Koshi Province Planning Commission Vice-Chair Clarifies Remarks on Federal Grant Proposals

Biratnagar. Taranath Niraula, Vice-Chair of the Koshi Province Planning Commission, has requested a correction to his remarks made during a press conference last Wednesday regarding the documentation of supplementary and special grant projects submitted to the federal government.

During the press conference, he had stated that he was in the process of studying whether the provincial government had met the minimum legal standards and documentation requirements when submitting projects to the federal government for supplementary and special grants. 

Following the publication of a report by Ratopati Online titled 'Suspicion of "Paperwork Setting" in Plan Recommendations, Claims of Procedure Violation in Recommending 2 Billion Worth of New Projects,' Niraula requested a correction. He stated, 'As it was found that a portion of the interview implied a lack of documentation, which could create confusion, I request that a message be conveyed to correct the relevant phrasing.'

He asserted that all types of supplementary and special projects proposed to the federal government cannot be entered into the system without documentation, and therefore, decisions made by the Provincial Planning Commission are conducted accordingly. 

The Koshi provincial government has requested billions in budget from the federal government for 22 large-scale projects for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84, but questions have been raised regarding whether the recommendation process for these projects followed legal and procedural requirements. Facts have emerged indicating that projects worth 5.13 billion rupees recommended under special and supplementary grants failed to meet the minimum legal standards and documentation set by the federal government. Among these, 13 of the requested projects are new.

High-level sources claim that specifically for the newly proposed projects, the technical and environmental study reports mandated by the 'Special Grant Procedure, 2081' and 'Supplementary Grant Procedure, 2081' were not included.

The procedures issued by the federal Ministry of Finance clearly state that when provincial or local levels propose projects, certain minimum documents must be entered into the electronic (online) system. 

This includes the project's feasibility study, drawings, designs, detailed proposals with specifications, environmental study reports approved according to prevailing laws, and in the case of the province, a certified copy of the Cabinet decision based on the Planning Commission's recommendation. However, sources claim that neither feasibility studies nor environmental reports have been prepared for any of the newly proposed projects.