Fifth Asian Rural Tourism festival from January 25; Alcohol control drive

Kathmandu / Jan 11: The fifth Asian Rural Tourism Festival is to take place at Bahundangi of Jhapa from January 25.

The five-day festival aims to internationalise the cultural, ethnic and linguistic identity and tourism market of the Province 1. According to festival organizing committee coordinator Arjun Karki, Nepal, India and Bhutan are taking part in the event to be held targeting the Visit Nepal Year 2020.

The festival is to be supported by local government (Mechinagar municipality), Province 1 government, Nepal Tourism Board, the Tribhuvan University, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Bahundangi Jaycees, Green Generation and Travel Association of Jhapa.

Tourist-guide training, Gandharva singing competition, art competition and stalls relating to local cuisine will remain as the central attractions of the festival. Travel Association, Jhapa chair Neer Bahadur (Netra) Karki expressed his hope that the festival would be a milestone in creating an atmosphere for rural tourism.

Alcohol control drive

Meanwhile, the Inland Revenue Office, Bhadrapur has decided to control the free-trade of alcohol in the district, bearing in mind the growing cases of crime and domestic violence due to the alcohol consumption. Information about this was given at a press meet here Thursday.

It may be noted that all the 15 local levels in Jhapa, people involved in hotel business, the District Police Office Jhapa, the Jhapa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other organisations on September 7, 2018came up with a 12-point commitment to declaring the district alcohol –controlled zone from coming January 15.

As stated by Inland Revenue Office chief Bodhraj Dahal, various awareness and orientation programmes with the massive participations of women will kick off from January 25 at several wards to make the drive successful.

According to him, the legal provision that bans the sale of alcohol and beverage in a certain distance (within 100 metres) of hospital, academic institutions and places of public importance shall be immediately implemented. RSS