FORMER KING SAYS NEPALIS AND WELL-WISHERS WORRIED Kathmandu, 13 Aril: Former King Gyayendra said in a New Year greetings to countrymen Sunday Nepalis and well-sishers of Nepal are worried. “But while looking back at the past years, we get to see the Nepali people and Nepal’s well-wishers worried now,” the former king said. He’s in Bangkok where son Paras Shah has now been admitted to a rehabilitation center for treatment following a heart attack.. “At the changed context, it has been a matter of interest and review, in Nepal and outside, how the time elapsed.. “At present, it has been clear that the time should not be wasted for safeguarding nationality and national interests and uplifting the people. ”Likewise, I believe that there should be participation of all sides in strengthening the nationality and people-oriented democratic system,” he said. ”May the New Year 2070 be successful in building up an appropriate system to coordinating and strengthening Nepal and all the communities, he said in the roundabout message embellished with highfaluting words.” Nnnn CAPITAL’S SUNDAY MORNING TEMPERATURE 15 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 13 April: Capital’s Sunday morning temperature at seven was 16 degrees Celsius.. Mercury on a cloudy afternoon is expected to rise to 34 degrees Celsius. Nnnn FIRE CAUSES WIDESPREAD DAMAGE IN THREE DISTRICTS Kathmandu, 13 April: As many as 287 houses were reduced to ashes in separate fire incidents in Parsa, Rautahat and Dang districts on Saturday, Rabi Dahal Prabhat Kumar write in The Himalayan Times from Nirgunj and Rautahat. A total of 175 houses were destroyed when fire broke out in Parsa’s Dhore, Mirjapur and Chorni VDCs. Property worth Rs five crore was damaged in the blaze. One-hundred-and-thirty-two houses in Dhore, 39 in Mirjapur and four in Chorni were destroyed in the blaze.The fire that started at wards 2, 6 and 9 in Dhore at 1:00 pm was brought under control after three hours. The fire had started from Ramanand Sahani’s kitchen. Nepal Police, APF and locals had doused the fire with the support of fire engines from Birgunj sub-metropolis and India’s Raxaul municipality. The fire that started from the house of Rampukar Yadav at Mirjapur destroyed property worth Rs 3.8 million. Parsa CDO Benimadhav Gyawali said the DAO had distributed relief to victims with support from Birgunj chapter of Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Nepal Red Cross Society, Parsa. The fire that broke out at Rautahat’s Jigadiya VDC and its neighbouring VDC Raghunathpur, reduced 100 houses to ashes. The fire had started from Sakur Miya’s house in Jigadiya, but the strong wind caused the fire to spread. Nepal Police, Nepali Army and APF personnel were deployed to control the blaze. It is yet to come under control. Six persons were injured. SP Govindaram Pariyar said efforts to douse the fire were under way. Details of the damage are yet to be ascertained. Meanwhile, 12 houses were destroyed when a blaze engulfed them at Dang’s Gadhawa. The fire had started from Pappu Pathan’s house due to electric short circuit. Police, APF and locals are working to douse the fire with the support of fire engines. nnnn