Suryodaya ranks 1st in Koshi in institutional capacity self-assessment

By Our Correspondent,Pashupatinagar, Aug. 26: Suryodaya Municipality in Ilam has secured the top position in Koshi Province in the local governments’ institutional capacity self-assessment.

According to the results recently published by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration for fiscal year 2023/24, Suryodaya scored 90.50 points, securing the top position among 137 municipalities and rural municipalities in the province based on its processes and achievements.

Nationally, Suryodaya secured the sixth position out of 753 municipalities and ranked first among the ten municipalities in Ilam district.

The Ministry’s assessment showed Suryodaya’s scores in various areas, nine in governance, eight in organisation and administration, 8.5 in budget and planning management, 11 in financial and economic management, 13.5 in service delivery, seven in judicial functions, 11 in infrastructure, nine in social inclusion, eight in environment and disaster management and 5.5 in and coordination and collaboration, totalling 90.50 points.

Ilam Municipality stood second in both district and province with 90 points, while Biratnagar Metropolitan City came third in the province with 87.25 points.

Mayor Rana Bahadur Rai of Suryodaya Municipality credited the achievement to aligning every initiative with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

“We have prepared the necessary laws and procedures, and we work strictly within them. This success is the outcome of that discipline,” he said. 

He added that the municipality had identified past shortcomings and worked to address them. 

Previously, Suryodaya had also ranked first in the country for economic development.

The municipality has introduced a 25-year road master plan, live streams executive meetings and other public programmes, and conducts quarterly public hearings to ensure transparency. 

It is implementing a digitisation drive towards a paperless administration, while also working continuously to improve the quality of community schools.

Declared a child-friendly municipality, Suryodaya has already recognised Ward Nos. 8 and 9 as environment-friendly and is preparing to declare Ward Nos. 7 and 9 as nutrition-friendly. 

Earlier, the provincial government had also declared Suryodaya a “Tourism City” in line with its efforts to localise the SDGs.