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Kathmandu,Monday January 17, 2000 Magh 3rd, 2056.
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Prioritise development
projects
The 38-million-rupee public swimming pool project currently under
construction at Birgunj is no doubt a glaring example of misplaced priority. It is indeed
a mockery that Birgunj, which has not been able to pay even its electricity bills since
some years should go for this white elephant of a project. Then, there is also that
musical fountain under construction, the money being spent for which could have been
better utilised in the construction of a sewerage system and development of some of the
wards within the city.
While building
facilities for public entertainment such as a swimming pool is not a bad idea at all, the
same venture becomes ludicrous, especially when thousands of local inhabitants are still
deprived of drinking water and lavatory facilities. It is indeed heartening to note that
the city has spent more than a billion rupees on “development” projects since
the last fifteen years. But, at the same time, it is equally shocking to know that
priority has been accorded to things less important rather than to issues of
pressing importance.
The Sub
Metropolitan city of Birgunj still owes more than 30 million rupees to Nepal Electricity
Authority (NEA), which it has not paid even as the latter recently issued a notice
threatening to cut off the power supply. People still describe Birgunj as a ‘dusty
town’ where many houses still have no latrine for their own use. Sewage and drinking
water are other sectors that have been ignored since long. Even more ridiculous is the
claim the mayor made that he went ahead with the swimming pool project out of ignorance
that “some of the wards still lacked drinking water”.
Municipal
officials may boast about the efforts they might have made to improve other conditions
like drinking water, sewage and road maintenance. The 20-million rupee central sewage
line, 100 million rupee bus park land purchase and a 10-million rupee drinking water
proposal for a few wards may be cited as examples of development efforts. All this is
however insignificant for a municipality of some 200 thousand inhabitants, especially when
the municipal authority spends as much as 45 million rupees to decorate a single water
pond besides the massive amount to build a swimming pool.
It is unfortunate that in spite of its substantial
income of about 160-170 million rupees per annum, almost half of Birgunj still wears a
gloomy look as if it is a cluster of poor villages. With the much-needed basic amenities
not maintained properly, this industrial city which is also referred to as the
“Gateway to Nepal” has started losing its past reputation. Not only Birgunj,
even Kathmandu and other towns are prone to misuse of public funds in this manner.
Therefore the government must take due measures to check the misuse of funds by
municipalities and other local bodies as also investment in projects of less importance to
the public.
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