Chitwan, January 12

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane has pledged to work for the uplift of the Tharu community.

In his address to the inauguration of the eighth Khichara festival at Khairahani in east Chitwan today, he said the government and his ministry would emphatically work to resolve the problems of the Tharu community.

'I will remain attentive to address the issues of Tharu community for their uplift and development,' he noted, adding that such festivals would really contribute to preservation of the culture of the indigenous community.

'Other communities should also learn the culture and respect the hospitality of the Tharu community,' Home Minister Lamichhane added.

On the occasion, Minister of Economic Affairs and Planning of Bagmati Province Jagannath Upadhyay said the Tharus' Maghi festival had now become the common celebration of the entire community.

'I expect the festival to play a spectacular role in the overall betterment of Chitwan,' he said.

He said Bagmati Province government would take initiative to develop tourism infrastructure fin Chitwan.

It may be noted that the Tharu Kalyankari Sabha Chitwan Constituency-7 has been organising the festival on the occasion of Maghe Sankranti every year. The festival will continue up to January 18.

Coordinator of the Festival Main Organising Committee Krishna Lal Chaudhary said that emphasis had been laid on the customs, traditions and culture as well as food varieties of the Tharu people across the country. He said the festival was an effort to bring together the cultural diversities of Tharus residing in 25 districts of Nepal. The festival has 150 commercial stalls, including that of 30 hotels.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Lamichhane directed the authorities to stop the unlawful import of chicken and eggs.

At a discussion organised here today by poultry entrepreneurs, Minister Lamichhane issued directive to the district-based security agencies to stop illegal import of chickens and related products.

Earlier, the entrepreneurs had drawn the attention of the home minister towards the import of chickens and eggs through different checkpoints of the country.

Minister Lamichhane had telephoned security officials of Nepalgunj, Sindhuli and Sarlahi to check the illegal import of chicken. Also today, he expressed the government's commitment to address the challenges that had surfaced in the industrial sector and committed to put coherent efforts for expansion of the private sector.

A version of this article appears in the print on January 13, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.