The Gandaki Province Government has conferred the 'Gandaki Ratna Samman' on Mahabir Pun. Province Chief Prithvi Man Gurung handed the highest award of the province to Pun amid a programme organised in Pokhara today.

The award was announced in February on the occasion of the completion of four years of the province government. Province Chief on the occasion praised Pun for making an important contribution in research and innovation sector. He recalled meeting Pun 50 years back in Chitwan while he was in the teaching profession and said Pun has reached this reputation through constant hard work.

Chief Minister Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokharel said the 'Gandaki Ratna' title has been conferred on Pun in recognition of the step he has taken to make the nation prosperous by means of research and innovation.

He shared that the province government has earmarked Rs 100 million in the next year's budget for research in collaboration with the National research Centre.

Pun is the founder of the "Rashtriya Abiskar Kendra" or the National Innovation Center in 2012. Primary objective to establish the Center according to him is to foster research and developments for the economic development of the country. Mahabir worked with the government for funding of the project which did not happen and since July 2016, Mahabir is running a crowd funding campaign to fund National Innovation efforts. National Innovation Center crowd funding campaign plans to collect build a 10MW hydropower station, which according to the initiative would sustainably fund its running cost. Pun has got social attraction with his donation of land for the National Innovation Center.

Published Time: 02:58 AM