LOCAL NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

'Budget allocation should not be politically bias'

Kathmandu, July 1 (RSS): The House of Representatives continued discussions on the appropriation heads pertaining to the Ministry of Local Development and the Deputy Prime Minister's office at its meeting Friday.

Taking part in the debate, Chandra Bahdur Shahi of the CPN-UML alleged that the budgetary allocations made under the ministry of local development were done without any pre-planning and cool-headed thinking and said the decisions of the district council and the VDC councils have been disregarded in this connection.

He said the programmes were mainly meant for providing jobs to political party workers and the budgetary allocations made for the special area development programme was distributive in nature.

Devi Lal Thapa of the same party said that the government policy and programmes lacked in any concrete programmes for the long-term development of underdeveloped remote districts, the rural area development committee was made just a shadow body under the Nepali congress and the committee had failed to implement any tangible projects for the development of the areas.

Durga Linkha, also of the CPN-UML, alleged that instead of being a guardian of the local bodies, the Local Development Ministry has become their competitor, it lacked in basic prgrammes despite having means and resources at its disposal and the funds of the "B P With the Poor" programme were being misused. He also called for construction of bridges and programmes for the livelihood of the Majhi community in Dhankuta district.

Kunta Sharma of the CPN-UML complained that the local bodies greatly lacked in means and resources despite provisions for their empowerment in the local self-Governance Act . So many VDCs are without the VDC secretaries, they lack in necessary funds and the municipalities have been seeing a loss in their revenue due to the scrapping of the octroi, she added.

Shankarnath Sharma Adhikari of the same party pointed out the need to allocate more funds to the local bodies and to empower them so that local development works are executed in time. He alleged that the local development ministry of being lackadaisical with regards to the local development works and about the misuse of development funds.

Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi, also of the same party, said that the power of the local bodies has been greatly curtailed rendering them lame. He demanded proper allocation of the development fund set aside under the local development head, transparency of the "B P with the Poor" programme and extension of the food for work programme in more districts.

Ananda Prasad Pokharel of the CPN-UML stressed empowerment of local bodies, amendment of local bodies rules and regulations to enhance their political and financial capabilities and implementation of integrated development activities in cooperation with the DDC and the ministry.

Krishna Prasad Dahal of the same party complained lack of work as per the spirit of the local self-governance act and demanded proportionate allocation of budget under different subject heads, increase in development grants to local bodies and transparency in the functioning of programmes like the BP With the Poor and Women Awareness and Self-Reliance Programme.

Pashupati Chaulagain, also of the CPN-UML, said that the budgetary allocations under the Ministry of Local Development was discriminatory and worked without any sound basis in a hotch-potch manner.

Shiva Bahadur Deuja of the CPN-UML called for providing an alternative to the octroi collection, proper implementation of the local bodies act and regulations, increase in the allowance for the elderly and non-politicization in the allocation of local development fund.

Nara Bahadur Hamal of the same party demanded timely release of local development funds, increase of funds for the local bodies, allocation of budget taking into consideration the population density of the area and increase in social service spending.

He also demanded that Dailekh district be included in the special area programme and implementation of the B P with the Poor Programme and other local programmes through the local bodies.

Nara Bahadur Budhathoki of the CPN-UML said the budget allocation for the local bodies should not be politically biased. He regretted that there are no programmes for agricultural road in Karnali and demanded such programmes. The Gumba Development Committee should be dissolved as its works have been carried out by the remote area development committee whose budget should be increased.

Ramnath Adhikari of NC said the bridge in Pipalghat of Dhading should be built soon, budget should be increased for the Bandre Bridge and accountant should be provided for each VDCs.

Dan Bahadur Chaudhari of the CPN-UML said the B.P. with the Poor programme is meant only to benefit its own workers, technicians should be available for the Kapilbastu DDC. He demanded launching of special Terai Development Programme, a Drinking water tank for Pagarichowk, and increase in the grant for Kapilbastu Municipality.

Prakash Bahadur Gurung of NC said the amount for the national ethnic tribes development committee is inadequate and should be increased, budget should be made available for the Kaski constituency no 3 rural roads and tourism, and three suspension bridges including at dhukurpokhari should be constructed within this year.

