Government employees have been performing their duties in a way as if there is no provincial government in the country

Pokhara, September 7

Gandaki Province Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung today accused civil servants of not extending necessary cooperation for carrying out development projects.

Inaugurating the 13th Annual General Meeting of Pokhara chapter of Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal today, Chief Minister Gurung claimed that the civil servants were reluctant to support the government in carrying out development projects and providing services to the people.

“Whether it is the federal, provincial or local government, civil servants should provide services to the people. But they have been performing their duties in a way as if there is no province-level government in the country,” said Chief Minister Gurung.

He also said that the central government had not been able to deploy adequate staffers to the provincial and local governments, which had adversely affected the work of local levels and provincial governments.

On a different note, he clarified that the meeting of chief ministers in Pokhara was not held to rally against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, but to discuss various issues of common interest. He was of the opinion that federalism in the country was in a nascent stage and sought necessary support and cooperation from the federal government. He informed that his government had endorsed 18 laws so far.

Chief Minister Gurung claimed that he was determined to develop his province as number one province within five years. “I am doing my best to empower and develop the province,” said CM Gurung, who is also a former minister of tourism and civil aviation.

He underscored the need to widen roads in Pokhara and develop more five star hotels while the construction of regional international airport was under way. He also said that they were planning to establish high altitude sports stadium and training centre in Mustang and open Pokhara-Manang tunnel road.

CM Gurung said that development activities could be expedited if the federal government provided them 40 per cent grant. He said they were planning to construct dams and build ponds to deposit silt for the conservation and development of Fewa Lake. “The federal and provincial government each has allotted Rs 100 million for the conservation project,” said CM Gurung.