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