SON OF SIRAHA MAOIST LEADER ARRESTED FOR ABDUCTION Kathmandu, 31 Oct.: The son of local leader of the CPN-Maoist-Matrika Yadav group who was wanted by police has been arrested. He is Manoj Yadav, son of Ganapait Yadav, who is the in-charge of the CPN-Maoist Siraha Constituency No. 5 Area Committee, RSS reports from Gokbazzar, Siraha . A special team of the Area Police Office, Golbazaar arrested Manoj from his house at Ayodhyanagar-9 Wednesday morning. Manoj is wanted by the police for the abduction of a student Sandip Yadav from Tenuwapatti in August 2011. Nnnn ACTION AGAINST 18 POLICE PERSONNEL NEPALGUNJ: The Banke District Police Office has taken action against 28 personnel for misconduct, RSS .reports from Nepalgunj. Chief of the Banke DPO, Superintendent of Police Bikram Singh Thapa said personnel against whom action has been taken are of the rank of constable to sub-inspector. The Banke DPO is currently conducting an internal purification drive. The action taken against the erring police personnel ranges from dismissal from service to reprimand and halt in promotion. Thapa said only police personnel who were found guilty of committing misconduct from time to time have been dismissed from service. Nnnn MONASTERY AT MATATIRTHA Kathmandu, 31 Oct.:: The World Buddhist Association is to construct a monastery in the name of Milarepa at Matatirtha of Kathmandu, RSS reports. Milarepa is the Buddhist scholar of the Nigmapa sect under the Mahayana tradition. The monastery will have 50 rooms including a meditation centre and an auditorium. President of the Association, Krishna Kumar Shrestha, said that a plot with an area of approximately 300 ropanis has been purchased and the construction of the monastery will be started from February. The monastery complex will also have two big and five small blocks for different purposes. The estimated cost of the project is around two billion rupees and it will be completed in five years, he said. nnnn GOVT. OPENING NEW HIMALAYAN PEAKS FOR CLIMBERS Kathmandu, 31 Oct.: The government is planning to open new peaks that are in demand for the promotion of mountain tourism and to create new destinations, The Himalayan Times reports.. “We will soon forward our study report of the peaks that can be opened for expeditions like other regular peaks,” said under secretary at the Tourism Industry Division Surendra Sapkota. The division is currently studying applications from various regions that have requested the government to open certain summits for expeditions. “We have a list of applications requesting us to open restricted peaks to create fresh destinations for tourists who arrive in Nepal for mountain and adventure tourism,” said Sapkota. “We are going through the documents and studying peaks that can be allowed for expeditions, and we are also taking suggestions from other related associations on the matter,” he said. “As soon as we prepare proper documents, we will forward them to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, which after further verification will submit the report to the cabinet for final approval,” he said, adding that there is a demand for new peaks and along with the permission to open the peaks, it will definitely attract quality number of mountaineers and create new destinations. “It has been more than eight years since the government last announced new peaks for expeditions, therefore, it is time that the government open new border-peaks for mountaineering,” said former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa. The government had, in 2003, opened 111 new peaks, and later nine other peaks in 2004, but since then no new peaks have been opened. Currently, 326 peaks are allowed for mountain expeditions and adventure sports. “We have also recommended 25 peaks, most of which are border-peaks that can attract quality number of climbers,” said Sherpa, adding government must simplify rules and develop a one-window system so that the process is completed on time. “It has been two years since we recommended names of border-peaks that are in demand among mountaineers,” he said. nnnn