Govt short shrift to culture cash cow

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, Dec 31

The government is giving a short shrift to culture, inarguably, the bedrock of the nation's identity. Though the world recognises and fetes Nepal for its fascinating and intriguing social mores, the powers-that-be back home seems to have no time for such 'trivial pursuits'.

It may be recalled that culture was incorporated with the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 2000. Earlier, it was a part of Ministry of Education although the Culture Division was established in the country 50 years ago. The ministry got a new nomenclature--the Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring-- on August 31, 2008. When the UML-led government assumed office on May 23, several new ministries like Federal, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs and Culture were all clubbed together. Consequently, culture took a backseat, lost in the maze of sundry unrelated ministries looking into novel areas of governance.

What did the department do through the year? "Precious little except making a few appointments," admitted Jala Krishna Shrestha, joint-secretary, the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC). Shrestha has been candid enough to point out the lacunae. "The spirit of work has been diluted since the Ministry of Culture has been accommodated with other portfolios. Preservation of our rich heritage hasn't been the focus through the last couple of years," he reasoned.

Ironically, little work was done in the allied sections of the ministry as in Federal, Constituent Assembly and Parliamentary Affairs. The ministry has become virtually defunct if the senior civil servant's assertions are anything to go by. Consider the unity in diversity in Nepal. The nation is home to around 100 ethnic and indigenous groups with their own unique culture. The constitution, however, recognises only 70 indigenous and ethnic communities. Besides, there are 10 World Heritage Sites, including seven in the Kathmandu Valley, as per the UNESCO list. Of these, eight are cultural sites and the rest showcase nature and wildlife.

There is also clearly an overlap of governance when it comes to culture. For instance, the Ministry of Local Development has been handling monastery management. The Ministry of Home Affairs looks into organising various festivals and Hajj Committee for Muslims. The Ministry of Land Reforms has an assigned role to play in running the Guthi (Trust). While, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works is engaged in construction of the shrines. The ministry of Finance is entrusted with Kaushi Tosha Khana, which loosely translates to funds collected from cultural bodies. "However, the achievements are less than satisfactory," said Shrestha.

To make matter worse, the tourism sector is holding sway over cultural affairs for long. Jaya Ram Shrestha, archeological officer, the MoFACAPAC, laid bare the conflict of interest. "There has been an increased arrival in foreign tourists in the past few years. But little effort is being made to preserve and promote our culture, which showcase our national identity," he explained.

Social mores are a complex concept with diversity of cultural practices across  the Himalayan nation. For instance, strange shamanistic practices in various communities are worth to be studied while polygamy is still rampant in the mid and Terai region whereas polyandry is practised in the Himalayan region. "Foreign tourists certainly want to lap up these intricate customs, which are often alien to their sensibilities. They have no interest in whatsoever in internal power politics," said Jaya Ram Shrestha.

The government's step-motherly treatment is all too evident in the allocation of sum for culture and archeology. It adds up to an abysmal 0.001 per cent of the entire budget. Shrestha is livid at the callousness. "We bring out the rear among Asia-Pacific nations. While, other South Asian nations allocate at least 0.01 per cent of their budget for this sector," he added.

Despite the lackadaisical approach,  the government is keen to retain control over bodies looking into cultural, religious and archeological affairs. And the fate of these bodies' heads is inextricably linked with the government's shelf life. Fine Arts Academy, Music and Performance Arts Academy, Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), Bhakta Bhakta Janma Development Committee, Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and Nepal Academy are some of the high-profile institutions that have been at the receiving end of political intrusion.

The erstwhile Maoist-led government drew a lot of flak for making controversial appointments in LDT and PADT. The Supreme Court annulled the appointments of priests in PADT. The UML-led coalition, too, got into the act. It tried to sack the Maoist appointee in LDT, but was thwarted by the apex court's timely intervention.

Joint-secretary Shrestha claimed that several organisations did not have a functional body since May 8, 2006. This is what and how the national heritages are neglected in the country.

Read More

Local governance consigned to oblivion

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, Dec 30

Two successive governments' rhetoric did precious little for both local and social development in the year gone by.

The poor report card of the Ministry of local Development (MoLD) is a microcosm of a complete breakdown in governance. Consider this: Of the 3,915 VDC's, around 1,100 is bereft of secretaries for about a year when the local bodies have been running without elected representatives for eight years . "The lack of service delivery mechanism in these areas doesn't augur well for the government," said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD.

The UML-led ruling coalition's lofty promises such as apponting elected representatives in all the local bodies within 100 days and declaring 41 new civic bodies came a cropper. Nothing came of forming the National Muslim Commission and a Committee on Ostracised and Marginalised People, either. The cabinet is yet to take a call on the fourth amendment to the Local Self-Governance Regulation, 2009. The Waste Management Act, too, is yet to be amended. However, monthly allowance for the Rautes has been doubled from Rs 500.

The budget of MoLD has been increased by another 10 billion. There is less achievement and lack of proper utilisation of development funds allocated in the local bodies, said Thapaliya.

Read More

3 cultural academies sans academicians for 4 years

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, December 18

There is no member in the Academic Assembly and Council of major three academies of the country for about last four years. However, the government has gone ignoring such a serious issue of appointing officials of both categories in those academies.

Nepal Academy, Fine Arts Academy, and Music and Performance Art Academy are running without assembly and council members since May 8, 2006, according to the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture.

"The government has failed to manage these academic bodies by fulfilling the vacant posts," said Jala Krishna Shrestha, joint-secretary and the spokesperson for culture in the ministry. "This is one of the evidences of the government apathy regarding the culture, which is a very important heritage of the country," he said.

The NA is constituted of 39-member Academic Assembly and 11 members in the Council while the FAA and the MPAA are respectively constituted of 28 members in the Assembly and 9 members in the Council each. Both of the bodies are headed by the Chairman and the General Manager each respectively.

Harihar Sharma, administrator at the NA, said that there was no work in the academy except receiving the monthly salaries and running daily administration. "No academic activities have been performed in the academy due to the absence of the responsible body members," he said. "It has been very painful to come to the office and go to home daily without any performance because of the lack of works in the office," he added.

Prakash Darnal, chief archeology officer at the MoFACAPAC, said that the Maoist led government attempted to appoint officials in those posts about a year ago but without regular procedure. The case files were lodged in the Supreme Court against the Maoist move and then the SC ordered to cancel the appointments.

The SC has already cleared the road for the government to appoint officials in the NA but the cases of FAA and MPAA are still on process. "The Ministry forwarded a proposal of the committee formation for the NA to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers a few months ago," said Darnal. "However, it is still unnoticed," he added.

Darnal was worried of the performance of the ministry about the culture for last two years. "It is out of road of the conservation and development," he said. "The Cultural Corporation has been padlocked owing to the appointment row recently," he added.

