KATHMANDU: Province 1 Chief Minister Sher Dhan Rai has said the policy of extraction and export of river products will pave the path of prosperity while committing to protect Chure range.

CM Rai’s statement comes at a time when the center’s policy is receiving wide flak from many sectors.

However, he defended protection of Chure region. “We have a lot of natural resources in places other than Chure, where we can extract materials from those places,” he said.

Stating that the state and central governments are clear on the conservation of the chure, Chief Minister Rai said that the government had no plan to exploit the chure and extract the river products. “The state government is clear about Chure conservation, chure should be protected, not destroyed,” he added.

He said areas other than Chure region should be identified to link and drive the country to the path of prosperity.