We have prioritised development projects

Bihadi Rural Municipality is located in the southern part of the Parbat district in Gandaki Province. The rural municipality was established by merging six previous village development committees; Bachha, Barrachaur, Ranipani, Bahakithanti, Uram Pokhara and Shaligram. The rural municipality spanning over 44.8 sq. km has recently become more accessible due to the Kaligandaki Corridor. Parbin Gurung of the Nepali Congress is chairman of the rural municipality. Our Parbat correspondent Ganesh Paudel recently talked to Gurung focusing on the development activities in the rural municipality.  Excerpt:

What has your experience been like during the first half of your elected term?

I have experienced both significant progress and challenges. Despite limited resources, the rural municipality has prioritised various development projects, focusing on agriculture, local infrastructure development, education, health and self-employment. However, challenges remain, particularly due to a lack of financial resources, insufficient technical expertise and delays in coordination with the central and provincial governments, which have hindered the timely completion of some projects. Additionally, there is also a need for improvement in the implementation of local development programmes to meet the expectations of the people. 

What are the main priorities you have set for your municipality? 

Our main objective is to improve the living standard of residents and make them self-reliant. Since agriculture is the primary source of income, we have implemented the ‘one house, one kitchen garden’ programme, providing farmers with modern high-tech tunnels, modern agricultural schools and support in the form of grants, seeds, fertilisers and training to enhance production. We have also purchased agricultural ambulances to facilitate professional agricultural practices through farmers and their groups, aiming to operate them efficiently. 

Additionally, we have completed the expansion and maintenance of building infrastructure, roads, drinking water and other physical infrastructures. We have initiated various projects to improve the quality of education including coordination, collaboration, interaction and school mergers and adjustments. We also upgraded health posts and regularly conducted comprehensive health camps at the village level to ensure public health safety. 

Have you worked according to the commitments made in your manifesto to the voters?

We have made progress in line with our manifesto commitments, prioritising these in our annual policy programmes and budgets. We are coordinating with the federal and provincial governments in infrastructure development and have allocated a budget with agriculture as a top priority. We are working to connect agriculture with employment and ensure a market for farmers' production. Our focus is also on developing the tourism sector, exploring new possibilities and promoting homestays. We have also launched youth-targeted programmes. I am confident that this will help fulfil the commitments we have made.

What efforts have been taken to maintain good governance and make Bihadi Rural Municipality as an accountable municipality?

We are adhering to the policies and directives adopted by the village assembly to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance. We are committed to maintaining full transparency in all decision-making, budget allocation and implementation processes. By ensuring direct citizen participation in planning, we prioritise the voices of the people in policy-making and implementation. We regularly monitor all development projects, service distribution and programmes within the municipality to maintain quality and timelines. A zero-tolerance policy has been implemented to prevent any corruption, bias or financial mismanagement within the municipality. This aims to establish an example of transparency, good governance and a dispute-free environment and we will continue to strive in this direction.

What are your commitments for the remaining term?

Citizens naturally have expectations from the local government. Since assuming this role, I have been working in accordance with the community’s wishes, focusing on making residents feel the presence of local government. My priority is to connect the municipality with development and prosperity by creating and implementing plans that reflect the interests of the citizens while maintaining the progress, learning and good practices we have established. 

I will ensure transparency in all municipal activities, regularly engage in dialogue and consultation with the public to prepare plans that meet their needs, ensure basic infrastructure in all wards, adopt a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, and prioritise peace and security in the village. As the Chairman, I will remain steadfast in these commitments for the remainder of my term.