KASKI, DECEMBER 30

Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said the government is committed to conserving the beauty of Pokhara and its lakes.

He stressed the need for the local government to be responsible and sensitive about retaining the city's beauty. 'I want to urge the provincial government to coordinate in this regard. The federal government is always committed to keeping the city peaceful and beautiful forever,' he said while inaugurating the 23rd edition of Pokhara Festival at Lakeside today. The function was organised by Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal, Pokhara.

Reports related to the conservation of Phewa Lake will be studied and implemented, said the minister.

'I want the support of all residents of Pokhara in implementing the reports.'

He also sought support of the local government to fulfil the wish of the federal government to let restaurants and hotels in the tourist areas of the country remain open 24 hours.

On the occasion, Minister of Tourism, Industry, Commerce and Supplies of Gandaki Province Manibhadra Sharma said that the provincial government was ready to cooperate with the private sector to work hand-in-hand for tourism development.

Similarly, Minister of Law, Communications and Provincial Assembly Affairs Bindu Kumar Thapa stressed the need to continue the operation of paragliding at Sarangkot.

Gandaki Provincial Assembly member Rajib Pahari demanded that the federal government declare Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal.

Likewise, REBAN central first vice president Sangharsha Bishta, President of Pokhara Tourism Council Gopi Bahadur Bhattarai, Nepali Congress central member Bahadur Singh Lama and REBAN President Laxman Baral underscored the need to prioritise tourism.

Prior to the inaugural event, 25 cultural groups took out procession that went three kilometres through various areas in the city. The venue for the three-day festival is the three-kilometre road at Lakeside, said festival coordinator Naresh Bahadur Bhattarai. A version of this article appears in the print on December 31, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.