UPDATE PM, PRESIDENT ATTEND INDRA JATRA FESTIVITIES Kathmandu, 29 Sept.: : President Dr Ram Baran Yadav observed the Indrajatra Festival on Saturday at local Hanumandhoka, RSS reports. On the occasion, the President also observed the chariot processions of Shree Kumari, Shree Ganesh and Shree Bhairav. Shree Kumari is known as the living goddess. Locals also performed the traditional Lakhe dance while a contingent of the Gurujuko Paltan presented a march-past around the festival venue on the occasion. Gurujuko Paltan is the army platoon responsible for the management of traditional cultural and religious festivals. General public as well as foreign tourists thronged Hanumandhoka to observe the festival. Seats had been kept for the foreign tourists for their convenience. The people including tourists were busy clicking photos of the event. Indrajatra is an important festival of the Kathmandu people Indrajatra is celebrated every year on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Bhadau as per the lunar calendar. The festival begins with the installation of a wooden pole in front of Hanumandhoka amidst the religious rituals. Vice President Parmananda Jha, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, Chief Justice Khilaraj Regmi, Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Finance Minister Barshaman Pun and high-ranking government officials including the chiefs of the security bodies also attended the Indrajatra ceremony. Also present on the occasion were the heads and representatives of the diplomatic missions based in Kathmandu. Nnnn CPN-MAOIST TO ALLOW TRANSPORT OF ESSENTIALS Kathmandu, 29 Sept Ten different class organizations affiliated to the CPN-Maoist have said Indian vehicles used for the import and export of essential consumer goods of daily use would not be obstructed., RSS reports. In a joint press release on Saturday, the CPN-Maoist class organizations stated that no vehicle with Indian number plate carrying essential goods of daily use including petrol, diesel and gas imported into the country would be prevented. The joint press release also states that the class organizations were also ready to make corrections if what they called the movement for the promotion and expansion of an independent national economy that they have initiated has created any problems to anyone. Among those issuing the press release are Suresh Alemagar, the general secretary of the Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, coordinator of All Nepal Women´s Association (Revolutionary) Jayapuri Gharti, Tilak Pariyar of the Nepal National Da;lit Liberation Front, president of the All Nepal People´s Cultural Federation Ishwar Chandra Gyawali, coordinator of the All Nepal Revolutionary Trade Union Federation Ramdeep Acharya. Nnnn ________________________________________