Rupandehi District
Riparian VDCs Doing Well

By Mukti Rijal

VILLAGE Development Committees-the basic locus and unit of decentralised governance in the country—offer a varying and sometimes contrasting picture. They differ in geographical size, demographic composition, and organisational capacity and infrastructures. The interesting picture is revealed when the village development committees within a district have more differences than similarities in terms of functions and capacity.

We can take districts like Rupandehi and Kapilvastu where village development committees provide a mosaic of achievements and failures, resource abundance and scarcity. local participation and indifference. In Rupandehi, according to Ram Chandra Dhakal, vice president of the district development committee, VDCs can be categorised into three groups. The first category of VDCS are those lying in the northern part of the district where migrants from thACe hills dominate. Popular awareness is strong and local participation in development activities is encouraging in these VDCs. Leadership is committed and energetic. The VDCs like Shankarnagar, Anandaban, Devadaha, Semlar, Saljhandi fall into this category. Anandaband provides a classic example of a VDC that has almost reached to a state of prosperity and a developed village. It has an annual budget of around ten million and nearly ninety per cent of which is generated from local resources. Similarly, Sankarnagar has become a very rich VDC and it has been able to reach basic infrastructures and amenities to all wards and settlements. The reason why some of the VDCs in the district have become resource rich can be assessed considering several aspects. There are some riparian VDCs in the district that are endowed with resources as boulders, sands, gravels and pebbles which are used for several types of works and constructions. According to the prevailing law, VDCs are entitled to receive fair percentage of royalty from the revenue raised because of which the income of the VDC has remained secure and stable. Moreover, these VDCs generate income from other sources efficiently to add strength to their budget for development.

According to the DDC vice president Dhakal VDCs in the southern belt, have some problems in terms of resource generation and use. At least twenty VDCs have not been able to receive the grants as they are found not having completed the projects and technically inspected them as it for clearance. It is a very sad development because the development budget granted by the government has been lying unspent and unused due to poor performance at the local level. Several affected VDCs complain that technical personnel are beyond their reach or can not be accessed in time as a result of which technical clearance and settlement process is halted for along time. They complain that the DDC has discriminated against them and failed to make the technical personnel available in time, and as a result they had to suffer.

Whatever may be the reason it is incumbent upon the local bodies to ensure that the resources provided by the government are utilised optimally to the benefit of local populace. This indicates the poor show of the elected office bearers and specially their inability to use the resources through proper planning. There are some problems relating to fund transparency and accountability system that deter people from extending support to the development activities at the local level.

The case is not different in Kapilvastu district. Ramesh Sharma, DDC president, singles our VDCs in the southern belt especially for the problems relating to fund utilisation and development. Mr. Sharma informs that the VDCs in the northern belt have been able to mobilise local resources and contribution and produce good results whereas the situation is dismal in the southern belt. Mr. Sharma outlines the reason and emphasises on civic education and awareness for correcting the anomalies at the local level. In Kapilvastu district riparian. VDCs like Motipur and Mahendrakot have done commendable jobs in terms of resource generation and use. Birendra Mishra, Chairman of Mahendrakot VDC talks about several physical and social development activities being undertaken at the local level.

The success of decentralisation rests on several variables and factors. Mass awareness, education and civic participation are some of the crucial factors that determine the performance of local bodies. Another important factor is the prevalence of good governance practices. The availability of resources and organisational capacity are most important factors to create effective outcomes. These factors have created impact on the performance differentiation of the VDC in the districts. It is time we assessed all the determinants for the success of decentralisation and promote the appropriate elements in an effective manner.

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