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A fruit promotion program is being implemented in nine districts of Karnali Province, with the aim of uplifting the living conditions of local communities.

According to the Nuts and Fruits Development Project Implementation Unit in Surkhet, the ambitious program will be rolled out across 20 local units within the province. The focus of the initiative will be on the cultivation and commercialization of fruits such as apples and oranges, along with nuts like walnuts, groundnuts, and pecan nuts.

Chitra Bahadur Rokaya, the project manager, said Karnali has immense potential for fruit farming which is already a significant source of income for many farmers. The program seeks to expand and promote fruit and nut farming in the selected local units of these nine districts, he added.

As part of the initiative, apple farming will be expanded to cover 1,450 hectares, while orange, walnut, pecan nuts, and groundnut farming will extend to 350, 600, 100, and 100 hectares, respectively. The program will specifically promote apple and walnut farming in Jumla, Dolpa, Humla, Mugu, and Kalikot. Meanwhile, orange, groundnut, and pecan nut farming will be promoted in Dailekh, Jajarkot, Salyan, and Rukum West districts.

The unit plans to collaborate with large-scale cooperatives and private sector companies to promote nuts and fruits farming. Farmers with at least four ropani of land are eligible for selection in the program. Funding for the initiative will be facilitated through concessional loans, partial grants, and equalization grants, Rokaya added. “Proposals for investments up to Rs 5m will be handled by the unit itself, while those above Rs 5m will be forwarded to our central office,” he added.

According to the unit, the program will be implemented in Banphikot, Musikot, Sani Bheri, Dhorchaur and Sharada of Salyan; Chhedagad and Junichande of Jajarkot; Aathabis, Narayan and Chamunda Bindrasaini of Dailekh; Shubhakalika and Narharinath of Kalikot; Hima, Sinja and Kanaksundari of Jumla; Khatyad and Soru of Mugu; Tanjakot and Adanchuli of Humla; and Mudkechula of Dolpa.

The program will be divided into three phases. The first phase will focus on creating awareness about fruit and nut farming. The second phase will emphasize production, while the third phase will center around marketing the products effectively. Along with nine districts of Karnali, the project will cover a total of 100 local units in 34 districts across the country. The targeted fruits include orange, sweet orange, lime, apple, walnut, kiwi, avocado, pecan nuts, and groundnuts. The project will cover 10,000 hectares of land and 30,000 farmers. The program is being funded by the concessional loans and grants from the Asian Development Bank.

A clash erupted among the inmates at the District Prison Bhadrapur, Jhapa on Friday. A fire also broke out inside the prison during the clash.

The jailbirds staged a demonstration in protest against the decision to transfer an inmate Manoj Lawati from the Bhadrapur District Prison to Jhumka Prison of Sunsari.

It has been learnt that the inmates are pelting stones at each other.

Thick plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from inside the prison.

The fire engines of Bhadrapur, Mechinagar and Birtamod are trying to extinguish the fire.

A large number of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel are deployed outside the prison.

The details are awaited.

A child died and three others went missing after being buried by a landslide in Dolakha.

Chief District Officer Kamal Prasad Dhamal said that the body of 15-month-old grand-son of local Yagya Bahadur Thami was recovered on Friday.

The landslide triggered by incessant rainfall occurred at Topatar in Gaurishankar Rural Municipality-8 of Dolakha on Thursday night.

Krishna Bahadur Magar, his wife Devi Magar and Harilal Shrestha have been missing.

Three others were injured in the incident. Preparations are underway to airlift them to Kathmandu for treatment.

According to information provided by Sonam Sherpa, Chairman of Marbu, through telephone, the landslide buried five houses.

Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have been mobilized to carry out rescue operations.

Two more persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in shooting Rohit Chaudhary (28) of Biratnagar Metropolitan City-5 to death.

Police said that so far, they have apprehended four persons involved in supplying the weapon (pistol) used in the incident and in the murder.

DSP Raj Kumar Rai, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Sunsari, said that two more persons were nabbed from Biratnagar and Dharan.

The arrestees have been identified as Prakash Limbu (30) of Prithvinagar, Bhadrapur Municipality-1, Jhapa and currently residing at Bhotepul, Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City-8 of Sunsari and Ajay Kumar Sharma aka Anju (41) of Janapath Tole, Biratnagar Metropolitan City-15.

DSP Rai said that Limbu has direct involvement in the murder.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Sharma had provided the pistol used in the incident to the racket involved in the murder.

Earlier, police had detained Deepak Timinsina (35) of Letang Municipality-1, Morang and Anasan Tamang (34) of Dharan-10, Sunsari for their alleged involvement in the murder of Chaudhary.

Koshi Province police Chief DIG Rajesh Nath Bastola on Wednesday made public Timilsina and Tamang by organizing a press conference at the Biratnagar-based Province Police Office.

DIG Bastola said that the duo were arrested with the pistol and seven rounds of bullets.

Chaudhary was shot dead near Seuti Bridge of Dharan on June 21.

A group of robbers shot Chaudhary to death in the Charkoshe Jungle while he was returning home in Biratnagar from Mulghat Dhunkuta after celebrating his 28^th birthday.

Incapacitated in the incident, Chaudhary was rushed to the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences for treatment. But doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

Sundari police Chief SP Sambhu Prasad Dhakal said that Timinsina, who had a criminal background, had opened fire on Chaudhary.

Timinsina was released two months ago after serving 10 years in prison on the rape charge.

Similarly, police said that Tamang was released two years ago after serving six months in prison in the drug case.