Five candidates outline old promises in Surkhet-2

By Lalit Basel,Surkhet, Feb. 20: Five candidates contesting the House of Representatives election from Surkhet Constituency-2 have reiterated largely familiar development pledges, vowing to carry forward long-discussed plans for prosperity in the district.

The commitments were expressed during an interactive programme titled “Your Questions, Candidates’ Answers” organised by Surkhet Women Jaycees on Wednesday.  The candidates shared a common platform while furnishing questions.

Among those present were Jhakk Bahadur Malla of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP),  Ramesh Kumar Sapkota of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP),  Kabiram Puri of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Gambhir Singh Bhul of Ujyalo Nepal Party and independent candidate Krishna Khatri.

The candidates outlined plans including preparing a master plan for tunnel roads, extending electricity to settlements, which are still without power, developing Birendranagar, the provincial capital, as a technology hub, establishing a herbal processing centre, improving drainage and waste management in the market area, strengthening education and health services under government management, creating employment opportunities and constructing a road linking Kailali, Surkhet and Achham.

Malla pledged to establish IT colleges in every municipality to promote technology-friendly and employment-oriented education, upgrade the provincial hospital in Surkhet to a modern national-level facility and set up specialist-equipped health institutions at the local level.

He also proposed expanding roads and irrigation networks across neighbourhoods, ensuring electricity and drinking water in every household, upgrading Birendranagar into a model city and sub-metropolitan city and improving Surkhet Airport and the Ratna Highway.

Sapkota stressed systematic improvements in electricity, water supply, drainage and waste management, describing them as basic public needs.

Criticising past promises of distributing land ownership certificates to landless people, he argued that such pledges could not be fulfilled without a stable five-year government.

He also reiterated his commitment to advancing road connectivity from Kailali to Achham via Surkhet and improving electricity services.

Puri focused largely on national issues, advocating the reinstatement of a monarchy in place of the President, a directly elected Prime Minister, non-partisan local governments and a fully proportional electoral system.

Bhul pledged to prepare master plans for two tunnel projects, extend electricity to 18,000 households in the constituency still without access, and work in the fields of education and health.

Independent candidate Khatri highlighted plans to promote technology-driven governance and address the aspirations of the younger generation.

Although CPN-UML candidate Kul Mani Devkota attended the programme, he left without speaking, citing campaign commitments.

Nepali Congress candidate Narayan Koirala was absent due to a door-to-door campaign in Panchpuri of western Surkhet.

Voters attending the programme urged candidates not to repeat unrealistic promises that remain unfulfilled.