The Disabled Understand Their Problem

By Prem N. Kakkar

THE 14th Asian Conference on Mental Retardation was held in Kathmandu on November 29, 1999. At that time it was reiterated that it was the necessity to form a joint forum on combating the problem of disability in general and of mental retardation in particular.

Mainstream

Taken in this light there is every need for the disabled people to enter the mainstream of the society despite the fact that awareness in this regard has not been generated to the fullest possible extent.

It is a well known fact that there is a legislation implemented by the government for the development of the disabled people. That the protection of their rights is the key to bring them into the mainstream has been realised by all and the government too is working in this direction with a firm commitment.

That equal opportunities must be granted to every citizen irrespective of whether he/she is disabled or not is clearly mentioned in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990. The UN Standard Rules also require all signatory countries to provide equal opportunities to the disabled persons.

It is easier said than done when it comes to giving equal treatment to the disabled though the past years have shown that the results in this direction have been quite heartening. The mental frame of the people who consider themselves able must go a sea change before an all out success can be achieved in seeing that the rights of the disabled including those who are mentally retarded are guaranteed.

The Constitution guarantees that every citizen of the country will receive equal treatment but this must be implemented through relevant laws and rules and regulations. Though there are laws in this regard, strong commitment is the key. Being broadminded is what constitutes a true and honest citizen of the country. In this regard the disabled are nowhere behind.

The disabled people need support to some extent but sympathy is the way how the dealing is to be made. It was in the past that looking down upon the disabled people or showing mere sympathy was the situation but now times have changed. The disabled people have themselves proved that they can learn any vocation or even complete higher studies but the whole idea behind it is that opportunities must be provided to them. It is only when the society gives them due place do changes come.

Instead of looking upon the disabled as burdens, it is all the more essential to think of them as ourselves and give them the place they deserve as our equals. But there are numerous challenges that are daunting in a resource strapped country like ours. The will is there but the funds as driving forces are lacking.

The 21st century as such has many problems to be tackled on a war footing. The new hopes have to be fulfilled and herein taking account of all the people’s welfare is the need of the hour and the disabled are also able to contribute their mite in the interest of the country.

The country has already embarked on a path wherein every citizen has the right to lead the life he/she wishes. There is freedom of expression and a guarantee of the rights as Nepalese. The matter may seem like a digression but it is important to note that is the basis for every disabled person to be able to exercise his/her rights. The government is duty bound to protect their rights through the laws that are in existence and if there is any shortcomings appropriate moves must be taken.

Just by saying that a certain percentage of disabled people does not amount to anything unless appropriate steps are taken to mitigate their plight. To be of assistance to such people should be taken as an honour.

Providing privileges such as a monthly allowance or something like that will not amount to much unless such people are helped to stand on their own feet. What they need is not sympathy but genuine understanding and programmes so that they will be able to lead their own livelihood as they think is best for themselves.

Education and opportunities for employment must be opened up for them in a scale that must be greater than in the past. This is not to say that no achievement has been made. Creating homes for such people like the old homes is not the solution. They must be provided training that will prove useful for gainful employment.

There are enough evidence of the disabled people coming at par with others. This is enough to suggest that the door must be opened for them so that they can prove their mettle and not live at the whims and fancies of others. What everyone must understand that it is not beggars that the disabled people must look to being but being able despite the disability. That will not only raise their self-esteem but also their contributions will prove a boon for the country.

At present only a negligible percentage of the disabled people are engaged in gainful employment. This surely tells a sad tale of the attitude of many a people who see the disabled as useless. This is the reason why awareness must be generated that the disabled can contribute as much as or even more that those who consider themselves as more endowed with physical abilities.

Herein the desired rate of progress for the rehabilitation of the disabled people has suffered because of the lack of the necessary resources including the funds to conduct programmes so that they could become versed in one or the other vocation. The case of mental retardation, a part of the problem, must also be taken up seriously. There is a lack of hospitals to take care of them. Even cases that could be successfully treated with necessary social and medical help are left to themselves and the situation still gets worse.

There are some centres working for the welfare of the disabled but that is not enough. More input has to be made so that a greater number of such people could be served and they could also serve the country in a more constructive way. At present a lot of manpower is going to waste just because the country has not been able to gain from their contributions.

Policies

New policies have to be framed and implemented effectively. It is not only the urban centres that must have the facilities, the rural areas too must come into the picture. In fact, every district must develop the capacity to cater to the needs of the disabled, only then we will be able to call ourselves true citizens of the country propagating the message of brotherhood.

Rationale Of Decentralisation In Nepal

By Mukti Rijal

NEPAL has pursued the course of decentralisation and good governance especially following the change of 1990. The preamble of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990 and the chapter in the Constitution relating to Directive Principles of State Policy establish the rationale of decentralisation. The Constitution provides for participatory democratic governance. The local government laws enunciate their intents and purposes to empower local institutions through decentralisation of power.

Target

The Ninth Five year Development Plan (1997-2002 AD) - blueprint of planned development in Nepal - has targeted poverty alleviation. The plan has entrusted responsibilities to local government institutions in carrying out projects aimed at povery alleviation. Local government institutions at the lowest rung-Village Development Committees - are supposed to develop poverty monitoring system. Bringing poor and disadvantaged into decision making process through participation could enhance their access to health, education.

