The district headquarters, Tansen, is the closest hill town to the Terai. The commercial center of western Nepal, Butwal, is 40 kilometers away from the city, which is nestled on a hill. The Belahiya border crossing in Rupandehi is only 65 kilometers away from here.

Tourists entering the country through Belahiya reach the tourist city of Pokhara via Palpa along the Siddhartha Highway. Although tourists travel through the Siddhartha Highway every year, few return after visiting Palpa. Due to the lack of infrastructure and package programs to attract tourists from India and third countries, they do not stay here.

Tourism entrepreneurs have been demanding that Palpa, Gulmi, and Arghakhanchi be developed as 'hill stations'. In line with their demands, government agencies and political parties have also been saying that the nearby hill destinations in the Terai will be developed as tourist centers. It is hot in the Terai districts for most months of the year. After a one-and-a-half hour journey from the Terai districts, one can reach the hilly destination that is cold for twelve months. The concept of 'hill station' has been put forward to attract not only Nepalese but also citizens of Uttar Pradesh, India, during the summer.

In every election in the Terai and hilly districts, candidates also advance the slogan of 'hill station'. However, voters complain that such slogans are wasted after the election is over. 'I have read the manifestos, commitment letters, promises, and resolutions of all the candidates,' said Chitrawali Ram Suwal of Tansen, 'Everyone has emphasized tourism in Palpa.' However, he said that tourism development in Tansen is becoming only a political slogan in the election. This time too, from nomination registration to municipality and ward workers and voters' meetings, candidates of almost all parties are repeating the old promise of developing the historical, religious, and touristic region of Tansen.

He said that even though tourism development became an election slogan, no attention was paid to infrastructure construction. Recalling the promises made in the past, local Jeevan Pandey of Tansen said that there has been no review of whether the work has been done as per the commitment. According to him, Tansen is an old city. Tourism entrepreneurs are now confidently increasing investment in the city with tourism potential. ‘However, there is no diversity in tourism infrastructure,’ he said. ‘I have found that the unorganized market, narrow roads, poor waste management, unorganized bus park, and Tundikhel, which has not yielded the expected benefits, are bothering the candidates.’

Srinagardanda, Ranimahal, Rurukshetra, Bhagwati and Amarnarayan temple premises here are awaiting development. According to him, the candidates are seeking votes by saying that tourism infrastructure development, giving identity to the historical city, and developing not only Tansen but also the entire Palpa.

‘Despite being a city that was inhabited during the time of the Sen dynasty and the Rana dynasty, Tansen has fallen behind,’ said Sabina Bajracharya of Tansen-6, ‘The tendency to do politics only for economic gain and benefiting relatives has been seen. If the development of the district’s destinations were promoted, tourists would have flocked.’ She said that development work should be done by making a master plan along with the increasing population density.

Mahendra Panthi, associate professor at Tribhuvan Multiple Campus, said that a wise public representative is needed to make the religious sites of Tansen, the city’s roads easier, upgrade the road leading to Ranimahal, and work on tourism infrastructure in Srinagar. ‘The main thing seems to be a lack of thinking,’ he said, ‘Social development cannot happen if you become a candidate, raise empty slogans, and after winning, you go after the workers.’ There should be willpower to implement in practice rather than writing in the manifesto.'

Tansen Bus Park has been abandoned for years. The structures built on loans in the Amarnarayan Temple premises have been destroyed. Adequate benefits have not been received from Tundikhel. 'Locals have to clean up Srinagar Danda,' Panthi said. 'There is no infrastructure to reach Rani Mahal and stay for an hour.' The situation in Ridi area. Rishikesh is the same.' Quality roads have not been built to reach dozens of tourist areas including Rampur, Rambhapani, Baldhengadhi, Rainadevi, Jaleshwor Dham. Infrastructure is not ready.

Candidates' ambitious plans

This time too, the district candidates are repeating their commitment to develop infrastructure in the hills and make them a 'tourist hub'. Nepali Communist Party (NCP) candidate for Palpa-2 Som Prasad Pandey has raised the issue of a 'tourism hub' for the development of the district. In his 25-point election commitment letter, he has mentioned the development of the tourism sector as the first priority. Then he has mentioned the points of agriculture, education, health, drinking water, infrastructure and employment, and good governance. It is not only Pandey who is committed to developing the district as a tourism hub, but also the candidates of the four main political parties in the district. 'We will develop Tansen as a historical city and maintain the originality of new and old houses,' said Pandey. 'There is a plan to make a tourist city using traditional materials like Telia and Bhaktapure bricks.' He has put forward a plan to develop Tansen as a 'hill station'. He has included the issue of building an integrated religious and cultural tourism circuit from Siddhababa to Ramdighat.

Pandey said that a national-level 'Magar Museum' and 'Magar Village' will be established in Magar-dominated districts to introduce Magar culture to the world. There is also a plan to install Nepal's largest Buddha statue in Srinagar to connect Tansen and the surrounding areas, which are predominantly Buddhist, with Lumbini. 'There are plans to renovate various monasteries and make them attractive pilgrimage sites,' said Pandey. 'I will prepare an integrated master plan for the construction of the Mandavya Ashram in Madi and the Rishikesh Mokshadham Sarovar in Buduwa and Mandavya Lake and Ruru areas, and the 'Anglo-Nepal War Garden' and the 'Unification Trail' reflecting the victory story of the Nepal-British War.'

He said that an international-level smart hall with a capacity of 3,500 seats will be built to make Tansen a center for 'event tourism'. There are plans to develop Baldhengadhi as a national park and to build a ‘Taksar Living Museum’ in Tansen to showcase Newari culture. Hum Bahadur Sunari, the candidate for Palpa-1 from the Nepal Communist Party, has made it a priority to work in connection with Palpa’s tourism development, its infrastructure and employment.

Thakur Prasad Gaire, the UML candidate for Palpa-2, has also emphasized Palpa’s civilization, tourism and economy. The commitment letter made public by Gaire states that the district will be developed as a ‘tourism center’. He has mentioned that the necessary infrastructure will be built to make the tourist area a major source of employment. ‘The cultural doubles, parks, gardens, lakes, cultural, historical, religious, and archaeological heritage in Tansen will be developed and constructed as a tourist center,’ he said. ‘Ujirsingh Park will be constructed at the place where Colonel Ujirsingh Thapa repaired and built weapons after excavating an iron mine near Kokalchhap Bhagwati Tole.’ The main emphasis of UML candidate Narayan Prasad Acharya of Palpa-1 is on tourism and cultural development. He has emphasized on tourism infrastructure in Rampur Bazaar and the Kaligandaki coastal area in his constituency.’