ONE KILLED, NINE INJUED IN THREE VEHICLE PILE-UP Kathmandu, 25 June: A driver was killed and nine were injured in a pile-up of Indian car, a minibus and a water tanker at Bhafal in the capital overnight/ The diver of the minibus died while undergoing treatment at hospital. nnnn ELECTION COMMISION DISCUSSING ELECTION CODE WITH 139 PARTIES Kathmandu, 25 June: Election Commission is holding talks Tuesday with representatives of 139 political parties that have applied to contest the 19 November constituent assembly polls to finalize a code of conduct for the vote. The commission extended invitations to finalize the draft after consultations with government secretaries Monday. nnnn OVERVIEW OF FLOOD, LANDSLIDE DEVASTATION Kathmandu, 25 June: The government said that death toll from the floods and landslides in the Mid Western and Far Western Development Regions has reached 37, The Rising Nepal reports.. Eight persons were still missing and over 137 houses, including government offices, were completely damaged in the flash floods triggered by the torrential rainfalls in Darchula, Kanchanpur and other districts on June 16, said the Ministry of Home Affairs in a press statement issued here Monday. It said that in coordination with the district and regional based security personnel and government officials, the Ministry has expedited relief distribution programmes giving first priority to the severe flood-hit areas. Shanker Prasad Koirala, spokesperson and joint secretary at the Ministry, said that 2,170 kg rice, 180 kg lentils and 300 kg noodles were distributed in Darchula on Sunday. Likewise, 50 families of the district were provided with tent, mat, and blanket. The goods were dispatched to the affected areas through Nepal Army helicopters from Dhangadi. According to the Ministry, till Sunday the flood victims of Darchula received 3,409 kg rice, 314 kg lentil, 75 litres cooking oil, 105 kg beaten rice, 1100 packets of noodles and 62 kg sugar. Similarly, water purification tool kits were also kept in stock in the area. Darchula-flood hit people had so far received relief of Rs. 465,000 in cash. Some sets of telephone lines and equipments were also sent to Khalanga on Sunday, read the statement. The Ministry said that they were collecting further details to find whether some victims were yet to receive relief package provided by the government.. Darchula Natural Disaster Rescue Committee is collecting the details of flood-hit locals. Similarly, Nepal Army choppers from Surkhet lifted food and other essentials goods for Kalikot. Twenty family members were provided relief on Sunday. Family members of three people who had lost their lives were provided Rs. 40,000 each to perform last rituals. The Ministry said it has deployed additional security personnel after the Mahakali River started cutting the edge of Chandani-Dodhara embankment from Sunday. Nnnn NORE ADV IVESTMENT IN GAUTAM BUDDHA AIRPORT EXPECTED Kathmandu, 25 June: The Asian Development Bank is likely to approve additional loan to upgrade the Gautam Buddha Airport into a regional international airport within this weekm Laxman Paudel writes in The Rising Nepal from Bhairahawa.,. Earlier, the ADB had approved a loan of US dollar 38 million for the upgrading of the airport into a regional level international airfield with a runway spreading in an area of 2,600 metres. However, the Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) later decided to extend the runway to 3,000 meters, equal to the Tribhuvan International Airport of Kathmandu, and sent the ADB a proposal seeking a loan of additional Rs. 30 million, which was not approved. Owing to the delay in approving the additional loan proposal from the ADB, the upgrading work of the Gautam Buddha Airport was thrown into uncertainty. "We are in contract with the ADB and waiting for the approval of the latest loan proposal. We have received a positive signal from the bank regarding the additional loan proposal," said Murari Bhandari, chief of the Regional International Airport Construction Project. As the ADB is likely to approve the loan proposal this week, the construction process of the airport will begin immediately after the loan approval, he said. All the internal works are smoothly going on. We are working for the preparation of a global tender, he said. "If the ADB approves the loan proposal within this week, we will immediately forward it to the government and initiate a process to call a global tender;" he said, "the global tender will be called by mid-July if the current pace of works continues," . Design, survey and mapping of the proposed project have been completed. The estimated cost of the project is US dollar 90 million. Out of which, US dollar 68 million is expected from the ADB while CAAN will bear US $ 11 million and rest will be managed by the government. As per the ICAO Code for E, the proposed regional level international airport having run-way 3,000 meter in length will be enough to land and take off Booing 777 or aircraft having up to 52 meter wide and 64.99 metre long body. However, as per the previous proposal, the 2,600-metere airport could be enough only landing and take off of the aircraft having breadth up to 36 to 51.99 meter. The size of the Gautam Buddha Airport after its upgrading will be equal to that of Tribhuvan International Airport. With the delay in initiating the construction work, the airport is expected to be ready by 2017. Earlier, it was expected to complete by 2015. nnnn