The rationale of decentralisation in Nepal can be discussed at length. Poverty alleviation through mobilisation of local resources, institutions and capacities is the most important rationale of decentralisation. Top-down model has proved less effective for resource efficiency. Beneficiaries take the centrally sponsored schemes as gifts and feel no sense of ownership and obiligation to repair and maintain them.

Decentralisation is seen as a process for beneficiary empowerment and self-sustaining development process. It is also perceived as a means for efficient and effective development process. Local contributions and voluntary labour provide strong complementarities to development process. Use groups’ participation in formulation, repair and maintenance not only reduces cost but amplify project impact.

It is also seen as a means for gender empowerment. Participation of women in local government institutions-Village Development Committees, municipalities and District Development Committees - has lent an impetus towards articulation of gender concerns in the development process. It is also currently being viewed as a process of national integration, as it leaves space for all people, irrespective of caste and ethnicity.

Political parties, as their election manifestoes indicate, are all committed to decentralisation and local self government. Two major parties — Nepali Congress, a liberal democratic party, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Maxist-Leninist) — are seen equally committed to decentralisation of power.

Both the political parties issued manifestoes during the local elections held during May 1997 in which over two hundred thousand people’s representatives for local bodies were elected. Political parties have pledged to strengthening the local government institutions through appropriate legal framework. However, there is some gap between what parties pledge and practice in reality.

Debate

After 1990, the people of Nepal as well as the political parties have become vocal and articulate. During the course of constitution making (1990), the multiparty general elections (1991) and midterm polls (1994) and the local government elections (1992/1997), parties debated several sensitive and important national issues. They include the local level autonomy. The discussions on decentralisation and democratic development can alone contribute towards strengthening of local self-governance process. Decentralisation process should seek to address interest of diverse racial and linguistic groups as nation building is a democratic and participatory process.

Strategies To Reform The Administration

By Mohadatta Timilsina

THE bureaucracy in Nepal is often accused of inefficiency, corruption, nepotism and lack of accountability. It is often claimed that the bureaucratic ills are related to attitudes and mentalities among the bureaucrats as well as the politicians. Reform and re-organisation of administrative structures is one of the most common activities of contemporary governments. The reform agenda has undergone changes over the years but it has always been there.

Planned Change

Administrative reform is about deliberate, planned change in public bureaucracies. It is synonymous with innovation. The intended outcomes of the reform process are the improvements in public service efficiency and effectiveness. Thus, it is an artificial inducement of administrative transformation against resistance.

Restructuring is one of the most important strategies of administrative reform. Improving responsiveness to clients, eliminating red tape, downsizing and decentralisation authority are some of the devices of restructuring. Basically, restructuring focuses on decentratlisation of policy-making and implementation. Using private and quasi-private organisations to deliver public services can break large government monopolies. Decentralisation is also achieved through splitting up large departments into smaller agencies or through assigning functions to lower levels of government.

The second strategy is participation. Advocates of the participatory model focus more on processes than structures. In Nepal, the general public have little influence over the management. Bureaucratic cultures and structures emphasise centralised top-down decision making. That’s why people’s participation is considered as an important device for more effective utilisation of human resources and greater commitment to organisational objectives in the reform process.

Human resource issues should be taken as the next strategy for the administrative reform. An organisation’s most valuable resources are it’s personnel. They perform the task, organise resources and produce outputs. Without them there would be no organisation. Giving emphasis on training and development of interpersonal skills, providing career advice, encouragement of mobility, introducing human resource planning systems and devolution of personnel management functions are the major human resource initiatives.

Another leading strategy of public sector reforms is accountability which involves much more than simply tackling corruption. It is the driving force that pressures the key actors involved to be responsible for and to ensure good public service performance. It may address on regularity where public servants are expected to follow the formal rules and regulations. Constitutions, bureaucratic systems, legislation, social values, public participation and information systems are major tools for accountability which enhance the legitimacy of decision makers as well as optimal resource utilisation. To facilitate openness, parliamentary questions, public hearings and public information services are necessary. Ultimately, information system may facilitate to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the public sector organisations.

Likewise, we can also adopt the strategy of public-private mixes. The international financial agencies have developed a passion for privatising public enterprises. But they have also been encouraging cooperation of public and private organisations in the field of social welfare as another technique of administrative reform.

One option is to provide public funding for private sectors. For example, when Chile began its educational reform in 1980, the government introduced per students payments to both public and private schools. Payment was based on the costs in public schools which were higher than in the private sector. Thus, private sector schools competed strongly for students. By 1986, enrolments in private sector primary schools more than doubled while enrolments in secondary schools had almost quadrupled. A second option is to place public sector organisations under private management. A third option is to provide choices to clients. In Kenya, the government established the micro and small enterprise training fund which enables informal-sector workers to purchase the training they want. Vouchers to the value of US $ 350 can be used at either public or private institutions. The system gives clients the purchasing power to select the training they want.

Governments should focus on what they can do best which is providing public goods and services and a regulatory framework that ensures minimum standards of quality and prevents fraud. Governments should also focus on facilitating access, not only by providing services but also by schemes such as voucher systems and subsidies which make basic services affordable by all.

Strong Leadership

In conclusion, government should employ a variety of administrative reform techniques at any one time. Some will be packaged together to achieve the desired changes. Experience tells us that for successful reforms there must be strong consistent leadership in politics and public services. If their interest and commitment wanes then implementation suffers, schedules are not met, aims are not achieved and accountability lapses.