Politics is more dominant in the ministry than the concern of culture. "The combination of different affairs in the ministry has cornered the cultural issues," said Shrestha. "The culture related activities are being performed by other ministries and we are detached from the mainstream," he added.

Minister Dr Minendra Rijal is on foreign visits presently and frequently at a time when all of the works are on hold in the ministry, according to the ministry officials.

Read More

Govt plan to manage garbage falls in a predicament

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Lalitpur, December 12

Despite Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal's direction to manage solid waste of the Kathmandu Valley in scientific way after his succession seven months ago, the achievement is nothing significant yet.

According to the Ministry of Local Development, the government included it in its current fiscal programmes to form a high level empowered commission, which would deal an agreement with the private sector to set up garbage-fuelled plant on the basis of public private partnership concept to finalise the deal by mid-November.

The High Level Committee on Solid Waste Management (HLCSWM), headed by Dr Dinesh Chandra Devkota, member of the National Planning Commission, was formed on August 30 with the authority to sign the agreement with the private sector by mid-December. There are only three-days remaining to end the first tenure of the committee. However, it is yet to call Expression of Interest from the private sector.

The seven-member committee comprises of secretaries from the Ministries of Local Development, Physical Planning and Works, Land Reforms and Environment, executive chief of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and general manager of the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre. It has also recruited three experts on waste management.

Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD, said that the committee was not empowered as the spirit of the government budget to work without any hassle. “The problems and confusion related to the policies dampened the speed of dealing with the private sector,” he said.

Though the HLCSWM can carry out all the process, it is not eligible to sign on final deals with the private sector. The MoLD is legally entitled to decide on the issues finally and the HLCSWM need to forward the process through the ministry.

The HLCSWM tabled a proposal in the cabinet on November 3 to extend its tenure by mid-April and empower it so that it could carry out its jobs smoothly. “But the cabinet extended the tenure of the committee, which was sent back on December 3, directing the MoLD to deal with the case,” said Dr Sumitra Amatya, GM of the SWMRMC and member secretary of the HLCSWM. “Because of the dilemma, the process was halted amidst the confusion,” she added.

The committee was formed but only the MoLD could deal with the process as per the BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) Act, said Amatya.  “We have prepared the final draft of the EoI and submitted to the MoLD for publishing it,” she said. “It will be published soon.”

Thapaliya said that it would be better to empower the committee rather than to assign the Ministry to deal with the issue. “The government could not approve the amendment of waste management act owing to the obstruction in parliamentary session. Formation of powerless committee was another lapse of the government,” he said. “This has made us worried about the waste management, which is likely to fall in more complicated situation if the process could not achieve the target,” he added.

Read More

"To be or not to be"--It is a question?

 Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, December 7

? Is it a crime to be a poet?
                                            


                                    Or to be a creative person?
                                                                                           



                                                                         Or to be a philosopher?



I am punished for being logical, reasoning, rational and pholosophical but without harming and hurting others. Is it justice?



So, it is a question of 'to be or not to be'. Death is better and greater than the slavery.

Read More

Public recreational parks in a sorry state

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 30

The public famous places-Balaju Bais (22) Dhara Park, Ratna Park and Ranipokhari are in a sorry state owing to the inefficient management of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

According to the KMC, the government transferred Balaju 22 Dhara Park, Ratna Park, Ranipokhari and National Assembly Hall to the civic body in 2002. However, all of them except the National Assembly Hall at Bhrikutimandap are wretched lots due to the lack of proper management, said the KMC officials. "They were in a better condition before the transfer of the authority," they said.

Balaju 22 Dhara Park spread in 159 ropanies of land, the only biggest recreation centre in the Kathmandu valley, and Ratna Park are in a shameful and pathetic condition, said Nama Raj Dhakal, senior finance officer at the KMC. "Balaju Park is dilapidated, worn Ratna Park has turned into centre of indecent activities while Rani Pokhari is no more than the dirty pond," said Dhakal.

Balaju Park houses with a swimming pool, 22 water tapes, a Hindu temple, greenery park and open spaces. The condition of park got worsened as the walls of upper parts were broken by the cadres of Constituent Assembly member Hisila Yami during the CA election campaign. The compound walls of Balaju Park are damaged, water pond is filthy, pool is not modernized, water is irregular in taps and trees are dying out, said Dhakal.

There is dire negligence of the metropolitan city towards the recreational spots, said Deepak KC, an officer at the Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment section in the civic body. "The KMC tried to adopt PPP modality but to no avail," he added.

Dhakal said that the KMC called a bid to involve the private sector in the management of the Balaju Park in 2005. "However, it is still paralysed. Neither KMC could sign agreement with the bidder nor it could renovate the park by allocating sufficient budget," he said.

The Side Walker Pvt Ltd, which was coincidentally given the bid to manage Bhmsen Tower, was selected in the procurement of bid on Rs 52,000 per month for 20 years. "The agreement could not be signed due to the locals protest and inefficiency of administration despite permission from the Ministry of Local Development," said Dhakal.

About Rs 4 million is spent annually as operating cost of the park. Entry fee is only Rs 5.00 per person. However, it is hardly able to maintain even its regular expenses. "We can earn at least Rs 100 million every year if the existing amenities are renovated," said Dhakal. "If we invest more on its development, the earning can multiply," he said. "We need to go ahead with a master plan."

Admitting lapses for the management, Deepak Koirala, assistant executive chief at the KMC, said that there was a vested game in tender process and that failed. "There are many causes of this problem. But the void of elected representatives in the body has badly marred on the decisive management," he added.

Read More

Did those who killed Jesus realisze their mistake?

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, Nov 29

Why did the contemporary people kill Jesus? It has just simple logic that they could not understand Jesus? It was not His mistake.

Was Jesus wrong? And they killed him brutally by torturing him excessively. His diosciple Judas, who was cunning, enjoyed killing his Guru.

For ordinary people too, this is very contemplative in present time and scenario. The vicious people trouble, torture, harm and destroy the innocent persons for nothing. I have also experienced such moments of destructive persons full of ego and stupidity with vested interests.

If Jesus was killed, what could we do in such sufferings and miseries caused by vicious persons?

Not only, Jesus, but also Krishna was killed with poisoned arrow, Buddha was fed poisonous pork, Socrates was fed poison and more. Just meditate upon the powerful people who killed innocent and genious persons in this world. Powerful people without wisdom and humanity are demons and devils.

Read More

I feel I am a running river of time

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, Nov 28

Birth begins flowing from chastite snow melting in high himalayas,
My childhood was so pure, innocent and cool.

It started running down the earth through variations,
Sliding with stones, muds and litters in course of time,
It became pollutted, contaminated with deadly diseases too,
Grew more and more like a swelling snake utterly collosal.

