National Assembly Member Roshani Mechhe Criticizes Federal Government's Administrative Burden

Kathmandu. CPN (UML) Chief Whip in the National Assembly, Roshani Mechhe, has stated that the administrative burden remains with the federal government, and provinces should not be made scapegoats. Speaking in the National Assembly meeting on Wednesday, she drew attention to the government's working style, the country's current financial situation, and the declining state of good governance. Mechhe claimed that questioning the provincial structure to hide the federal government's weak financial discipline and cumbersome structure is baseless. She commented that the argument of abolishing the provincial structure, citing it as expensive, is spread for cheap populism. Refuting the negative narrative that nothing has been achieved in the country in the past 35 years, Mechhe presented facts that the literacy rate has increased from 39 percent to 76.2 percent since 2046 BS, and the average life expectancy of Nepalis has increased from 54 years to 71 years. She stated that Nepal's progress in reducing maternal and child mortality rates is exemplary worldwide. Comparing the expenses of provinces and the center, Chief Whip Mechhe said in the meeting, 'The administrative expenses including salary and allowances for the officials of all seven provinces are only 5.45 billion rupees. But the budget of a single ministry of the federal government appears to be more than that.' Her argument is that the main source of the financial crisis is not the provincial structure but the federal government's own cumbersome structure and weak discipline. Speaking about the condition of the youth, she added, 'Those who promised to bring back youth by sticking stickers on the streets of foreign countries are in power today, but the employment of youth remaining in the country is being snatched away.' She stated that due to the current government's failure, the country's historical achievements have been overshadowed, and extreme despair has gripped the youth. She depicted the compulsion of youth to self-immolate due to lack of employment as the extreme failure of the government. Similarly, Chief Whip Mechhe strongly criticized the government for stopping the health insurance program brought for the poor and destitute citizens.