Kathmandu, Jan. 31: Minister for water resources govinda raj joshi chaired the first quarterly progress evaluation meeting of irrigation projects and programmes run in the current fiscal year under the water resources ministry here today.

At the meeting chiefs of the projects and programmes presented reports on the first quarterly progress and problems of their programmes.

Speaking on the occasion Minister joshi directed the officials concerned to give special attention in implementing irrigation projects, lowering cost of irrigation programmes, giving priority to projects of national importance and attaining cent per cent progress within the second quarterly period.

National planning commission (npc) member ramesh ananda baidya, secretary at the ministry of water resources biswanath sapkota, executive secretary of water and power commission bidhanath Nepal and high ranking officials linked with irrigation projects under the ministry of water resources attended the meeting.