PADDY DAY OBSERVED Kathmandu, 29 June: Amid government to provide fertilizers in time to transplant paddy, ‘Paddy Day’ was observed Friday coinciding with 15 Ashad to highlight the importance of the main staple crop for the national economy. NC President Sushil Koirala blasted the government for failure to provide fertilizers on time this year while participating in a party transplantation function at Kapan. After gas cylinders, government has failed to provide fertilizers while promising relief. Agriculture ministry officials said this week paddy has been transplanted only in five percent fields this year when the normally 30 percent paddy should have been transplanted. The popular belief is paddy transplanted after 15 Ashad will reduce yield. Experts said a dry spell before the monsoon late by one week will adversely affect maize and paddy production this year. Ashad 15 is observed by eating beaten rice with curd, Paddy Day is being observed since 2061, nnnn AMID APPEAL FOR POLITICAL SUPPORT, PM ASSURES CINE-ARTISTS COPYRIGHT PROTECTION Kathmandu, 29 June: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has consulted the cine-artistes at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar today [Friday], RSS reports. The Prime Minister has already discussed the leaders of political parties, civil society and business community for his attempt to forge consensus for national unity. During the meeting, the PM has said that he was committed to forging national unity to bail the country out of the present imbroglio. PM's aide Prashant Lamichhane said PM Bhattarai also expressed his confidence that the political parties would forge consensus either sooner or later as they have no other options left. According to Lamichhane, the PM told the artistes that he was not a power-hungry leader but giving way out to the country's political crisis was his major concern. During the meeting, PM Bhattarai also said that the government was committed to the development of film industry and expressed concerns saying that Nepali films were shadowed by the foreign films. On the occasion, the Prime Minister pledged to take possible initiative to resolve the problems of piracy and issue of royalties. The artistes demanded that the government form a trust for the welfare of the artistes and resolve the issues of piracy and royalty from the CRBT, said film director Ashok Sharma. Bhuwan Chand, Yadav Kharel, Nir Shah, Basundhara Bhusal Ashok Sharma, J B Tuhure, Shambhu Rai, Udaya Subba, Pradip Udaya, Ujjawal Ghimire, Kiran KC, Jitu Nepal, Dipak Raj Giri, Dipashree Niraula, Binita Baral, among others, were present during the meeting with the Prime Minister. nnnn