Suffering and pains were nurished more than pleasure,
Unconscious in the mezzy and zig-zag motion of the river,
I woke up and found split into various banks of the river,
It was still going downwards under the blue and black sky,
In which the universe was revolving in cycle of chains,
Impossible to turn back to its root of birth unlike time.

As it reached to the ocean, I was completely a mixture of the world,
It looked beautiful like himalayas,
Not hard as rocks but harder than the soft water.
I started evaporating to regain purity, chastity and innocence as earlier,
To repeat the begining and its flowing journey again towards ocean.

Read More

Historical landmark--Bhimsen tower lives like lighthouse

 Bishnu Prasad Aryal

Kathmandu, Nov. 28

Dharahara (Nepali: धरहरा), known as Bhimsen Tower, is a nine-storey (50.2m) tower at the center of Kathmandu Valley. Built in European style in between 1824-32 AD (61.88m with 11 storeys) by then Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa, who dedicted it to queen Lalit Tripura Sundari on her wish, Thapa's niece.

 

After 110 years in January 15, 1934, an earthquake devasted the tower. Only two of the 11 stories survived safe. Contemporary PM Juddha Shumsher renovated Dharahara to its previous form but two-storey smaller than the original one.

 The tower has a spiral staircase inside containing 113 [213] steps. The 8th floor holds a circular balcony for observers that provides a panoramic view of the whole Kathmandu valley. There is a small Shiva temple atop. The tower boasts of 5.2m bronze mast on the roof. General public were allowed to climb the tower since 2005 by paying a minimal charge. This historical monument is given to the private sector as per the Public Private Partnership for the operation that has registered the Tower to the insurance company.

Read More

Bagmati corridor re-encroached, authorities onlookers

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 27

Once cleared out Bagmati corridor tracks from Tilganga to Dhobighat at Shankhamul have been again encroached. However, the concerned authorities are not more than the onlookers to this situation.

According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the houses and huts were removed from within the 20 metre area along the each side of the Bigmati river for developing the corridor roads about six years ago. "People started encroaching again but the concerned authorities are only the mute spectators," said the KMC officials.

The Department of Road under the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, and the KMC under the Ministry of Local Development are responsible bodies that have planed to construct corridor roads along both sides of the Bagmati river. Its length measures 6Km from Tilganga to Dhobighat.

DSP Dhana Pati Sapkota, chief of the Enforcement Department in the KMC and City Police, said that the DoR was solely responsible for this negligence. "Only 2Km out of 6Km corridor from Koteshwor to Balkumari remains not encroached," said Sapkota. "I am supervising in this section where my living belongs to," he added.

A KMC official informed that ED was also responsible to monitor the area. "The DoR has not asked us for inspecting and removing the ineligible settlements along the road," said Sapkota. "However, it will not be easy to remove them again as it was cleared earlier," he added. "It would be better to demarcate the road area well after the clearance."

Tulasi Prasad Sitaula, Director General at the DoR, said that the Empowered High Level Bagmati Civilisation Integrated Development Committee was solely responsible to this concern. "The committee has been given legal authority to execute every activity," he said.

The committee was formed only about a year ago. Earlier, the DOR and KMC were operating the corridor project. The committee has come up with visionary plans to work on the project, according to the EHLBCIDC.

Mahesh Bahadur Basnet, chairman of the EHLBCIDC, said that the KMC and City Planning Committee were the genuine responsible bodies to check the encroachment of the land. "The KMC made mistake while demarcating the space of theriver," he said. "We have written letters to both of the bodies in relation to this issue," he added.

Basnet said that the committee has been working seriously to sort out the problem. "A committee coordinated by the Prime Minister has been formed to execute the works and tabled in the cabinet. The committee will begin its activities once after the cabinet approves it," he said. "We need help from locals and political parties to make the plans successful," he said.

Read More

KMC eyes 18-storey complex with 3-storey bus terminal

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 26

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has floated a lofty concept of 18-storey business complex along with three-storey modern bus terminal replacing the oldest bus park at Ratna Park. The pre-feasibility study of the project has been already completed.

The project aims at materialising the concept with the giant business complex along with three-storey bus terminal at the centre of the city from where thousands of vehicles depart for different destinations in and around the Kathmandu Valley. The KMC authority plans it as a high earning resource for the civic body and as a support to minimise the traffic chaos with the new system at the city centre.

“We are afoot to carry out the detailed study, which will be completed within this fiscal year,” said Nava Raj Dhakal, a senior financial officer at the KMC. “We will launch the study in near future,” he added. “The construction will be completed in three years.”

 Deepak KC, another office at the Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment section in the KMC, said it would be a public private partnership project. “The pre-feasibility study was carried out in the financial support of about Rs 300,000 from the UNDP as part of its concept of PPPUE,” he said.

However, Dhakal preferred to build it by the civic body itself. “If we have 63 Ropanies of land at the bus park, why can’t the KMC construct the project itself?,” he questioned.

Some Rs 1 billion is estimated to complete the project, which categorically divides the terminal into three floors where buses will be stationed at underground, cars on first floor and motorcycles on the top floor. “We are determined to establish a complete modernised bus park,” said Dhakal. “The main building will be erected at the centre of the terminal.”

“There will be a lot of flats and spaces at the multi-complex where corporate offices, shops, restaurants, entertainment halls and theatres will be housed at the same building,” said Dhakal. “In fact, it will be most advanced complex ever built with qualitative and quantitative entities in the country,” he added.

Dhakal was a bit worried about the political situation of the country and confused whether the constitution would be written in time or not. “If the political situation favours the country, we will complete procurement and bidding process in the next fiscal year that begins in mid-July,” he was elated. “The administration is responsibly and seriously taking this project as a pride of the civic body,” he said.

However, the fluid political scenario of the country might spoil the lofty plan if it went on the unexpected path, the KMC officials were worried.

Read More

People suffer from govt apathy to public concern

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 25

The major city junctions and roads are littered with human excreta. However, the plans of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to build two dozens of toilets in the public private partnership (PPP) has been jeopardised due to the negligence of three concerned ministries.

"Our plans to construct public toilets in the PPP modality went in vain as other concerned ministries did not allow us to use public land," said Rabin Man Shrestha, chief of the Environment Management Department at the KMC. "We forwarded proposals many times but in vain."

Deepak KC, coordinator of the UNDP supported PPP Urban Environment section in KMC, said that the agreements were made with Kanchan Trade Link, and Arati & Company about four years ago to build 20 such public toilets in different places.

"However, only three toilets could be built yet," said KC. AC has been successfully operating two toilets at Ratna Park and Chabahil while KTL at Bhotahity. "They are very interested to build more toilets as it is lucrative business," he added.

