The district headquarters is Phidim, which is divided into 60 wards of eight local levels, including seven rural municipalities and one municipality. Located in a mountainous geography, this district is ahead in terms of political awareness. However, the development structure is not balanced across all local levels and wards of the district.

When examining the data of the last three censuses, the population here is negative. The number of youth going for foreign employment from the district is increasing day by day. Remittances have become another source of the economic backbone of the district. Currently, more than 60,000 people from this district are in foreign employment. Due to the lack of health, education, drinking water and employment, the process of migration is rapid.

According to the 2078 BS census, the population of the district is 172,400. Of which 86,717 are women and 85,653 are men. The total number of voters in the district for the upcoming House of Representatives elections is 143,408. Of which 67,330 are women and 76,078 are men. Among the 8 local levels of Panchthar, the number of voters is 11,628 in Kummayak, 9,249 in Tumbewa, 17,896 in Falelung, 18,944 in Falgunanda, 35,995 in Phidim, 18,520 in Miklajung, 14,527 in Yangwarak, and 16,649 in Hilihang.

Agriculture is the backbone of livelihood
Agriculture is the mainstay of the district's economy and livelihood. In terms of production, rice, corn, millet, cardamom, ginger, amriso, chiraito, and fruits are produced here. The produced materials are exported to various districts through the local market and the district headquarters. Cardamom, on the other hand, reaches third countries via India through the Kakadbhitta border crossing in Jhapa. Livestock such as buffaloes, cows, buffaloes, goats and chickens are reared here. Dairy production is also significant in the district.

This district has been touched by major projects such as the Mechi Highway, Tamor Corridor, and Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway. Despite access to the main highway, the condition of rural roads is pathetic. The under-construction Tamor Corridor has touched Tumvewa, Kummak, Phidim and Hilihang in the Tamor coastal area. Similarly, the Pushpalal Mid-Hill Highway connects Chiwa Bhanjyang, which borders Sikkim, via the district headquarters Phidim, Hilihang and Yangwarak.

The Phidim to Darimba section of this road has been blacktopped, while the 51-kilometer road from Darimba to Chiwa Bhanjyang is in disrepair. The Mid-Hill Highway in Panchthar covers a distance of 114 kilometers. Of this, 63 kilometers from Tamor River to Darimba have been blacktopped.

The Mechi Highway, which connects Jhapa's Charali to Taplejung via Ilam, connects Falgunanda, Phidim and Hilihang rural municipalities in the district. The Mechi Highway has been completely blacktopped. More than a dozen under-construction projects are underway here, such as Phidim Falout, Ranke Rabi Bhedetar and Salleri Subhang Amarpur, connecting the district headquarters with various places. The road connecting Tumwewa, Lumphabung and Kummayak with the district headquarters has been blacktopped, while the work of blacktopping the road connecting Dashami to Yasok has also just been completed. Despite the expansion of the road network in all 60 wards of the district, vehicles are not in a condition to ply all year round. Although vehicles and transport vehicles operate here during the winter, they often come to a standstill during the rainy season.

Floods in Hewa and Feme are a major challenge
The floods in the Hewa and Feme rivers in the district for the past three years have become an obstacle to development and a challenge for farmers. The flood of Asad 2, 2080 washed away the Bailey Bridge of Hewa River connecting Phidim and Hilihang in the Tamor Corridor under Hewa River, the Hewa River concrete bridge on the Mechi Highway, the Ghumaunetar at Hewa River leading from Phidim to Falelung Rural Municipality Center, the Lumangdin bridge connecting Falelung 3 and 5, and the Sombar Ghat bridge in Ward 4. Among those washed away by the flood that year, the bailey bridge built on the Hewa River on the Mechi Highway was washed away again by the flood of 2081 Asoj 12, while the modular bridge at the same place collapsed while being connected for the third time, killing 3 workers.

Although bridges were built on the Mechi Highway and Lumangdin, other rivers and canals are being diverted to allow vehicles and transport vehicles to cross in winter. Similarly, the bridges washed away by the flood on the Feme and Muwa Rivers on 2081 Asoj 12 have not been rebuilt yet. Floods and landslides have caused a large amount of loss of life and property in Phidim, Falelung, Falgunanda Miklajung and Tumwewa.

Strong infrastructure in health, weak treatment
Panchthar District Hospital has a 50-bed capacity. But this is only the 15 beds approved by the government for operation. The provincial government had announced to upgrade district hospitals to 50 beds, and the government had provided budget in 2074 BS to increase this hospital from 15 to 50 beds. The hospital, which was inaugurated on 29 Mangsir 2080 BS with an investment of 220 million, still lacks the necessary equipment and skilled manpower.

