BARDIYA, June 3:Locals in Bardia have stressed prioritizing the construction of embankment along rivers, road connectivity to the highways and infrastructural development for making Bardiya a 'prosperous city'.
Speaking at an interaction program organized by Nepal Republic Media, local politicians, leaders of civil society and locals said that the district's prosperity is not possible without road connectivity to the highways and Indian border and construction of embankments.
According to locals, Bardiya has huge potential for development but it lacks good administration and leadership. Addressing the media persons present at the program, the locals urged the media to highlight the problems of the district and help them find solutions.
Speaking at the program, Hari Gyawali, district chairperson of CPN-UML, and the candidate for the mayoral post in Gularia Municipality said every year thousands of people are displaced due to floods. He further stated that construction of embankments and road connectivity should be the election agendas of the candidates and they should also mention these issues in their manifestos.
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According to Gyawali, the issues of flood victims should be the first priority for every representative. “The lack of proper management of the rivers has been a curse for the locals,” he said, adding “The rivers could be a boon if managed properly.”
During the interaction, some locals accused the central government of being biased while allocating budget for the river which lies in the border of Banke and Kailali. They urged the media to raise the issue. Besides that, they want the media to focus on the district's tourism and agriculture sector as well.
Kashim Ali Siddiqui, leader of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal (FSFN), stressed the need for increasing employment opportunities in the district. “There are enough prospects for development but they are neglected,” he said, adding “Bardia National Park is a major attraction for tourists but the condition of the roads is pathetic.”
Locals of Bardia have clearly told the candidates and political parties that they are tired of fake and hollow promises which are hard to fulfill. So, they have urged them to focus on the regular issues and problems of the people.
Bir Bahadur Rokaya, a lawyer expressed his concern over the deferral of the election date. “Voters who were counting days to drop their votes are really disappointed with the government's decision to postpone the election date time and again,” he said.
As informed by Hari Joshi, assistant chief of Babai Multiple College, the students of Bardia lack technical education. “There is no technical education even at the intermediate as well as the post-graduate level,” Joshi said.
“Though there are around 60 TU-affiliated colleges in Nepal, there is not even a single such college in Bardia,” he laments.
