Karnali’s policy document focuses on education, health employment

By Muna Hamal,Surkhet, June 5: Karnali Provincial government has presented its policy and programmes for the next Fiscal Year 2023/24. Provincial Chief Tilak Pariyar presented the policy document at the Provincial Assembly on Sunday. 

The policy and programmes have given priority to education, health, employment and infrastructure. Continuing the successful policy and programmes of the previous and current years, the provincial government stated that the policy and programmes for the coming year have been decided with the main slogan of ‘Infrastructure for education, health and employment’.

The government has announced to run a prosperity campaign to create 10,000 jobs every year with the aim of ending poverty. It is said that Karnali will be developed as an organic province. The government has introduced a programme to study the feasibility of establishing organic fertiliser production factories in the province.

The policy and programmes for the next year mention that farmers will be encouraged while people, companies or groups involved in agriculture will be provided with transportation and marketing facilities for of their products. Likewise, programmes like encouraging industry, agriculture and livestock insurance, income generation for landless and marginalised, interest subsidies for medium and small industries will be continued. 

It has a plan to develop Chhinchu-Mehalkuna section as an industrial corridor.

The provincial government has given priority to tourism infrastructure development. It has proposed to build footpaths in tourist places in the province, develop infrastructure in special tourist areas, and promote homestays in various places. It is said that if a three-star hotel is established, the government will support it with infrastructure such as access roads and electricity.

Likewise, Sinja will be developed as a special tourist area while Dullu and Jajarkot palaces will be preserved and further developed. The provincial government has advanced the plan to expand Surkhet Airport.

Emphasis on health manpower 

It has been mentioned in the policy and programmes that health services will be provided by managing the necessary equipment and manpower for specialist services such as dialysis, dentistry, physiotherapy, eye care with 25 to 50 beds each. The laboratories of the hospitals in the districts will be upgraded.

The provincial government has continued with the plans to develop the provincial hospital as a referral hospital by arranging services for heart and cancer diseases, and dialysis services. It will also be developed as a teaching hospital for MBBS and MD studies.

Priority to road infrastructure

Similarly, the provincial government has given priority to implementing the concept of territorial and corridor development. A road development plan to connect Muktinath through a road connecting Karnali Corridor, Bheri-Karnali Corridor, Rara Limi, and Kailash Mansarobar has been put forward.

Likewise, feasibility study would be conducted for 100-megawatt hydropower projects.