National 4 (Spotlight Weekly)

"It Is Difficult For Civil Servants To Perform The Role Of Elected Representatives"

— Naresh Kumar Chapagain

NARESH KUMAR CHAPAGAIN, Local Development Officer at Kavrepalanchwok District Development Committee, is now the senior authority to plan, formulate and execute the local development activities in the district. Chapagain, who has a long experience of working as a local development officer in various districts, spoke to KESHAB POUDEL on various issues at his office in district headquarters Dhulikhel. Excerpts:

How do you see the present state of District Development Committee (DDC)?

We have been running the administration and development works. After the expiry of tenure of elected representatives a year ago, local development officers are responsible to execute, to plan and to formulate development works for the district.

Do officers like you effectively carry out the programs?

It is definitely difficult for the civil servants to perform the role of elected representatives. But we have been making every effort to prove ourselves efficient and effective. Since the Ministry of Local Development has well trained pool of district development officers, we can fill the vacuum left by the absence of elected representatives. Undoubtedly, elected representatives can deliver services more effectively than us since they know the problems of the villages and the priority, as well.

Since the tenure of elected representatives expires, what are your challenges right now?

We are running the programs approved a year ago by elected District Development Council. Since there are no more elected representatives in the DDC, the responsibility falls upon us to formulate annual plans for the district for the coming fiscal year. Our difficulty is to set the prioritization and to meet the people's demand.

How do you see the role of DDC now?

Since Village Development Committees (VDCs), Municipalities and District Development Committees (DDCs) are institutionalized and legal entities; they will be there in one or other form as a popular institution. They have established mechanisms to carry out their day-to-day activities and formulate plans. The DDCs are guided by the acts passed by the parliaments and regulations formulated by the elected councils. The existing manpower in the DDCs knows how to run these institutions. But the only question is whether it is effective.

What is your impression about the planning at the VDC level?

We are facing certain difficulties in some VDCs, which are situated in the remote parts of the district. Although there are secretaries in each village development committees as a government representative, it is difficult to establish regular contact with them. The VDCs are local based institutions so people at the grass root level know its importance. There are scarcities of manpower in the VDCs. Despite insurgency, I have seen strong trust of the people in the VDCs as the institutions have been there for more than five decades in one or other forms. People want functional VDCs.

As you mentioned you were transferred here from the Bara district. What differences did you perceive working in districts of terai and hilly region?

There are more difficulties in hilly region than in terai. In terms of topography, the hills are inaccessible and economic activities are nominal compared to terai. However, in hilly areas, people participation is higher. Since there are similar systems and institutional mechanisms in both the areas, we don't have other difficulties. We have to work remaining within different acts, regulations and sub-regulations wherever we go. But personally, I find it easier to work under the elected leadership. I am more comfortable in implementation rather than the planning aspect. Currently I am expected to carry out both these aspects. Having worked for more than a decade in different DDCs, I am aware of the kinds of development programs that local people desire. We are receiving support from all concerned parties of the district.

Because of the dissolution of local bodies, people are said to be suffering from various problems. How do you look at it?

At the village level, people are facing some problems. In absence of elected representatives, people have to rely on VDC secretaries. In many cases, we also receive complaints from local people that secretaries do not stay in village. I am organizing regular meetings of VDC secretaries in my district.

How do you see the support of donor countries in strengthening DDCs and VDCs?

They have made immense contribution to institutionalize the local bodies. I have seen changes in the donors' attitudes. In the past, different donors used to have different priorities and targets, but they are now coming through institutionalized way. The process of internalizations has already begun. There are transparency in institution building and developing mechanisms.

"The VDC Helps To Build Up Matured Leadership"

— Bhim Neupane

Former chairman of Kushadevi Village Development Committee BHIM NEUPANE served two full tenures as an elected chairman of his VDC. He played important role in taking Kushadevi, one of the remote VDCs of Kavre district, towards prosperity. Former chairman Neupane spoke to KESHAB POUDEL at his village. Excerpts:

What effects have you seen in the last one-year following the expiry of the tenure of elected representatives?

After the expiry of our tenure, development activities are virtually held up in the villages. The VDC is just imparting the administrative duty whereas all development activities are now at stand still.

How do you see the role of VDCs in social mobilization?

It has important role to play. Being the lowest level body of elected representatives, the VDCs represent the voices of grass root people. It mobilizes local people to carry out development activities and gives sense of national integration. My experience is that a leader based in village can change the social status of the entire village residents. VDC also helps to build up a matured leadership since VDC chairman knows the way to mobilize the people.

Political parties have pressed for major reforms. Why have they not put pressure on the government to extend the term of local bodies for another year?

Our tenure was completed according to the law. Had political parties put pressure on the government then, it would have compelled it to extend the tenure for another year. By dissolving the grass root level elected representative bodies; the government gave Maoists a freehand.

What type of programs had you launched during your tenures?

We have made tremendous changes in our villages through the support of DDC, donor communities and local people. In the areas of infrastructure development, we have extended the road networks by building bridges over the river and constructed schools buildings and health posts. In my VDC, we have built building for four primary schools and one high school with eight rooms. The total length of road we built was 39 kilometers with four concrete bridges. We have also built irrigation canals and many community buildings and the VDC building. With the financial support from rural population, we have electrified the village.

What about the social mobilization?

Thanks to the Participatory District Development Program (PDDP), the local populations are encouraged to assemble in local based community organizations. Under the social mobilization program, we have encouraged farmers to grow off-season vegetables and fruits. We have also developed a cooperative to increase savings. Through social mobilization program, living conditions of our population have changed in economic and social terms. Till a few years ago, we had to pay up to 36 percent interest rate for loan, but now our small cooperative give loans at 13 percent of interest. There are special programs for backward and indigenous communities.

Don't you think delaying elections will stall the process of growth of leadership from the grass root level?

This will have a long implication in the political process. Stalling the elections of local bodies for more than a year will push the village development committees 10 years back. Being a sole legitimate institution based on popular will, the VDCs can give a sense of stability in rural areas. In the last ten years when there were frequent changes in the government, local bodies remained intact giving the sense of political stability to carry out development activities.

Who will you blame for the present situation?

When Maoists have destroyed all our documents like plans, proposals and resources mapping by bombing the VDC building, all of us gathered and wept. Unfortunately, democratically elected government vacated the VDCs by not extending our tenure. Even if we are elected next year, it will take another couple of years to settle and prepare the ground works. Maoists have destroyed the physical existence of local bodies and the government has destroyed its legal existence.

Do you mean mobilization of local people is also stalled?

Exactly, the process of mobilization of the people has stalled for the last one year. We had injected feeling in the people that it is their responsibility to initiate development activities. If this feeling dies, it will take another decade to motivate them again. The process of institutionalization and social mobilization has been derailed.

Do you see any possibility of holding local elections in near future?

Elections cannot be held without solving Maoist problem. If you cannot hold the elections, it is better to revive the dissolved local bodies. In a single political decision, the bodies could be revived again. If it is revived, the country's politics will once again come to right track and start its earlier functions.

What are the challenges now?

One of the challenges now is to sustain the programs and protect the interest of farmers. Farmers produce large quantity of tomatoes and oranges in our village but they are compelled to sell it in throwaway prices. The price of the tomato is now Rs.1 per kilogram. Many farmers have just dumped the tomato in their cornfield. They face similar market problems to sell their oranges.