Candidates in Makwanpur Focus on Infrastructure, Governance, and Land Rights Ahead of Elections

Hetauda. Similar to the rest of the country, there is a buzz surrounding the House of Representatives elections in both constituencies of Makwanpur. Candidates are on the doorsteps with their agendas.

Although some parties have organized large-scale rallies, most parties and candidates are prioritizing door-to-door campaigning and meeting voters. Major parties have also published written manifestos to secure favorable results in the general election.

Before the silence period, major parties and candidates are busy wooing voters by unveiling their respective resolutions and commitment letters. Infrastructure development, good governance, education, health, and solving the squatters' problem have become common agendas for almost all parties this time.

Most candidates in Makwanpur have prioritized the issues of landless Dalits, squatters, and the unmanaged settlers. Resolving this long-pending issue, distributing land ownership certificates, and clearing legal hurdles have become a shared agenda for all parties.

There is consensus among candidates on the vision of developing Hetauda as an organized and modern city. Emphasis has been placed by all on constructing the Hetauda Ring Road, exploring alternative routes, and ensuring the right to property and fair compensation for citizens affected by road expansion, while the plan to upgrade rural roads and ensure year-round transportation is also common.

Improving the quality of community schools, expanding technical and skill-based education, and the 'Study while Earning' program are priorities for most candidates. In terms of health, there is unanimity on expanding services at Hetauda Hospital, establishing hospitals with specialists in every local level, and providing free health services for the underprivileged.

The commitment to commercialize agriculture, ensure timely supply of fertilizer and seeds to farmers, and guarantee fair prices for produce is shared. Specifically in the context of Makwanpur, many candidates have included the agenda of legalizing cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial use in their commitment letters.

All candidates claim to create opportunities for youth employment and startups through concessional loans, skill-based training, and job creation to retain the youth force going for foreign employment within the district. The expansion of industrial areas and promotion of local industries is also common to all, while commitments have been expressed to conserve the historic Makwanpurgadhi, build tourism infrastructure along the banks of the Bagmati and Rapti rivers, develop a 'Tourism Circuit' by connecting religious and tourist areas, and preserve the language and culture of indigenous communities like the Tamang and Chepang.

The commitment to make service delivery technology-friendly and hassle-free, adopt zero tolerance against corruption, and establish good governance is mentioned at the beginning of all candidates' manifestos.

Congress's 'Electronic Governance' and Corruption-Free Service Delivery

Mahalakshmi Upadhyaya 'Dina' is the candidate from the Nepali Congress for Makwanpur-1, and Buddhalal Lama for Makwanpur-2. They have published commitments that incorporate the Congress's central resolution along with separate issues, emphasizing 'electronic good governance' and corruption-free service delivery.

They have put forward plans to develop a tourism route by maintaining a 16-meter road in the main market area of Hetauda and establishing a government engineering college and an IT research center. Their commitment includes providing health services at home for senior citizens above 70 years and commercializing agriculture through the '8 A' (Ginger, Potato, Akbare, etc.) campaign.

Their resolution includes establishing a Trauma Center in Manahari and initiatives for the legalization of cannabis and its commercial and medicinal production. They have mentioned plans in their commitment letter to emphasize rural road infrastructure development and prepare programs to explore various sources for economic upliftment.

They have put forward plans to completely prohibit party-based quotas and politicization in public bodies, establish the rule of law with zero tolerance against corruption, develop investment-friendly laws and tax systems, connect youth to digital skills and self-employment through the 'Study while Earning' program, ensure free health services for all citizens by making the insurance program effective and linking education with skills, return savings to depositors of problematic cooperatives and empower economically through strong cooperatives, ensure easy availability of fertilizer and seeds to farmers and guarantee fair market prices for produce, delivering 'fresh Nepali products to consumers at the farmers' price', bring urban facilities to villages, develop safe roads, and make hydropower the main source of economic earnings.

UML to Address Stability, Good Governance, and Buffer Zone Issues

Rameshwar Rana is the CPN-UML candidate for Makwanpur-1, and Mahesh Kumar Bartaula for Makwanpur-2. They have made national independence and stability their main agenda. They plan to prepare a master plan for the systematic development of Hetauda market along with the upgrading of rural roads. Resolving the buffer zone issue, managing human-wildlife conflict, and redefining the buffer zone boundaries are included with priority. 'One Municipality - One Residential School' and 'Khorat-free Makwanpur' are mentioned in their commitment as original programs.

