CHITWAN: Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been ranked as the best-performing municipality in Nepal, according to the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission’s latest evaluation results.
The city emerged as the top municipality, surpassing six other metropolitan cities across the country.
This marks the third consecutive year that Bharatpur has secured the top spot, including the current fiscal year.
Jagannath Aryal, Deputy Director of the Metropolitan City, confirmed that the financial equalization grant (performance-based) provided by the federal government to local levels will continue to increase in the upcoming fiscal year 2026-27.
The evaluation, based on 17 key indicators, highlighted Bharatpur’s excellence in financial management, urban planning, and revenue generation.
The city was assessed on factors such as expenditure efficiency, audit compliance, use of the local consolidated fund management system, periodic planning, and timely budget preparation. The municipality also scored points for ensuring that 40% of the real estate registration fee, entertainment tax, and advertisement tax revenue was paid to the provincial government monthly.
Bharatpur achieved an impressive score of 76.2%, outpacing other cities like Biratnagar (73.5%), Lalitpur (66.7%), Kathmandu (54.3%), Pokhara (51.5%), and Birgunj (43.1%).
Within Chitwan district, Bharatpur ranked first, with Ichchakamana Rural Municipality at 72%, Ratnanagar Municipality at 70.1%, and others following behind.
Mayor Renu Dahal expressed her pride in Bharatpur’s achievement, saying the city’s excellence in urban infrastructure, sports, and conflict resolution through judicial committees.
She extended her gratitude to the people’s representatives and staff for their hard work, noting that this recognition is a source of pride for the residents of Bharatpur.
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