Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Ram Kumar Dahal, Political Sscience Department, T.U

Introduction

The effective supply of essential goods (EGs) to remote Himalayan and mountain districts is one of the key politico-economic issues in post 1990 Nepal when pluralistic political system responsive to the wishes of the sovereign people was introduced in 1990 under the influence of global democratization process and human rights (HRs) movement. In democratic system, where the government is accountable and responsive to the will of the people at large, the supply of essential commodities to various parts of the country including remote areas(RAs) practically establishes a linkage between the central leadership/ruling elites and the electorate/ masses and between the centre and the institutions of local governance. As it establishes a clear cut relationship between the government (both central and local) and the sovereign people, the effective supply of basic commodities to different parts of the country particularly the inaccessible ones becomes an important part or agenda of electoral politics. The effective delivery of goods and services particularly to the remotest and neglected parts of the country is not only the key part of economic system but also an important means or indicator to test the state’s capability, degree of responsiveness and accountability to its sovereign people particularly to those vulnerable, disadvantaged, powerless, voiceless and marginalized groups (e.g. Dalits, Adibasi, Janajatis, woman in Nepal’s particular case) living in remote areas who themselves alone cannot protect and promote their own interest and wellbeing and thus needs state’s active role in this direction. The state as the guardian and protector of the interests of the people at large and the interests of the deprived and marginalized groups living in backward and neglected areas in particular has to fulfill certain responsibilities toward them and the democratically elected governments effectively and successfully performs these responsibilities showing their loyalties towards the sovereign people. Moreover, the role of democratic state in the protection and promotion of human and fundamental rights of the citizens including those economically backward groups living in RAs, including their right to life, right to have adequate food, right to employment, right to shelter and right to basic needs (as mentioned in the International Covenant on Economic social and cultural rights, 1966 (of which Nepal is a signatory Party) becomes particularly important. The respect for and observance of HRs of the citizens, thus, becomes another indicator to judge how much accountable and responsive state is towards its people at large and the vulnerable and marginalized groups in the RAs in particular. Moreover, the effective delivery of goods and services to the people in general and wages groups, the rural poor and the people living below poverty line in the backward areas in particular establishes a close link between the citizens’s right to get basic goods and services from the state and the responsibilities of the state to provide them effectively according to their needs, demands and expectations. Effective delivery of goods and services is one of the important and sensitive functions of the political system particularly in the remote areas of the Third World countries where large sections of population live below poverty line and have low purchasing power. The role of service delivery institutions in these countries (both govt. and private) becomes particularly notable in this direction and it is also the concern in today’s globalized world about how their role responsibility and wishes be made more effective and more responsive to the needs of the people particularly living in geographically inaccessible parts where transportation and other development infrastructures are almost non existent.

As one of the landlocked, mountainous, small, least developed, transitional and poorest countries of the Fourth World (poorest among the poor), Nepal has to face a number of problems in every sector including in economic one. The Nepalese state has to bear further responsibilities in serving the interests of the people in general and the poorest ,marginalized and vulnerable groups in particular(e.g. in matters of supply of wage goods in remote areas).The role of constitutionally declared Nepalese welfare state in supplying the essential goods and commodities particularly to remote Himalayan and Hill districts and fulfilling its responsibility towards the marginalized groups, rural poor , wage groups (both industrial and agricultural) and the people living below poverty line in those areas becomes particularly important in the present changed national, regional and global context. With Nepal’s introduction to global economic reforms(under the influence of Brettonwoods institutions- the WB, IMF and formerly GATT and currently WTO) including globalization ,privatization ,marketization and liberalization, the role of the Nepalese welfare state marked certain changes in its relationship with the people including those of the remote areas in matters of supplied of EGs when the supporters of market economy started advocating the concept of minimalist state .Moreover, the role of Nepalese welfare state in relation to the people including in the RAs in matters of supply of WGs and subsidies was even seriously questioned when Nepal became the member of WTO in global context and part of SAFTA in regional context. These factors have led to redefine the relationship between the ruling elites and the masses; between the centre and the local governance and often between citizens’ human and fundamental rights and state’s responsibilities .In spite of these global economic reforms ,the democratically elected governments in post 1990 period had encouraged the process of supplying WGs to Nepal’s RAs but the supply of essential commodities particularly to the remote Himalayan and Hill districts in post 1995 period (when the Maoists started waging people war in different parts the country) became a serious issue creating a number of challenges in the distribution system in RAs. Due to a number of reasons, the present status of delivery of goods and services provided by the government corporations and agencies particularly to the rural poor and wage groups, are in general characterized as irregular, poor in quality and in most cases irresponsible and inadequate to their needs, demands and expectations. Those goods and services delivered in their names, in most cases, are practically monopolized by the so called rich, powerful and the relatives of the local authorities (e.g. who are in charge of those service delivery activities in the district) and the real needy and the target groups have failed to receive them. The political and administrative corruption has further made the supply system more complicated and creating artificial hurdles to take those goods to the real needy. The Machiavellian style of ruling in the Hobbesian of state of nature fails to address their real needs and expectations and effectively deliver services and goods to them. In post 1990 days particularly when Nepal welcomed the global economic reforms including privatization, globalization marketization and liberalization, accepting the concept of minimalist state as advocated by the World Bank and UNDP in a constitutionally declared welfare state, it has become important to discuss the issues of delivery of goods and services(e.g. how effectively such services be provided to the rural poor and opportunities to be provided to the providers, facilitators and users of public services) throughout the country particularly in the remote Himalayan and Hill districts which are marked by food deficit areas and the rural poor have no low purchasing power. Excerpts from a paper by the author presented at a NEFAS/FES Seminar held March 10-11 in Kathmandu-ed.

This researcher is extremely grateful to Prof. Dr. Gunanidhi Sharma and Dr. Bishwanath Tiwari of CEDECON; Dev Raj Dahal and Navaraj Dahal Of FES, Nepal; Bimal Wagle, Joint secretary of Ministry of Industry, commerce and supplies, Satish Jha of Ministry of local development; Dr Chandra Mani Adhikari and Kedar Koirala of Ministry of finance, Ganesh Prasad Upadhyaya, Under secretary of ministry of Women Children and social welfare,DR. Nani Ram Subedi, ICIMOD, .Dipendra Chhetri of Nepal Rastra Bank, Narayan Bhattarai, chief of Planning section, Nepal Food Corporation(NFC), Prof.Dr.Pradip Khadka, chief of Central Department of Rural Development ,TU ;Advocate Dr. Sambhu Khanal ,Ananda Shrestha and Shiva Raj Dahal of NEFAS for their valuable help in enriching this paper and bringing in this shape. Moreover, this researcher also wants to thank the officials and authorities of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), NFC, and Salt Trading Corporation Limited (STCL) who provided their concerned official documents and progress reports concerning the supplies of kerosene, food and salt but want to remain unidentified for some reasons. However, the critical interpretations of those facts, data and information/ideas provided by them to this researcher are his own and bear the whole responsibility for this.