A provincial level paddy plantation program was organized at Sainamaina-8 in Rupandehi district in Province no 5 to observe (Ashar Pandhra) National Paddy Plantation Day today.
The Ministry of Agriculture organized the program with the theme of 'Increase in rice production, prosperity of the nation'.
Chief Minister of Province 5, Shankar Pokharel, Speaker Purna Bahadur Gharti, Joint-Speaker Krishna Tharu, Minister for Agriculture Aarati Poudek, Provincial Assembly members Bishnu Panthi. Bhumishwor Dhakal, Dadhiram Neupane, Than Kumari Thapa among others joined the local women who were planting the paddy for the same.
Chief Minister Pokharel shared that the government, acknowledging the importance of agriculture to be the basis of economic prosperity, had allocated the budget to the all the provinces accordingly.
He said that the agricultural sector had received Rs 900 million in the budget in the current fiscal year. According to him, laws to stop plotting of fertile land as well as not to keep the land barren would be formulated soon.
Similarly, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Aarati Poudel asserted that the provincial government had emphasized commercialization and modernization in agriculture sector to boost agricultural production.
More than 500 women had participated in the paddy plantation that took place in the 15 kattha (one kattha is equal to 338.63 square meters) land owned by a local farmer, Bhojraj Bhandari.
Sainamaina Municipality's Mayor Chitra Bahadur Karki and Deputy Mayor Bina Rana Magar were among the participants joining hands in hands with the local women for paddy plantation.
The members taking part in the rice transplantation program observed it with dancing in traditional folks songs.
The government has been observing Asar 15 in the Nepali calendar every year as the National Paddy Plantation Day since 2061 BS.
