KATHMANDU, May 2: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has stressed the need for the cooperation of the private sector for the country's development.
While inaugurating the Maulakalika cable car at Gaindakot in Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East) on Monday, Prime Minister Dahal said the government would cooperate with the private sector to increase production and create employment opportunities. "The country cannot get a pace in the country's economic development until there is meaningful cooperation with the private sector. Now, we have emphasized the creation of job opportunities by increasing production," he said.
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 a healthy workforce by making required acts and laws.
Prime Minister Dahal said that the federal government is effortful in easing difficulties facing the private sector at present. "I believe results will take place. We must stop distributing disappointments to people," he said.
Claiming that the inflow of remittances was increasing lately, Dahal said that the government was effortful in increasing it in the days to come. "Revenues are increasing. Foreign exchange reserves are encouraging. We will need to keep it in balance," he said.
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While assuring that bank interest rates would additionally decrease until mid-May, Prime Minister Dahal also called for industrialists and traders to come together to build the nation stating that the state was in their favor. "Nepal is still in economic pressure," he said, adding that he hoped the situation would improve and find its usual path,” he further said.
Applauding the operation of a cable car service targeting the Maulakalika Temple, the Prime Minister described the shrine as a 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.
Prime Minister Dahal urged one and all to visit the shrine at least once in life as he pressed an idea of developing the area into a special economic zone. He also 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 that Maulakalika Temple is the shrine of historic importance and people's flow here has increased with the construction of physical infrastructure. He said that the operation of the cable car service would be the reason to increase the number of devotees in the days to come.
Nepali Congress (NC) leader and member of House of Representative (HoR) from Nawalparasi (Bardghat- Susta East), Prof Dr Shashank Koirala asked the government to rename the district as 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.
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.
Dhakal, who is also President of Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said some 200 people will get employment in the cable car and hotel. He said that the cable car facility has been run to promote the historical, religious and tourism heritages in Nawalpur among the Nepalis and foreign visitors.
Dhakal also shared that the IME Group has moved ahead the process for running cable car facilities at the religious tourist places of all the seven provinces in the country. "Construction of cable cars is in the final stages in Butwal. We have moved ahead with the process of constructing a cable car from Pathibhara to Sudurpaschim. Our plan is to bring improvement in the country's economic condition by promoting tourism activities," he further said.
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.
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.
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