Gandaki makes 88 laws in eight years

POKHARA: In the eight years since the establishment of Gandaki Province, the Provincial Assembly has enacted 88 laws and 29 regulations.

The provincial government recently introduced and implemented the country’s first ride-sharing regulation. Progress has also been made in areas such as the law for branding domestic liquor and legislation recognizing Gurung and Magar as official languages for government business.

A progress report published by the provincial government shows 99.8% of households in Gandaki Province have gained access to electricity. In the base year, 91.1% of households had access to basic drinking water, which has now increased to 97.8%.

The provincial government had announced plans to establish cancer, heart disease, and kidney treatment centers. So far, agreements have been signed with six hospitals across the country for cancer treatment services. Similarly, dialysis services have been expanded effectively.

Since the formation of the Gandaki government, a total budget of nearly Rs 175 billion has been implemented. To date, a budget of Rs 168.95 billion has been executed through federal grants, revenue sharing, and internal resources. The province has received Rs 94.38 billion in various grants from the federal government and Rs 52.67 billion through revenue sharing. It has collected Rs 21.90 billion from internal revenue sources.

The province has constructed 1,168 kilometers of blacktopped roads and upgraded 776 kilometers of roads to gravel standards. A total of 118 motorable bridges and 88 suspension bridges have been built so far. Under the “One House, One Tap” campaign, the provincial government has carried out significant work in expanding drinking water access.

The provincial government has merged 32 offices into 19 and decided to reduce more than 285 staff positions. It has also implemented innovation programs in partnership with 53 local governments across 10 districts, covering 79 projects. In addition, new irrigation facilities have been expanded over 7,679 hectares of land.