KEROSENE, DIESEL PRICES HIKED Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: Prices of diesel and kerosene were hiked Saturday with immediate effect by Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) The price was adjusted with price of petroleum. Diesel and kerosene prices have been hiked by Rs 2 per liter each. But petrol price has been decreased by Rs 2 . Petrol will now cost Rs 123 per liter. Diesel and kerosene will cost Rs 99. Nnnn WOMEN STILL GO TO GULF THROUGH UNAUTHORIZED ROUTES Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: The number of women taking illegal routes to the Gulf for foreign employment has been found to have been increasing every year, RSS reports from Nepalgunj. The issue came to light with the increasing number of complaints filed at the Maiti Nepal office here to find around 1000 women migrant workers of mid-western region, who have gone missing in the gulf countries and in neighbouring India in the past two years. In the past twelve months alone, complaints were received from 332 families to help find their missing women members, according to Maiti Nepal regional coordinator Keshav Koirala. During the period, the Maiti Nepal office here was able to stop and rescue 245 women and children heading on a hazardous journey for work in India and third world countries. The Office has so far rescued 200 women who had gone missing since landing in the gulf countries. Most of the rescued were found to have been subjected to physical and sexual exploitation, the Office said. As most of the missing women were from backward and poor families, it shows that the major problem of women leaving home for foreign employment was poverty. And women themselves have been found to be working as middle-women inciting their fellow women with promises of safe and good paying jobs abroad, said Koirala. "As women trust women more the middle women are active in the villages to dupe innocent rural women", he added. Nnnn RPP-NEPAL RATHYATRA ARRIVES IN CHITWAN FROM JANAKPUR Kathmandu, 22 Dec.: Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal (RPP-N) Chairman Kamal Thapa has said that the party began religious chariot procession after the status of religion deteriorated in the country, RSS reports from Chitwan. Thapa, who arrived in Chitwan on his party's way to chariot procession, said that corruption and malpractices in politics were increasing due to lack of promotion of religion. Saying that 'dirty games' were underway in the name of politics, the RPP-N Chairman said the country should be declared a Hindu state. The religious chariot procession reached Devghat, the famous religious shrine on the bank of Narayani River, and headed for Lumbini after organizing a corner assembly at Pulchowk in Narayanghat. The religious procession that had begun from Janakpurdham arrived in Chitwan last evening. nnnn