Former PM Bhattarai Warns Against Neglecting Housing and Urban Development Ministry

Kathmandu. While the new government is preparing to reduce the number of federal ministries, former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has drawn the government's attention to an important issue. 

Sharing a post on social media, he warned that although the government's preparation to reduce the number of ministries is fundamentally correct, ignoring the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would be a serious mistake. As a subject matter expert and a proponent of the country's sustainable development, he has urged the government to be serious about this issue.

Dr. Bhattarai, citing examples of developed and developing countries like the United States, Germany, India, China, Chile, and Kenya, mentioned that a separate ministry for housing and urban development is considered essential and is maintained in those countries. He argues that its importance is even greater in a country like Nepal, which is transitioning from a rural and agrarian economy to an urban and service-oriented economy.

He stated that if the scientific management of housing and urbanization is not done through a separate ministry in a timely manner, the country will face a terrible crisis in the coming days. He added that the recent problem of squatters is just a small 'trailer' of this.

He emphasized the need to create a planned and integrated national, regional, and local development framework from the beginning to protect Nepal's specific geographical and environmental diversity of the Himalayas, hills, and plains. He warned that if this is not done and plans are not strictly implemented, the entire country could turn into floods, landslides, concrete jungles, and deserts by the end of this century, becoming uninhabitable.

Dr. Bhattarai analyzes that although the government's proposed concept of an 'Integrated Physical Infrastructure Ministry' is sound, physical infrastructures like roads and railways would receive more priority. According to him, housing, urban, and regional development involve multifaceted aspects of economic, social, cultural, human, and environmental development, not just physical ones. This is why separate political and administrative mechanisms are created worldwide for this, and Nepal should also follow that path.

While acknowledging the potential argument that such a ministry might not be necessary at the center now that the country has adopted federalism, he clarified that without the integrated policy direction, planning, and resources from the center, it would be impossible for provinces and local levels alone to manage urbanization correctly, given its multifaceted nature. Dr. Bhattarai expressed confidence that the current Council of Ministers, filled with experts and scholars, would make a wise decision on this matter.