UML STUDENT STABBED Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: Prakash Shahi of All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) leader affiliated with UML.was stabbed with atTahachal education campus Monday morning. He was chairman of the campus. He is undergoing treatment for head wounds at a a hospital. Nnnn CAPITAL’S MINIMUM TEMPERATURE 5 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: The capital’s minimum temperature Monday is expected to be 5 degrees Celsius. The mercury is expected to rise to 21 degrees in the afternoon. nnnn PM SAYS NO RESIGNATION WITHOUT PARLIAMENT Kathmandu 17 Dec.:: At a time when the major political parties claim to be inching closer to finding a consensus prime ministerial candidate, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Sunday said he would not step down any time soon, Kalendra Sejuwal writes in Republia from Surkhet. He said he will not step down bowing to opposition pressure. “Does any prime minister elected from parliament step down when there is no legislature? Does it happen anywhere in the world? Ask the opposition leaders first,” Bhattarai told media persons at Surkhet Airport on Sunday. Stating that efforts were being made to transform his government into a national consensus coalition, Bhattarai said that the ruling parties are still working for the same. “Holding election between mid-April to mid-May is essential if we are to end the political deadlock,” said the prime minister. “For that, all the sides should cooperate with the government to proceed ahead by amending election-related laws and constitutional provisions [by endorsing an ordinance].” The prime minister said that the election commission has informed the government that it needs at least 120 days to prepare for the polls and made it clear that political parties must sign a political deal before that. After failing to hold Constituent Assembly (CA) election scheduled for November 22, the prime minister announced to hold fresh polls between mid-April to mid-May. The prime minister didn´t announce a specific date saying that the date should be fixed through political understanding. He said there is no point in the president repeatedly extending the deadline and termed the head of state´s call as “informal”. “The president will do nothing even if there is no agreement among the political parties,” said the prime minister. Road access to Mugu Prime Minister Bhattarai, who reached Mugu in an army helicopter, inaugurated the Nagma-Gamgadhi section of Karnali Highway on Sunday. With the opening of the new road section, Mugu is now connected to road network. Altogether 21 vehicles reached Gamgadhi, the district headquarters of Mugu, through the newly-constructed 94-km road section. Nepal Army had started the road construction project five years ago. Nnnn ACTION INITIATED AGAINST FOUR QUARANTINE OFFICIALS ON KFC ELATED CASE Kathmandu, 17 Dec.: : The government has initiated action against four senior quarantine officials who were found deliberately allowing containers carrying illegally imported chicken from India for international food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken to enter the country, Kriti BHuju reports in Repubica.. Two containers of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken imported by Devyani International, operator of KFC for Nepal and Mango Tree International were taken control by local poultry farmers in Dharke of Dhading on Friday and Saturday. Dr Ram Krishna Khatiwada, deputy director general of Department of Livestock Services told the press conference that process to bring the four officials, who were allegedly responsible for permitting the consignment of the poultry products to enter the country, to justice. Source at the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) told Republica that four officials to face action are all veterinary doctors posted in Central Quarantine and Birgunj Quarantine offices. Prabhakar Pathak, spokesperson of the MoAD told Republica that all four officials, who are found to have been involved in allowing the chicken products to enter the country illegally have been summoned to the MoAD on Sunday as a preparation of the action against them. Source said those officials facing the action are chief and deputy chief of Birgunj Quarantine, chief of Aanptari Internal Quarantine Office and senior official of Central Animal Quarantine. “We have initiated investigation into the case. We will take appropriate action against those found involved in the case,” said Pathak. Pathak also said Jaya Mukunda Khanal, secretary at MoAD directed the Deputy Inspector General of Armed Police and Nepal Police, Director General of Customs Department and Director General of Department of Customs to initiate measures to end the existing lapses in customs and quarantine process and make sure that such cases will not occur again. Two cargo containers were found ferrying the chicken consignments along the Prithvi Highway. In a bid to minimize the risk of bird-flu, the government imposed a ban on the import of poultry products since 2008 from several countries, including India, where outbreak of the avian influenza was reported. Cases of bird flu have been reported in Nepal more than two-dozen times since the imposition of the ban. According to Khatiwada, the consignment included 10,866 kg of frozen and ready-to-eat chicken worth about Rs 4 million. The seized chicken products, which were found rotten producing foul smell, were dumped in presence of local farmers. The customs clearance papers for the consignment also confirm that the chicken originated at Venkey´s poultry farm in Pune, India. A panel led by Uttam Bhattarai, joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Development (MoAD) has been formed to investigate the case and provide detail on the imports of chicken to the country, within five days. “It is very serious case that international food chain like KFC show no concern about the impact on public health due to the imports of chicken from India where bird-flue cases is regularly occurring,” said Dr Nar Bahadur Rajwar, director general of DoLS. He also said that the illegal import of chicken has not only risk health hazards but also inflict losses on poultry industry in which Nepal is self sufficient. Meanwhile, KFC operated business as usual on Sunday Nnnn