These busy junctions include Kalanki, Gaushala, Babarmahal, Bagbazaar, Maharajgunj, Balaju and Koteshwor among others. "General people are facing difficulties in the absence of toilets in such public places," said KC. "On the other hand, the streets are polluted with stinking urine and stools," he worried.

"We could not provide the lands to the private companies after the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Ministry of Labour and Transport and Ministry of Home Affairs did not approve our proposal," said KC. "MoPPW is main responsible ministry to approve our proposal," said Shrestha.

Hari Prasad Sharma, spokesperson for the MoPPW, said that he was completely ignorant about the issue. "We can not allow them to build toilets at Kalanki, Balaju and Maharjgunj at present time due to some technical problems," he said. "We will study on the case for other places. Then we can allow them to construct the toilets in appropriate places," he added.

The KMC, which is equally responsible towards public concerns, has also failed to maintain the existing toilets built in different busy places in the city. "We are suffering from the lack of facilities of public toilets," said Bharat Dangal, 58, a commuter hailed from Dolakha. "I had to suffer too much in resisting the nature's calls after I failed to find a toilet last year when I came to shop goods here," he added.

There are about three dozens of public toilets in different places including in business complexes and centres. Some 16 toilets are stationed at public places in KMC, according to the EMD. All of them are in a sorry state and not in usable condition, said Shrestha, admitting their negligence. "We need to replace them with new ones. Therefore, we are thinking of rebuilding them with new system in those places," he added.

Read More

Local bodies defy govt order to form new mechanism

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 23

The government’s decision to form all-party mechanism in the local bodies has been paralysed owing to the dispute somewhere while older ones dominating in other places.

In the absence of elected bodies, seven-party mechanism including major political parties as per the Comprehensive Peace Accord signed three years ago was given responsibility to facilitate them in development activities. The Ministry of Local Development directed the local bodies to form all-party mechanism five months ago in accordance with the proportion of results in the Constituent Assembly polls.

However, it has been not implemented in the local bodies well, according to the local body authorities. The formation of the mechanism in the Kathmandu District Development Committee is at worse condition. “The structuring of the mechanism is badly hindered after the district leaders of the UCPN Maoist forced to include their 15 members in the formation,” said an official at the KDDC, requesting anonymity.

According to the CPA, there is a provision of a member representation in the mechanism from each of the political parties. However, Maoists pressured to include 15 members in the KDDC, claiming that it was the largest party in the CA. Most of the local bodies including Bhaktapur District Development Committee in the valley have failed to approve annual fiscal budget and finalise the development programmes even after the fiscal year began four months ago.

Jeevan Prasad Sitaula, chief at the Lalitpur District Development Committee, said that the five-party mechanism was still working in the mechanism despite government decision to form new one. “Additional four parties have demanded to include them in the mechanism. However, old mechanism did not allow them,” he said.

Sarbottam Dangol, member of the all-party mechanism in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, said that there was only six-party mechanism functioning in the body. “We don’t need other parties to take in the mechanism as it is running without any dispute,” said Dangol, representative from the UCPN-Maoist. There are 18 eligible parties as per the CA election for inclusion in the KMC.

The case in the Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City is similar to KMC. There are eight members from the seven parties in the mechanism, said Badri Krishna Tamrakar, senior engineer at the LSMC. “One member has been included from each party while the mechanism contains two Maoist representatives,” he said. “However, there is no dispute in the mechanism,” he added.

State Minister for MoLD Ganesh Bahadur Khadka said that the ministry ordered the local bodies to include the members in the mechanism as per the spirit of CA election. “The parties requested us to include them in the mechanism and the cabinet made such provision,” Khadka told this daily. “Negligence in the inclusion of other parties in the mechanism was against the government decision and democratic spirit,” he added, without divulging any more details regarding the issue.

Read More

Fulfillment of 1,100 VDC secys unlikely in near future

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 19

The Ministry of Local Development is uncertain about when some 1,100 VDC secretaries lying vacant for about a year will be fulfilled. The MoLD accuses the Ministry of General Administration of not working seriously to fulfill the vacant posts.

About half of the posts have been lying vacant for about a year while rest of the posts for about six months. There are 3,915 VDCs and 58 municipalities across the country.

Talking to this daily, State Minister for MoLD Ganesh Bahadur Khadka said, "We are rigorously worried about this and working to fulfill the vacant posts." However, he was unable to fix the deadline for appointing them. "This may take longer time due to the legal process," he added.

Minister Khadka said they attempted many times to make the local bodies operate smoothly for carrying out development projects and implementing the budgets. "There is a big problem in the local bodies, where the elected representatives are empty for last eight years," he said.

"We proposed the cabinet, the MoGA and Public Service Commission many times to take immediate steps to solve the problem," Khadka said. "However, none of them took it seriously. It is the main responsibility of the MoGA to appoint and transfer the government staffs," he added. "But it has turned deaf ear to this problem."

Chandra Ghimire, spokesperson for the MoGA, said that it was a case of big number of employees, not a couple or one dozen. "The MoLD has proposed us different alternatives. Working Committee formed in the MoGA to look into it has prepared a report with alternatives such as transfer of the government staffs or mass appointment on contract," he said.

Ghimire said it was still being discussed in the minister level and would be tabled to the cabinet soon. However, he could not mention any specific date or period.

Bhuvani Prasad Ghimire, president of the VDC Secretaries Rights Centre, said that it was the government's helplessness and negligence towards such a serious problem. "Present political situation and the government apathy are major causes that have badly affected the process of the local development," he added.

The VDC secretaries are still facing dire situations of donation pressure and threats to life, said Ghimire. "The VDC secretaries cannot go to even in the Lalitpur villages," he worried. "Many are still compelled to work from district headquarters while others are holding activities of upto seven VDCs."

State Minister Khadka said that, on the one hand, the development activities including distribution of social security funds were hindered, on the other hand, the development budgets were misused in the absence of concerned authorities. "The ministry has taken it seriously but there is little hope to solve it immediately. The government should have held the local elections to resolve this impasse," he added.

Read More

A cow with two vaginas and six legs wonders people

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu,  November 19

Hindus believe cow as a form of God, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and worship with devotion, never kill it and have flesh. Two cows, a she-calf and an ox are stationed at Sundhara in Kathmandu. People are touching it and offering bucks as flower to God. 

People are amazed to see a cow, which has two reproductive organs along sides its tail and six legs, with a baby cow. The six-leg cow has two legs as  nipples of cow breast. Another cow has five legs, of which one is on the hump with a crater, hanging aside.

The owners were, perhaps, earning money from displaying strange forms of cows.

