Madhesh Province Economic Survey Published: Improvement in Infrastructure and Banking, Challenges in Education and Agriculture
According to the Economic Survey report published by the Madhesh Province Government, progress has been observed in employment, industry, banking, and physical infrastructure sectors in the province, while education, agriculture, and the productive sector remain challenging. As per the survey presented in the Provincial Assembly by Finance Minister Yubaraj Bhattarai, the economic growth rate of Madhesh Province stands at 1.31 percent, while the agriculture sector contributes 34.97 percent to the overall economy.
Overall, the survey has pointed out that although infrastructure and financial access have expanded, expected improvement has not been achieved in learning achievement and agricultural production. The key statistics of various sectors covered in the survey are as follows:
Status of the Education Sector
The survey shows that although access for school-age children has increased, retaining students at higher levels remains a challenge.
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Total number of schools: 5,471
Community schools: 3,484
Institutional schools: 1,987 -
Share of schools at the national level: Around 15 percent
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Share of students: Around 25 percent of students enrolled across the country
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Net enrollment rate from Grades 1 to 5: 95.2 percent
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Enrollment rate in Grades 11 and 12: 11.7 percent, much lower than the national average
Physical Infrastructure and Electricity
In fiscal year 2081/82, improvement has been claimed in the province’s physical infrastructure sector. The survey states that 100 percent of households in the province have been connected to the national transmission grid. Details of road and bridge construction are as follows:
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Earthen road construction: 77.53 kilometers
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Gravel road construction: 406.63 kilometers
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Concrete road construction: 253.55 kilometers
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Blacktopped road construction: 83.91 kilometers
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Culverts constructed: 109
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Concrete bridges constructed: 4
Banking and Financial Sector
All 136 local levels in the province have access to banks and financial institutions. Details of financial institutions operating as of Falgun 2082 are as follows:
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Commercial banks: 20
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Development banks: 17
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Finance companies: 17
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Microfinance institutions: 51
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Infrastructure bank: 1
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Total financial institutions: 106
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Number of bank branches: 1,754
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Deposit collection: Rs. 446 billion
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Loan disbursement: Rs. 510 billion
Industry, Business, and Tourism
Micro and small industries and businesses have expanded in the province.
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Registered micro and small industries: 18,419
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Registered companies: 25,851
New companies added in the current fiscal year: 1,645 -
Increase in industrial loan disbursement: 5.42 percent
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Star hotels in operation: 12
Agriculture, Forests, and Health
Although forest production has increased, challenges have been seen in irrigation and agricultural loans.
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Total forest area: 277,135 hectares
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Increase in forest production: Firewood increased by 30.80 percent and timber by 10.09 percent
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Irrigated area: Limited to 319,000 hectares, a decrease of 4.34 percent
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Agricultural loan disbursement: Decreased by 5.66 percent
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Health service delivery: 5.07 million times
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Total fertility rate: 2.7, higher than the national average of 1.9
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Maternal mortality rate: 140 per 100,000 live births
Employment and Province Public Service Commission
Although 10,168 people received employment through the National Employment Promotion Program, this number has been declining for the past five years. More than 100,000 people have obtained labor approval for foreign employment. Details of the Madhesh Pradesh Lok Sewa Aayog are as follows:
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Advertisements called for Province Civil Service: 339 posts
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Advertisements called for local service: 1,441 posts
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Recommended candidates: 116
Status of Governance
Among the complaints filed with the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, the highest number were related to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure. Details of complaints are as follows:
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Ministry of Physical Infrastructure: 378
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Health sector: 170
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Forest sector: 103
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Agriculture sector: 98
