Kailali-3 Election Ground Zero: Major Parties Focus on Dry Port, Infrastructure, and Tourism

Kanchanpur. Candidates from various parties and independent contenders are campaigning with their respective agendas for the upcoming House of Representatives election. The agendas of the three major political parties in Kanchanpur Constituency No. 3 appear similar.

In this constituency, Deepak Prakash Bhatta of CPN-UML, Hari Prasad Bohara of Nepali Congress, and Man Bahadur Sunar of the Communist Party have presented similar agendas to the voters. Communication with the candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), considered an alternative force, was not possible as the candidate was outside the constituency on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, candidates from these three major parties, excluding RSP, were busy with election campaign programs in various locations of Kanchanpur-3. UML candidate Bhatta was addressing supporters through corner meetings after gathering voters in various neighborhoods of Dodhara Chandani Municipality Ward No. 10.

In conversation with Ratopati during that time, Bhatta shared that his agenda presented to the voters includes completing embankments on the Mahakali and Jogbudha rivers, and creating employment opportunities by completing and operationalizing the dry port construction.

Bhatta claimed that after being elected as the House of Representatives member from this constituency in the 2074 election, he initiated the construction of paved roads in the Dodhara Chandani Municipality area. He committed to paving roads in the remaining areas if elected.

Nepali Congress candidate Hari Prasad Bohara was busy with door-to-door campaigning in Bhimdattanagar Municipality-9, Khalla Machhetti, since early Wednesday morning. Meeting him in Brahmadev of the same ward, he also shared his agendas with Ratopati, committing to expedite the construction and operation of the dry port and provide employment to the locals.

Man Bahadur Sunar, the candidate from the Communist Party, stated that he would focus on creating an environment where the entire nation, along with the local residents, benefits from the completion of the dry port construction. He suggested that tourist arrivals could be increased by managing the Shuklaphanta National Park.

• UML Candidate Bhatta's Agendas

During the 2074 election, after I was elected, 60 percent of the Jogbudha river embankment construction was completed. The plan is to move forward with the remaining work. A plan was put forward to construct a concrete embankment on the Mahakali River along with building a ring road; the DPR for that is ready. That work is currently pending, and it needs to be advanced now.

The issue of land ownership documents (Lalpurja) was very critical here. The Land Commission has been working on it. Many have already received their Lalpurja. The situation regarding flood control in the Rautela River is quite alarming.

I have committed to advancing the plan to create an environment for operating the Majhgaun Airport. Once the dry port is completed and operational, this place can become a center for trilateral trade and business between Nepal, India, and China. Based on the agreement previously made with China, we can connect the dry port not only with India but also with China. My efforts will be directed towards this. This is expected to provide significant support for employment, self-employment, and economic development in this area.

We can make the National Park a center of tourist attraction through necessary publicity and by making it tourist-friendly. There is immense potential for religious and wildlife tourism here. Work can be focused on that.

There is also a plan to construct a religious eco-tourism route. Track opening work was done on the path between Chure and settlements. The paving work started with a budget of 10 crore rupees in the first year and 15 crore in the second year, but the work is not finished. My plan is to complete that unfinished work.

We need to create employment opportunities for the youth. The trend of migration needs to be reduced, and an environment must be created for those who have left to return to the country by creating employment opportunities according to their skills. For this, we see employment and tourism potential in the four ponds constructed next to the bridge currently built over the Mahakali River. We are even receiving suggestions there for electricity generation.

Mainly, embankment construction on local rivers and road paving will be done by the local and provincial governments. As a federal parliamentarian, I am assuring the voters that I can contribute to the development of this area by playing the coordinating role I must fulfill.

• Congress Candidate Bohara's Agendas

The four-lane concrete bridge over the Mahakali River, which connects to the under-construction dry port, was built through the initiative of the Nepali Congress itself. Work on the dry port has progressed. Work is being focused on tourism.

There is a reserve here. There are herds of swamp deer there. There is immense potential to bring in tourists from that. Some work needs to be done for that. I have also raised the issue of religious tourism. I have put forward a plan to advance Harihar Ghat, Bhumkini Dham, and Vishnu Temple as religious tourism centers.

Religious tourism is important because Nepalis travel to India for the Kumbh Mela. It is estimated that 6 million Nepali pilgrims participated in India's Kumbh Mela this year. If one Nepali spends just ten thousand Indian Rupees, a large amount of Nepali currency flows out. We can stimulate the economy by bringing Indian citizens to Nepal as religious tourists in the same way. Therefore, I have put forward this agenda to contribute to the nation's economy and create local employment opportunities through religious tourism.

There is a plan to operate boats to attract tourists by transforming the ponds at the four corners of the four-lane concrete bridge built over the Mahakali River into lakes.

I have put forward a plan to operate a cable car in this Brahmadev area by consulting with the private sector to create employment opportunities for the citizens here. If the Mahakali Corridor connecting to China can be completed, it will greatly benefit the country's economy.

Currently, non-communicable diseases are appearing much more seriously than communicable diseases. The loss suffered by poor and destitute citizens due to the failure to identify many such diseases in time is significant. My thought is that by conducting free check-ups for diseases like blood pressure and diabetes door-to-door, especially for senior citizens, the damage they suffer due to late identification of these diseases can be reduced.

There is a public expectation that the government should arrange for agricultural crop insurance due to the increasing damage to crops by wild elephants here. I have also put this forward as one of my agendas.

• CPN Candidate Sunar's Agendas

For years, settlements along the riverbanks within this constituency have faced flood problems. Khahare stream has been causing damage in Bhimdattanagar and Bedkot. This needs to be controlled.

Once the dry port and integrated check post come into operation, this area will prosper economically, and the locals will also benefit. A lot of work needs to be done to develop this as a trilateral border point.

There is a plan to develop the Majhgaun Airport as a model airport. Shuklaphanta National Park has a large herd of swamp deer; tourist arrivals can be increased by managing that somewhat.

The problem of squatters and unplanned settlements needs to be resolved. There are also issues of employment, education, and health. I have been clarifying to the voters how to solve these issues.

• Other Candidates in Kanchanpur-3

In this constituency, Gyanendra Singh Mahata from Rastriya Swatantra Party, Purnabahadur Chand from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Minu Giri from Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party, Lalbahadur Kunwar from Rastriya Janamorcha, and Karnabahadur Chand from CPN (United) are candidates.

Similarly, Gangadatta Joshi from Shram Sanskriti Party, Kiran Thapa from Miteri Party Nepal, Bishnu Prakash Upadhyaya from CPN (Maoist), Bhimbahadur Kumal from Ujyalo Nepal Party, Lokraj Bhatta from Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal, and Laxmi Kumari Bishta Bhatta from Aam Janata Party are candidates.

Thaneshwar Lekhak, Bir Singh Chhetri, and Harkabahadur Air have filed independent candidacies here.

Among all the candidates in this constituency, voters show the most interest and discussion regarding Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, the Communist Party, and Rastriya Swatantra Party.

All 19 wards of Bhimdattanagar Municipality, all 10 wards of Dodhara Chandani Municipality, and Ward No. 8 of Bedkot Municipality fall under this constituency. A total of 103,087 voters are registered here.