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The Nepali Congress has said that the governments in Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces were formed in an unconstitutional way.

The Congress said that the Constitution has not given the right to the province chief to take decisions for any political party.

“Governments are currently being formed in the provinces in an unconstitutional way. The process of forming the government in Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces was unconstitutional. The Congress has strong objections to the governments being formed in an constitutional way,” Congress spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat said.

He said that the province government has even violated the order of the Supreme Court.

In the case of the Gandaki Province government, the Supreme Court had issued an interim order not to take a decision that would have long-term effects.

The Gandaki government has been splitting the ministry and making important appointments against the same, the NC said.

“The coalition has even breached the order of the Supreme Court. Appointments are also being made in an illegal way,” leader Mahat said.

Defying the Supreme Court’s order, the province government’s decision was against the interim order, he viewed.

Similarly, Mahat said that the CPN-UML-CPN (Maoist Center) took a wrong step in the Koshi Province also.

He said that the UML-Maoist Center alliance was unnatural. The Congress leader further said that the unnatural coalition will collapse soon.

Checkpoints in Sudurpaschim Province bordering with India will remain closed till April 19 evening.

The border crossings - Jhulaghat of Baitadi, Pulghat of Darchula, Gaddachauki and Brahmadev of Kanchanpur - have remained closed since Tuesday evening.

Chief District Officer of Baitadi, Bhimkant Sharma, said the checkpoints were closed in view of Lok Sabha election taking place in India.

The election is taking place in Uttarakhand and Champawat in India on April 19. The movement along the checkpoints has been completely prohibited during the period due to security sensitivity, he added.

The checkpoints were closed in coordination with Indian officials.

The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) is assisting to construct 250 temporary shelters for the earthquake victims in Sudurpaschim Province.

NRCS is providing this assistance with financial support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Multiple earthquakes that struck the province during the first week of this month had caused more damage in Bajhang and Bajura districts.

NRCS, Emergency Operations Centre coordinator Santosh Neupane said the NRCS is going to construct 250 temporary shelters with toilets for the earthquake-affected families in Bajhang and Bajura districts.

"We have already written to the districts for the construction of the shelters with toilets. We will complete the construction within one month," he said, adding that works on building the shelters will start soon.

He said the amount would also be provided to 600 affected families of the two districts at the rate of Rs 15,000 each for purchasing the essentials.

The NRCS had distributed tarpaulin sheets, blankets, jerry cans, mats and other logistics, reaching to the quake affected families of various municipalities in Bajhang and Bajura districts immediately after the disaster.

NRCS distributed different materials including 415 tarpaulin sheets and 377 blankets to the earthquake-affected families in Bajhang and 515 tarpaulin sheets and 413 blankets, among other relief materials to the needy families in Bajura.

According to the NRCS, a total of 9,876 families are affected in Bajhang. Out of these, the houses of 2,522 families have been completely destroyed and of 7,354 families partially damaged. 

Similarly, 6178 families were affected in Bajura. Out of them, the houses of 1,441 families were completely destroyed and of 4,737 families partially damaged by the tremors.

An earthquake measuring 4.8 on Richter Scale was felt in hilly districts of Sudurpaschim Province including in Baitadi on Monday morning.

The National Seismological Center confirmed that the quake struck at 9:26 am today.

The epicenter of the tremor was at Mirik at Batan, India.

The District Police Office, Baitadi said that the tremor was felt  this morning and so far they have not received any information about the damage.

The leadership of CPN-UML Sudurpaschim Province has been elected unopposed.

Krishna Prasad Jaisi of Achham has been elected unanimously to the post of Chairman.

Along with Jaisi, Kamal Timilsina of Achham, Bh arat Bahadur Saud of Achham and Bachhan Bahadur Singh of Kanchanpur had filed their nominations for the post of Chairman.

Jaisi was elected as the Chairman after Timilsina, Saud and Singh withdrew their nominations.

Similarly, Kali Bahadur Shahi has been elected unopposed as the Vice-Chairman.

Shahi was elected unanimously after Baldev Regmi of Bajura, Hari Singh Saud of Kailali, Rana Bahadur Mahara of Kanchanpur and Gajendra Bahadur Shahi of Dadeldhura, who had field their nominations for the post of Vice-Chairperson, withdrew their candidacies.

Likewise, Rana Bahadur Chand of Kailali has been elected unopposed as the Secretary.

Jeevan Kumar Bam, Rajesh Khati and Ratan Raj Regmi of Kailali had filed their nominations for the post of Secretary.  All of them withdrew their candidacies.

Bhagarati Bista of Kailali has been elected as the Deputy Secretary (Woman).

Kanda Kala Rana of Kailali and Archana Gahatraj of Doti had filed their nominations for the post of Deputy Secretary.

Bista was elected as the Deputy Secretary after Rana and Gahatraj withdrew their nominations.

Similarly, Nar Bahadur Bishwokarma has been unanimously elected as the Deputy Secretary (Open).

Ashok Kumar Chand, Ram Dutta Joshi, Har Dev Joshi, Surendra Bahadur Pal and Ananda Lal Bishwokarma had filed their candidacies for the post of Deputy Secretary (Open).

Nar Bahadur Bishwokarma was elected as the Deputy Secretary after all the five withdrew their nominations.

At least 1,152 cases of scrub typhus have been reported in Sudurpaschim Province in the past two months alone.

According to Hemraj Joshi, Vector Control Inspector of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Health Directorate, Dipayal, Kailali district reported the highest 440 scrub typhus cases. Similarly, 140 cases have been reported in Darchula, 133 in Bajhang, 111 in Achham, 94 in Dadeldhura, 90 in Kanchanpur, 89 in Doti, 48 in Baitadi and seven in Bajura.

The patients are receiving treatment in the various health institutions of the respective districts.

Some of the patients have been discharged. Last year, the province reported 275 cases.

Dadeldhura had the highest 545 cases. Similarly, 529 cases were reported in Kailali, 377 in Kanchanpur, 324 in Darchula, 179 in Baitadi, 141 in Achham, 63 in Bajhang and 62 in Bajura. Symptoms include high fever, headache, excessive sweating, red eyeballs, diarrhoea and rashes over body parts.

People with any of these symptoms should visit a doctor for a diagnosis as symptoms are matched with that of COVID-19, said Joshi, adding that patients will get completely treated after taking medicines. "The infection can take a serious form if not treated timely. It attacks and may damage the brain, liver, lungs and other organs."

The disease spreads to people by the bite of a mite infected with the bacteria that causes scrub typhus fever. It does not spread from person to person, he said. "Infected mites are found in shrubs, farmlands, forests and around houses. To be safe from the insects, people should wear clothes that cover their whole body while working in the farmlands or forests." The infection takes place from July to October.