And the credit for this goes to Shankar Raj Pathak. Apart from a few elderly, no one in Pokhara recognizes the 81-year-old Pathak. Elderly locals doubt that the city would have attracted so many tourists had Pathak, then chief of Gandaki Zone, not envisioned urban planning in Pokhara some four decades ago. [break]He had served as the Gandaki Zonal chief from 1972 to 1977.
Pathak had planned construction the wide road from Sabhagriha Chowk to Chipledhunga, Bus Park at Prithivi Chowk, Pokhara Rangasala, Pokhara International Airport, expansion of industrial area, Phewa Lakeside-Prithivi Chowk road and other such strategic roads.
“It was not an easy job back then. I even faced resistance from locals. But I persevered and made it all possible,” recounted Pathak. He is currently in Pokhara to receive “Pokhara Bikas Ratna” for his contribution to the development of the city. Radio Annapurna is conferring the award on Pathak.
He also mentioned that he had envisioned construction of the international airport in Pokhara so as to be able to directly bring in foreign tourists to the city. “It is sad that the international airport is yet to be built in Pokhara.”
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