FIRE DESTROYS 77 HOUSES IN SAPTARI Kathmandu, 2 April: Seventy-seven houses were destroyed in an overnight fire at a Musahar section of Babhukuwa-3, Kadaharba in Saptari. Domestic animas were killed in a fire that didn’t claim human lives. Damage is estimated at least Rs,10 million. This is the season for fire and storm in the terai. nnnn . SOUTH ASIAN POVERTY MEET 5 APRIL Kathmandu, 2 April: The third ministerial-level meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries on poverty alleviation is scheduled to be held in the capital on April 5, Friday. Information about this was shared by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation at a press meet here on Tuesday. The meeting shall be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Prior to the meeting, the fifth SAARC secretariat meeting will be held on April 4. Government ministries and senior office bearers of all the SAARC countries are participating in the meeting. Secretary at the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Rana Bahadur Shrestha said the member countries would discuss about their respective initiatives for poverty alleviation, and chart out a plan for the future. They would also review the activities carried out in course of observing the poverty alleviation decade (2006-2015), with a focus also on socio-economic development issues, he said. The decisions and recommendations of the meeting would be made public through a press meet on April 6. nnnn