- Sunday, 12 April 2026
The Rising Nepal
Jhakri Dance Festival begins with fanfare in Rukum
Jhakri Dance Festival has started with much fanfare in Bhume Rural Municipality- 1,Lukum in East Rukum. It is said that the Jhakri Dance, which began on Tuesday, will continue till coming Saturday. The dance is performed in Lukum every year during the time of Sawan Sankranti festival.
Our goal is to improve living standard: Thapa
Kedar Thapa, who began his political career as a leader of Nepal Student Union, during the time of partyless polity, is now mayor of Ilam Municipality. He was elected to the post from the ticket of the Nepali Congress in the May 13 local level election by defeating his friend and UML candidate Dhiren Chemjong. Earlier, Thapa had led Tarun Dal in Ilam. On Wednesday, Mayor Thapa shared the development plans of Ilam Municipality with Kokila Dhakal, Ilam correspondent of TRN. Excerpts: What do you see as the main needs of Ilam Municipality?Our most pressing need is to raise the living standard of the people. We need to think about how to deliver prosperity to our poor and disadvantaged denizens. We also need to improve our education. We need to reduce the gap between the public and private schools. Another thing we have to focus on is expanding access to health. We have to bring all the citizens under the health insurance scheme and ensure they get reliable health services when needed. The city also needs to work on constructing all-weather roads connecting its all wards.How do you plan to fulfil these needs?We plan to develop one community school each in wards 2, 3, 11 and 12 as model schools by reforming the curriculum. These model schools will provide improved scientific education. We will gauge the success of this programme in these four schools and then expand it to other educational institutions as well. There is a gap between the educational level of the core city and the village development committees added later to make the present-day Ilam Municipality. We plan to close this gap by improving the standard of schools in the later-added remote areas.What projects has the municipality prioritised?We plan to provide three-year scholarships to two community school students who achieve the best results in their Secondary Education Examination (SEE). This scholarship will be given for the students to study in the technical schools of the municipality. We have also prioritised the establishment of a medical college and an agriculture research centre. We have to manage land for the medical college. Our previous mayor began work for this and we are following up on the progress. Land has already been managed for the research centre. We also plan to purchase a roller to upgrade our roads. This year, immediately after our election, we had to focus on preparing the budget so we could not lobby for our projects at the federal and provincial levels. Nevertheless, we are in constant contact with them and are working to get the necessary budget allocated.How will you manage budget and resources to execute the municipality’s plans and projects?We have received budget for pre-approved projects, many of which, are almost complete. These projects include the stadium being constructed in ward 10, multi-storey parking being constructed in ward 7 and a few bridges. We have received nominal budget for several new projects as well but are still looking for more resources. However, we did not receive any money from the provincial government this year for the development of our tourism infrastructure. The provincial minister for tourism hails from Ilam but still, we did not get any budget. This is rather unfortunate. Minister Khinu Langwa Limbu seems to have snubbed her home district. At the federal level, we are working with the Nepal Tourism Board to get some budget.As per our previous pledges, we have reduced taxes and to make up for the lost revenue and increase the municipality’s overall income, we have formed a Revenue Consultation Committee. We are presently waiting for its recommendations.How is Ilam Municipality working to meet the spirit and vision of the new constitution?The local level will proceed according to the letter and spirit of the constitution. We always put the people at the centre of all our policies. We work to fulfil the needs of our citizens, not the interest of the elected representatives. We try to develop programmes with long-term benefits.How does the local government plan to utilise the infrastructure already constructed?We are discussing with airline companies for the operation of commercial flights to and from the Phalgunanda Sukilamba Airport. We are trying to utilise the open space at the district headquarters for sports. We are coordinating with the relevant authorities, including the federal government, to preserve the historic tea estates of Ilam and promote it as a national heritage. We are also pondering on how to utilise few other structures that the municipality has constructed.Have you succeeded in bringing Singhadurbar to Ilam? What have you done? What remains to be done?We are working to realise the dream of Singhadurbar in villages through infrastructure and social development. The municipality and its wards have received many rights and powers which should be utilised. We have not fully brought Singhadurbar to Ilam but we are on our way.How will Ilam Municipality be at the end of your five-year tenure?The residents of all the wards will be able to travel to the district headquarters easily. We want to revolutionise the electricity, education, agriculture, health, drinking water and infrastructure here. Most importantly, our goal is to improve people’s livelihoods.
Hat Bazar obstructs vehicular movement
The road connecting Dhalkebar with Janakpur has six lanes and is almost always busy. To accommodate the vehicles that ply the road every day, four bridges have been constructed over the Aurahi River at Mahendranagar. Of the four bridges, the middle two are meant for large vehicles while those on the left and right are meant for light automobiles and bicycles. However, two days a week, the easternmost bridge gets occupied by vendors who set up open-air shops on the lane where vehicles are meant to drive on. The shop-owners themselves admit that this makes driving difficult and increases the risk of accident for both them and the motorists. But they still encroach upon the bridge nonetheless.
Farmers begin collective vegetable farming
Seven groups combined have started commercial farming by creating vegetable block in Thulo Harre village in Bheriganga Municipality-4 of East Surkhet. A total of 182 households are there in the block, each with an average earning of five lakh per season. The total earning of the block in a season is more than ninety million rupees.
