Koshi Province Lawmakers Resist Project Bank Rules

Biratnagar. Lawmakers responsible for creating policies and procedures in Koshi Province are reluctant to follow the laws they themselves have made. The ruling parties themselves seem to be working to undermine the 'Project Bank' concept, which was introduced to guide the province systematically and prevent arbitrary practices in the name of development. A meeting of the Nepali Congress Koshi Province Parliamentary Party on Monday formally decided to pressure the government to reduce the limit set by the working procedure (2.5 million rupees). The Congress's decision has raised questions about the adherence to the Project Classification, Basis, and Criteria Determination and Project Bank Management Working Procedure 2082, previously passed by the provincial government. Article 6, Sub-article (7) of the Koshi Province Project Bank Management Working Procedure clearly states the minimum cost for project proposals. Accordingly, the minimum cost for roads and bridges should be 10 million rupees, and for all other projects including suspension bridges, irrigation, education, health, drinking water, agriculture, and tourism, it should be a minimum of 2.5 million rupees. However, according to information provided by the Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party, Gopal Tamang, the party's meeting on Monday decided to reject this limit of 2.5 million rupees and suggest to the government to include projects up to 500,000 rupees. The Congress decided to urge the government to allocate budgets by bypassing the working procedure, arguing that even small projects up to 500,000 rupees can do good work. 'The project bank has been implemented. The issue of reviewing projects of some friends that have been left out came up, and it was decided to request the government for that. The project bank has limits of 10 million, 50 million, and 2.5 million rupees. We should not implement that and should make it up to 500,000 rupees. Because local and provincial governments handle these annual projects,' said Chief Whip Tamang. This decision increases the risk that the law made by the provincial government to control fragmented projects will not be implemented.