Committed to Holding Timely Elections and Delivering Good Governance: Communications Minister Kharel

Kathmandu — Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel has said that the government is committed to holding elections on time and delivering good governance. He made these remarks while addressing the Kitab Jatra program organized by Kitab Yatra Foundation at Nepal Police Club.

Kharel said, “We are part of the government during a sensitive period. The responsibility to move the country forward on the path of change lies on everyone’s shoulders. Let us all focus on this. The government is also committed to holding elections and making people feel good governance.”

He praised Kitab Jatra for its major contribution to the development of reading culture. He emphasized that nothing in the world is bigger than education, and no one should be deprived of it. Because education is like a light that dispels darkness, he urged people to embrace the reading culture in every moment of life.

The foundation has been continuously organizing the Kitab Jatra program for seven years to promote language, literature, art, and culture.

According to the festival director Rishiram Adhikari, the Kitab Jatra Festival will include in-depth debates and reviews on social insight, traditional values, the role of political context, and directions for a golden future by experts from various fields.

“Letters or words in a book never tire. But people do. And stories keep walking. Kitab Jatra represents such stories,” he said, noting that the festival continues to promote education and awareness in society.

He also mentioned that similar programs are being organized not only in Nepal but also abroad to foster reading culture, and that a total of 15 such events have been held domestically and internationally so far.

The festival will feature more than two dozen discussion sessions, interactive programs, and musical performances. Writers, politicians, authors, artists, editors, and journalists from within the country and abroad will participate. Topics from social, political, economic, new technology, and cinema-related areas connected to literature will be seriously explored at the festival. Dcnepal

The event includes book exhibitions, live Mithila art painting, food stalls, musical performances by ‘Jadau Hajur’, Sudurpaschime folk Chhaliya dance, Jhijhiya dance of the Terai-Madhesh region, and Maruni dance of the Eastern region.

The opening of Kitab Jatra began with auspicious recitation, followed by traditional Lakhe dance procession, poetry recitation by actor Nazir Hussain, and an AI literature showcase. Dcnepal

Writers and cultural figures such as Neelam Karki Niharika, Mohan Meinali, Navaraj Lamsal, Subin Bhattarai, Tika Ram Yatri, banker Anil Keshari Shah, Rajendra Baniya, Rupesh Shrestha, Virat Anupam, Sanjay Silwal Gupta, Sampada Limbu, Bishwo Limbu, Utsav Rasaili, Deepak Raj Joshi, Rajesh Hamal, Basant Chaudhary, Amar Nyaupane, Viplav Pratik, Milan Budhathoki, and Sandeep Kshetri will speak at various sessions.

On the occasion of Kitab Jatra Festival, Kitab Yatra Foundation will present ‘Prem Sahitya Samman’ and ‘Best Seller Award’ along with cash prizes of NPR 111,111 each to two individuals.