Fresh Impetus

Nepal is way behind many other countries as far as development is concerned. There are many reasons for this. First of all Nepal was kept in isolation for a very long time. This took behind Nepal significantly. So at a time when other nations were going through industrial revolutions, the Nepalese people were locked up and not allowed even to have formal education.

But even if it started late, which means in the early Fifties, the country could still have achieved a lot. But again due to political instability in the beginning and then corruption and ill planning, the country lagged behind. Observers point out how countries like South Korea and Singapore, which had economies exactly like Nepal in the Fifties, have now become major economic powers of the world. Perhaps we may not have achieved so much success because of some geographical restraints like the country being land-locked, but we could have done at least half of what they have succeeded in doing.

But no, even after eight Five Year Development Plans, the nation ranks towards the bottom in the international development index. Why has this happened? Most people blame corruption and poor administration for the country’s woes. They are probably right to a great extent in saying so. Even foreigners point out that the poor administration has cost Nepal a plenty. One of the most visible aspects of a poor administrative machinery, is the absence of workers in their offices. This can be seen everywhere, in virtually all government offices, specially those that are in the districts. When workers are not in their work places, what achievements can you expect? Even here in the Capital City, there are many absentees and this can be vouched for by the report of a government department which sometimes makes surprise checks. Even the workers who are present, they hardly make any effort to reach their office on time nor stay till the end. For example, it is difficult to catch hold of a civil servant in any of the government offices during the early working hours and it is the same late in the afternoon.

However now, the present government seems to be serious in bringing about some changes in the working hours. It was announced on Friday that the Cabinet meeting of Thursday endorsed the decision to have two holidays a week from August 17 on a trial basis in the three districts of Kathmandu Valley. This means the number of holidays per week has doubled, but in terms of hours, one hour has been added every day except on Friday when civil servants will have to work three hours more as that day was a half holiday till now. It is pragmatic of the government to first try this out new system and then only expand it to other areas of the country. What the government must do now, is to ensure that its workers arrive and leave their work places on time. If not, then there is a chance that government work may suffer more and this would be bad for everyone. So everyone must make efforts to see that this new decision will give a fresh impetus to the government machinery.

(Editorial in Sunday Despatch, Sunday, August 15)