- Friday, 29 August 2025
Dhanushadham, Aug 11: Almost 77 per cent of paddy seedlings transplantation was completed until the first week of August in the eight districts of Madesh Province, the Agricultural Development Directorate confirmed.
Directorate’s Director Jitendra Yadav said that Bara district recorded the highest progress in paddy seedlings transplantation with 95 per cent while Mahottarai has the least progress (61.5 per cent).
Among the districts, Parsa reported the progress with 92 percent of its paddy fields transplanted, followed by Rautahat at 85 percent, Sarlahi at 75 percent, and Dhanusha, Saptari and Siraha each at 70 percent.
The paddy transplantation activities gained momentum since the rainfall began. Of the total 372,645 hectares of land allocated for paddy cultivation, paddy seedlings transplantation was completed in 285,335 hectares of land so far.
Yadav shared that paddy seedlings transplantation is expected to reach around 80 per cent of the total target this year, resulting in reduced paddy production. According to Director Yadav, paddy production could decrease by some 27 per cent this year due to delayed seedling transplantation.
The recent rainfall that was almost regular over the past weeks has brought much-needed relief to farmers across the province. Many fields had developed fissures due to prolonged dryness and the rains have not only irrigated land, but also brought relief and joy to farmers.
Prior to the rains, farmers were relying heavily on deep tube wells for irrigation, a costly and challenging alternative, particularly in areas with unreliable electricity supply.
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Non-Residential Ambassador Paudel presents letters of credence
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Nepal’s Ambassador to Qatar and Non-Residential Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ramesh Chandra Paudel, presented his letters of credence to the President of Iran Dr Masoud Pezeshkian amidst a special function in Tehran.
In a courtesy meeting after presenting his letters of credence, Ambassador Paudel stated that Nepal and Iran have enjoyed friendly ties since the establishment of diplomatic relations and added that there were possibilities of mutual cooperation in the areas of investment, trade, tourism, agriculture, and education.
Likewise, Ambassador Paudel conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Ramchandra Paudel from the people of Nepal for the personal health and happiness of the President of Iran and the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Iran.
On the occasion, the Iranian President asked Nepal’s Ambassador Paudel to convey his greetings and best wishes to the President of Nepal and the people of Nepal for their continued progress and prosperity, according to the Embassy of Nepal in Qatar.
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Meetings of four parliamentary committees scheduled today
Kathmandu, Aug 11: Four parliamentary committees of the Federal Parliament are holding their meetings today.
As scheduled, meetings of the Finance Committee; Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee; Agriculture, Cooperative and Natural Resources Committee and Legislation Management Committee are taking place.
The Finance Committee is expected to hold clause-wise discussions on the Alternative Development Finance Mobilization Bill.
Likewise, the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee would hold clause-wise discussions on the Nepal Bar Council (Second Amendment) Bill.
According to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, the Agriculture, Cooperative and Natural Resources Committee is expected to discuss the Hindu-Kush Himalaya Parliamentarians’ Meet-2025.
Similarly, the theoretical discussions on the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill are expected at the meeting of the Legislation Management Committee.
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Province govt. to provide Rs 500,000 in compensation for deceased Bharat
Chaudhary’s family
Sudurpaschim, Aug 11: The Sudurpaschim Province Government has decided to provide Rs 500,000 in compensation for the family of Bharat Chaudhary, an inmate who was killed in a clash in Kailali Prison on Friday night.
A meeting of the security committee held on Sunday evening in the presence of the Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province Government, Kamal Bahadur Shah, decided to provide the amount to the family of Chaudhary, according to a press statement released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.
Likewise, the meeting decided to ensure free treatment to those injured in the clash. The meeting took the decisions to make provisions for the security of the prison house, ensure resource management, install CC cameras, and carry out the maintenance of the prison, read the press statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Hira Singh Sarki, chiefs of security bodies from Sudurpaschim Province, the Chief District Officer of Kailali, representatives of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Inmate Chaudhary from Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City-4, died on Saturday during his treatment following a clash between prisoners in the jail on Friday night. It is said that 44 prisoners were injured in the incident. The clash erupted between inmates residing in Block ‘A’ and Block ‘B’ of the jail. Currently, there are altogether 680 inmates in Kailali Prison despite its capacity to house just 100.
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Three dead, 15 injured in Sunsari road accident
Dharan, Aug 11: At least three persons were killed and 15 others were injured as two vehicles collided head on along the East-West Highway in Bhokraha Narsingha Rural Municipality-3 in Sunsari district.
Yograj Khatiwada, the Spokesperson of District Police Office, Sunsari, said that the accident happened after a bus (Me 1 Kha 1799) heading to Diktel by carrying passengers from Kakadbhitta in Jhapa district and a micro bus (Province 2-01-001 Ja 0047) from the opposite direction collided head on at 7:15 this morning.
Police have not confirmed the identity of the deceased persons so far. The injured persons have been rushed to different hospitals in Inaruwa and Biratnagar. Police have taken bus driver Gopal Adhikari of Arjundhara Municipality-1 from Jhapa under control.
Details of the accident are awaited.
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Beni-Jomson road section blocked
Myagdi, Aug 11: The Myagdi section of the Beni-Jomson road was blocked from early morning today following the landslides occurred in different areas in Myagdi district.
The Traffic Police Office in Myagdi shared that landslides have occurred at different places in Raghuganga Rural Municipality and Annapurna Rural Municipality leading the vehicular disruption along the Beni-Jomsom road section.
Chief of the Office, Assistant Police Inspector, Bishal Darjee said that efforts are ongoing to resume the traffic after clearing the obstructions by mobilizing bulldozers.
With the vehicular obstruction, direct road connectivity between Mustang and Myagdi district was disrupted. Likewise, air service to and from Pokhara-Jomson is closed citing unfavorable weather condition.
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Bridge construction in limbo for 14 yrs
Siraha, Aug 11: The construction of a bridge over the Kamala River that connects Siraha to Dhanusha district remains incomplete for 14 years. The contractor was awarded the project in 2068 BS to construct the 469-metre-long bridge in three years.
With the delay in the bridge construction, the people in the two districts have faced severe challenges and are compelled to cross the river by putting their lives at risk. Currently, the people there are crossing the river through a makeshift wooden bridge.
“We have faced hardships for long,” Prabin Yadav of Siraha-6 told the RSS. The existing wooden bridge is risker but there was no option left, he added.
Worse still, the motorcycle riders have to pay upto Rs 50 for crossing the river by using the wooden bridge though the municipality said there is no charge for using the wooden bridge.
The Pappu-Lumbini JV was given the responsibility for the bridge construction. But, the Lumbini Builders is working currently as the Pappu Construction was blacklisted.
However, the Lumbini Builders has also halted the construction works for the past one month citing that the claim for the insurance was not released for its damage caused due to flooding.
Information Officer of Postal Highway Directorate Planning Office, Janakpur, Engineer Ranjit Kumar Raya said that processes have been initiated to blacklist the Lumbini Builders for its failure to complete the project by halting the construction works.
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