This story was translated from Nepali. Read the original in Nepali
Arghakhanchi. Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya has said the government is working in a planned way with the overall development of the province as its priority.
Speaking at an annual review programme organised by the District Coordination Committee, Arghakhanchi, on Thursday, Chief Minister Acharya said the provincial government has taken the necessary initiatives in development. He said the government’s work should be judged by its results and that people now want to see the fruits of development. ‘We have taken development initiatives. People now want results. Talk alone does not soak the beaten rice. Criticism alone does not bring development,’ he said.
Chief Minister Acharya said effective coordination among the provincial government, the federal government and local governments is needed for Lumbini Province’s development. Noting that some projects under the federal government are stalled due to lack of budget and other reasons, he said coordination and efforts with the federal government are continuing to move such projects forward.
He said development and construction in the province’s districts have been affected because budgets for the federal government’s conditional programmes and projects have been held back. Noting that Arghakhanchi alone has 27 conditional projects of the federal government, he said a serious review is needed of the state of the allocated projects and of budget implementation.
Chief Minister Acharya said Lumbini Province’s development projects should be judged on need and results, not on political bias. Saying that false propaganda about development and construction must end, he said offices and staff who do good work should be encouraged. ‘Things should not be judged all in one lump. Good work has been done. Those who do the work need to be evaluated,’ he said. ‘We must thank from the heart the offices that do good work and the staff in those offices.’
Chief Minister Acharya said the failure to amend forest-related laws has also hurt development and revenue collection in the province and local governments. Noting that revenue from forest and river products has not been collected as expected, he said efforts are continuing with the federal government for legal and policy reforms.
Chief Minister Acharya said significant work has been done recently in Lumbini Province in infrastructure, education, health, electricity, irrigation and roads. Giving Arghakhanchi as an example, he said the district has seen the construction of concrete and suspension bridges, expansion of irrigation infrastructure, electrification, physical improvements to schools, and doctors being sent to basic hospitals.
He said the current state of development should be judged by comparing it with the past. Saying that the situation before 2074 BS and the development since then should be looked at, Chief Minister Acharya said infrastructure and services have expanded in various areas of Lumbini Province. ‘There is an attempt to build a false narrative that nothing happened in 35 years. That is wrong. Arghakhanchi has changed its face in this time,’ he said.
He said the provincial government will keep making its coordination with the federal government and local governments more effective for Lumbini Province’s development.