Read More

Admin and all-party mechanism up in arms in civic body

Rift between KMC administration and all-party mechanism bars fiscal budget

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 18

The rift between the all-party mechanism and administration in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has prevented the annual budget and programmes form being approved. The annual budget and programmes should have been approved before mid-July for the current fiscal year.

"We have already prepared the final draft of the budget and fiscal programmes," said Niranjan Baral, executive chief of the KMC. The members of the all-party mechanism are focused on their own area and vote influence rather than giving priority to the important programmes, said administrative staffs at the KMC.

According to the KMC, the total estimated budget of the last fiscal was Rs 1.87 billion. "The size of the annual budget revolves around the amount of last year," said Baral. "However, it has been late to initiate the development projects to complete by the end of this fiscal," he added.

The budget has included the construction of Manohara road but all-party mechanism objected unnecessarily, according to KMC administration. "I don't have any self-interest in any programme. I am serious only about the people's problems," he said.

Baral, who is the government secretary in ranks, is getting retirement after about two months. I never think to spoil my career earned in my life working as a civil servant in these last two months, he said. "This country will not see a better future if such kind of tendencies prevails in the society and nation," he reasoned.

KATHMANDU: Although the Ministry of Local Development directed local bodies about five months ago to form all-party mechanism based on the result of Constituent Assembly election, there is still six-party mechanism functioning in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. According to the Election Commission report, there are 18 political parties in the KMC. "We six-party mechanism is working here without any dispute since Janamorcha Nepal merged to UCPN Maoist," said Sarbottam Dangol, member of the mechanism. As per the Comprehensive Peace Accord, it was provisioned to form an all-party mechanism of seven major parties to run the local bodies in absence of elected representatives. --

Dhyan Govind Ranjit, who is coordinator of the all-party mechanism and Constituent Assembly member, is allegedly said to oppose against Manohara road project.

Sarbottam Dangol, member of the all-party mechanism, expressed ignorance about it. "Ranjit is in London now to visit his son and will not return immediately," said Danglol. Ranjit left for London on Sunday. "Absence of coordinator has certainly affected the process," he added.

Dangol, however, criticised the administration for being inefficient to make budget in time. "Administration is fully responsible to this delay," he said. "The budget committee was formed only a week ago while it should have been formed before end of the last fiscal and annual budget ought to have been approved then," he blamed.

This time, the budget is estimated at Rs 1.83 billion while annual income of the KMC is about 1 billion, said Dangol. "We have insisted on limiting it to some Rs 1.7 billion," he said. "Some portion of amount is spent on banquet for foreigners in five-star hotels as there is no provision of such allocation," he alleged.

State Minister for Local Development Ganesh Bahadur Khadka said there was serious problem in the local bodies regarding the council meeting and budget allocation. "Everything went wrong due to the absence of elected representatives in the local bodies," he added. "There should not be any dispute regarding the development for local people."

Minister Khadka told this daily that ministry was planning to assign a government joint-secretary in the KMC for better administration.

Read More

Art of earning happiness even from forced street life

Street children playing cards and cycling at beginning of New Road, business centre in Kathmandu.



A boy puffing cigar while watching his friends playing cards.





Two children sleeping on the footpath at New Road centre at around 3:00 PM today. They are, may be intoxicated by drugs or booze.









There are innumerable NGOs, perhaps more than the street children in Kathmandu, working on street children and making money from foreign countries and organisations in their name. However, the problem is no more solved. On the other hand, the government, which has no programme or rehabilitation scheme and shelter houses for them, is indifferent to them. Who cares them and who do they care? There are uncountable documents on humanity, justice and human rights. Who is responsible for this?

Read More

Meat of unhealthy, even dead animals sold in market

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 16

Meat of unhealthy animals and even dead ones has been being sold in the Kathmandu valley since long. However, Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act 1998 is yet to be practiced at all to control the hazard even after 11 years of its enactment, ignoring the public health concern.

Dr Bodh Prasad Parajuli, senior veterinary officer of the Veterinary Public Health Office, Tripureshwor, said not a single clause of the Act has been implemented yet. "The consumers are forced to have substandard meat, which is very harmful to human health," he added. "About a dozen of committees were formed to look into the matter but to no avail."

The Act provisions the good status of slaughter house and meat shops, mandatory license from government authority to sell meats, animals to be slaughtered only in slaughterhouses, health test of animals before slaughtering and hygiene test of meats, restriction on adulterated meat and sale of only skinless meats in the market.

"Afore mentioned provisions are yet to be practiced in the country," Dr Parajuli, who is also member of the Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act 1998 Implementation Monitoring Committee, worried. "A slaughterhouse was built in Hetauda six years ago but it was not operated after its establishment. Two slaughterhouses were launched at Thankot and Kakani in Kathmandu some five years ago, however, they became defunct immediately after their operation," he said.

Manoj Khadgi, president of the Nepal Khadgi Samaj Sewa, said that it was impossible to implement the law by an individual or an institution. "All the stakeholders including government authorities should work in coordination," he said.

Khadgi said neither there is quarantine system while importing animals nor health checking system of animals, nor a farm to keep them, nor a slaughterhouse nor a good meat shop. "There is rampant smuggling in animal import and the government is aloof from controlling them. How can you expect healthy meat in such a condition," he said.

LALITPUR: Meat entrepreneurs formed an executive committee to establish a cooperative to make the flesh business more managed by building a slaughter house in Kathmandu. The government has included in the current fiscal budget to provide funds to such cooperatives. About 200 meat traders, who gathered at the interaction programme on 'Animal slaughterhouse site and meat market business promotion' jointly organised by the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, and Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act 2055BS Implementation and Monitoring Committee, proposed a well managed slaughter house for healthy meats. --

According to NKSS, an umbrella of meat traders, there are at least 3,000 meat entrepreneurs in the Kathmandu valley.

Dr Babu Ram Gautam, coordinator of the act implementation monitoring committee, said that very few meat traders had applied for the permission license for selling meats. "They should take permission from the Ministries of Environment and Industry, and the concerned municipalities. However, it is still ineffective," he explained. "Such kind of unhealthy meat may cause various ailments belonging to abdominal, heart and mental diseases to human health."

Dr Nar Bahadur Rajwar, Deputy Director General at the Department of Livestock Services, admitted the lapses of the government and assured the law would be implanted at any cost. Niranjan Baral, executive chief at the KMC, emphasised on the public private partnership concept to make it effective.

Read More

Over 200 groups illegally involved in waste collection

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 14

More than 200 private companies, NGOs and individuals involved in waste collection from houses in Kathmandu and Lalitpur municipalities are operating without registration.

“There are uncountable private organisations and even individuals are collecting waste materials and money from people,” said Chitra Sunuwar, an official of the Environment Management Department (EMD) at the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). “However, only 19 organisations and individuals are registered to us,” he added.

