RAJENDRA PRASAD PANDEY PRESS COORDINATOR OF GOVT. CHIEF Kathmandu, 23 March: Rajendra Prasad Pandey has been appointed press coordinator of government chief Khil Raj Regmi. Pandey has worked in FM radio stations and television networks. Nnnn. NRB DENIES SENSITIVE REPORT Kathmandu, 23 March: Nepal Rashtra Bank (NRB) Friday denied a Nagarik report it was investigating assts of some prominent leaders. The central bank said it was not the property to conduct such investigation. Nnnn LIGHNING CLAIMS 10 LIVES IN 8 DISTRICTS THURSDAY Kathmandu, 23 March:: Lightning claimed 10 persons in eight different districts including Lalitpur district on Thursday, The Rising Nepal writes. . A sixteen-year old girl, Buddha Tamang, a permanent resident of Lele VDC-4 of Lamidanda in Lalitpur district died on the way to hospital on Thursday after she was struck by lightning. The lightning struck directly the home of Dambar Bahadur Tamang at 1:30 pm on Thursday. The lighting struck Dambar and his daughter. According Nepal Police Headquarters, the girl died while she was being rushed to Ananda Ban Hospital near Tika Bhairab. Dambar Bahadur was undergoing treatment at the same hospital, said the bulletin. Similarly, lightning claimed two persons at separate places of Ilam district on Thursday evening. The deceased have been identified as Manjit Subba, 12, of Mangalbare-3, Tapewa and Mekh Bahadur Tamang, 60, of Shantipur. Lightning struck them while they were inside at their home at 9:00 pm. A 75-year old Mahendra Jung Thapa of Borlang VDC-5 of Gorkha district died due to lightning on Thursday afternoon. Thapa died on the spot. Likewise, a minor, Sabina Thapa, died due to lightning in Selang VDC-2 in Sindhupalchowk district. The lightning also injured Sabitri Thapa, 23, Purna Maya Thapa, 29, Ramesh Thapa, 24, SriBahadur Thapa, 84, and Suman Thapa, 12. In Sindhuli district, the bolt from the blue claimed Buddhi Maya Lo, 35, of Netrakali VDC-4 and Bishnu Maya Lo, 29, of the district on Thursday evening at 3:35 pm. Ten others were injured by the lighting. According to the news bulletin, Dil Kumari Sapkota, 5, of Baglung district died due to lightning and 36-year old Kaushila B.K and a minor Uttam Gharti were injured on Thursday. In Khotang, Kumar Khadka, permanent resident of Chisapani VDC-9 died on the spot after they were hit by the bolt from the blue, while 40-year old Ganga Khadka and five-year old Bibek Khadka were injured in the same incident. The house of Khadka’s family was also caught by fire after the area was hit by lgithning. The property worth Rs. 1 million was destoryed in the fire. Likewise, 23-year old Charimaya Tamang of Suri VDC-6 in Dolakha district died on the spot as she too was struck by the lightning at around 1.00 pm. nnnn TIGER COUNT TO INCREASE Kathmandu, 23 March: As tiger count continues in Chitwan National Park and its periphery, technicians are thrilled over the prospects of tiger number going up, Shanta Adhikari writes in The Rising Nepal from Chitwan.. Census technicians have got the indication of the increase from the data of the camera trapped images of the wild cats. Tiger census in Chitwan, the largest tiger habitat of the country, started 26 days ago. A total of 45 census takers are in the field collecting data through image capturing, known as camera trapping. The census technicians, divided into six different groups, have been using 132 cameras simultaneously. Tiger count is also being conducted on the Indian side to avoid duplication from possible trans-border movement. Technicians from both the countries had met and agreed to work in coordinated way and to hold joint data analysis when the count ends. From the preliminary field data collected from the camera trapping, the technicians involved in the census are hopeful that the latest count will see increased number of tigers, said Phanindra Raj Kharel, chief conservation officer of Chitwan National Park. The prospect is based on the available camera trapped photos though total data analysis will take at least three months, said Kharel. Technicians from Chitwan National Park, WWF Nepal and National Trust for Nature Conservation are involved in the census. The tiger habitat covered in this range from Tribeni area of Nawalparasi district and Balmiki, Kasara and Barandabhar areas of Chitwan district which include national park and its buffer zones. High resolution digital cameras are being used in this count while in the past counts pugmarks used to be analysed to determine the number, sex and age of the tigers. In the previous count conducted in 2010, a total of 155 adult tigers were found in Nepal including 125 in Chitwan, 18 in Bardia National Park and four in Parsa Wildlife Reserve. In an isolated count conducted in March 2012, the number of tigers in Bardia National Park in west Nepal was found to have increased to 38 from 18. nnnn