Never had the older generation of residents of Mahabharat Rural Municipality in Kavrepalanchowk district imagined that they would get to directly experience the progress and development in terms of infrastructures in their lifetimes.
With the implementation of federalism, and getting local level government at their doorsteps, the residents are amazed to see developmental works being materialised gradually in their locality.
Earlier, crops grown in sloppy hills and difficult terrain of the rural municipality would hardly address their hand-to-mouth problems while they had to walk hours to buy daily essential goods such as salt, oil and spices.
Since the youth people's representatives assumed the leadership of local government, the face of the remote rural municipality of Kavrepalanchowk is witnessing gradual change. Many villages have been electrified through the national transmission grid while motorable roads are making inroads to the village where basic infrastructures such as drinking water, suspension bridge and public toilets were built in support of international donor agencies and social organisations.
Locals are enthused by the facilities of modern communication systems, expansion of road network, water tap and electricity in each household.
Sujan Tamang, a local resident and CPN (Maoist Centre) committee in-charge for Mahabharat Rural Municipality, shared that locals were now directly benefited from the development projects since the first five years of country transitioning into federal set-up and second term of government formed in the local level.
"Earlier we had shared with the villagers here that development works cannot be barred by geographical difficulty and remoteness. We assured them that the village could be face-lifted if the able leadership with strong willpower was elected. Now we are demonstrating them with examples," said Tamang, adding that they were realising their dreams and transforming lives by raising their living standards.
Similarly, Rabin Moktan, former chief of Mahabharat Rural Municipality ward no 5, said that projects directly and positively affecting the living standards of citizens have recently made headway in the village. According to Moktan, the Mahabharat Rural Municipality was coordinating efforts with district administration to take forward much-awaited construction projects.
He, however, sees the need for further coordination and cooperation with the federal and provincial governments for new development projects in the rural municipality and other local levels in the vicinity.
Similarly, Mahabharat Rural Municipality Chairperson, Kanchalal Jimba, said that they were taking forward the plans and projects that will be directly felt or experienced by the locals. Currently, they are working on securing necessary support from the provincial and federal governments for the second phase of construction of a pitch road in their locality.
The local government is committed to constructing Bhumichuli-Charkilla-Devitar-Ghartichap-Gokule-Bhorleni road (Janamukti Road) that links Madan Bhandari Road to BP Highway.
Likewise, construction of the 17-km Tinkhutte-Bhumichuli-Rajabas road section would be taken forward at the earliest. Blacktopping of the Tinkhutte-Devitar road section is being carried out.
The expecting and new mothers and newborn experiencing medical complications here are airlifted for free of cost for timely medical attention under the President Women Upliftment Programme.
Over 100 thousand coffee saplings were planted last fiscal year under the agricultural promotion programme aimed at economic development of the locals. ----
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