Time To Prove Mettle

Sugam Gautam

When Balen Shah announced his candidacy for the mayoral position in the previous local election, social media went berserk, showing immense support for the rapper previously known for singing emotionally charged lyrics. His resounding victory over his rivals implied the message that Kathmandu was desperate to have a mayor who doesn’t strictly adhere to party ideologies. Till now, his work has been up to the mark, and it’s likely that he will continue working in the same spirit. 

Similarly, Harka Sampang had covered quite a distance on his own to seek votes from Dharan residents. As a result, Sampang triumphed in the election, and now he has been working on vital projects of water supply and afforestation. It’s not that these fresh faces don’t come with flaws, but the works they have initiated and carried out almost overshadow their downsides. 

Talking about the big cities, we surely can’t miss Pokhara and its mayor. Ganess Paudel, a writer by profession, had assumed that it was the perfect time to step into the political arena. Thus, he announced himself as an independent candidate for the mayoral position of Pokhara.

 It is unsure whether people doubted him or fancied the leadership of someone from a political party, but he was nowhere in the mayoral race championed by Dhanraj Acharya, a party member of CPN- Unified Socialist. The election manifesto of Acharya was undeniable, and anyone who read it simply would vote for Acharya without a second thought. 

Not only had Acharya promised lofty projects, but he had also announced timeframes for the completion of each project. Two years into his tenure as the mayor of Pokhara, Acharya has hardly made any noticeable breakthroughs. To start with, Acharya’s focus should be on the road condition of Pokhara, as it has caused a great deal of trouble, spurring minor to deadly accidents. The route from Prithvi Chowk to Lekhnath is most difficult road to navigate, with a high number of vehicles and dusty roads complicating the journey for everyone.

It seems as if the construction work takes forever; there are workers always digging at the road for one reason or another. The mayor should ensure that the general people don’t always have to suffer on their journey from one end of the city to the other. It is the least people can expect from their elected mayor.

The next concern is the need to preserve Phewa Lake and its aesthetic beauty that draws thousands of tourists every year from across the world. Phewa Lake is simply one of the best tourist destinations in Nepal, and rather than doing anything fancy to attract visitors, efforts should be made on its preservation. Phewa Lake has been drying up, and invaders have occupied its land on the tail part. The mayor is well-versed with this piece of information, so it’s high time that he started investing his brain in ways to conserve the pride of Pokhara, which is Phewa Lake.