Ray of hope in Gandaki

The province’s plan to restructure its administration should be cautiously welcomed.

The Gandaki province government has unveiled a bold plan to restructure its administration, apparently as a part of governance reform. The provincial Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey, on Monday announced plans to scrap nine offices, merge 32 others into 17, and cut 185 positions. The bureaucratic overhaul, official says, will trim salary expenses by an estimated Rs400-500 million a year while further streamlining service delivery. The move has come at a time when provinces have become increasingly unpopular. If implemented effectively and if replicated in other provinces, such measures may help provincial governments improve their poor public image to an extent.