Currently, there are 97 people appointed by the Hospital Development Committee and on contract along with government posts. 40 of them are appointed by the Hospital Development Committee. There are 5 specialists in the District Hospital, including orthopedics and neurology, general surgery, pediatrics and anesthesia. 3 of them are government posts and 2 are appointed by the Hospital Development Committee. With this much manpower, 66 beds are currently being operated in Panchthar District Hospital.

The hospital, which has admitted and treated four times more patients than the government has approved, complains that the service it provides is not satisfactory despite the staff saying that they are doing their best to treat them.  Both hospitals have one doctor and one health worker, while Kummayak Rural Municipality has appointed a doctor to operate a 15-bed hospital under construction. Similarly, Falgunanda Rural Municipality has constructed a building to operate a 5-bed hospital and invited applications for the appointment of health workers. Buildings are being constructed in Hilihang and Yangwarak to operate hospitals. However, due to the delay of the construction business and lack of budget, the work has not been able to gain momentum. Rural Municipality Chairman Samar Bahadur Adhikari is hopeful that the work will be completed by Ashar as the executive has already taken steps to expedite the construction of the under-construction building.

Among the eight local levels, Tumwewa Rural Municipality has not even started the hospital construction process. Although the foundation stone for the construction of a 5-bed basic hospital was laid here, the construction process has not been able to move forward due to difficulties in land management. Civil society leader Suryakumar Niraula complains that they are forced to go not only to Dharan, Biratnagar and Birtamod but also to Siliguri in India for treatment as the district's health institutions are unable to provide all kinds of services.

Lack of access to education and drinking water

The Panchthar Multiple Campus in the district headquarters offers education up to the postgraduate level, while Ravi Yasok and Tharpu have campuses offering education up to the undergraduate level. These campuses do not have technical streams. Therefore, the situation remains that students have to go outside the district to study health technical subjects.

There is an acute shortage of drinking water in Kummayak, Tumbewa and Hilihang rural municipalities of the district. Although water is brought from the Tamor River through a lift system in these places, it has not been able to operate sustainably. Kummayak rural municipality is providing relief to citizens by paying the electricity bill incurred for bringing water from the lift system, the projects in Tumbewa and Hilihang are incomplete. Water The process of settlement emptying is accelerating due to migration due to lack of reliable access to health and education. In Hilihang Rural Municipality alone, more than 300 families have been recommended for migration last year. Bhim Bahadur Hembya, Ward Chairman of Hilihang-2, says that most of the migrants are citizens of dry areas.
The long-awaited Tamor Reservoir Project has not progressed

The Tamor Reservoir Project is one of the 13 major projects mentioned in the Kosi Basin Master Plan implemented in 1985 with the assistance of the Japanese government. The Tamor flows as a border river between Panchthar and Tehrathum districts. The proposed dam site of the project is located in the former Okhre VDC of Tehrathum and the former Syabarumba VDC of Panchthar.

The dam site is located 30 kilometers from Mulghat on the Dhankuta-Dharan road section of the Koshi Highway. The Electricity Authority has been conducting a feasibility study for the past few years to meet the growing electricity demand in Biratnagar, the capital of Eastern Nepal Province 1, and the surrounding Duhabi-Biratnagar Industrial Corridor.
This project is in the 8th priority list of 11 reservoir projects proposed in the National Energy Crisis Resolution and Power Development Decade Concept Paper, 2072, approved by the government through the Council of Ministers. In which its capacity was set to be 692 MW and the target of completion of construction by 2082 BS. However, work on the project has not yet started.

According to the feasibility study report of 763 MW capacity prepared by the Authority, by constructing a 250-meter-high dam 1.5 kilometers below Lumbughat, the river water will flow back 38 kilometers from the dam site to the Tamor River, creating a lake with an area of ​​38.65 square kilometers. In this way, if the river water is converted into a lake, the former 12 VDCs of Tehrathum will be expanded to Okhre, Sungnam, Solma, Myanglung, Tamphula, Jaljale, Simle, Thoklung, Chuhandanda, Chhatedhunga, Eva and Hrvaku respectively; the former 12 VDCs of Panchthar will be expanded to Syabarumba, Ranigaun, Lumphabung, Navamidanda, Chokmagu, Phidim, Nagin, Bharapa, Subhang, Panchami, Amarpur and Nagi; and the former VDCs of Taplejung will be expanded to Niguradin, Phulbari, Hangpang, Phungling, Dokhu, Nakholyang, Thechambu and Chaksibote.

Studies have shown that the attraction of the lake, which will be built with an area of ​​38.65 square kilometers in Tamor, will increase water tourism and the development of hotels, lodges and restaurants necessary for tourists will be carried out near the lake.

