Adoption Of Self-Governance Rules
Delay Is Costlier

-By Mukti Rijal

ONE very hope rejuvenating and forward looking step taken by the government following the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990 is the process started for decentralisation and strengthening of the local government system. There may be several reasons for the move. One definitely is the recognition to the fact that power cannot be fused wit the centre or concentred at the disposal of the central apparatchik in a multiparty dispensation that allows wide space and room for political diversity and competition. There is compulsion to go for decentralisation or devolution of authority owing to the fact that the development was too slow or almost stagnated due to centralised development planning.

Problems
A centralised system creates several problems such as slow response to the needs of the people especially at the grassroots level, delays in making decision or providing solution. The central rigidty hampers creativity and limits ability to adapt to the changing needs of the environment. In fact, the Nepalese trysts with decentralisation are motivated to address to the development aspirations of the people.

The Local Self-Governance Act is a major step towards power decentralisation. Going by the current strength and organisational culture of the local government institutions, the Act is an important and even ambitious legal scheme created ever in this country. In many cases, the provisions in the law appear idealistic-a little away from the existing realities. The Act not only moves several steps forward in strengthening decentralised governance but also seeks by its intent to institutionalise bottom up planning process. It is an important and positive direction aimed at consolidation of democracy and local institutions.

The Act itself is not enough. It is just a skeletal framework in many aspects. It does not spell out the procedures and detail the contexts as it leaves to the rules for prescription of the details. It is to be noted that the Local Self-Governance Act delegates to the government authority to frame rules in spelling out details consistent to the requirements of the parliamentary statute. Without the Rules at hand, the local government institutions are constrained from exercising the rights created for them by the act of Parliament. For example, the Act leaves to the Rules to specify the tasks of the Accounts Committee, advisory committees, in addition to the formation of the fiscal commission.

Moreover, local resource mobilisation through taxation cannot be accomplished without the details provided in the rules. The local bodies cannot by themselves decide about the rates of the tax. The rules should fix about it so that the standard rates are applied to create predictability and fixity in the process. Similarly, local development planning in the Act demands further clarity and precision in the rules. Local bodies are confused about it.

The adoption of Local Self-Governance Rules is, therefore, an imperative to further the process of decentralisation and prove the fact that the government is committed.

In fact, the draft of the rules has been widely discussed at different stages before it is finalised. Main stakeholders including the Association of the DDCs. National Association of VDCs and Municipality Association of Nepal have participated in the drafting stage of the rules and provided their inputs as well.

Ministry of Local development is reported to have consulted the sectoral ministries to finalise the draft. It is not known about what is contributing to the dilly dally in the adoption of the rules by the government as it has passed through several stages before it was reportedly submitted for endorsement.

In fact, the adoption of the rules is one of the series of steps in accelerating the process of decentralisation. There exist several sectoral legislations that overlap or conflict with the provisions of the Local Self-Governance Act. At least three dozens laws need to be amended before they are made to harmonise with the provisions of the Act. The sectoral laws prevail over the Local Self-Governance Act should they remain unamended.

The entire enthusiasm and optimism for decentralised governance will be shifted. It is therefore necessary to take immediate step towards proposing amendments especially to see that the Local Self-Governance Act establishes its supremacy in matters relating to the competence of the local government institutions.

Moreover, the Local Self-Governance Act itself creates needs for separate parliamentary enactments for the effective implementation. Local development service commission for which the act sets forth calls for a separate law enacted by Parliament. It is a highly ambitious provision to fetch consequential changes in the entire bureaucratic set up of the country. This needs a thorough examination before any step is undertake towards that end. However, at the prevailing context it can not be thought of that the government seemingly reluctant to endorse the rules finalised through a long process will take that far reaching step.

Strength
The strong legal framework is not enough in itself to realise the goal of decentralised governance, the local bodies should be capable to undertake the responsibilities entrusted to them. Weak decentralized units cannot make use of the statutory provisions and deliver results to the people. So it is time the government took initiative to strengthen capacity of the local bodies as well. The decentralisation is a multifaceted process. No single intiative will suffice to create intended results.

