Kathmandu, Jan. 25 : His Majesty’s Government is to allocate a budget from the next fiscal year for the development of five model municipalities after completion of the studies and an action plan in this regard.

According to the Ministry of Housing and Physical Planning, Rs 7,000,000 is being spent this year for undertaking detailed studies and preparing an action plan and a report relating to the five municipalities.

It may be recalled that hmg had announced it would develop Kathmandu and Birgunj of the Central Region, Dhankuta of the Eastern Region, Tansen in the Western Region and Nepalgunj in the Mid-west as the model municipalities.

In this connection, separate interaction plans have been organised in each of the five municipalities. Five model municipal development committees have been constituted with the concerned mayors as chairmen and the heads of the housing and urban development projects as member secretaries to collect suggestions from local people.

The committee members are mps, ex-mps and representatives of the local police and administration, the DDCs, chambers of commerce and industry, journalists and representatives of district forest offices, the Water Supply Office and Nepal Electricity Authority.

The committees will collect views and suggestions from local residents, undertake detailed studies of the concerned municipalities, and prepare profiles and maps for submission to the government.

Concerned experts are of the view that the model municipalities development programme will be successful only if a long-term plan is drawn up according priority to one among sectors such as industry, trade, tourism or health on the basis of location and political commitment.

Under the scheme, only one regional unit should be established for the planned and sustainable development of Kathmandu valley. The government should lay special emphasis on developing Kathmandu as a main historic, cultural and business and tourism centre and allocate land for construction work, expansion and physical development.

Similarly, it is felt that Tansen and Dhankuta should be developed as centres of education, health and tourism and Nepalgunj and Birgunj as centres for industry and trade.

The government should give top priority to planning in the municipalities suffering from common problems such as migration, uncontrolled population growth, environmental degradation and haphazard settlement, the mayors concerned say.

Minister for Housing and Physical Planning Bal Bahadur K.C. says that though hmg is determined to make all the villages and municipalities well planned, beautiful and prosperous, the task at present has been confined to the development of only five model municipalities in view of the constraints in means and resources.

Stating that the development of model municipalities is not only a slogan but also a commitment on the part of hmg, Minister kc says that in developmental matters one must rise above petty politics and extend cooperation to the government.

It has been felt that there should be mutual cooperation, coordination and an integrated approach on the part of all the ngos without getting entangled in the literal meaning of model municipalities.

Experts in planning also say that the onerous task of developing model municipalities should be implemented and not confined to slogans. For this purpose, special emphasis should be laid on the identification of the ills and wants of the municipalities, selection of projects on priority basis, proper allocation of available means and resources and also on planned development. The plans and programmes formulated should be implemented effectively and constantly monitored and evaluated.

Mp yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi says that the government should have clear views on formulating separate plans for the development of model municipalities. He stresses that the serious problem of water supply and sewerage of Tansen should be addressed immediately.

President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (fncci) pradip Kumar Shrestha says that while developing model municipalities, emphasis should be laid on promoting small and medium sized industries which are the backbone of Nepalese economy.

He further says that though Nepal has abundant natural resources, hard working people and further big potential for tourism, lack of skilled manpower has been one of the constraints of industrial development. Therefore, the government and the private sector should join hands for human resources development, he adds.

Mayor of Tansen municipality Ashok Kumar Shahi says that necessary physical infrastructure should be created to make the town a centre of learning, health treatment and tourism and demands immediate identification, protection, and promotion of the temples and other monuments and spots important from the historic, archaeological and tourist point of view.

He further says that the management of water supply, sewerage and garbage disposal should be improved, the town developed as a green one and public facilities including toilets, museum, clock tower constructed.

Likewise, Nepalgunj mayor Dhaval Shamsher jb Rana says that the problem of sewerage needs immediate solution in the municipality. The market there should be developed in a planned way and necessary infrastructure including roads built for the development of the town as a industrial and trading centre, he adds.

In the past, development programmes could not be completed in time leading to escalation of costs and the set target could not be achieved because of the lack of regular monitoring and evaluation. Therefore, the system of monitoring and evaluation of projects identified and selected at various stages of implementation should be introduced effectively, it is felt.