Mobile service launched

DHADING: Important business points in Dhading district along the Prithivi highway have now been provided with mobile telephone services. The centres, regarded important as a result of the huge flow of traffic apart from their business importance, are Khanikhola, Naubise, Dharke, Simle, Malekhua and Benighat. Considering the demand for such services in other parts of the district as well, telecommunication authorities are working to start mobile services in Baireni, Gajuri and Jogimara on the highway and the district headquarters Dhadingbesi. Meanwhile, the telephone services being distributed from the 500-line capacity Dhading exchange has been obstructed again since Friday. The services had resumed just a week ago following the damage caused to the telecommunications tower in Bharavisthan. — RSS

249 registrations scrapped

PANAUTI: The cottage and small industry office, Kavre has cancelled the registration of 249 industries who have failed to renew their registrations. There are altogether 1,935 registered industries in the district, according to the office. The industries with registration cancelled include 48 rice mill, 24 sewing industry, 17 dairy industry, 13 grill workshop, 17 services, nine candle and soap units, five metal units, 13 tiles and stone units, 20 forest-related units, eight contractors, 25 cold stores, hydel, drug and film units, 10 woolen thread units, 16 handicraft units, 22 food industry and two hotels. —RSS

Herbal products in trouble

DOLAKHA: A marketing problem has risen for farmers in the remote Bigu VDC-5 of Dolakha district, who had started herbal cultivation a year ago. The commercial herbal cultivation, which 12 farmers of the village began a year ago, is in crisis now. They had cultivated herbal plants numbering about 1,300, according to farmer Ram Bahadur Khadka. He was in Charikot, 10 miles away from Bigu, in search of market for his products. District forestry office has tried to encourage them for the time being, but farmers say that something should be done on a long-term basis for the marketing their herbs. — RSS

Palpali Karuwa sale falls

PALPA: The making of Palpali Karuwa, a small-size water jar made of metal that once was famous nation-wide, has been on the decline. The dwindling number of tourists visiting Palpa and production of Karuwa, which looks similar to Palpali ones in other parts of the country, are the main reasons for its decline, said local Dipendra Bajracharya. The number of internal and external tourists, who used to come in great numbers in the past, has gone down these days due to fear, he said. Previously more than 1,200 such jars used to be sold. But these days it is hard to sell even half the numbers. — RSS