Karnali Ministers' Arbitrary Decisions

Birendranagar. The Ministry of Social Development oversees plans and programs related to education in Karnali. Similarly, plans related to other building constructions are carried out by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development.

However, plans for schools in the minister's home district and the construction of Bar Association buildings have been found to be included in Karnali's tourism promotion and ecotourism programs. Such plans have been included under the budget heading 'Tourism Promotion and Ecotourism' in Salyan, the home district of Suresh Adhikari, the province's Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment.

According to the details, a budget of 2 million has been allocated for Balakanya Basic School in Bagchaur-7, Salyan. It is not specified whether this plan is for building construction or something else. Additionally, a plan with a budget of 2 million for Balakanya Basic School, Bagchaur-7, for soil conservation program has also been included in tourism-related programs.

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment also oversees soil conservation-related programs. However, the soil conservation program should be included under the heading related to watersheds. Instead, it has been included in tourism promotion. Even more surprisingly, a budget of 3 million for the construction of the Nepal Bar Association District Court Bar Unit has been included in the tourism promotion program in Salyan itself.
This has been included for Sharda Municipality-2, Salyan.

“Actually, such plans should not come, who knows how they came,” an official from the ministry told Ratopati. “Perhaps these plans will not be implemented.” Similarly, plans such as fencing and tree planting have also been included in the programs under the tourism promotion heading.

In Simta Rural Municipality-3, Surkhet, 2 million rupees have been allocated under the heading Mastara Okhlya Fencing, without clear specification.

Similarly, in West Dailekh's Athbis Municipality-1, a budget of 2 million has been allocated for the Was Khola Tree Planting Program, while in Triveni Rural Municipality-2, Salyan, a budget of 2 million has been allocated for the construction of embankments from Jharghat Guptakhola to Amlejyula.

The project selection working procedure formulated by the provincial government stipulates that when proposing projects, the basis should be the contribution to the province's rapid economic growth, contribution to priority or comparative advantage sectors, and support for achieving sustainable development sector goals.

However, when allocating the budget, ministers have been distributing fragmented plans, and that too in unproductive sectors, at their own discretion. A ruling party MP said that these projects can be taken as an example. Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel has also been instructing ministers to pay special attention to large and strategic projects. However, the same old things are being repeated in the budget book.

Currently, the limit for projects other than roads and buildings is 50, and for projects less than 2 million, it has been set that they will not be implemented by the province. However, looking at the trend of project selection, even if the limit is met, influential people are having their way, says an MP from the Congress. “The working procedure brought to end the anarchy in project selection is just for show,” the MP says, “What to do, sir! We have to sit with a stone on our heart.” These projects, even if they meet the limit, are completely fragmented and also unproductive. The objective of the working procedure is to create impactful, strategic projects that can contribute to the province's revenue.

However, he claims that ministers and MPs themselves have misused the budget through fragmented plans that meet the limit. In tourism, budgets have also been given to foundations named after leaders. In Adanchuli Rural Municipality-5, Humla, a budget of 3 million has been allocated for the construction of Manmohan Smriti Pratishthan building.

Similarly, in West Surkhet's Panchapuri Municipality-11, 2 million rupees have been allocated for the Tapt Bista Park Upgradation. Bisht was a late Congress leader. A plan in his name was also included in the budget of the current financial year.

Similarly, outside the tourism heading, millions of rupees have been allocated in two places in Surkhet in the name of Sant Neta Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

Specifically, since the Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Suresh Adhikari, is from the Congress, a large budget has been given in the name of late Congress leaders. Even though Chief Minister Kandel has given instructions, the budget has been allocated in the name of his own leaders.

“Earlier, there was an agreement between the ruling and opposition parties not to allocate budgets for foundations, memorial buildings, and plans named after leaders,” says Krishna Bahadur GC, Chief Whip of the Nepali Communist Party Parliamentary Party, “but now the same things have been repeated.” He said that a fresh agreement was made before the budget was passed by the parliament not to implement such projects. According to him, even though they are included in the budget, they are not to be implemented. Mahesh Nepali, Information Officer at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, also said that plans such as schools and bars that have come under the tourism heading will not be implemented. “There has been a political agreement, perhaps,” he said, “they will not be implemented.”

The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment has allocated 4 million rupees in two places in West and East Surkhet in the name of Shahid Smriti Park. Such plans coming in the name of tourism are brought to please the cadres.