According to the study, water transport can be operated in about 38 kilometers of the lake. The water transport in it connects the Tehrathum district headquarters Myanglung, the Panchthar district headquarters Phidim, and the Taplejung district headquarters Phungling.

In this way, connecting 3 out of 14 district headquarters of Koshi through the waterway is the attraction of this project. After the construction of the 30-kilometer Mulghat-Lumbughat road to be built during the project, the Mulghat-Lumbughat-Myanglung-Basantapur-Hile-Dhankuta-Mulghat ring road will be built. This ring road also connects the Myanglung-Basantapur-Hile section of the East-West Mid-Hill Highway and the Mulghat-Basantapur section of the North-South Rani-Kimathanka Highway.
The spread of the dam of this project is 14 kilometers from Phidim in Panchthar and 40 kilometers from Basantapur in Tehrathum, among the 11 new cities proposed by the government on the East-West Mid-Hill Highway. On the other hand, it is close to the densely populated Terai districts of Nepal, Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari. Due to this, the attraction of water tourism in the lake built in this project will increase and it will also be attractive in terms of tourism, but the government has not started the process to take this work forward. Political parties, provincial governments and local citizens of this region are found to have special interest in taking the project forward.

Tamor Reservoir The installed capacity of Tamor identified by JICA in 1985 was 696 MW. The conclusion of its study was that 2.75 billion units of electricity would be generated from Tamor. Accordingly, the Electricity Authority had applied for a license for 530 MW in 2068 BS. प्राधिकरणले तीन वर्ष लगाएर अध्ययन गर्दा यो क्षमतामा तमोर आयोजना निर्माण गर्दा प्राविधिक र आर्थिक हिसाबले अयोग्य देखिएको छ । हिउँदमा ६ घन्टा र वर्षामा २४ घन्टा बिजुली उत्पादन गर्ने आधारमा भएको अध्ययनले ५५० एफएसएलमा ३ अर्ब ३५ करोड युनिट बिजुली उत्पादन हुने देखाएको छ ।

देशको दीर्घकालीन ऊर्जा आवश्यकता सम्बोधन र जलस्रोतको उच्चतम उपयोग गर्ने हो भने यो विकल्प सबैभन्दा उत्तम देखिन्छ । अर्को विकल्प, बाँध उचाई २०५ मिटर र ५५० एफएसएल गर्दा आयोजनाको जडित क्षमता ७६२ मेगावाट र कूल ऊर्जा उत्पादन तीन अर्ब ३५ करोड युनिट हुन्छ । अझ २५५ मिटर अग्लो बाँध बनाउने हो भने तमोरबाट १२५० मेगावाट बिजुली उत्पादन हुन्छ । यसरी प्राधिकरणले विभिन्न विकल्पका साथ गरेको अध्ययनमा वर्तमान सन्दर्भमा ७६२ मेगावाटलाई उत्तम भन्दै लाइसेन्सको लागि निवेदन दिएको छ । हाल सो निवेदन ऊर्जा मन्त्रालयमा विचाराधीन छ । आर्थिक तथा प्राविधिक हिसाबले उपयुक्त क्षमतामा निर्माण गर्न सर्वेक्षण अनुमति प्राप्त नहुँदा आयोजनाले सोचे अनुसार गति लिन नसकेको देखिन्छ यसलाई अघि बढाउन तीन तहकै सरकार र जनप्रतिनिधिले चासो राख्नुपर्ने कुम्मायकका टंक पौडेल बताउँछन् ।

यहाँ फालेलुङको चारराते, सन्दकुपुर, तीनसिमाना, फालौट, चिवा भञ्ज्याङ, हस्तपुर, हिलिहाङ दरबार, तिम्बु पोखरी, आगेजुङ गुम्बा, शिलौती, साधुटार सुके पोखरी, कुम्मायक कुस्सायक, मिक्लाजुङ र सेहोनाम्लाङसहित दर्जनौं पर्यटकीय स्थल छन् । यी स्थलमा पूर्वाधार निर्माण नहुँदा आन्तरिक र बाहृय पर्यटकबाट उल्लेख फाइदा लिन नसकिएको फालेलुङ-४ चाररातेस्थित याक लजका सञ्चालक डिल्ली केरुङ सुनाउँछन् ।

