Valley Mayor forum’s representatives meets Prime Minister Karki

Kathmandu, Nov 17: Prime Minister Sushila Karki held an interaction with mayors from the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday evening, where discussions centered on pressing local issues and preparations for the upcoming elections.

The meeting, conducted at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, saw members of the Valley Mayors Forum express confidence that elections under PM Karki’s leadership would be held smoothly. They also assured full cooperation from local governments to support the national poll process.

During the discussion, the mayors briefed the Prime Minister on several challenges affecting municipalities, including unmanaged waste, long-overdue streetlight payments, growing security concerns, and delays in development projects. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the local leaders urged the government to take decisive actions to resolve these long-standing problems.

Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan highlighted that streetlight dues have remained unsettled for years and suggested that the federal government shoulder 40 percent of the cost while the local level covers the remaining 60 percent.

Gokarneshwar Municipality’s mayor requested the government to begin road expansion on Nepal Trust-owned land, while Tokha Municipality Mayor Prakash Adhikari called on the non-partisan government to make a landmark decision regarding compensation for residents affected by the Tokha–Chhahare road widening project.

Budhanilkantha Mayor Mitharam Adhikari urged strong action against thefts carried out by individuals unaffiliated with the Gen-Z movement, noting an increase in such incidents. Changunarayan Mayor Jeevan Khatri pressed for speedy completion of the long-delayed Sallaghari–Kamalbinayak–Nagarkot road project.

Other mayors also shared their concerns regarding security issues following recent ‘Gen-Z’ demonstrations and sought federal support for the effective operation of local government offices.

Prime Minister Karki reiterated her priority of conducting the elections on time and assured the mayors that the government would address their grievances as far as possible.