Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal Urges Local Governments to Focus on Long-Term Planning

Kathmandu. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has stated that local governments should focus on long-term plans rather than short-term politics. He said this while addressing a program organized by Tokha Municipality today to collect suggestions for the policy, program, and budget for the fiscal year 2083/84. He emphasized that local governments should concentrate on formulating long-term plans.

He mentioned that the time has come to work beyond political gains. "Local government representatives currently have the opportunity to work in a way that future generations, even 20-25 years from now, will remember. Therefore, focus on long-term plans rather than short-term politics," he said.

Minister Khanal, who is also a Member of Parliament for Kathmandu Constituency No. 6, stated that the southern part of Tokha is densely populated, while the northern part still has open land, and attention should be paid to building a planned city. He mentioned the need to promote tourism by organizing Tokha's historical Newari settlement and the Saturday market. He also suggested developing homestays in Tokha.

Minister Khanal said that when expanding the Tokha-Chhahare tunnel route, many settlements in Tokha would face problems due to standards, so an alternative should be sought. He suggested that developing the Sangla Khola corridor and Bishnumati Khola corridor as alternative routes to the highway could lead to the construction of an international standard road with less cost and damage. He proposed implementing a 'digital' system to make the municipality more technology-friendly, allowing tasks from paying taxes to obtaining simple recommendations to be done from home.

Bagmati Province Member of Parliament and former minister Hariprabha Khadgi Shrestha said that the public has high expectations from local governments and that policies and programs should be made with the public at the center, within the limits of their resources and means. MP Shrestha stated that no one should politicize development work. Former minister Dr. Banshidhar Mishra said that laws should be enacted and implemented according to the rights granted by the constitution.

He emphasized that local governments should work according to the wishes and aspirations of the local people. Tokha Municipality Mayor Prakash Adhikari stated that the municipality will formulate the policy and program for the upcoming year by incorporating the opinions, suggestions, and advice given by the public.

Chief Administrative Officer of the municipality, Kamal Bhattarai, said that the municipality is working with a special focus on social development. He mentioned that the municipality has undertaken work such as a midday meal program for students, the Mayor's Long Life Program for health check-ups, child nutrition allowance program, protection of public land, and construction of corridors on various rivers. Tokha, with a population of 137,000, currently has 11 wards.