CPN MAOIST SEIZE GOVERNMENT CHIEF’S FARMLAND IN BARDIYA Kathmandu, 3 April: CPN Maoist have seized 35 bigha farmland of Khil Raj Regmi, chairman of the interim election council, a post equivalent to prime minister, at Chandanpur, Bardiya in the fat-West. Police have been deployed. Nnnn OPPOSITION BLACK FLAG DEMONSTRATION Kathmandu, 3 April: As the size of the parties opposing government and constituent assembly elections swell, the original 33 parties, including CPN Maoist, are coming our on the streets nation-wide Wednesday in black flag demonstrations. The parties are conducting phased opposition that will culminate in a Nepal bandh. The opposition are demanding the ouster of the Regmi government along with its replacement by a national consensus government chosen by a roundtable conference. nnnn DEFECTIONS IN TMDP Kathmandu, 3 April: Accusing party chairman Mahendra Yadav of encouraging “nepotism” and “favoritism” and not working for the cause of the Madhesi people, six leaders of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal (TMDP-N), including General Secretary Govinda Chaudhari, have quit the party en Masse, Gani Ansari writes in Republica.. They tendered their resignation to TMDP chairman during a central working committee (CWC) meeting of the party held in the capital on Tuesday. Apart from Govinda, CWC members Chandan Sah and Din Dayal Chaudhari have also put in their papers. Also, Roshan Kumar Jha, chairman of Nepal Democratic Youth Front, student wing of the party, its central member Radheshyam Sah and Chairman of Ruatahat district chapter of Nepal Democratic Women Front Asha Shekhar have also quit TMDP-N. Govinda and Din Dayal were members of the erstwhile Constituent Assembly (CA). Earlier, central committee member and former lawmaker Urmila Mahato had quit the party and had joined Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D)-led by Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar. Talking to Republica, Govinda said, “The party had been encouraging nepotism and favoritism. This led us to sever ties with the party.” Former lawmakers Mahendra Yadav, Dan Bahadur Chaudhari, Chandan Sah, Urmila Mahato, Govinda Chaudhari, Sumitra Raya Yadav, Arbinda Sah, Salauddin Musalman and Ramani Ram had formed TMDP-N on December 31, 2010 had after severing ties with TMDP-led by Mahantha Thakur. The leaders have also accused Chairman Yadav of conducting party´s activities in “opaque” way. Asked if they have decided to join another party, Govinda said that they would take a decision in this regard at an appropriate time. “We have been holding discussions on the issue but we are yet to reach a conclusion,” he said. Din Dayal said they would gradually make public their reasons behind quitting the party. Despite repeated attempt, Chairman Yadav could not be reached for comments. However, General Secretary Dan Bahadur Chaudhari said that the resignations of the six leaders are yet to be approved by the party chairman. “The meeting did not dwell on the issue of their resignations,” he claimed. Nnnn 90 PERCENT CITY ROAD EXPANSION DRIVE TO BE COMPLETED BY MID-JUNE Kathmandu, 3 April: Though government officials have claimed that 90 percent of the total reconstruction works in all 65 road sections of the expanded roads of Kathmandu and Lalitpur would be completed within this fiscal year, only 11 kilometer has been blacktopped in the last six months, Republica reports.. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) Secretary Tulsi Prasad Sitaula said that more 13 km road construction would complete within three weeks, whereas additional 24 km road would be blacktopped by mid-May. The Kathmandu Valley Town Development Authority (KVTDA) has reclaimed encroached spaces along more than 100 km road during the road expansion drive that was launched in August 2011. After road construction is completed, the government will shift focus to constructing traffic islands and overhead bridges, said Kishor Thapa, secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). Following the complaints of loss of greenery in the capital due to the demolition campaign, the MoUD has also planned to seek budget for reviving the greenery in the next fiscal year. Presenting the progress report on road expansion at the Office of Prime Minister and Council of minister, chief of Kathmandu Town Development Authority mentioned that the electricity pole and the water supply pipes are causing the delay in rebuilding of the roads. Nnnn M