Drug Abuse And Dependence

-By Ananda Shova Tamrakar

FROM very ancient times human beings have become familiar not only with alcoholic beverages but also with a variety of other psychoactive drugs that affect the mental process. Palaeolithic people in Siberia and the far east used to make such hallucinogenic drugs to induce cheer, intoxication and courage during tribal clashes. Various narcotic drugs like hyoscyamus and hemlock (a kind of herb) are known to have been used in ancient times.

Varieties
Apart from alcohol, the psychoactive drugs most commonly related to abuse and dependence in our society appear to be narcotics such as opium and its derivations, sedative such as barbiturates, stimulants such as asphetamines, mild tranquilisers such as meprobamates and hallucinogences such as marijuana.

Drug abuse and dependence may occur at any age but it is most common during adolescence and young adulthood.

People used opium over 5000 years ago. Opium is mixture of 18 nitrogen containing agents known as alkaloids. In 1805 it was found that the alkaloid present in the largest amount (10-15 per cent) was found to be bitter tasting powder that proved to be a powerful sedative and pain reliever. It was thus named morphine (God of Sleep, in Greek mythology).

After the introduction of the hypodermic needle in America about 1856, morphine was widely administrated to soldiers during the civil war, not only to those wounded in battle but also to those suffering from dysentry. As a consequence, large number of civil war veterans returned to civilian life addicted to the drug.

Scientists were concerned with the additive properties of morphine hypothesised that one part of the morphine molecule might be responsible for its analgerea (insensitively to pain without loss of consciousness) properties and another for its addictiveness, it was discovered that if morphine were treated by an inexpensive and readily available chemical called acetic anhydride, it could be coverted into another powerful analgesia drug for pain relief.

However, heroin turned out to be a harmful element. It proved to be an even more dangerous drug than morphine, acting more rapidly and more intensively. Eventually heroin was removed from being used in medical and other related purposes.

During the 1960s, there was a rapid increase in the use of heroin— the peak year being 1969 when there were an estimated 150,000 of more addicts in New York city alone.

In ancient times in Nepal Rishis and Saddhus only had the custom of using narcotic drugs and tobacco. Once Kathmandu used to be a paradise for a type of marijuana culture where thousands of tourists known as Hippies used to come Nepal and wanted to be in a world of their own imagination, getting relief from all sort of obligation and worries. But there came a sudden change and marijuana culture slowly faded away.

Effects of morphine and heroin are commonly introduced into body by smoking, snorting (inhaling the bitter powder), eating, skin popping and mainlining, the last two being methods of introducing the drugs via hypodermine injunctions. Skin popping refers to injecting the liquified drug just beneath the skin and mainlining the injecting the drug into the blood stream.

Typically, the life of a narcotic addict becomes increasingly centered around obtaining and using drugs, so the addiction usually leads to socially maladative as the individual is eventually forced to lie, steal and associate with undesirable companions in order to maintain his supply of drug.

Alone with the lowering of ethical and moral restraints, addiction has adverse physical effects on the well-being of the individual. Lack of an adequate diet may lead to ill-health and increase susceptibility.

In the 1850s, new chemical compounds knows as bromides were introduced. They immediately became popular as sedative and were taken by millions of people. But with use came abuse and the excessive consumptions of bromides resulted in toxtic psychosis involving delusions, hailucinations and a variety of nuerological disturbances.

Americans were addicted to barbiturated drugs, most of them between 30-50 year old. The barbeturates are the primary sedative drugs used by physicians to calm patients and or induce sleep. They act as depressants like alcohol. Shortly after taking the drug the individual experiences a feeling of relaxation. The excessive use of barbiturates leads to a variety of undesirable side effects as slugginess, slow speech, depression, loss of memory, etc.

The individuals who became dependent on barbeturates tend to be middle-aged or older persons who often rely on them as sleeping pills and who do not commonly rely on other classes of drugs. These persons are referred to as silent "abusers", since they take drugs in privacy of their homes.

Other drugs as co-caine has chemical effects that stimulates or speed up central nervous system. Like opium, cocaine is a plant product discovered and used in ancient time. Cocaine has been endorsed by such diverse figures as Sigmund Freud and the legendary Sherlock Homes. Its use appears to have increased among young people in U.S.A. Like opium, cocaine may be ingested by sniffing, swallowing or injecting.

