The Nepali Department of Immigration has started extending visa for tourists within an hour, an official said here Sunday.

"We have been providing the visa extension service from three minutes to one hour," Kamal Bahadur Rajlawat, immigration officer at the department told reporters.

It used to take about three hours, he noted, adding "Some tourist are astonished at getting the prompt service and remarked as unexpected pleasure".

The tourists are also assisted by the help desk and personnel at the department to fill up the forms without extra charges, he added.

"The department is also planning to provide hand-to-hand service," he said, adding "Tourists are our guests, guests are like gods in Nepali culture".

(Xinhua News Agency April 25, 2005)