Kathmandu: Nepal’s National Planning Commission (NPC) is facing questions over its relevance after it was found that the progress of the major national projects were very slow.
During the 43rd meeting of the national development problems solution committee, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and his cabinet ministers questioned the NPC’s role and relevance after hearing the miserable progress of the development projects in the country.
“What’s the meaning of NPC which has failed to suggest plan, make amendments, point out weakness, and show methods of solution?” Prime Minister Oli said in the meeting. He added that it was not good to have NPC’s suggestion as if these are the mantras chanted by traditional shaman. He further said that the NPC needed huge reforms.
The NPC has been contributing to the country’s policy making and budgeting for six decades.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population, Upendra Yadav, commented that according to NPC there was 50 per cent progress in the last 30 years in the projects of national importance and in more than a decade the construction of Postal Highway made only 25 per cent success. “At such situation, what’s the relevance of NPC?” he said.
Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Matrika Prasad Yadav said the slogan, ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’ cannot not be feasible from the present ‘wrong’ working style regarding project selection.
The NPC team, led by its vice-chairman Dr Pushpa Raj Kandel, is preparing to formulate the 15th National Plan and reviewing the 14th Five-Year Plan.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that he was surprised by the report that claimed there was no problem in the government ministries that are directly concerned with the public in the context of complaint from people over lack of good governance, corruption and bureaucratic red tape.
Education and Technology Minister Giriraj Mani Pokharel stressed on the need of clear work plan to mobilise resources and human resources. Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradip Gyawali said there is the need of constructive intervention and a project bank to remove the problems resulting from lack of inter-ministry coordination in taking forward the infrastructure development projects.
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management, Raghuveer Mahaseth warned that his ministry would start carrying out works in its own way if it did not get the response from NPC on time regarding its requests on problems on project implementation.
The meeting highlighted selection of development projects on the basis of their appropriateness and not due to influence of some leaders.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]