Focus On Far-West

DEVELOPMENT has been given priority all over the years as it is the only way that people's aspirations can be met. The very division of the country into five development regions was for a balanced development of all the regions. But, it is sad to note that some regions have prospered more than the others. In this context, Far-Western Development region is lagging far behind in the race. This is a matter of concern as the expected outcome of the development endeavours in the region has not materialised. It is the outcome of the negligence paid to the region when it came to developing the infrastructure. As a result, the people have had to suffer and many of them go to India to find work. This is problem since long. No long term plans have been made, in fact, to see that the people remain home and make their ends meet. It is a compulsion, despite the fact that the region has potentials which, if tapped properly, can raise the prosperity level of the people. This is where there is a need for a greater thrust. Rich in natural resources and bio-diversity, the Far-Western Development Region can become prosperous if the mobilisation aspect is paid attention.

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, speaking at the conclusion of a seminar on the "Possibilities and Challenges of Development in the Far-Weatern Region", said that the region ought to receive more priority in the development scheme. He also pointed to the fact that the region receives only eight per cent of the total development budget of the country. This figure is itself sufficient enough to show that the region is not in the priority list and so it has suffered. Whatever has been the priority in the plans, the other development regions have benefitted but not the far-western region. The various measures aimed at poverty alleviation has had negligible impact on raising the living standard of the people of the region. Hence, it stands to reason that the necessary plans and programmes must be made for the adequate development of the region by placing it in the priority list. Only then the concept of balanced regional development can materialise in the real sense.

Agro-based Industrial Plan

DURING an interaction on problems and prospects of the Agriculture and Food Industries organised by the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control and Nepal Rice and Oil Industry Association, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Co-operatives Badri Prasad Mandal, as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, said that the government is preparing to bring out a special programme on agriculture-based industrial development in the country. That Nepal's agriculture sector is still the mainstay of the nation's economy hardly needs any reiteration here. Nor, for that matter the fact that if Nepal is ever to attain all-round development, the government needs to come up with programmes to modernise its agricultural sector as well as lay down the necessary infrastructure to endow this sector with the much-needed vigour, direction and sustainability. For, if on the one hand the agricultural sector is in dire need of appropriate technology to coax out more yields from the farms that are characterised by increasing fragmentation and low outputs, then on the other hand this same sector is having to feed more mouths with the passing of each year. It could be for this very reason that the vast majority of the farmers are reported to be living in abject poverty and want.

Notwithstanding all this, the nation is singularly endowed with varied climatic, soil and weather conditions that, as per development experts, are conducive for growing a wide variety of crops, fruits and other allied products like herbs and flowers. Hence, if all these factors are to be optimally harnessed to nudge the nation towards the path of industrialisation, the government needs to come up with short and long-term plans, programmes and initiatives to provide the agricultural sector with the much-needed impetus to modernise itself. Also, to the farmers with the required inputs like climatic, soil and weather-specific schemes along with funds and extension services so that they are enthused to take to such schemes to uplift their low socio-economic status. At the same time, the concerned authorities should avail the farmers with appropriate technologies, thereby not only enabling them to increase their farm outputs but also to assist them to process their varied produce into various products. Since these, and more, are included in the existing 20-year agriculture perspective plan, the need of the hour then is for the concerned authorities to speedily implement the plan.