Kathmandu. The Lumbini Province government has come up with new plans keeping good governance, economic prosperity and administrative reforms at the centre.

The provincial government has prioritized administrative reforms in its policy and programmes for the fiscal year 2083/84 presented in the State Assembly today. Province Chief Krishna Bahadur Gharti Magar presented the policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2083-84 in the sixth meeting of the eighth session of the Province Assembly.

Number of ministries to be reduced from 12 to eight

KATHMANDU: The Lumbini Province government has announced restructuring of 12 existing ministries in the country. The government has adopted a policy to maintain only eight ministries including the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers from July 17, 2083. This step has been taken to make the government’s work efficient, economical and effective.

A municipality is an organic crop{

The provincial agriculture act will be formulated for the modernization and commercialization of agriculture. A policy of ‘one municipality, one organic÷native crop’ would be adopted in collaboration with the local levels for human health and nutrition security.

Similarly, specialized resource centers will be established in various districts of the province to increase self-sufficiency in agricultural production. According to the policy and programme, the process of establishing a Provincial Horticulture Resource Centre in Kapilvastu, Goat Resource Centre in Arghakhanchi, Hill Fruits Resource Centre in Gulmi, Vegetable Seed Resource Centre in Pyuthan and Potato Seed Resource Centre in Rukum East would be forwarded.

In order to improve the living standard of marginalized, impoverished, freed Kamaiyas, freed kamlaharis, landless and Dalits, the targeted community-specific agriculture programs including bagar farming, collective farming and livestock farming have been continued.

The government has further simplified the easy loan and interest subsidy programme with the motto of ‘today’s subsidy, prosperity of tomorrow’ and providing interest subsidy on agricultural crops from the district-based offices. The feasibility study would be carried out for the production and marketing of high-value crops including cardamom in potential areas within Lumbini Province along the Kaligandaki corridor, Mid-Hill Highway, Madan Bhandari Highway, Saljhandi-Sandhikharka-Dhorpatan road, Gorusinge-Sandhikharka road, Dang-Pyuthan road, Chakchake-Rolpa road, Shahid Marga and East-West Highway.

Digital Lumbini & Entrepreneurial Lumbini Campaign

KATHMANDU: The state government has decided to implement the Entrepreneurial Lumbini and Digital Lumbini campaign as transformative programmes. Programs including technology and startup support will be introduced to attract foreign employment returnee youths to agriculture and other enterprises. The government’s policy and programme states that a programme will be launched first in Lumbini’s Women Entrepreneurship to make women financially empowered.

Integrated Tourism Digital Promotion

To benefit from the Visit Nepal 2085 announced by the Government of Nepal, publicity will be done through the integrated tourism digital platform. A new plan has been put forward to develop Lumbini, Swargadwari and Bardiya National Parks as Silver Triangle for the development of tourism in the province. Likewise, base camp and trekking route would be constructed at Putha mountain in east of Rolpa and Rukum for adventurous tourism. A religious and cultural corridor would be developed from Koilabas to Swargadwari via Goraksharatnanath Temple and a religious circuit would be promoted from Lumbini to Muktinath.

Infrastructure and Social Security

On the infrastructure side, a policy of ‘incomplete and complete’ will be adopted to expedite the completion of incomplete projects. The government’s policies and programmes have given high priority to the implementation of ‘one house, one tap’ resolution while allocating budget to the drinking water sector.

The construction of Rampur-Kapurkot road, which is the pride project of the province connecting Gandaki and Karnali provinces by incorporating the major economic centers of the hilly districts of Lumbini Province, would be given high priority. Priority will be given to the construction of suspension bridges and technical assistance will be provided to the local levels to construct suspension bridges smaller than 120 meters.

The ‘One Ward One Pokhari’ programme will be implemented as a campaign to construct and conserve artificial ponds, old lakes and ponds in coordination with the local levels for rainwater harvesting, to integrate the settlements scattered in the hilly districts and to discourage migration. It is stated that the feasibility study will be carried out and implemented gradually.

Relief distribution and crop insurance programme would be continued for all types of damage caused by wildlife, and rescue ambulance service would be started by bringing into operation a rescue centre for the protection of injured and sick wildlife.

The ‘My School, My Responsibility’ campaign would be expanded for strengthening community schools by ensuring access of Dalits, indigenous nationalities, people with disabilities, poor and marginalized communities to education, a policy would be adopted to develop Lumbini Technical University as a centre of excellence along with the development of technical and higher education, and programmes for protection and empowerment of women, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities would be continued. Likewise, skill mapping will be started across the province for the promotion of skill-oriented employment and targeted programs will be conducted for socially backward communities.

Priority in health

Giving continuity to the safe motherhood campaign, free ambulance and air rescue services are to be operated for pregnant women and new mothers in remote areas. Priority will be given to expansion of safe maternity service, rural ultrasound service and implementation of population policy. Yoga, meditation and mental health promotion programmes would be pursued under the ‘Nepal Health Year 2027’.

According to the provincial government, major hospitals in the province would be upgraded, treatment services for burns, dialysis, cancer and heart disease would be expanded, digital health information system, mobile app and community health record system would be strengthened, Ayurveda and alternative medicine would be promoted, along with capacity building of health workers and incentive programmes would be conducted in remote areas. In the health sector, the Rapti Provincial Hospital would be upgraded to a 200-bed hospital while the Rapti and Rapti provincial hospitals would be expanded to provide burn treatment services.

Simplified service flow

The Lumbini Province government is to implement digital token, file tracking and one-stop service system to make service delivery faster, simplified and technology-friendly. Formulation of state ethics policy, fact-based policy formulation and data system will be strengthened for the promotion of good governance.

To make the civil administration transparent, the transfer/promotion system will be reformed, the province record office will be set up and digital archiving will be done. Plan selection and budget management will be managed through the project bank. The government has the policy of strengthening the State Public Service Commission and making inter-government coordination effective.

It is stated in the policy and programme that a Province Pension Fund would be set up to keep personal details of employees and teachers through electronic means for the retirement payment of employees who are not associated with the State Record Office and Social Security Fund.