Kathmandu, January 28

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development has urged all 12 sub-metropolitan cities and 204 municipalities to make a written commitment to delivering service to the people in a simple, easy, efficient and accessible way.

On December 30 last year, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City had made public a 43-point commitment paper to make its service public-oriented, accountable, fruitful, dependable and transparent, which the MoFALD said would help enhance public trust in local bodies.

An official said the High-Level Administration Reform Implementation and Monitoring Committee had recently written to the MoFALD to cause all sub-metropolitan cities and municipalities to announce the commitment paper, which was initiated by the KMC.

The commitment paper of the KMC has an ambitious and a comprehensive plan, operating electric and large vehicles and constructing multi-storey and underground parking lots to manage the city’s chaotic traffic. According to the KMC, it aspires to redevelop the city through land-pooling and house-pooling methods while announcing a long-term goal of developing a National Bus Park of international standard to discourage parking of vehicles along the Ring Road, besides making installation of rooftop solar panels mandatory for building permit. The commitment paper said the metropolis will coordinate with Nepal Police to create environment for operation of night businesses by installing solar lights and CCTV cameras.

Implementation of ‘Waste to Energy Project’ to free Kathmandu from load-shedding, construction of durable, dust-free and disabled-friendly footpaths and to plant trees on either side of the roads, and give continuity to the road widening drive are also on cards.

“We have issued a written directive to the concerned local bodies to make public their commitment paper,” an MoFALD official said.