Subas Karmacharya of the CPN-UML said the system of spending the budget of the gumba development committee in an indefinite style be stopped, budget should be increased for rural and agricultural roads, attention should be given to constructing bridges including Hoste Dovan, VDC secretary be appointed and a lump sum be given to the VDCs.

Damodar Bastakoti of NC said the budget for the B. P. Marg in Nawalparasi should not be decreased, budget should be increased for Daldale-Raikabhanjyang Road, the employees in the remote areas of Nawalparasi be given remote area allowance, the Gaidakot and Shiva Mandir VDC town development committees be made effective.

Jagadish Prasad Saha of the CPN-UML said the local bodies should be given the right to formulate, implement and follow-up plans, the B.P. With the Poor Programme be implemented through all-party committee, and agricultural roads be built in various areas of Saptari district.

Hari Narayan Chaudhari of NC said programmes should be as per the demand by the VDCs, the VDCs should be allowed to wholly utilise the local resources and technicians be mobilised for effective follow-up.

Bir Bahadur Lama of the CPN-UML demanded that the Municipalities be given grant in place of the octroi as their right, relief assistance be provided in the 10 VDCs of Makwanpur Constituency No. 3 facing shortage of foodgrains and foodgrains be distributed for rural infrastructure development programmes.

Janakraj Giri of the Nepali Congress said the budget is praiseworthy for its strengthening of the local bodies, the INGOs have not completed their works in far western region, the Dom and Chamar community should be included in thelist of indigenous people programme, agricultural road programme be launched in Bajura and suspension bridge be built in Karnali River.

Dambar Singh Sambahamphe of the CPN-UML said the Panchthar district has been discriminated in the remote and special areas programmes, North Yasok Road be built and budget be allocated for the National Tribes Council.

Arjun Prasad Jhosi of NC said the 44 programmes of the Ministry of Local Development should be decreased and administrative expenses increased, the VDC grant assistance should be increased, the long-term agricultural perspective plan be implemented, budget for Parbat district roads be increased and agricultural roads be extended to hattachour and Bajung VDCs.

Tukraj Sigdel of the CPN-UML said the budget for VDCs is inadequate and Tanahu district is discriminated in the development budget, misutilisation of funds has taken place in the roads assisted by ADB in the villages of Tanahu, technicians be made available in the VDCs, budget should be given for the Walighat suspension bridge in Kali Rriver and a Municipality be established in Anbukhaireni.

Gorakh Bahadur Bogati of the CPN-UML said the budget is allocated randomly, grant assistance should be increased for Jumla DDC, budget for the remote areas development committee programmes increased, conservation of monasteries have not taken place in Humla district and demanded watermills in Humla VDCs.

Sohan Prasad Chaudhari of the CPN-UML said technicians should be provided for the constituency development fund, budget should be given for Kalaiya-Bakhariya- Bagrampur link road, and corruption should be stopped in the VDCs.

CPN-UML's Hem Narayan Yadav and Jagannath Khatiwada said roads in Siraha Municipality should be improved, budget of the last year allocated for agriculture roads released, the road leading to Kamalagadh should be built, the budget appropriations are not impartial, the food-for-work programme should be implemented in Udayapur district, programmes devised for the upliftment of downtrodden and oppressed communities and public buildings repaired.

Yognarayan Yadav and Dilliraj Khanal of the same party spoke of the need to prioritize projects recommended by the DDCs, fix the boundary line on the basis of population and area, remove poverty and unemployment, implement the district development programmes in an integrated manner, put an end to the centre-oriented tendency and make effective the local bodies Autonomy Act.

Tanka Prasad Rai and Kedarman Rokka of the NC observed that the B.P. with Poor and Women's Awareness Programmes are laudable, shortcomings facing remote area development effort should be removed and fund allocated accordingly, similar programmes implemented in an integrated way and the special area development programme should be not ignored.