केन्द्रीय राजनीतिमा सधैं पहुँच

प्रजातन्त्र प्राप्ति पश्चात पाँचथरले केन्द्रीय राजनीतिमा भने प्रभाव राख्दै आएको छ । यो जिल्लाका प्रेमराज आङदेम्वे २०१५ सालको मन्त्रिपरिषदमा समेटिएका थिए । त्यसपछि पद्मसुन्दर लावती पञ्चायतकालमा पटकपटक मन्त्री बने । २०५१ को मध्यावधि निर्वाचनपछि दिपकप्रकाश बास्कोटा गृह राज्यमन्त्री बने भने डम्बरसिंह सम्वाहाम्फे पनि राज्यमन्त्री बन्न सफल भए । २०६४ को संविधानसभा निर्वाचन पश्चात यो जिल्लाबाट निर्वाचित पूर्णकुमार सेर्मा स्थानीय विकास मन्त्री र २०७४ पछि वसन्तकुमार नेम्वाङ भौतिक पूर्वाधार तथा यातायात मन्त्री बने । 

विगतका परिणाम नियाल्दा पाँचथरमा कांग्रेस र एमालेले प्राप्त गर्ने मतान्तर फराकिलो थिएन । २०७९ को प्रतिनिधिसभा सदस्य निर्वाचनमा कांग्रेसका भीष्मराज आङदेम्बेलाई ४६ मतको झिनो अन्तरले हराँउदै एमालेका वसन्तकुमार नेम्वाङ विजयी भएका थिए । त्योबेला आङदेम्बेले ३२ हजार ८९ मत प्राप्त गर्दा नेम्वाङले ३२ हजार १ सय ३५ मत ल्याएका थिए । त्यसअघि २०६४ सालको संविधानसभा निर्वाचनमा एमालेका गणेशकुमार काम्बाङलाई ७ मतको झिनो अन्तरले हराउँदै कांग्रेसका पूर्णकुमार सेर्मा संविधानसभा सदस्य निर्वाचित भएका थिए । त्योबेला काम्बाङले १२ हजार ९ सय १३ मत ल्याउँदा सेर्मालाई १२ हजार ९ सय २० मत प्राप्त भएको थियो । यसपाली पनि कांग्रेस, एमाले र नेकपाका उम्मेदवारबीच प्रतिस्पर्धा हुने आँकलन गरिएको छ।  

२०७४ र २०७९ सालमा यहाँ विभिन्न राजनैतिक दलले प्रत्यक्ष तर्फ गठबन्धन र तालमेल गरेर उम्मेदवारी दिएका कारण कुन दलको वास्तविक मत कति भन्ने आँकलन गर्न कठिन हुन्छ । यद्यपि २०७९ सालमा यहाँबाट समानुपातिक प्रणालीमा विभिन्न दलले प्राप्त गरेको मतलाई आधार मान्दा त्यो बेला प्रतिस्पर्धामा रहेका दलहरुको वास्तविक आकार कत्रो थियो ? भनेर सजिलै खुट्याउन सकिन्छ ।

यसअघि भएका प्रतिनिधिसभा र प्रदेशका उम्मेदवारहरुले जिल्लाका सडकको स्तरोन्नति, खानेपानी, गुणस्तरीय शिक्षा, प्राविधिक शिक्षालय सञ्चालन गर्ने, विद्युतीकरण, उद्योग कलकारखाना खोल्ने, कृषि उत्पादनको बजारीकरण र एयरपोर्ट सञ्चालनसम्मका एजेण्डा उठाउँदै आएका छन् । यद्यपि उम्मेदवारहरुले उठाएका मुद्दा प्रायः अधुरा रहने गरेको फालेलुङ-५ का मनदीप राइले सुनाए । 

पाँचथरले सामाजिक अभियानमा पनि अग्रणी भूमिका निर्वाह गर्दै आएको छ । यहाँ साक्षरता, खुल्ला दिसामुक्त र पूर्ण खोपलगायतका अभियानमा पाँचथर अग्रणी स्थानमा छ । शैक्षिक जागरण र राजनैतिक चेतनाका दृष्टिकोणमा अगाडि रहे पनि यो जिल्ला विकास र पूर्वाधारमा भने निकै पछाडि छ ।

सम्बन्धित अन्य समाचारहरु 

सडक, बिजुली र स्वास्थ्य सुविधाको पर्खाइमा हुम्ली

अरुणदेखि मकालुसम्म फैलिएको संखुवासभामा अपेक्षित विकास भएन

पूर्वाधारकै अभाव झेलिरहेको कालीकोट

‘विपन्न’को परिचय फेरिने पर्खाइमा बाजुराबासी

सुनसरीका दुई मुहार: विकसित सहर, पछाडि परेका गाउँ

रामेछापमा जनसंख्या घट्दै, विकासका पूर्वाधार अधुरै

बझाङ: सम्भावनाको खानीभित्र समस्याले जेलिएको जिल्ला

रोजगारी र पूर्वाधार अभावले रित्तिँदै गोरखाका गाउँ

मधेश र हिमाल जोड्ने सेतु बन्दै धनकुटा

मधेशको महोत्तरीमा सधैंको एउटै मार- डुवान र खडेरी