Lumbini govt to establish Provincial Project Bank

By Our Correspondent,Butwal, Nov. 27: The Lumbini Provincial Government has launched an initiation to establish a Provincial Project Bank as part of its annual policy and programme for the current fiscal year 2024/25. 

The initiative aims to streamline project selection and implementation, according to the Office of the Chief Minister of the province.

Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya said that the Project Bank was essential for organising the project selection process, which will allow prioritisation of initiatives based on strategic importance. “The Project Bank will ensure an efficient and transparent system for selecting projects. It will function as an organised mechanism to support the vision of a prosperous and self-reliant Lumbini Province,” he said.

Dr. Dilliraj Aryal, Vice-Chair of the Lumbini Provincial Planning Commission, stated that the Project Bank would help identify, evaluate, and implement priority projects set by the provincial government. Discussions on the draft guidelines for the Project Bank, prepared under the Project Bank Formation Directive 2081, are already underway. Input from stakeholders will be incorporated to ensure its feasibility and effectiveness.

Ganesh Ghimire, Senior Section Officer at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Transport Management, suggested prioritising options identified in recent studies to boost tourism in Lumbini Province.

The Project Bank aims to make project identification, analysis, prioritisation, and selection more inclusive, evidence-based, and transparent. Its primary goal is to improve development administration, ensuring quality, results-driven, and predictable outcomes.

Dr. Sudan Kumar Oli, a member of the Planning Commission, highlighted the importance of the Project Bank in maximising the utilisation of limited provincial resources. He noted that the initiative would address issues where essential projects fail to receive priority. 

Former Vice-Chair of the Planning Commission, Dr. Nahakul KC, said that the Project Bank would serve as an integrated platform, making the project selection process more transparent and efficient.