Lalitpur Metropolitan City Collects Suggestions for Upcoming Fiscal Year's Policy and Budget

Kathmandu. Lalitpur Metropolitan City has started collecting suggestions from stakeholders for the formulation of the policy and program and budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084. Suggestions have been received by the Metropolitan City for the development of wards outside the ring road, heritage conservation, smart infrastructure construction, and bringing health services to the doorstep of citizens in the budget for the upcoming year. Speaking at a discussion program regarding the policy and program for the upcoming fiscal year, Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan informed that about 90 percent of the policies and programs set last year have reached the stage of implementation. He described the Metropolitan City's practice of preparing policies and programs only after consulting with the public, representatives, advisors, and civil society every year as a strong pillar of good governance. According to Mayor Maharjan, the necessary land management for the much-awaited City Hall and City Library within the Metropolitan City has been completed, and these plans will be prioritized in the upcoming policy and program. Furthermore, plans have been put forward to operate shuttle buses targeting tourist areas and to construct mechanical parking to solve the vehicle parking problem. Mayor Maharjan acknowledged that physical infrastructure development is still pending in the wards outside the ring road that were merged later into the Metropolitan City, and stated that a policy has been adopted to make those areas organized and developed like the old urban wards. To facilitate citizens' access to health services, an ambulance service with doctors, health workers, and necessary medicines will be operated from the upcoming Shrawan 1, and treatment services will be provided at home upon receiving information about the patient, he announced. The work of installing smart street lights in the ring road area will also proceed soon, he said. At the program, Deputy Mayor of the Metropolitan City, Manjali Shakya Bajracharya, clarified that along with physical development, heritage conservation, cultural promotion, and the social sector are given equal priority. She mentioned that about 80 percent of the Metropolitan City's plans are focused on areas outside the ring road and pledged that sufficient budget will be allocated in the upcoming year for the preservation of Lalitpur's festivals, celebrations, and cultural heritage. Chief Administrative Officer of the Metropolitan City, Rekha Das Shrestha, stated that the creative suggestions received in the discussion will be included in the upcoming budget and policy program. Claiming that the policies of previous years have been implementation-oriented, she clarified that the upcoming policy and program will be made more transformative and result-oriented according to the needs of the time. What suggestions did the Metropolitan City receive? Naveenmangal Joshi of Sabhya Samaj suggested immediate management of haphazardly hanging wires in the city and construction of multilevel parking for a long-term solution to parking. Karna Bajracharya, Chairman of Bauddha Vihar Sangh, pointed out the need for an effective monitoring system along with the installation of smart street lights and urged for a permanent solution to the problem of sewage entering the homes of local residents during the rainy season in the Gabahal area. Santaman Maharjan, Chairman of Japhu Samaj, emphasized the need to develop Lalitpur as a major center for heritage and tourism, and demanded improvement in the cleanliness of inner neighborhoods and alleys and the establishment of a separate Newa: Museum. Sanjayraj Rajopadhyay, Chairman of Rajopadhyay Samaj, suggested that more budget should be allocated in the upcoming year for the promotion of Nepal Sambat and the conservation and development of the historic Kartik Naach. Ramhari Karki, Chairman of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Lalitpur Branch, expressed the view that a balance should be maintained by allocating more budget to underdeveloped wards outside the ring road compared to developed wards within the ring road. Pushparatna Shakya, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Lalitpur, said that instead of focusing only on tax collection, the quality of services provided to taxpayers should be improved, and the documentation program should be made more effective. Dipendra Shilpakar of Newa: Samaj also emphasized making house rent tax more convenient and practical. Upendra Varahi, Chairman of Varahi Sangh, complained that although Lalitpur has been declared a handicraft city, programs accordingly have not been effectively implemented. Participants in the discussion have given all-round suggestions to make infrastructure development, tax system reform, heritage conservation, environmental management, and service delivery people-oriented. The Metropolitan City has pledged to appropriately address these received suggestions through the upcoming policy and program and budget.