Although marijuana may be classified as mild hallucinogen this also comes from the leaves and flowering tops of the hemp plant, cannabis sativa the plant grows in mild climates throughout the world.

The specific effects of marijuana vary greatly, depending on the quality and dosage of the drug. Marijuana is related to hashish which is derived from the resin exuded by the cannabis plant and made into a gummy powder. Hashish like marijuana may be smoked, chewed or drunk. Both marijuana and hashish can be traced far back into history of drug usage. Cannabies was apparently known in ancient China.

Many psychoactive drugs, especially alcohole and tranquilisers have constructive personal and social uses. However, most of these mind altering drugs also have potentially harmful effects, particularly if they are abused. Consequently, society feels it necessary to exercise some control over their use; most drugs considered potentially dangerous if abused are legally available only by prescription.

Drug abuse is a global menace. It is a multi-faced problem which has destroyed the lives of hundred of thousands of people in the world. Nepal is no exception in this regard, since the problem of drug abuse in Nepal is increasing day by day. A number of violence and murder cases that take place in the country are mostly due to drug addicts. The poor educational environment, growing unemployment among the youths and lack of opportunities for making career are the main reasons behind the frustration of the Nepalese youths.

In the past, Nepal had become one of the major drug producing centres. Recent studies reveal that there are more than 40,000 drugs addicts. A significant proportion of drug addicts come from the lower starta of the society. In general, the age group between 16 and 35 years old is the worst affected.

The three-day workshop on drug abuses held a few week ago in Kathmandu has also come up with various preventive measures to combat the growing problem of drug abuses in Nepal. The twenty-eight delegates from SAARC countries who attended the meet, also stressed the need of joint efforts to overcome the problem.

Efforts
Despite the concert efforts made by government and various NGOs, this problem still remains unresolved. Till now the government’s steps in controlling this menance have been limited only to organising workshops, seminars and orientation programmes which are not enough to control it. Though it is an uphill task, it is an urgent to control it.

The Motto: Look Ahead

-By PNK

THE millennium issue including the bug itself has smitten everyone at present. There are many, but, mind you, in the urban areas who want to make it an event of a lifetime. After all the coming of 2001 A.D. has its own significance for many.

There may be some cynics who think that all the talk of the new millennium is nothing and there are some who say that according to the Bikram era we’re already over the half way mark of the third millennium. But what has been achieved in this over five decades is in front of everyone to see.

For those living in the rural and backward regions of the country any change in the year or even the advent of a new millennium hardly makes any difference. Their work style and life standard is hardly any different. Barring a small percentage others have at least seen a plane or a helicopter flying in the air if not a close look.

Yet, when the world itself has become a global village there is every reason to look forward to the third millennium with expectations though the leaders, the responsible national figures, have had no say on the issue. Just by saying what vision they have for the new millennium through the Gregorian Calender one does not undermine their status as a patriot devoted to the welfare of the nation and the people.

When we look at our own state of affairs, the two days a week off has the trappings of the western way of life. To say that we’re imitating is far off the point. The government on its part wanted to go in for austerity measures and make the work culture more efficient and in conformity with general international standards has taken the decision. Now criticising the decision may be wrong though the necessary infrastructure for making it effective may not be in place at the moment.

So a broad outlook must be the in thing. Narrow mindedness in looking at things must be done away with. When the world over, to a large extent, governments, planners and people are looking to surmount various barriers and have the vision for a new century and the new millennium, there is no harm for us in looking ahead with hope for a better deal.

The Nepalese people in general, barring a few, may not get the real feel of the January 1, 2000 celebrations but at least the knowledgeable folks including the leaders and the intellectuals must have things up their sleeves so that substantial works can be done to make the life of the people better. Of course, their may be retorts that development is an ever going process but a new century which is definitely not totally alien to this country must be taken into consideration.

It’s the usual game of marking a point when new zeal must sprout and transform the impossible into something tangible which can give a difference to the meaning of life, especially those below the poverty line. Hence, there exists every reason to look for better days ahead and celebrating the new millennium is upto an individual’s taste. For some every day may be a delightful experience but for the majority even major festivals are replete with The new millennium is going to hit the scene in a few days time. The Y2K stuff is also there. Let’s cut the Y2K bug and look forward for the mille-nnium with great expectations though it does not belong to our own soil but many things depend on it.