RPP's Buddhiman Tamang demanded that the fund should be allocated for the Dhading agriculture road, suspension bridges built in Jharlang and baseri, the food-for-work programme implemented, the B. P. with the Poor and Women's Awareness Programmes should not be taken as a centre for recruiting party workers and the Home Ministry should not interfere in VDCs.

CPN-UML's Bhadra Bahadur Thapa and Amod Prasad Ojha asked the government to enforce the Local Autonomy Act, conduct the programmes such as B. P. with the Poor through the local fund, add Rs 500,000 more to the VDC grant assistance, build mule tracks and suspension bridges in Taplejung district, provide more money for the special area development programme.

Tirtha Gautam and Bijaya Subba, also of the CPN-UML, remarked that act and regulations concerning Local Autonomy are contradictory, the amount allocated for remote area development is not transparent, low budget has been allocated for the national nationalities development committee and all widows and the disabled should be provided with allowances.

Som Prasad Pandey and Ghanendra Basnet of the CPN-UML said though more budget has been allocated for the Local Development Ministry, less money trickles down to the DDCs, acts and regulations concerning local autonomy are contradictory, the fund allocated for development purpose is unlikely to expedite the process of development, the role of local body officials is not yet clear and there is no concrete programmes for such remote district as Bhojpur.

NC's Umakant Chaudhary and Bharat Kumar Shaha noted that as Bara district is without roads, roads leading to the district headquarters should be built, efforts made to develop historical Simraunagadh and the Poverty Alleviation Programme launched in rupandehi is remarkably successful.

Ratna Prasad Sharma Neupane and Mahendra Bahadur Pandey of the CPN-UML observed that local bodies are being made autocratic in the name of autonomy, the budget is feudalistic, works carried out by the ministry in the past are not yet complete, the new budget is old-fashioned, and the programmes are likely to make the people poorer.

NC's Kailash Nath Kasaudhan and Gyanu KC expressed the view that the programme aimed at providing relief to the people is welcome, the ministry should pay attention to strengthen local bodies and it is necessary to set up a dairy factory in Kohalpur, special programmes should be launched in Laxmanpur barrage, tharus accommodated in the nationality development programme and a suspension bridge should be built in Kohalpur Simri VDC.

Ram Bahadur Bista of NC thanked the government for the allocation of Rs 1,000,000 for the constituency development and for including 300 poor families in the economic activities and demanded construction of the Chinakhola Suspension Bridge, increase of amount for the Chisapani-Jangalghat road and supervising of activities of the NGOs.

Raghuji Pant of the CPN-UML said taxes of the local bodies have been decreased, actual development budget for Lalitpur district is not enough and said the B.P. with the poor programme is 'Congress with the Poor'.

Mohan Bahadur Basnet of NC said the concept of remote area should be reevaluated and budget should be increased, strong action should be taken against the local bodies commiting financial irregularities and recommended safe keeping of the archaeological items lost from the Sangkhola Gumba in Sindhupalchowk district.

Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar of the CPN-UML said the allocation of Rs 100 million for the solid waste management should be clear as to whether it is long term or short term programme, the past irregularities in the name of solid waste should be probed.

Dilliraj Sharma of NC said the B. P. with the programme should be implemented effectively, the follow-up should be made of the budget going to the local bodies, and demanded establishing Falebas Town Development Committee.

Pradip Kumar Gyawali of the CPN-UML said decentralisation should be emphasized, the local bodies should be given autonomy, local problems should be seriously thought of if we are to stop the disintegration of the country, the B. P. with the poor should be implemented through the local bodies and demanded bridges in gulmi district and establishing Tamghas as Municipality.

Prakash Jwala of the CPN-UML said no programmes have been formulated for the Maoist region, no budget has reached for the agriculture road in the district, there was no participatory district development programme, congress workers benefited in the name of Bisweswor, DDC grant in the district is less, the mere appropriation of Rs 200,000 in the important roads of the district is insufficient.

Suresh Kumar Karki of the same party said there is no freedom in the formulation of the village plans and the MPs' plans, there is less budget in the Udayapur rural roads, and demanded roads, suspension bridges, monastery, roofing of schools in Gaighat and Beltar of Udayapur.

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