With support of GIZ/INCLUDE, the Narayangarh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) organised a two-day ‘District Visioning Workshop’ in December 2009.

During the workshop, the participants developed a common vision for the Chitwan district after 20 years. The discussion further resulted in the formation of a 19-member committee named as “Local and Regional Economic Development Forum (LREDF) - Chitwan”. The committee is coordinated by the chairperson of the NCCI. Other members include two representatives from five main political parties (United Nepal Communist Party - Maoist, Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party - UML, National People’s Front, and Nepal Communist Party - ML), a representative from the civil society, Local Development Officer (ex-officio), Executive Officer of Bharatpur Municipality (ex-officio), Executive Officer of Ratnanagar Municipality (ex-officio), two representatives from Ratnanagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), and two representatives from NCCI.

Besides others, the LREDF has been given the mandate to develop a plan to fulfill the vision, identify resources for the economic and social development of the district and provide policy guidance to the District Development Committee (DDC). The secretariat of LREDF Chitwan will be housed at the NCCI.

Physical infrastructure, natural resources management, agriculture, tourism, education and health are the six major sectors on which the LRED Forum will focus its future activities. It was realised that the NCCI and private sector could play a lead/major role in agriculture, tourism, education and health sectors. However, the DDC would have to take the lead role in overall coordination function and in sectors such as development of physical infrastructure and to some extent natural resources management together with district line agencies and NGOs.