Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey has said that in the upcoming elections, a leadership should be selected that can rise above the momentary influence of social media hype and sponsored content and do justice to the real situation of the country.

Addressing the Gandaki Province Establishment Day program organized in Pokhara on Thursday, he said that only voting with prudence, awareness and responsibility based on the agenda can pave the way for good governance, prosperity and stability as per the people's expectations.

'The main need today is to rise above the momentary impact of the hype, noise and sponsored content spread on social media and elect a leadership that can do justice to the real situation of the country and our socio-economic landscape,' he said.

He expressed his belief that if competent, honest and accountable leadership is elected through this election, it will be possible to lead the country in the right direction within the next five years. He was of the opinion that the election should pave the way for building peace, not chaos, stability, not instability and national unity, not conflict.

Chief Minister Pandey said that the allegation that the provincial structure is costly is baseless. Citing data from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, he informed that in the fiscal year 2081/82, 50.47 percent of the total salary and benefits expenditure was spent by the federal government, 44.84 percent by the local level, and only 4.69 percent by the provincial government. 'There is no point in the baseless accusation that the provincial government, ministers, or members of the assembly ate up even five percent of the total public expenditure when not even five percent of it was spent at the provincial level,' he said.

He said that the provincial government has set a new example of frugality in the country by restructuring its administration. He informed that 32 offices have been merged to establish 19 integrated offices and more than 304 posts have been cut, reducing the annual expenditure by crores of rupees.

He said that with the decision to cut the current expenditure for reconstruction by more than 1.15 billion rupees after the disaster that occurred in last Bhadra, there has been a saving of about 20 percent in administrative expenditure. On the occasion of the eighth anniversary of the establishment of Gandaki Province, Chief Minister Pandey said that 88 laws, 29 regulations and other standards have been issued so far. In the health sector, he said that 13 hospitals under the province have been upgraded and the number of beds has been increased from 300 to 800.

He mentioned that after the Corolla border checkpoint came into operation, Gandaki Province has made a significant contribution to the country's revenue, and the entry fee for foreign tourists in Upper Mustang has been reduced from a lump sum of $500 to $50 per day.

He said that the international identity of Gandaki Province and Pokhara has been established with the declaration of Pokhara as the tourism capital of Nepal.

Recalling the violent incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra, Chief Minister Pandey said that the provincial government is committed to the journey of dialogue and reform by absorbing the feelings, questions and dreams of the youth. 'The long-term solution to the problems seen in the country can be achieved only through collective efforts with positive thinking and confidence, changing negative thinking,' he said.