April 1: As many as 63 mountaineers have received permits to climb Mt Everest, the world's highest peak, for this year's spring season.

According to the Department of Tourism, 13 women and 50 men from five different expedition teams took the permits as of Monday.    
Section Officer of the Department, Chun Bahadur Tamang, said altogether 148 persons including 42 women have got their permits to climb different mountains including Mt Everest this season. By issuing permits, the government has collected a total of Rs 105.59 million in royalty so far.    
Issuing a press statement, the department said three expedition teams each have received the permits to climb Mt Amadablam, Mt Annapurna and Mt Everest.    
The department stated that 478 persons had received permits to climb Mt Everest last year. -- RSS