief of Army Staff effective from today. The government gave the responsibility of Acting Chief of Army Staff on seniority basis since Chief of Army Staff Chhhatraman Singh Gurung stayed on leave from today, one month ahead of the termination of his three-month tenure. Rana would be promoted to the post of Chief of Army Staff after the expiry of Gurung's term as the Army Chief on September 9. Nnnn MOHOTTARI STORM CAUSES DESTRUCTION ESTIMATED AT ONE MILLION RUPEES Kathmandu, 10 Aug.: Property worth more than a million rupees was damaged by windstorm in Mahottari district on Thursday night, RSS reports from Bardibas. The windstorm that lashed in the district late midnight blew away the roofs of schools, libraries and other community buildings in the central part of the district. According to District Police Office Mahottari, Loharpatti, Bagada, Padail, Khutta Pipradhi, Dhamaura, Banauta and Ram Gopalpur VDCs have witnessed the effects of the windstorm. The Bherukhi Higher Secondary School based in Loharpatti has been the most affected VDC by the windstorm. An alabaster roof of 100-meter long school building was blown away by the windstorm. Relief works will be started after collecting the details of damage, CDO Pradip Raj Kandel said. Nnnn UPDATE BHATMHATENI FIRE Kathmandu, 10 Aug.: A fire at a cotton godown Friday in Bhatbhateni caused damage estimated at four million rupees, police said. The fire didn’t spread to neighbouring houses in the crowded town. Firefighters were delayed in reaching Bhatbhateni because of a transport strike. Electric short-circuit may have caused the fire, police estimate. Nnnn