How Nepal’s political parties and bureaucrats turn big development projects into the geese that lay the golden eggs

Kathmandu, in the 1980s, was a growing city. As its population started to increase, a lot of problems arose. One of them was the lack of clean drinking water. To curb the problem, a project was envisioned in the 1980s. The project aimed at bringing water from the Melamchi in Sindhupalchok to Kathmandu. The project […]

सम्बन्धित सामग्री

'National consensus must for development projects'

Nepali Congress central committee member Shekhar Koirala has called for forging national consensus among all political parties in the country to endorse the Millennium Challenge Corporation pact as per which Nepal gets the development grant from the government of the USA.

Five parties active in Bhaktapur present 11-point memorandum to government

BHAKTAPUR, June 2: Five political parties in Bhaktapur today submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli through the Chief District Officer, warning the government is going ‘astray’ when the country is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. The Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (UML), Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha active in the district have presented a charter of 11-point demands before the government, accusing it of taking a wrong course when time demands an unity of among all political parties in a fighting against the pandemic.  The memorandum calls  the government for  taking  effective measures to combat the pandemic, ensuring immediate vaccination against COVID-19, making provisions for free treatment of COVID-19 patients, guaranteeing required medical supplies to hospitals, providing immediate relief assistance to those citizens bearing the brunt of anti-COVID-19 prohibitory measures and giving cent percent allowance to front liners ( health workers and other employees) during the pandemic so as to keep their morale high.  Similarly, the five political parties want the government to come up with alternative arrangements in view of the disrupted academic session due to the implementation of measures against the pandemic, to facilitate farmers for transporting produces to the market easily, to assure of smooth supplies of fertilizer and agri-seeds during the current farming season and to extend the deadline for clearing installment for small and medium entrepreneurs.  Likewise, it has been demanded to make arrangements for refinancing by waving off interest and fine of lockdown period, make necessary arrangements for the completion of development projects and to create atmosphere conducive for smooth supplies by controlling artificial price rise.  The memorandum has been signed by Nepali Congress vice president Hari Prasad Nepal, CPN (Maoist Center)’s chair DP Dhakal, CPN(UML)’s chair Rajan KC , Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal’s Shyam Silpakar and Rastriya Janamorcha’ Shivahari Nepal. Receiving the memo, CDO Prem Prasad Bhattarai promised to forward the memorandum to the government.