They have put forward a plan to construct the Madan Bhandari Regional Stadium in Manahari. UML's plans include the expansion of Hetauda and Mayur Dhap industrial areas, distribution of land ownership certificates to squatters, strengthening the Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences, and planning to alert youth against misleading information spread through social media.

CPN's Vision of 'Greater Hetauda' and Metropolitan Status

Bijay Gautam is the candidate from the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) for Makwanpur-1, and Lavasher Bisht for Makwanpur-2. They have prioritized service delivery with good governance and transparency in their commitment letter.

They have put forward plans such as infrastructure development, skill development for entrepreneurship, and the use of technology in tourism sector development. Their plan for the long-term development of Hetauda includes a 'Greater Hetauda Ring Road' and making Hetauda a Metropolitan City. Innovative agendas such as constructing a river corridor, providing fair compensation to those affected by highway expansion, and 'One Community Forest, One Enterprise' are included in their commitment letters.

Their commitment includes preparing a master plan for the tourism development of Thaha Municipality, Kailash Rural Municipality, and Indrasarovar Rural Municipality, and preparing programs for increasing production through industrialization and modernization in agriculture.

The commitment of CPN candidates includes expanding the Hetauda and Mayur Dhap industrial areas, promoting small and cottage industries, developing entrepreneurship through concessional loans to youth, conserving the historic Makwanpurgadhi Palace, establishing quality community schools and technical education centers, well-equipped health centers at the rural municipality level, programs targeting mothers-children and the elderly, long-term plans for natural resource conservation and flood/landslide control, Chure conservation, promotion of green energy, and operating the 'One Community Forest, One Enterprise' program.

RSP's Digital Governance and Smart City

Prakash Gautam is the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate for Makwanpur-1, and Prashant Upreti for Makwanpur-2. They have emphasized digital good governance with the slogan 'Good Governance, Prosperity, and Development'. They focus on the systematic development of the Hetauda market area and development with an environmental concept.

The permanent resolution of the land problem for the landless, unmanaged settlers, and those without ownership certificates is prioritized. In education, their commitment includes the concept of 'Skill/Employment' through the 'Study while Earning' model, utilizing the skills of youth returning from foreign employment, expanding technical and digital education, and upgrading the provincial hospital. Their resolution includes the systematic development of the Hetauda market, an integrated tourism corridor connecting Chitlang-Daman-Markhu-Raksirang-Manahari, and making the areas around Hetauda a 'Smart City'.

They have put forward a plan to promote tourism based on local culture (Chepang, Tamang, etc.). Their commitment includes modernizing agriculture by ensuring seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, and market access, making government services transparent online, reforming public procurement and tax systems, arranging insurance and protective infrastructure to resolve human-wildlife conflict, creating strict policies and regulations for safe foreign employment, connecting youth to discipline and leadership development through sports, and focusing on technology studies through international scholarships for flood, landslide, and soil erosion control, as well as lightning risk mitigation.

PrLOPA's Agenda from Cannabis Cultivation to 'Right to Recall'

Tej Prasad Upreti is the candidate from the Progressive Democratic Party (PrLOPA) for Makwanpur-1, and Santosh Bisht for Makwanpur-2. They have committed to legalizing cannabis cultivation for medicinal use and opening processing industries.

They have put forward political issues such as a directly elected executive president, a 'Jan Lokpal' (People's Ombudsman) for corruption control, and ensuring the right to recall bad representatives. They have committed to prioritizing the Kathmandu-Chitlang road as a national pride project, modernizing the Kulekhani-Pharping road, and initiating the construction of an expressway connecting Kathmandu-Thaha-Kailash to Chitwan and Pokhara.

Prioritizing education and health, they have announced free education up to grade 12, a 15-bed hospital in every municipality, and ambulance service in every ward. Their main goal is to stop migration by creating employment through medicinal herbs, mining, and forest-based industries.

Their commitment includes ending the middleman system in agriculture, preparing a master plan for tourism development, controlling river erosion, establishing scientific agricultural systems, guaranteeing free education and health as fundamental rights of citizens, systematically developing the urban area of Hetauda, ending the double taxation system, developing a technology-friendly curriculum alongside free education, establishing health treatment facilities as a right, and ensuring fair market prices for produce.