Foreign junkets

The Himalayan Times

26 October 2017

Foreign junkets

It was not surprising but unfortunate to read the news concerning foreign junkets of bureaucrats and ministers at a time when the country is gearing towards holding two crucial elections in another three weeks time. Millions of rupees are spent from state coffers every year on their foreign visits. However, it does not seem so far that the nation has benefitted out of these trips. Their priority seems to be visiting foreign countries rather focusing on issues concerning general public “Bureaucrats’, ministers’ foreign junkets top Cabinet agenda” (THT, Oct. 25, Page 1).

Surprisingly, during the last three cabinet meeting in the last fortnight, 25 out of 78 agenda were about bureaucrats’ and ministers’ foreign visits; 10 out of the 26 agenda that the cabinet discussed on last Monday were related to foreign visits. Defence Secretary Shreedhar Sapkota flew to Japan to inspect wheel loader track dozer that Nepal wanted to buy for the Kathmandu-Madhes expressway even before the Cabinet approved his visit on Monday “Flying abroad before Cabinet approval” (THT, Oct 25, Page 1). Couldn’t the government assign his juniors for such a procurement job? This shows that how serious is the government in dealing with the national issues and concerns affecting the lives of the common people.

Another funny news to read was that Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Bir Bahadur Balarar has gone to Hongkong to participate in the 27^th conference of the International Railway Safety Council that began last Sunday. Was it necessary for the minister to participate in such irrelevant conference? Does PM Deuba not have control over the ministers and bureaucrats? Or does he want to please them thinking that they would cooperate with him whenever their favour is asked for? Otherwise, why does not he control such unproductive foreign visits? Time has come for the government to be serious about laying down the necessary criteria about the foreign visits of the government officials and ministers.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj

http://epaper.thehimalayantimes.com/textview_4621_3843_4_1_8_26-10-2017_71_0.html