POKHARA, June 25: Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City (PLMC) has unveiled its programs and policies for the Fiscal Year 2018/19 giving continuity to old ambitious programs. The metropolitan city has named a dozen programs including Fewa lake sewage diversion project and study on highly ambitious Fewa-Begnas monorail.
Addressing the municipal council meeting on Sunday, mayor of PLMC Man Bahadur GC unveiled the programs and policies of the city including a dozen programs as pride projects of the city. Many of these programs have been left in the lurch for years now. Conservation of lakes, sewage management, Fewa lake sewage diversion, construction of tourist bus park and study of Fewa-Begnas monorail are some of the programs announced by the municipality.
Construction of a proper tourist bus park in the city has been considered a program of high importance. Since there is not even a single tourist bus park in the city, tourist buses are generally parked in an open space in front of the City Development Committee. Although bus operators have been raising voice for the construction of a tourist bus park for years, the city has been turning a blind eye to the issue.
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Former president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ananda Raj Mulmi accused the municipality of trying to gain cheap popularity by including too many programs in the budget.
“Sufficient efforts were not made while making the budget,” he said, “There are no convincing programs in the budget.”
Mulmi added that giving continuation to old programs is not practical.
In the municipal meeting, mayor GC unveiled a budget of Rs 6.53 billion for the city for the Fiscal Year 2018/19 which includes Rs. 4.33 billion from foreign grant, Rs 614 million from financial normalization grant from the federal government, Rs 1.2 billion through conditional grant, Rs 60 million through complementary grant, Rs 150 million through special grant and Rs 346 million through revenue sharing. The budget expects a financial normalization grant of Rs 27 million and revenue sharing of Rs 32 million from the provincial government. Mayor GC informed that Rs 1.69 billion has been expected from internal income of the city.
