Govt for autonomy of local bodies: Paudel

Kathmandu, July 4 (RSS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Ram Chandra Paudel has said the government is committed to remove the contradictions in the local self-governance act and the rules under it, make additional effort for the autonomy of the local bodies and move ahead the process of decentralisation more effectively towards achieving the target of local self-governance.

Furnishing replies to the questions on appropriation heads pertaining to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministry of Local Development at the House of Representatives today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Paudel said as the decentralisation implementation and monitoring committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister has also issued directives to amend the contradictory provisions of the act, the ministry has already started necessary homework with the participation of the concerned institutions.

He said, "as the serious topic such as local self-governance is not within the jurisdiction of any particular ministry but the responsibility of the overall state machinery, conducive atmosphere should be created for the local bodies to shoulder the responsibility. Efforts are being made to make the office-bearers of the local bodies efficient through various participatory programmes to enable them to put the concept of good governance into practice".

Stating that the work performed by the local bodies would be monitored regularly to see whether they have shouldered their responsibilities or not, measures for improvement would be taken and institutional arrangement made to make the programmes launched by the ministry more effective by eliminating mistakes, he said that the monitoring work has been completed in 27 districts.

Making it clear that the formulated periodic plans of the local bodies would be implemented with priority from the next fiscal year to reduce the big gap between the cost and the allocation, he said that work had already been initiated for improvement in the institutional structure to remove duplication in the plans under implementation.

Deputy Prime Minister Paudel said that attention would be given to the reports of various technical committees including financial commission, decentralisation implementation and monitoring committee, local bodies classification recommendation committee and the suggestions received from associations and federations of the local bodies for the collection, allocation and utilisation of means and resources on the basis of norms prescribed by the local self-governance act and the related rules and for this purpose, timely changes would be made in the regulations concerning local bodies and action would be taken to revise the existing tax structure.

Likewise, arrangement will be made for the District Development Committees (DDC) to receive tax collected by the centre at the district itself.

He said, "studies on the number and structure of the local bodies would be undertaken on scientific basis to make them equipped with necessary means and resources and orient towards self-reliance".

The Deputy Prime Minister said that rural roads policy has already been formulated to manage the rural roads in an integrated and coordinated manner and take the agricultural produce to the market. The agricultural road, rural road and suspension bridges would be selected and implemented on the basis of this policy, he added.

Stating that provision had already been made for MPs to be members of the district level agricultural roads selection committee, he said that a fund would be set up with the participation of the local bodies from next year to undertake the repair and maintenance of the rural roads.

Mr Paudel said that policy had been pursued to extend rural community infrastructure development programme in Karnali Zone and Bajhang, Bajura and Jajarkot districts where it was difficult to supply foodgrains and the programme would be gradually reduced in the districts where the supply was comparatively better.

Mr Paudel said special attention will be given on the registration of personal events in a policy and action-oriented manner.

He said the vacancy fulfillment of VDC secretaries will be done in coordination with the Public Service Commission and the ministry for General Administration and appointments will be made from the employees deprived of deputation so far.

Joint accountants will only be provided after reviewing the number of VDCs, other technicians and employees can be appointed by the local bodies as per their own resources and work load and that a local services bill will soon be presented before the parliament, he informed.

Works are underway to increase the access of families selected from very poor families so as to raise their economic and social living standard under the B.P. with the Poor Programme, Mr Paudel said and made commitment to reach more share to the targeted group from the appropriated amount by lowering the administrative expenses and reforming organisational structures for the implementation of the poverty alleviation programme.

He informed that a bill has been registered at the parliament to set up a Janjati National Upliftment Academy to launch programmes effectively for the conservation and promotion of the language, culture and traditions of the nationalities and indigenous people by undertaking researches works.

He said the ministry is effortful to build legal basis for an autonomous body of remote areas so as to make the process of remote areas development more fruitful and effective by taking into consideration the sensitive situation, the geographical remoteness and social and economic impoverishedness of the remote districts.

Mr Paudel said arrangements have been made to preserve the records of the monasteries in different parts of the kingdom.

The Deputy Prime Minister said efforts have been made to involve the private sector in utilising garbage as a productive resource besides implementing a national policy on garbage management, providing technical assistance as per the needs of garbage management in the municipalities, and adopting short term, medium term or long term ways to utilise the garbage of the Kathmandu Valley.

Mr Paudel said the more the local bodies are capable good governance can be guaranteed and expressed hope for the active participation of all the parties including the MPs, the local bodies, the donor agencies for the effective implementation of the proposed programmes.

MPs seeking clarification from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development were Rajendra Prasad Pandey, Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav, Narayan Prakash Saud, Pradip Kumar Gyawali, Dr. Dilli Raj Khanal, Ram Kumar Chaudhari, Raghuji Pant, Shiva Raj Joshi, Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Sabitri Bogati Pathak, Suresh Kumar Karki, Hridayaram Thani, Omprasad Ojha, Gyanu K.C and Durga Linkha.

Similarly, MPs seeking clarification from the Deputy Prime Minister were Bharat Kumar Shaha, Lalbabu Pandit, Basant Kumar Nemwang, Gorakh Bahadur Bogati, Ramesh Dutta Lekhak, Chandra Bahadur Shahi, Damodar Bastakoti, Kamal Prakash Sunuwar, Keshar Man Rokka, Nara Bahadur Budhathoki, Bhadra Bahadur Thapa, Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, Ratna Prasad Sharma Neupane, Til Kumar Meyangbo, Arjun Prasad Joshi, Sherdhan Rai, Nara Bahadur Hamal, Dambar Singh Sambahamphe, Pashupati Chaulagain, Bijay Subba, Som Prasad Pandeya, Kunta Sharma, Tukraj Sigdel, Homnath Dahal, Thir Bahadur Lama, Yadav Bah

adur Rayamajhi, Ananda Prasad Pokherel, Devilal Thapa, Fatik Bahadur Thapa, Krishna Prasad Dahal and Buddhiman Tamang.

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