Sunuwar said that it was difficult to tell the exact number of such groups involved in garbage collection. “Neither, they have registered with us nor have they paid any taxes to the concerned authorities,” he said.

Registered toKMC                                            Registered to SWMRMC

KP Cleaning Service                                  Nepal Pollution Control & Env Mgt Centre

A-Z Sarsafai Kendra                                  A-Z Sarsafai Kendra

Mahila Bataraban Samrakshyan Abhiyan   Mahila Batabaran S Abhiyan

Gaurishankar Sarsafai Abhiyan                 Gaurishankar Sarsafai Abhiyan

Safai Nepal Samuha                                  Safai Nepal Samuha

Paribartan Sewa Pvt Ltd                           Paribartan Sewa Pvt Ltd

KTM Metropolis Solid Waste                  Swargadwari Sanitation Pvt Ltd

Nepal Fulbari Pradushan Niyantran  Gautam Sarsaphai A-Z Home Service

Clean the Nature Pvt Ltd                        Samuhik Shram Batabaran Pvt Ltd

Nepal Batabaran Pvt Ltd                          Facility Int’l Cleaners Pvt Ltd

Batabaran sarankshayan Abhiyan             Bageshwori Sanitation Pvt Ltd

Nepal Samaj Sudhar Kendra                Our Cleaning Campaign & Service

NEPSE Mac                                             Nabajyoti Environment Pvt Ltd

Environment Protection Campaign

Sarsafai Abhiyan Pvt Ltd

Hamro Sarsafai Sewa Pvt Ltd

Sayunkta Sewa Pvt Ltd

Swachha Batabaran Abhiyan

Bauddha Sarsafai Kendra

According to the EMD, Rs 50 to 300 is charged from each. Each firm or individual collects waste from 500 to 15,000 households in their respective areas. A firm earns up to Rs 2 million monthly.

Krishna Prasad Mainali, head of Gaurishankar Sarsafai Abhiyan in Kathmandu said at least 200 organisations and individuals were involved in the garbage collection. “We started working in the field after KMC appealed us. We’ve not paid any special taxes except service charges for the KMC,” he said.

Devendra Pokhrel, officer at the EMD, said they provide tripper, tractor and container to collect the garbage to those parties registered with the KMC. “We charge Rs 20 to 1,500 as service charge from each rickshaw, tractor, tipper and truck for transferring to our Teku station,” said Pokhrel. “Rs 1,500 is charged for a truck of garbage for carrying garbage to Aletar landfill site,” he added.

“Other big companies are earning enough money but we are only serving the society,” Mainali said. “If we will be deprived from collecting garbage after the establishment of plant, we will certainly protest against the government.”

Pokhrel said the unregistered groups used to negligibly throw refuse wherever they liked during the strikes. “On the other hand, they were found using KMC vehicles without paying to us. Our staffs were reported to have money without issuing receipts,” he said. “Now, we have warned the drivers of not doing such illegal activities,” he added.

According to the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre, only 13 such groups and organisations including only one from LalitpurSub-Metropolitan City have submitted their letter of involvement in the waste collection after the government asked their names.

Dr Sumitra Amatya, general manager at the SWMRMC under the Ministry of Local Development, said that those NGOs and private organisation were strongly opposing against the government decision to involve private sector to set up refuse-fuelled plant in the valley. “It is the reason behind their protest against the plant,” she added.

Read More

During the Maoist protest in Kathmandu-2

Maoist cadres at a park after throwing papers and plates by having snacks and meals. The garbage heaped on the roads due to the Maoist protests against the government in Kathmandu.  Serene road in front of the Supreme Court and Singh Durbar west gate during the protest [Bottom, left]. There was tight security situation.

Read More

During the Maoist protest in Kathmandu-1

Maoist rally just near by the Singh Durbar, the central secretariat of the government where most of the Ministries including Prime Minister's Office are located, alert security forces, Maoist thrown garbage on the roads, a child with a mother participating in the protest rally at Maitighar of Kathmandu.




























Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist is protesting on the streets in the name of 'civilian supremacy', demanding the government to allow opposition UCPN Maoist to lead new coalition government.

Read More

Is this really civil supremacy of UCPN Maoists?

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 12

Hundreds of cadres of the Young Communist League, affiliated to the UCPN Maoist, strode on the streets with sticks and red ribbons around Singh Durbar, the centre of the government offices today to gherao it as part of the two-day programme. Addressing their cadres, senior Maoist leaders were mimicking about the civil supremacy, human rights and peace.

On the contrary, the YCL cadres were barring the people from walking on the road freely on their way to home and office since 8AM to 4PM. Ironically, Maoist cadres were excreting urine on the outer walls of Singh Durbar and accumulating papers, plastics and other materials on the roads after having food and snacks.  Moreover, all the traffic movements were halted throughout this period in Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, thousands of ordinary people suffered unnecessarily from the Maoist movement for achieving state power. "They are not realizing about people's human rights and difficulty they are facing now. They are only hungry for being Prime Minister and ministers in the government," said the commuters in a furious mood.

Uma Shrestha, owner of a photo studio at Hanumansthan near by south gate of Singh Durbar, said that she had nothing to do with their movement for power. "However, we suffered more than enough. It was so tense and terrifying during the scuffle between police and demonstrators," she added. "We closed the doors and remained inside for about two hours."

Children and elderly people of the area were badly affected with explosion of tear-gas shells. "Children were crying and our eyes also ached badly," Shrestha said. "Sets of furniture of Kalinchowk Furniture Industry and Chagunarayan Restaurant were damaged while demonstrators entered there," she informed.

Shrestha earned nothing today whereas she used to earn Rs 500 to 1,000 per day. "We are again terrified what will happen tomorrow," she worried.

Deepak Baral, a staff of Janaki Medical College in Janakpur and a representative for Kathmandu valley, said that he came from Sinamangal to Agriculture Development Bank at Ramshah Path, a distance of about four kilometres on foot for an important work. "What kind of civil supremacy is this?", he questioned.

People from all walks of life including students, business community, laymen, and government staffers were badly affected from the strike. Only ambulances were running on the roads. "The life of ordinary people became so hard today," he added.

Bidur Dahal, a Maoist worker from Sindhuli, a businessman and a staff of Hotel Yak and Yeti, also complained of the Maoist activities on the roads. "I came to attend the protest. However, as I have to go to Baneshwor for my work, they blocked me to walk on the road and threatened to do anything," he said. "Is it right? This is the extreme atrocity. This way of beating and threatening will not work any more," he expressed surrealistically.

The demonstrators pelted stones on the security forces. There were about five dozens of Maoist leaders and cadres were injured when police used force to control over the demonstrators entering restricted zones.

