STOP POLITICAL TUSSLE
The Kathmandu Post
29 December 2017
STOP POLITICAL
TUSSLE
The country has almost entered
into a federal structure based on the new constitution following the completion
of three levels of elections. Elected representatives at the local level have
now taken up their respective seats and started carrying out their
responsibilities despite financial and human resource crunches. The formation
of local level governments comprising the leaders of different political
parties has been significant in terms of uplifting true democratic process.
However, the services rendered by them in most of the places have not been
effective in meeting the high expectation of the common people for different
reasons.
The ongoing political tussle
between the Mayor Bidhya Sunder Shakya who had won the seat on a UML ticket and
Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi, a Nepali Congress (NC) leader of Kathmandu
Metropolitan City (KMC) about the reconstruction of Rani Pokhari has been a
worst example of misuse of political power and political egoism (“KMC mayor at odds with his deputy”
December 27, Page 2). This situation has created an ugly and unfavourable
political environment in the capital. The conflict between them publicly
surfaced on Tuesday as the reconstruction site, which was first padlocked in the presence of Deputy
Mayor Khadgi, was reopened a couple of hours later on the order of Mayor
Shakya.
Does the reconstruction of this
national heritage site need to be politicized? Does not the Rani Pokhari need
to be reconstructed in a manner that retains its archaeological value? Shouldn’t
not the government and concerned authorities step in and lawfully settle this
issue? It is argued that as per the Ancient Monument Preservation Act (AMPA),
any historic building and heritage sites that are over a hundred years old have
to be preserved in their original form. Having said that, why do Mayor Shakya and
KMC continue to ignore the AMPA and use concrete a 10-foot boundary wall in the
south-eastern side of the historic pond? What is the political or personal
interest behind this national heritage reconstruction issue? Who can stop Mayor
Shakya and KMC for violating the AMPA?
Rai
Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2017-12-29/stop-political-tussle.html