Falling victims of loan shark and gambling, Jhapa youths becoming homeless
A group has been found hosting illegal gambling in Jhapa, enticing youths there to play the game and lending money for exorbitant interests. The gang used to ask people to issue cheques, which when got bounced later resulted in the victims being arrested on charge of cheque bouncing. There was a clash between the villagers of Simalwadi, Jhapa Rural Municipality-3, the police and the loan shark hosting illegal gambling after they reached the village to arrest 40-year-old Ashok Rai at his house on Saturday morning.
Shree Steels begins exporting rods to India
Shree Steels has started exporting TMT rods to India. With this, steel has become the second construction commodity to be exported to India after cement. Inaugurating the export, Shree Steels sent 35 tons of rod by a truck to Kunserwa in Maharajgunj, India via Belhiya border in the first batch. Shree Steel's Director, Rajesh Agarwal, informed that the aim is to continue and increase exports as per the demand in the coming days. He said that the export was started according to the export policy introduced in the recent budget. "The industry which has been facing the problems of loadshedding and power tripping, also faced the coronavirus pandemic. But now we have begun the export of steel to other countries," Agrawal said.
Oppn MPs seek clarity on SPP withdrawal
Parliamentarians from the main opposition CPN-UML have sought an answer from the government regarding the rejection of the State Partnership Program (SPP) and demanded that the letter sent to US on this issue should be made public in both the Houses of Federal Parliament. Participating in the House session on Wednesday, the opposition parliamentarians demanded an answer regarding the government's withdrawal of the State Partnership Program (SPP) and revelation of correspondences made with the United States.
Why Alternative Forces Fail In Nepal?
Last fortnight, a widely known left-leaning political functionary and popular blogger from Kapilvastu Bishnu Hari Sharma made a fervent plea to Dr. Babu Ram Bhattarai to take a radical break from the conventional adversarial type politics dulled by a full bag of hollow promises, rhetorics, slogans and demagogic platitudes without any attention to delivery and fulfillmernt. He called on him to take cues whatever from Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's style politics where he focusses more on accountability and delivery, less on rhetoricsm, demagoguery and tongue lashing. An anti-corruption civl scoiety champion Kejriwal shot into promince in the political domain of India when his party Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) smashed the power citidels of both Congress (I) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last province level elctoral competititon.
Preserve The Mid-hill Springs
Natural spring water remains a prime source of water in the Himalayas. The formation of springs occurs generally in the impermeable and sloping ground at the intersection of the groundwater table. A spring, usually, yields water during both rainy and non-rainy seasons, the amount is contingent on the rainfall and the catchment area characteristics. Springs act as a source of fresh water for many communities enabling them to meet domestic, agricultural and livestock-based needs.
On Legalisation Of Hemp
A presidential candidate in Kenya’s 2022 polls is promising to legalise industrial hemp to raise the much-needed funds to cut public debt and boost the economy. The controversial suggestion has sparked debate on the pros and cons of the widely illegal cash crop. George Wajackoyah, a 63-year-old professor, who has a background in law, is one of the four candidates running for presidency in the August 2022 Kenyan elections. He is worried about the country’s rising public debt which now stands over $ 70 billion. Whereas he is popular for ridiculous suggestions, his proposal to legalise industrial hemp has gotten the attention of various stakeholders.
China to host Asian Games in 2023 after Covid postponement
China will host the 2022 Asian Games in autumn 2023, organisers said on Tuesday, after postponing the event in Hangzhou because of Covid-19. The Games were originally scheduled for September this year, but organisers postponed them in May as China tried to stamp out a large Covid resurgence in several parts of the country. The event will now be held in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8 2023, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said. Hangzhou lies less than 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the country's biggest city Shanghai, which endured a months-long lockdown earlier this year as part of the ruling Communist Party's zero-tolerance approach to the virus.
Prakash: Story of youth’s struggle to become teacher
Trailer of Dinesh Raut's Prakash was made public amid a programme in the capital on Tuesday. The story of Prakash is set in Jumla of Karnali Province. Actor Pradeep Khadka, the main character of the film, has portrayed the struggle of a man to become a government teacher in the film. Actress Deeya Maskey has played the character of a woman who waits for her husband who had disappeared during the conflict and helps to fulfil her son's dream to become a government teacher.
Sawanaka Dola festival begins with fanfare
Sawanka Dola, a festival which is celebrated in the Rana Tharu community living in Kailali and Kanchanpur of Sudurpaschim Province has begun with much exhilaration. The activity of Sawanka Dola, which is celebrated as a festival throughout the Nepali month of Shrawan in both the districts, started with the beginning of the month. The festival of playing ping (swing) and having fun in the month of Shrawan is called Sawanka Dola.
Production capacity of businesses drops: CNI
The Confederation of Nepali Industries (CNI) has published the fourth issue of the industrial status report after studying the activities of Nepal's industries. Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Dilendra Prasad Badu released the report on Monday. The report includes the detailed data on the condition of the manufacturing and service industries during the third quarter of the last fiscal year 2021/22. According to the report, it has been noticed that the production capacity utilisation of the businesses has decreased during this period compared to the second quarter's report.
EC expands online registration for voter’s roll
The Election Commission has expanded online registration for voter’s roll with photographs in five more districts after the successful implementation of the service in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley. The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday decided to expand the service in Jhapa, Morang, Kavre, Kaski and Chitwan districts to simplify the voter’s registration process, said EC’s under-secretary Surya Prasad Aryal.
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