Overview
Rapti Municipality (राप्ती नगरपालिका, चितवन): Piple, Bhandara, Birendranagar, Korak, and Lothar Village Development Committees, which were formerly located in the easternmost part of Chitwan, are a municipality with geographical diversity including hilly and flat terrain. It is connected to Makwanpur district in the east, Khairhani municipality of Chitwan district in the west, Mahabharat chain in the north, and Dhading district in the north. The southern part of the municipality is connected to Chitwan National Park. A total of 112.04 sq. Km. The municipality has an area of 12,055 households. The municipality has a total population of 58,107 with 27,728 females and 30,319 males. In the hilly areas of Lothar and Korak, 52 percent of the population is below the poverty line, while in the plains Piple, Bhandara, and Birendranagar it is 7.1 percent. 29.5 percent of the population is below the poverty line.
Reviewing the current situation, while examining the strengths and weaknesses of the following, it is found that there are the following opportunities and challenges for the development of this municipality and the prosperity of the city dwellers:
1. strong side:
After the local, state and union elections, the municipality has elected people's representatives in the state and union, being able to carry out tasks with limited staff, success in spending about 85 percent of the development budget, computer software in financial management, and being able to center ward offices unanimously.
2. Weaknesses
Lack of municipal building for office management, lack of ward office building of its own, inability to arrange infrastructures such as planning and technical branch, and store are some of the weaknesses. Similarly, due to the lack of technical and skilled staff including engineers, there are weaknesses such as not being able to complete 100% of the projects. Similarly, since revenue from local sources is the main source of revenue of the municipality, it is not possible to implement integrated property tax by adopting the scientific method, not being able to collect the prescribed tax fees in full, not being able to do computer billing due to lack of skilled staff, not being able to project revenue scientifically. We have to face weakness.
3. Opportunities:
Due to its geographical diversity, agriculture can be diversified, hilly areas of the Rapti municipality are suitable for seasonal non-seasonal vegetable farming, goat rearing, poultry rearing, beekeeping, herb farming as well as organic farming system. The plains are suitable for various food crops, vegetable farming, fisheries, animal husbandry, poultry, fruit farming, and the east-west highway passes through this municipality, rivers like Lothar Rapti, various community forests and Chitwan National Park Rapti Ekta become intermediate community forests. Areas like Panisaradhap People's Park, Parewakot Tourist Area Ratomate Dada, Bagdevi Cultural Museum, Vishal Nag Pokhari Tourist Area, Shikhar Eco-Tourism are also located in this area as an opportunity for the development of this municipality.
Similarly, being a new municipality, there is an opportunity to make a systematic city plan, autonomy in budget formulation, enthusiasm among the city dwellers after the local level election, etc.
4. Challenges:
Access to remote northern areas, recurring floods, fragmentation of arable land, lack of proper market management of agricultural products, exploitation of natural resources such as stone, sand, forest products, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture, lack of irrigation in northern areas, hilly areas Lack of road transport, lack of resources and skilled manpower for community schools and lack of quality of education, damage caused by wild animals to settlements from national parks, unmanaged settlement, etc. are the challenges for the development of this municipality.
Similarly, due to inability to manage staff as required, various laws and procedures have to be formulated in a way that does not conflict with the Union and the states, lack of laws at the local level and ambiguity regarding the common rights enshrined in the constitution, limited resources and unlimited. There are policy challenges such as lack of coordination between needs, maintaining transparency and good governance, living standards of the poor far below the city average, prioritizing development areas, and systematic development of the city.
Geographical Map of Rapti Municipality:
Contact Address:
Location: Ratnanagar Nagarpalika, Bakulahar Chowk, Chitwan, Bagmati Pradesh, Nepal
Telephone: +977-56-550015
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.raptimunchitwan.gov.np
