Karnali and Lumbini provinces reach partnership deal

By Lalit Basnet,Surkhet, Dec. 28: Karnali Province and Lumbini Province have agreed to collaborate on development and livelihood issues to benefit the citizens of both provinces. A joint meeting held in Surkhet on Friday resulted in a 19-point commitment, emphasising partnership to help development and livelihood improvements.

Chief Minister of Karnali Province, Yamlal Kandel, and Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Chet Narayan Acharya, signed the commitment paper on Friday. As part of the agreement, both provinces will pledge to federal government-supported projects, such as the construction of the Bheri-Babai diversion.

The provinces have also decided to work on resolving inter-provincial disputes in coordination with local authorities. They pledged to connect roads between Lumbini Province and Jumla-Hilsa, extend the Kohalpur-Surkhet road, expand the Surkhet-Telpani-Bhurigaun road, and conduct studies for road safety measures, such as Kohalpur-Bardiya and Bardiya-Chhinchu. The provinces will jointly work with the federal government to coordinate and cooperate in these matters.

Similarly, they pledged to address issues related to the Kohalpur-Surkhet 132 kV transmission line expansion and to initiate necessary efforts to resolve these challenges.

 The provinces also agreed to advocate for regular flights connecting Karnali Province's remote districts to airports in Lumbini Province and to improve flight services on routes like Bhairahawa-Surkhet. They have committed to working collectively for the greater benefit of both provinces.

In line with provincial laws, both provinces have committed to maintaining uniformity in tax implementation and coordinating the distribution of royalties collected from natural resources. 

They have agreed to prepare a master plan and collaborate on investments to construct an integrated tourism route connecting religious tourists in Lumbini with adventurous tourism destinations in Karnali.

Joint efforts with the private sector will focus on creating unified tourism packages by linking tourist destinations in both provinces.

Similarly, they plan to cooperate on hydropower generation, expansion of transmission lines, and the construction of water supply and irrigation infrastructure along the rivers and streams at the provincial borders. Infrastructure development, such as roads and bridges near the border areas, will also be jointly funded and implemented.

The provinces have agreed to set unified fares for public transportation, jointly run programmes to reduce road traffic accidents and request the central government to resolve boundary disputes between Bhurigaun Municipality-1 in Karnali Province and Bansgadhi Municipality-1 in Lumbini Province based on prevailing laws and evidence.

Both provinces have committed to enhancing market access. Karnali’s fruits, medicinal herbs, organic vegetables and other products will reach major markets in Lumbini Province, while Lumbini's food grains and other agricultural products will have improved access to Karnali's market centres.

Chief Ministers of both provinces have stressed their commitment to collaboration, coordination and partnership to ensure mutual prosperity.

Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya of Lumbini Province assured that the commitments would be fully implemented with adequate budgeting. He highlighted the significant role these commitments would play in fostering the development and prosperity of both provinces, stressing progress through the utilisation of provincial rights.

Similarly, Chief Minister Yam Lal Kandel of Karnali Province said that the commitments, especially the agreement to connect Karnali's southern border with Lumbini Province, would contribute significantly to Karnali's prosperity.

He mentioned collaborative efforts on projects such as the Surkhet-Telpani-Bhurigaun road and the 132 kV transmission line. Other developmental issues will also be addressed through coordinated efforts between the two provinces, he added.