Public Hearing Program Held in Pokhara–25, Hemja

Pokhara – A public hearing program has been successfully conducted in Ward No. 25, Hemja, of Pokhara Metropolitan City.

The event was organized in coordination with Machhapuchhre Media & Multipurpose Pvt. Ltd., focusing on service delivery and development works provided by the Ward Office of Pokhara Metropolitan City–25.

During the hearing, participating citizens openly voiced their grievances and suggestions. These concerns were addressed by Pokhara Metropolitan City Spokesperson and Ward Chairperson Motilal Timilsina, along with other elected representatives and subject-wise officials of the ward.

Participants also expressed appreciation for recent development works in the ward. They suggested that completing such projects by the end of the Nepali fiscal month of Chait (mid-April), rather than waiting until Asar (mid-July), would lead to even better outcomes.

Issues raised during the event included: land updating procedures, documentation of old houses, protection of public property, CCTV installation, quality education, direct public transport to major city centers, and monsoon-related plans and training programs.

Attendees also advised streamlining public service delivery alongside development works. Addressing the gathering, Spokesperson and Ward Chairperson Timilsina assured that the ward office would continue responding to the suggestions and complaints raised during the hearing.

"We allocate budgets along with plans, but when we ask consumer committees to sign agreements, they only show up at the last moment. This is a recurring issue," Timilsina said. "As you’ve pointed out, it’s important to end the culture of waiting until the end of Asar to complete development projects."

He also mentioned that Pokhara Metropolitan City has launched a program to install streetlights starting from scratch. This year, streetlights will be installed from Yamdi to Chaklekula, and next year the coverage will extend from Chaklekula to Fedhi.

In addition, he informed that the ward plans to install CCTV cameras at major intersections in Hemja in collaboration with local banks, financial institutions, and cooperatives.

Responding to complaints about the complex land updating process, he said that the ward office had already held discussions with the chief of the Land Survey Office. “We have requested them to open a temporary branch in Hemja for this task,” he said. “They have agreed to give it two months. If visiting the Land Survey Office still proves troublesome after that, they will operate directly from Hemja. This should help resolve the issue.”