Narayan Adhikari/Tekraj Pokharel
Bharatpur, May 1: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has stressed the need for the cooperation of the private sector for country’s development. The government would cooperate with the private sector to increase production, and create employment opportunities, he said while inaugurating the Maulakalika cable car at Gaindakot in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East) on Monday.
“The country cannot get a pace in country’s economic development until there is a meaningful cooperation with the private sector. Now, we have emphasized the creation of job opportunities by increasing production.”
In this regard, the state according to him should shoulder responsibilities to create an environment conducive for increasing investment in physical infrastructure development, education and health, and building healthy workforce by making required acts and laws.
The federal government was effortful in easing difficulties facing the private sector at present, he stated. “I believe results will take place. We must stop distributing disappointments to people.”
Claiming that the inflow of remittances was increasing lately, he said the government was effortful in get it increasing in the days to come.
“Revenues are increasing. Foreign exchange reserves are encouraging. We will stress to keep it in balance,” he said, adding that bank interest rates would additionally decrease until mid-May. He also called for industrialists and traders to come together for build the nation stating that the state was in their favour.
“Nepal is still in economic pressure,” he said, adding that he hoped the situation would improve and find its usual path.
Applauding the operation of a cable car service targeting the Maulakalika Temple, the Prime Minister described the shrine as the heritage of religious, cultural and historic importance.
“The project is a good example of the private-public partnership,” he said, expressing his hope that it would prove a supporting tool to improve people’s life and achieve prosperity. He urged one and all to visit the shrine at least once in life. He pressed an idea of developing the area into a special economic zone.
The Prime Minister took time to say that the government planned to undertake the Narayani river embankment project from the Nawalparasi side as well.
Also speaking on the occasion, Gandaki Province Chief Prithviman Gurung said,” Maulakalika Temple is the shrine of historic importance and people’s flow here has increased with the construction of physical infrastructure here.” He said the operation of the cable car service here would be the reason to increasing the number of devotees in the days to come.
Nepali Congress leader and House of Representative from Nawalparasi (Bardghat- Susta East), Prof Dr Shashank Koirala, was of the view that the district be named ‘Nawalpur’. He drew the Prime Minister’s attention towards the urgency to name the district. He also stressed the need of upgrading the Tribeni Customs point, the sole transit point in the Gandaki having access to India.
As he said, land has been acquired for construction of international stadium at Gaindakot and the budget has to be allocated for this project. Koirala also stressed on the need of constructing a trauma centre in the area as there are high chances of road accidents on the Butwal-Narayangadh sector of the highway since vehicles are often run in high speed in this section.
IME Group chairman Dhakal said the cable car service is operated with 51 percent investment of IME Group in partnership with the locals. Its cost is around Rs 2 billion.
Stating the cable car has been brought into operation from April 14, Dhakal informed that works on construction of a four-star rank hotel near the upper station of the cable car are moving ahead in a rapid manner. He added that a luxury hotel with 60 rooms will be operated in the next six months.
According to Dhakal, some 200 people will get employment in the cable car and hotel.
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) president said the cable car facility has been run to promote the historical, religious and tourism heritages in Nawalpur among the Nepalis and foreign visitors.
He also shared that the IME Group has moved ahead the process for running cable car facility at the religious touristic places of all the seven provinces in the country.
“Construction of cable car is in the final stages in Butwal. We have moved ahead the process of constructing cable car from Pathibhara to Sudurpaschim. Our plan is to bring improvement in the country’s economic condition by operating tourism activities,” he reiterated.
The cable car’s top station has been built at the helipad situated near the Temple while the bottom station is at Dharapani on the base of Maulakalika. One side length of the cable car is 1200 metres and six towers have been built. There are 14 gondolas in the cable car. One gondola can accommodate eight passengers at one time. It takes five minutes for each gondola to reach from one station to the next. (RSS)
