'Promote sick industries'

Butwal, Sept 21 (RSS): Chairman of Rupendehi District Development Committee Chhatra Singh Malla, speaking at the installation ceremony of the newly elected office-bearers of Rupendehi District Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, said that efforts should be made to promote the sick industries of the country.

Mayor of Butwal Municipality Bhoj Prasad Shrestha said that joint efforts should be made for development of industries.

President of the Western Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs Association Krishna Neupane said that the industrial sector was in a bewilderment because of the lack of a clear industrial policy.

President of the Rupendehi Trade Association Motiraj Gyawali stressed the need for professional solidarity for development of industries.

Chief of the District Cottage and Small Industries Office Ghanashyam Pandey said that competitive attitude should be developed in this sector.

Kishore Gyawali and Hutananda Khanal are the first and second vice-presidents, Ajaj Alam General Secretary, Devendra Dhoju Treasurer, Mahesh Thebe secretary and Netra Pathak, Yasoda Basyal, Upendra Gaire, Dilip Sapkota, Dolraj Kharel, Surya Kumar Shrestha and Navaraj Kunwar members of the Rupendehi district chamber of commerce and industry executive committee.

Meanwhile, after the construction of B.P. Highway many villages of Sindhuli are getting traders who want to buy vegetables and fruits at the doorsteps.

Locals say after the construction of the Second Phase of the B.P. Highway started, traders from Bardibas and other different parts of the Tarai have started to come to the villages of the district to buy vegetables.

Presently, cucumber is much sought after by the traders and those who have not planted cucumber this year are regretting at the opportunity.

"Now there is high demand of cucumber at Sindhulimadhi due to the construction of the highway and the traders are going to the villages to buy the vegetables," villagers say.

For 60-year-old Gyan Bahadur Tamang of Bhote tole, this is the first time in his life that the farmers do not have to carry their products to the market.

The construction of the highway will go a long way in increasing the people's income, he says. Already vegetables and fruits have helped people earning much more than what they used to get," Tamang says.

He says that he has sold about 30 cucumbers and earned about Rs. 300 this year.

In the past, locals used to carry cucumber and other vegetables to the district headquarters. Earlier, cucumber was planted only for consumption at homes.

As the highway has encouraged them to plant vegetables, many farmers have made up their minds to start planting vegetables on a commercial scale.

Wajan Prasad Adhikari, former Chairman of Jalakanya VDC, says that farmers of various VDCs lying close to the highway could reap a lot of benefits from vegetable farming.

Adhikari also says that the steep areas, which are not suitable for planting paddy, maize and other crops, can be used for planting cucumber.