Pokhara, March 16

Gandaki Province government has set the target of doubling the province’s per capita income to 1,956 US dollars in the next five years.

In the first meeting of the Province Development Council in Pokhara, Chief Minister Prithivi Subba Gurung said his government had set the target of becoming the first among the seven provinces. “Per capita income of an individual is 1,043 US Dollar currently. We plan to double it in five years,” he added.

Gurung said his government had set the target of increasing annual economic growth rate to make it 10.2. “To achieve this target, we need a massive budget,” he said. Of the total estimated budget, 31.13 per cent will be invested on energy, 20.41 on physical infrastructure, 10.30 per cent on human resource, 8.54 on agriculture, 7.90 on tourism, 4.05 on industry, 2.31 on good governance and 15.36 on other sectors.

According to CM Gurung, the private sector will contribute 58 per cent of the budget; public sector will chip in 35 per cent, cooperatives will give 4 per cent and the community sector will provide 2 per cent.

Presenting the draft of the first five-year plan, Gandaki Province Policy and Planning Commission Vice-chairman Giridhari Sharma Poudel said the province would achieve remarkable progress in infrastructure development.

Though the province has just 932 kilometres blacktopped road, black-topped road network will be expanded to 12,937 kilometres.

Sharma said work was under way to make facilities of clean drinking water, health treatment, education, power, telephone, internet, and transport available to every citizen.

The provincial government has identified seven areas — tourism, energy, agriculture, industry, infrastructure, human resource, and good governance for province’ development.

It has also identified six game-changer plans.