Read More

Maoist cadre assaults female GM with offensive words

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Lalitpur, November 9

It is more than enough. A Maoist cadre assaults the character of a female government staff on the gender-biased discrimination with mean words.

Arjun Neupane from Chauthe, nearby Sisdole landfill site in Nuwakot, phoned Dr Sumitra Amatya, General Manager at the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre under the Ministry of Local Development on Sunday evening at 9:00 PM. Neupane used offensive mean words based on the gender discrimination and diplomatically threatened her to follow his suggestion.

"He phoned me last night offending and torturing me psychologically," said Amatya. "Now, I have a headache and feeling very uneasy because of his offensive words," she added. "I think I should quit my job if such discrimination continues."

Neupane, who used 'woman doesn't have Adam's apple', scolded and pressured her to fulfill his demands. "It is hard to bear such embarrassment by the night," she said. "It is not the way to talk about their demands. They must visit my office and talk about their problem," she grieved.

The SWMRMC has been providing compensation and carrying out development projects for the people affected by the Sisdole landfill site since 2005.

LALITPUR: Locals around Aletar landfill site in Nuwakot threatened that they would disrupt the garbage disposal from the next week unless 14 persons were given the job within a week. According to the Solid Waste Management and Resource Mobilisation Centre, a group of 36 persons led by Kedar Ojha submitted the ultimatum on Sunday. Another group led by Bhavana Karki also warned to obstruct the garbage disposal after nine days. Karki also demanded the SWMRMC to provide jobs for other 15 persons five days ago.

Dipendra Bahadur Oli, legal officer at the SWMRMC, said that he was also threatened many times. "The angry locals scolded me with abusive words and threatened me to break my legs many times," he added.

Neupane did not accept using insulting words against Amatya, however, realized that it was wrong to phone by night. "I told her on phone to be responsible and address the people's demands assured by the government," he said. "The government did not allocated budget for the roads and development in the local area in time."

Interestingly, the annual fiscal budget is yet to be approved even after the five months from presentation of annual budget and programmes in the parliament due to the Maoist obstruction in the parliamentary meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

Advocate Meera Dhungana said that it was crime and example of insecurity in the country. "There is law against such discrimination but implementation is very poor in the country," she added.

Read More

None of 75 traffic plans well implemented in 20 years

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 6

Some 75 plans on urban transport system have been developed during the last two decades. However, no plan was effectively implemented owing to the lack of coordination among four different implementing government bodies.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and Transport (MoLT), the Ministry of Local Development, and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) have been working on the transport management of the country but to no avail regarding the achievement.

"The achievement is nothing significant and the transport system in the Kathmandu Valley remains haphazard making the city polluted, ugly and unworthy of healthy living," said Dr Pushkar Bajracharya, member of the National Planning Commission. "There were 75 urban transport development plans formulated but not a single policy was fully implemented," he added. "The advocacy on the transport management in the last two decades has been fruitless."

Superintendent of Police Pawan Prasad Kharel of Metropolitan Traffic Police Divison said that the lack of coordination was the major factor of the problem. "The NPC formulated policies but all of the programmes were not sent for the practices due to the lack of budget and other lapses," he said.

The NPC started including the urban development and transport management in the seventh five-year plan (1985-1990). "The gross negligence on the plans since the beginning pushed the urban transport management into an abyss due to the lack of coordination among the implementing agencies but not because of resources," said Purna Kadaria, secretary at the MoPPW. "If this trend persists, the problem will be multiplied day by day," he said.

According to the MoLT, there were only 26,000 vehicles of all sorts registered in Bagmati Zone in 1980. The number of those vehicles counts to 444,700 in 2009.

The law provisions the concentration of PM10, pollution level in the air, upto 120 ug/m3 (24 hours). Now it has reached upto 200 ug/m3 in roadsides, 149 ug/m3 in residential area and 134 ug/m3 in average in the valley, a report of the Asian Development Bank says. The ratio of pollution was 100 ug/m3 in average in the valley in 2003.

About 19,000 children below five year died of respiratory problem caused by emission pollution in Nepal in the past years.

Kamal Raj Pande, joint-secretary at the MoPPW, said, "Forty-two per cent of the pollution is caused by vehicle emission, affecting in the climate change. Therefore, we must adopt the sustainable policies and programmes to control the haphazard."

David Irwin, leader of the Kathmandu Sustainable Transport Project of ADB on Technical Assistance, said that the formulation of visionary policies and law were necessary to tackle the problem. Coordination and implementation of policies are must to solve these problems, he said. "Encouragement for the public vehicles and control over the private cars and motorcycles will be best way to manage the transport of the Kathmandu Valley," he added.

The ADB has started the project of 6.5 months from October 5 to study on a vision for sustainable urban transport, including immediate measures to improve the operations of public transport and upgrading of the bus parks, traffic management plan for the central area of Kathmandu and pedestrian only areas within the old towns of Kathmandu.

Read More

Kathmandu lacks all the standards of metropolis

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 4

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is ineligible to be a metropolis as per the international standards of the metropolitan city. Meanwhile, KMC has even failed to meet the criteria set by the national law.

"KMC is a city of chaos rather than a metropolis," said Er Devendra Dongol, chief at the Physical Urban Development and Construction Department, KMC. "Foreign people from metropolitan cities laugh at hearing on Kathmandu as metropolis," he added.

Dongol said the rules envisioned in the country's law lack the international standards of the concept. "Interestingly, those existing norms are also yet to be applied in developing the city. This is the local metropolitan city, which was chaotically developed earlier and declared later without any standards," he added.

There is about one million population in KMC, spread in area of 50 square kilometres, which is the capital city of Nepal.

KATHMANDU: Long-pending Council Meeting of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to approve the annual budget and programmes is likely to take place within 2-4 days. It was necessary to approve annual budget and programme before mid-July for carrying out development projects in the civic body. "The budget and programmes have been already prepared," said Niranjan Baral, executive chief of KMC. "The final reading will be completed soon and the budget will be approved in 2-4 days," Baral added. Baral has been verbally assuring to approve budget 'within two weeks' since August. -- BPA

According to the Local Self-Governance Act 2055BS, a metropolis should have at least 300,000 population, well-developed roads, access of safe drinking water, health facilities, education and electricity, systematic urban development, managed transportation, good sanitation and environmentally safe place, housing plan, preparation of land-usage map, separate places for industries, residential area, farm land, parks, and enough greeneries.

The Act also provisions to conserve rivers and water resources, forests, culture and heritage sites, preserve the civil rights for daily-consuming food stuffs, manage garbage, develop shelter houses for helpless and homeless people, and provide security to the people maintaining law and order.

