Address people’s plight
The Himalayan Times
16 May 2019
Address
people’s plight
Nepal has now three levels of
governments following the three tiers of elections held in accordance with the
constitution. All these governments have now been in operations for the last
one and half years. However, lack of clarity about their roles and
responsibilities among the provincial and local governments or unwillingness to
devolve power to them by the federal government, these local level governments
have not been able to fully function and seem unable to provide the desired level
of services to the locals. This situation has created frustration and anger in
the people towards federalism.
Many development works, even the
national pride and priority projects, are in limbo due to irresponsible behaviour
of the political leaders, corrupt bureaucrats and thug contractors. We have not
heard of any contractor who has failed to complete the development projects
within the assigned time being fined, fired or jailed. The main reasons behind
these pathetic dramas seem to be the institutionalized corruption that is
rampant in every section of the government mechanism. The volume of irregularities
in the government financial transactions, as mentioned by the Auditor General
in its annual report, has continued to increase every year by billions of rupees.
Who is going to realize it and act accordingly?
The sufferings of the people
residing on either side of the roads in and outside the Kathmandu valley seem
to be totally ignored by the government and its concerned authorities. Likewise,
the pedestrians along these roads continue to be health-wise badly affected. It
seems now that the frustration level of these people has crossed the limit going
by the recent street protests in Boudha and elsewhere in the Kathmandu Valley
“Locals protest road construction delay” (THT, May 14, Page 1). If the
government and its concerned authorities take these acts lightly and try to
suppress them using the security forces, more people might come out on the
streets to express their solidarity. Time has come for the government to act
sensibly and responsibly.
Rai
Biren Bangdel
Maharajgunj
