Sunday, January 22, 2012

NPC paints bleak picture of development projects

Chairing the National Development Problems Solution Committee Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai showed his concern over delay in implementation of the priority one projects.
The meeting of National Planning Commission (NPC) today reviewed the development projects and concluded that development projects were not implemented according to their goal. The government has, in the current fiscal year, earmarked Rs 3,440 billion through various ministries for 228 projects unde3r priority one.
“It was sheer irresponsibility of the planning commission to be unaware of some 42 projects under priority one, the premier said, directing the concerned ministries to find its reason and report within a week.
He was also disappointing that only 14 per cent of the budget was released for capital expense in four months. Questioning why the budget was not spent, he directed the ministers to study the projects recording below 50 per cent progress and take a carrot and stick policy.
“The trend of imposing projects from the centre should be ended," he said, warning not to repeat the same mistakes again.
However, most of the ministers speaking at the meeting blamed delay in budget release, frequent transfer of employees, lack of qualified and technical human resource, lack of inter-ministerial coordination, absence of secretaries in some 500 VDCs, problems of awarding compensation to land while constructing and widening road and lack of doctors and health workers as obstacles to acceleration of the development projects.
NPC vice chair Deependra Bahadur Kshhetri had presented the progress reports in the meeting.

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