Bagmati Province Government Selects Small Projects for Multi-Year Schemes

Makwanpur. The Bagmati Province Government has included small and fragmented projects in the selection of multi-year projects for building infrastructure. The provincial government has allocated budget by including small and fragmented projects in building technology as multi-year projects with the goal of completing them in 2 economic years.

According to the latest source consent letter sent by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, the government's priority in the province's building technology and infrastructure development is low.

Consent has been given to take small projects of 2 million rupees and above into multi-year contracts from the list of 69 projects in building technology provided by the ministry.

The provincial government has not been able to include projects with long-term achievements in the selection of multi-year contracts for building technology. Questions have been raised about the province's administrative machinery and implementation capacity due to large and strategic projects being overshadowed and budgets being scattered on fragmented projects.

Generally, multi-year projects are planned for large and strategic projects, but the province's Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has made projects of 20-30 million rupees in the current financial year multi-year by dividing them into two financial years. This increases the burden of administrative work on one hand and adds the challenge of budget shortage for projects that provide long-term returns.

Under the multi-year contract project selected on the recommendation of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, the construction of the road south of Shiva Temple in Lalitpur is estimated to cost 2.7 million rupees in 2 years. By making this project multi-year, only 1.35 million rupees have been allocated in the current financial year, and the liability has been created to provide the remaining amount in the next financial year.

The ministry has not been able to provide sufficient budget for multi-year programs in integrated settlement development and risk management programs, which show the province's pride and long-term impact. Low budgets have been allocated to sensitive programs like settlement development and risk management in the selection of multi-year projects.

Projects for community building construction and road paving have also been given source consent for projects of 20 to 5 million rupees, with budget allocation in 2 economic years.

On the recommendation of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, source consent has been given for building technology projects including Rs 3 million for the road from Bhagwati Temple Chowk to Pudal in Lalitpur in 2 economic years (Rs 15/15 million per economic year), Rs 4 million for the road construction from Maidan to Ghital Thumka water tank in Dhading in 2 years, Rs 5 million for the construction of Kapur Shanti Development Society building in Kathmandu in 2 years, Rs 4.5 million for the road construction from Kirichaur to Sunar Nirman Tol in Kathmandu in 2 years, and Rs 3 million for the construction of Community Forest User's Group building in Kathmandu in 2 years.

Settlement Development and Risk Management Programs Neglected

The ministry has not been able to provide sufficient budget for multi-year programs in integrated settlement development and risk management programs, which show the province's pride and long-term impact. Low budgets have been allocated to sensitive programs like settlement development and risk management in the selection of multi-year projects.

The ministry has allocated a low budget through multi-year projects for the province's strategic settlement development program. Although the government has estimated a total cost of 18.9 million rupees for the relocation of risky settlements and integrated infrastructure development in Chautara-deurali, Sindhupalchok, only 6.3 million rupees have been allocated for the current financial year.

Similarly, for sustainable development under the smart village concept in Konjyosom Rural Municipality, source consent has been provided for a budget of only 12.6 million rupees for 2 years for a project costing 37.8 million rupees. The allocated amount for integrated infrastructure development seems insufficient even to start basic work.

The ministry has allocated a budget of 37.8 million rupees in 2 years for integrated infrastructure construction including land development in Khadadevi, Ramechhap, and integrated infrastructure development of the market center in Tinpatan Rural Municipality, Sindhuli.

Making small projects multi-year leads to the problem of the government's liability being extended for years and the bureaucracy getting stuck in the management of small projects. Ratna Prasad Dhakal, a member of the Provincial Assembly and chief whip of the opposition party CPN-UML in the Bagmati Province, said that making even 2 million rupee projects multi-year is policy corruption and administrative inefficiency. According to him, the government's move will weaken the administrative structure, increase financial liabilities, and create a situation of budget shortage for selecting large projects for the next year.

Bagmati Province's Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, Dinesh Chandra Devkota, said that the traditional and unproductive development model needs to be changed. He said that building infrastructure development projects should be strategic and provide long-term returns.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning has mentioned that the procurement process for the projects for which source consent has been given should be started as soon as possible. However, he said that extending projects of 20-30 million rupees for two years will increase construction costs and it is certain that the work will not be completed on time.

He alleged that fragmented projects brought on the basis of political access have been brought instead of prioritizing large pride projects that provide long-term returns. He asserted that these multi-year projects will only increase administrative expenses instead of contributing to the province's prosperity.

We Will End the Practice of Pouring Budget into a Single House on a Hill: Minister Devkota

Bagmati Province's Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development, Dinesh Chandra Devkota, said that the traditional and unproductive development model needs to be changed. He said that building infrastructure development projects should be strategic and provide long-term returns.

According to Minister Devkota, the government has focused on integrated settlement development in building technology development projects. He said that investment should be increased in strategically important areas rather than spending budget on scattered and small projects.

Minister Devkota said that a new development model has been put forward based on geography and needs. He said, 'There is only one house on the top of the hill. Taking electricity, road, and telephone there costs many times more for infrastructure than the cost of the house. Therefore, we have now started integrated settlement development programs in 15 to 20 places.'

He informed that multi-year projects are being advanced to keep 25 to 100 houses together in areas like Likhu in Nuwakot, Khadadevi in Ramechhap, and Salentar in Dhading for infrastructure development.