"The implementation of 95 per cent of those provisions is a far cry," said financial officer Nava Raj Dhakal at the Revenue Department, KMC. "How can we expect all these infrastructure development here while it is not worthy of even a good municipality?", Dhakal wondered.

As per the international standards, there should be some five million people for a metropolitan city, free education and health services certain number of people based on age and social factors, well-planned roads and settlements, sufficient supply of water and electricity, enough security to people and basic infrastructure development. "Nothing among them has been developed or maintained in the KMC," said Dongol. "No drinking water in pipes and some 12 hours power-cut every day are KMC's irritating facilities while the Bagmati and Bishnumati rivers are turned to sewerages."

 Niranjan Baral, executive chief of KMC and government secretary, said that it was good attempt among the developing countries although there were various lapses and constraints in developing the metropolitan city.

Read More

Billions of govt property being wasted in ministries

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 3

The outer looks and design of the Ministry of Local Development (MoLD), which was crafted in the period of Ranas, look grand and beautiful. On the contrary, the premises are full of unused vehicles, damaged furniture, utensils and stationeries everywhere.

In similar way, rows of unused vehicles, heap of furniture, computers and other utensils are common phenomena in all of the government ministries. More than a billion of rupees is being rotten on the premises of the Ministries of the Government of Nepal, according to high level source at the MoLD.

“However, the concerned authorities are aloof from utilising them properly,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the MoLD. “Such property worth at least Rs one billion has been wasted grossly in all the ministries due to the negligence,” he added.

There are more than two dozens of ministries and many dozens of departments under those ministries. None of the ministries is seriously handling the government properties, said Thapaliya. “The properties should be inspected in each six months and prepared the details every year by categorising with maintainable and no maintainable property. However, it is yet to be practiced.”

According to the law and bylaws, those properties such as vehicles, computers, furniture and utensils should be auctioned annually by meeting rules. “Law has been implemented nowhere well in our country,” Thapaliya worried. “It’s the responsibility of secretaries and department heads to maintain the system. But we could not have done yet because of the various obstacles,” he conceded.

Thapaliya also admitted that the MoLD has failed to utilise its materials worth at least Rs two million. “The pipes and other materials worth millions of rupees have been dumped in the District Development Committees, foreign aided projects while many seized vehicles have been garaged at the custom offices in the border areas,” he said. More than a dozen vehicles including Land Cruiser and Toyota brands are dumped at the MoLD premises.

Lekhnath Paudel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said the process of auction was very lengthy and problematic issue. “There is also lack of responsibility and priority to utilise the property,” he said, adding that bulk of vehicles and materials are wasted in the ministry and its departments.

A senior official at the Ministry of Home Affairs, where hundreds of vehicles including confiscated ones are being damaged, said that they have started auctioning such vehicles. “We don’t have actual records of all the vehicles and objects accumulated in the ministry and its departments,” he said anonymously.

Read More

A glimpse of Kathmandu Valley

 

 

A few views taken from the top of the Ministry of Local Development, Pulchowk in Laitpur, which is nearly at the centre of the Kathmandu Valley. These scenes are mostly of north face.

Read More

Foreign aids blamed for making the country dependent

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, November 2

Dependency of Nepal on foreign aids for development activities is blamed for barring the country from utilising its own resources. Despite innumerable international projects of the local development in the nation, the achievement is criticised as not satisfactory.

“It is good for the country that international donors have been assisting us in various development programmes and teaching us how to work in the local level,” said Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Development. “However, we will be disappointed if we analyse the achievement of the international aids,” he added.

Thapaliya said  the culture of foreign aids  has made the country be dependent on others instead of learning from them and tapping own resources available in the country for the development. “We have developed a bad culture of dependency on them. On the other hand, innumerable foreign projects are implemented in all the 75 districts of the country but the number of beneficiaries is very few,” he added.

According to the MoLD, the foreign aided projects are supporting in 26 programmes out of 43 programmes on infrastructure, roads, drinking water, electricity and social development in the local level. Rs 35.69 billion has been allocated for the MoLD in the current fiscal year. Among them, Nepal Government bears Rs 23.90 billion, foreign grants account to Rs 9.99 billion while foreign loan credits to Rs 1.7 billion.

This is the annual ratio of foreign aids allocated for the local development, said Indu Ghimire, joint-spokesperson for the MoLD. “However, we don’t have any special records of development progress from the foreign aids,” Ghimire said. “Neither, the National Planning Commission nor the Ministry of Finance has maintained the amount of total foreign aids given to Nepal and development statistics,” she added.

UN Supported Projects [Local Governance Community Development Program (LGCDP) (basket funding by UNDP, Norway and other donors) – 75 districts, Rural Urban Partnership Program (RUPP) – 30 municipalities, Community Owned Primary Education (COPE) – 6 Districts and 10 –municipalities, Public Private Partnership for Urban Environment (PPPUE) – 10 municipalities, Decentralized Action for Children and Women (DACAW) – 15 districts, Population and Reproductive Health Integrated Project (PARHI) - 6 districts]

IFAD funded Projects [Western Uplands Poverty Alleviation Project (WUPAP) – 8 districts]

WFP/ GTZ/DFID supported Projects [Rural Community Infrastructure Works Program (RCIW) – 25 districts, Municipalities Periodic Planning, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion (Udle/GTZ) – 21 municipalities]

World Bank Funded Project [ Rural Access Improvement and Decentralize Program (RAIDP) – 20 districts]

Asian Development Bank funded projects [Decentralized Rural Infrastructure and Livelihood Project (DRILP) – 20 districts, Governance Reform Program (GRP) – at the center level]

SWISS Development Cooperation Supported Projects [Trail Bridge Sub Sector Program (TBSSP) – 60 districts, District Road Support Program (DRSP) – 6 districts, LILY, LISP (Helvetas)]

Finland Supported Projects [Rural Village Water Resource Management Project (RVWRMP) -9 districts, Strengthening Environmental Administration and Management at Local Level –Nepal (SEAM-N) – 2 districts and 3 municipalities]

Thapaliya also said that the coverage of a foreign programme limits to construction of 30-40Km of trail and track roads in 3-5 years of period in 4-5 village development committees. “Every year, the same road is repeatedly made, which is the misuse of loans,” he said. “About 15 per cent of their assistance is spent on paying their technicians. They never insist on hiring Nepali technicians.”

Requesting anonymity, a representative from the prominent donor agency among all admitted the ineffectiveness of foreign grants, increasing dependency on others, misuse of development budget. “We are working amidst many problems and want to work on the government leadership. We have taken it seriously and preparing to develop a stronger mechanism to check corruption,” he added.

Read More

This is how the art of life represents

Osho Samadhi at Tapoban where remains of holy and celestial body of Osho Rajneesh have been earthed.

Images at the Tapoban park > up and below

 

Read More