LMC presents policy and programmes

By A Staff Reporter,Lalitpur, June 23: Local levels have started presenting their policy and programmes and budget for the coming fiscal year 2023/24.

Article 71 (1) of the Local Governance Act 2017 requires all local governments to present their budget to their respective assemblies on or before the 10th day of the Nepali month of Asar. This year, that day is on Sunday.

Birgunj Metropolitan City unveiled a budget of Rs. 3.213 billion on Wednesday. 

On the same day, Lalitpur Metropolitan City (LMC) presented its policy and programmes to the third municipal assembly held since the second local election. During the presentation, Mayor Chiri Babu Maharjan said that the metro had decided to table the policy separately from the budget to allow for the assembly members to focus their attention and deliberate on the programmes the city hopes to implement.

As per the policy document, LMC will ensure that paving or concretising the roads does not hamper the ground water recharge system. It also plans to construct vertical parking where appropriate and install truck washing systems in Nakkhu and other relevant spots to ensure dirt-free roads. Heavy vehicles will be allowed to use only riverside corridor roads.

LMC will also seek to utilise buildings it owns or invest in building and dissuade the practice of leasing buildings unless to deliver essential services. Also, no private and public structure will receive the construction completion certificate if it has damaged footpath and roadside plants and has not restored them to their previous condition. 

In the coming fiscal year, the metro hopes to expedite works related to the restoration of the Tikabhairav-Lagankhel royal canal.

For heritage preservation, the metro has announced to establish a labour bank comprising of craftsmen and artisans who will be mobilised for monument reconstruction. Similarly, it seeks to document the heritage in its area and put up a small board introducing it to visitors.

A key policy the city has put forward is to study the feasibility of bringing uniformity in the structures built along the route of the Rato Machhindranath Jatra and rebuild the temples that came down in the 1934 earthquake. 

In education, LMC has announced to teach students from grade 1 to 3 Nepal Bhasa with plans to increase the number of classes covered every year.

Likewise, Bhojpur Municipality in Bhojpur approved its new policy and programme and budget. According to Our Bhojpur correspondent Gokul Bhujel, the eighth meeting of Bhojpur Municipality passed a budget of Rs. 660.1 million.