Participants are discussing the prospects and problems of Gandaki Province while offering solutions at ‘Gantabya Gandaki’, a thematic discussion programme organised by the Kantipur Media Group in Pokhara, on Wednesday.

In his welcome remarks, Kailash Sirohiya, chairman of Kantipur Media Group, highlighted Gandaki Province’s immense tourism potential, emphasising that it remains largely untapped.

“Gandaki is not only a tourist hub but also an industrial city in terms of production. While Pokhara has taken the lead in education and health, districts like Manang and Mustang remain geographically remote and lack adequate infrastructure,” he said. “Agricultural products such as apples, which have immense potential in the Himalayan region, have yet to receive sufficient support and market access. Institutionalising public-private partnerships and aligning government plans with private sector initiatives are crucial for building a self-reliant economy through tourism, entrepreneurship, and agriculture.”

He said that Gandaki holds the potential to become even more productive and influential, but certain efforts are required to achieve this.

“There is still much to be done to fully harness Gandaki’s potential in tourism, agriculture, education, health, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure. Kantipur Media Group has brought ‘Destination Gandaki’ here to serve as a common platform to explore and utilise its full potential, focusing on policy formulation and implementation, infrastructure development, tourism promotion, and advancing investment and employment opportunities while addressing your key issues.”

The event features four sessions covering tourism policies, adventurous destinations, education and health concerns, and the impact of federalism.

The first session, ‘Politics and Tourism Policies,’ has Takraj Gurung, minister for economic affairs of Gandaki Province; Dhanraj Acharya, mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City; Deepak Raj Joshi, chief executive officer of Nepal Tourism Board; Lucky Chhetri, founder of 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking; and Laxman Subedi, chairman of Hotel Association, Pokhara as speakers. Suraj Kunwar, senior sub-editor of Kantipur Daily, will moderate the session. Krishna Chandra Devkota, vice-chairperson of the Province Policy and Planning Commission, Gandaki, will present a working paper.

The second session, ‘Adventurous Journeys, Dream Destinations,’ features Raju Karki, chairman of The Cliff, Baglung; Laxmi Gurung, proprietor of Yak Donald’s, Kagbeni, Mustang; Dorje Lama, tourism entrepreneur from Pokhara; and Pratikraj Pahari, managing director of Hotel Sarowar. Deepak Pariyar, sub-editor of Kantipur Daily, will moderate the session.

The third session, ‘Key Concerns: Education, Health, and Employment,’ includes Pradip Paudel, minister for health and population; Khagaraj Adhikari, former Gandaki chief minister; Chandra Dhakal, president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce & Industries; Ramkali Khadka, executive director of Women’s Skills Development Organisation, Pokhara; and Niranjan Shrestha, executive director of Laxmi Group. Rupesh Shrestha, deputy news chief of Kantipur Television, will moderate the third session.

The fourth session, ‘Federalism: Burden or Right?’ brings together Bishnu Paudel, deputy prime minister and minister for finance; Surendra Raj Pandey, chief minister of Gandaki Province; Narayan Kaji Shrestha, former deputy prime minister; and Laxmi Devi Pandey, chairperson of the National Association of Rural Municipalities. Umesh Chauhan, editor-in-chief of Kantipur Daily, will be moderating.

The event is being broadcast live on Kantipur TV and ekantipur.com.