Suryodaya Municipality ranks 2nd in performance evaluation

Prem Adhikari,Ilam, Feb. 14: Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam has secured the second position among 753 local governments in the country, in the performance evaluation conducted by the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission.  

The municipality scored 80.2 points across 17 indicators set by the commission, making it the second-best in the country and the top-performing municipality in Koshi Province.  

Based on the municipalities' performance, the commission published the results for the fiscal year 2023/24. The evaluation was based on various indicators such as municipal and village assembly meetings, revenue collection, budget allocation and expenditure, financial accountability, periodic planning, education and health, among others. 

Suryodaya Municipality Mayor Rana Bahadur Rai credited the municipality’s success to continuous efforts and improvements over the years. He stated, “The foundation of good governance lies in financial transparency. Our municipality’s financial irregularities are almost nil.” The last year’s report shows that the municipality had a financial irregularity rate of only 0.02 per cent.

In the fiscal year 2022/23, Suryodaya Municipality was declared the best in economic development nationwide. It was also recognised as the top municipality in education within Koshi Province.

 Additionally, the municipality excels in health, tourism and agriculture. According to Chief Administrative Officer Amrit Rai, the municipality has adopted a paperless and technology-friendly system. It has already been declared a ‘child-friendly and tourist-friendly city’ and efforts are underway to achieve ‘environment-friendly and nutrition-friendly’ status.

Among other municipalities in Ilam, Deumai Municipality and Mai Municipality both scored 68.1 points, while Ilam Municipality secured 65.3 points.  

For rural municipalities, Chulachuli scored 58 points, Sandakpur 57.9 points, Phakphokthum 56.3 points, Rong 54.9 points and Mangsebung 54 points. The lowest-scoring municipality in Ilam was Maijogmai Rural Municipality, with 46.2 points.  

According to the commission, the municipalities will receive grants based on their performance rankings. As per the commission's report, the Koshi Province scored 50.9 points, ranking second among the seven provincial governments in Nepal.