INTEGRATED TEAMS DETERMINED TO DISTRIBUTE CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATES, UPDATE VOTERS’ LIST , Kathmandu, 21 April: - Government authorities have said they will not backtrack on their plan to distribute citizenship certificate s to those deprived of it and the subsequent voter roll update despite objections from some parties, The Kathmandu Post reports.. "The government has already mobilised teams while integrated citizenship camps will distribute the cards accordingly," said a senior Home Ministry official. The government, which has already dispatched 305 mobile teams for voter roll update, is set to mobilise additional 561 integrated teams of officials from the ministry and the Election Commission from Sunday for citizenship distribution. Chief Election Commissioner Neel Kantha Uprety said the integrated teams will start their job after their formal launch in the five development regions. He said any obstruction from any groups in their work will be dealt with politically. A timely debate on conflicting issues is welcome, said Uprety. "But continued obstructions may affect the upcoming polls." (Note: Fifty-three opposition parties, including CPN Maoist said they will handover a memorandum to the commission Sunday opposing the distribution and update.) nnnn EXTENSIVE HAILSTONE DAMAGE IN PYUTHAN Kathmandu, 21 April: - A flashflood triggered by hailstorm and downpour damaged crops, disrupted transportation and swept away drinking water pipes in the north-eastern part of the district on Friday nightm The Kathmandu, Post reports from Pyuthan.. The natural fury greatly affected normal life in Okharkot, Badikot, Tushara, Narikot, Liwang, Khung, Puja, Rajawara and Arkha VDCs in the district. Aglung VDC of neighbouring Gulmi district was also affected due to the downpour. Incessant rain and hailstorm inundated 10 houses at Chisapani in Okharkot VDC-5, destroying food grains and other valuables. "It rained for around two hours. If the rain had continued, the flashflood would sweep away the whole settlement," said Dan Bahadur JC, a local resident. Similarly, a flashflood along with hailstrom at Aalkhola stream in the border of Okharkot and Badikot swept away a motorable bridge and water pipes. Scores of passengers have been stranded after transportation along the Pyuthan -Gulmi road stretch was disrupted. The hailstorm damaged vegetables and wheat planted on hectares of land in the area. "We are assessing the damage incurred by rain and hailstorm ," Chief District Officer Kamalmani Kafle told the Post after visiting the affected area on Saturday. He said the local administration in coordination with the authorities concerned would provide relief to the affected villagers. nnnn SUSPECT ARRESTED IN INDA FOR RAPE OF FIVE-YEAR-OLD Kathmandu, 21 Apeil: Indian police arrested a man on allegations of rape and torture of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, a spokesman said on Saturday, after the incident triggered protests and revived memories of a brutal December assault on a woman that shook the countrym Reuters reports from New Delhi. The man, 22, was arrested from eastern Bihar state, and is being brought to the capital, Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said. The accused was a neighbor of the girl and did odd jobs, he said. The assault on the girl, which left her in a critical condition, revived memories of the gang rape by five adult men and a teenaged boy of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a bus on December 16 in New Delhi. That woman died of her injuries in a Singapore hospital where she was brought as anger poured in the streets of Delhi and elsewhere over the lack of safety for women. Television images on Saturday showed people again gathered in front of the Delhi police headquarters and the specialty hospital where the latest victim was battling for life, chanting slogans and demanding better law enforcement in a city of 16 million people. More protests were planned for Saturday, and security has been beefed up, television reports said. The girl, whose parents work as laborers and live in a slum in the outskirts of Delhi, went missing from home on April 15, according to Manish Sisodia, an official of the Aam Aadmi Party which organized Friday's protest. She was found with bruise marks on her body in the suspect's house in a semi-conscious condition on Thursday by police after her parents had registered a complaint, media reports said. The suspect allegedly held the girl hostage for three days during which he rape d and tortured her. B.N. Bansal, a doctor from the Swami Dayanand Hospital, said that the young victim had undergone an operation after she was brought in. "The next 48 hours will be crucial for her." Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office said in a statement that he was deeply disturbed by the latest incident. In December his administration had faced criticism for failing to respond to public anger over the horrific attack on the physiotherapy student. The unprecedented protests by thousands of people across India eventually forced Singh's government to pass tougher laws to fight gender crimes in March. But activists on Friday said the laws were not enough to deter sex offenders in India's largely patriarchal societies. "If you thought just bringing in a new law will stop crimes, your are wrong. They will reduce, but won't stop. You need community policing to stop these crimes," activist Kiran Bedi told an Indian TV channel. nnnn