Birendranagar Municipality Claims Fulfillment of Sub-Metropolitan City Criteria Amidst Ongoing Challenges

Surkhet. Karnali is a province without a single sub-metropolitan city. Although it has been said that the provincial capital Birendranagar will be made a sub-metropolitan city, this work has not yet materialized. However, Birendranagar Municipality has been repeating this matter time and again in the recent fiscal years.

The ninth municipal assembly held in June 2078 passed the agenda to make Birendranagar a sub-metropolitan city. That decision had reached the Council of Ministers of the central government at that time. Mohan Maya Dhakal, who became the mayor after the 2079 elections, has been prioritizing this issue in every year's policy and program.

The policy and program for the current fiscal year stated that there is a plan to request the provincial and federal governments to develop it as a sub-metropolitan city. 'We have advanced the infrastructure and social development sector by maximizing the available resources and means as the capital of Karnali Province,' the current policy and program states, 'We have succeeded in providing the necessary infrastructure, population, and revenue to upgrade the municipality according to the standards of the Government of Nepal.'

Again, on Wednesday, the policy and program presented by Dhakal prominently featured this matter. This time, it is claimed that all the criteria for a sub-metropolitan city have been met. 'For that, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the representatives, the administration, all the citizens, and the Karnali Provincial Government and the Government of Nepal,' said Dhakal.

Dhaka had claimed that the criteria were met in 081 itself. But Birendranagar has not yet become a sub-metropolitan city.

'Local Government Operation Act' requires 15 criteria to be met to make a municipality a sub-metropolitan city. Among these, the internal revenue criterion was not met previously, and in the budget speech presented by Deputy Mayor Nilkantha Khanal on Wednesday, the estimated internal revenue for the current fiscal year is only 33 crore 6 lakh rupees. Using this amount as a basis, he presented a budget of 4 Arba 71 crore for the upcoming year.

The criteria mention that the internal revenue should be at least 25 crore rupees.

Besides, it requires a permanent population of at least two lakh, a 200-bed hospital, a solid waste management system, a national-level stadium, gymnasium, and covered hall.

Similarly, availability of electricity, drinking water, and communication services, paved major roads within the city, access to higher education and technical education, public parks and city halls, modern slaughterhouses, organized cremation sites, and public spaces and buildings that are accessible to the physically challenged and physically accessible.

Mayor Dhakal claims that the municipality has already met all the aforementioned criteria. However, the availability of drinking water and electricity remains a major challenge in Birendranagar. Consumers are suffering due to irregular electricity and an extreme crisis of drinking water.

Bheri Pumping to Provide Drinking Water

Mayor Dhakal stated that the plan to bring water from the Bheri River to Birendranagar for a long-term solution to the drinking water problem has already been initiated. However, it will take a few more years for the project to be completed. 18 crore rupees have been allocated for the operation, management, and collaboration of the project in the upcoming year. This is the largest project in Nepal moving forward with the collaboration of all three levels of government.

To be made an Educational, Administrative Hub, Digital Concept Policy

Mayor Dhakal has set a long-term goal of making Birendranagar a 'clean, healthy, prosperous Birendranagar, an educational, administrative, and tourist city'. For this, digitalization has been prioritized in every sector.

'Programs such as expanding the tax base, collecting taxes through a digital system, and linking taxpayer details with the Geographic Information System have been introduced. 'To make Birendranagar a tourist hub, there is a plan to develop areas like Bulbule, Kakrebihar, and Deuti Bajyai and use a location mapping app for the convenience of tourists,' said Dhakal.

According to the sub-metropolitan criteria, all educational and health requirements have been met. Prestigious institutions from universities to provincial hospitals are located here. Besides, Dhakal says that a 10-year education plan will be implemented from the upcoming year to make Birendranagar an excellent educational center. Digital aspects are also included in the education sector.

With the slogan 'Cleanliness and healthy lifestyle are our desires, access to health services for all in Birendranagar', the upcoming policy and program include conducting health camps for free video x-rays, cervical cancer screening, and testing for communicable and non-communicable diseases for the citizens, and upgrading the city hospital to 15 beds.

In terms of physical infrastructure, most roads have been blacktopped. 'Under the City Transport Master Plan, integrated bus services, construction of an overhead bridge on the Ratna Highway, and traffic light management at Birendra Chowk will be implemented,' Dhakal stated in the policy and program, 'Earthquake-resistant standards will be mandatory in building construction.'

The city's upcoming major plan is technology-friendly and transparent service delivery, with a policy to take the municipality's services 'online, not in line'. A goal of a one-stop service system and a paperless administration has been set. Birendranagar is a developing city in Western Nepal. Mayor Dhakal states that special emphasis has been placed on technology-friendly aspects with the objective of developing it as a modern city.

Daughter Bank Savings Program

Under social programs, the municipality has put forward the 'Daughter Savings Program' as its ambitious plan. According to Mayor Dhakal, 2,000 rupees will be provided to open bank accounts for daughters in the upcoming year. The municipality has described this as a city pride project.

Policy for Sub-Metropolitan Urban Facilities

1 crore rupees have been allocated in the upcoming budget to establish sub-metropolitan urban facilities and good governance. The main goal of the budget, presented by Deputy Mayor Khanal on Wednesday, is to prioritize sub-metropolitan oriented activities.

The decoration of Ghantaghar Park and other open spaces and the construction of parking lots will be completed, and a minimum of 50 lakh rupees will be allocated for infrastructure in each ward.