Scrap pork barrel fund
The Himalayan Times
17 May 2018
Scrap pork
barrel fund
In the past, governments led by
big parties did not leave anything to please lawmakers -from duty free vehicles
to foreign junkets to flat under the Constituency Development Programme (CDP)
and Constituency Infrastructure Special Programme (CISP). Duty free vehicles
were sold to business people at much higher price. Millions of rupees were
spent for foreign trips in the name of observations trips. Major portion of the
CDP funds were haphazardly spent for their cadres and it was never properly
accounted for. Had these funds been properly spent for the development projects,
they would have received public support.
Now, the country has entered the
federal structure. Federal Minster Yubaraj Khatiwada is doing homework for the
preparation of next year’s national budget. In the meantime, lawmakers have
started exerting pressure on him to continue with the CDP and CISP under which each lawmaker gets Rs 5
million and Rs 30 million respectively. If funds are provided under these
programmes, the federal government will have to cough up additional amount Rs.
6.6 billion from the state coffers. This will enormously widen the budget
deficit. It could be even more disastrous if similar demands made by the
Provincial Assembly members and the municipal representatives.
However, it seems that the PM,
finance minister and other ministers are not willing to continue with the
programmes keeping in mind the funding constraints “Pork barrel fund for
lawmakers’ pet projects likely to come to an end” (THT, May 14, Page 1). No
matter what the government will decide, these programmes should be scrapped.
Rai
Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
