Karnali: Rs 610 million disbursed at the end of the fiscal year, risk of being squandered

   

Questions have been raised after the Karnali Chief Minister's Office disbursed Rs. 610 million to the local level within three weeks.

Local opposition leaders and even economists close to the ruling party have expressed concern that the money would be put to good use.

The budget was released in the second week of July for employment, Dalit women's income generation and Karnali Ujyalo program.

The state government has said that the budget will be spent in the next fiscal year without any misuse of funds.

Risk

The Karnali Chief Minister's Office has sent Rs 300 million for the Chief Minister's Employment Program, Rs 210 million for the Karnali Ujyalo Program and Rs 100 million for the Chief Minister's Dalit Women's Income Program.

    

Leader of Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Jeevan Bahadur Shahi says that it is inappropriate to spend money on such programs in such a short period of time.

He says, “Money has been sent to feed its cadres rather than for development and employment. It's the opposite of financial discipline. "

Economist Keshav Acharya comments that the money spent in the name of development will be distributed to the cadres politically.

He said, “That's all there is to it. It seems that they have been sent to share the documents rather than developing them. ”

Stating that the state government has continued the bad tradition, he said, "Up to 3 MW hydropower project could have been constructed for the people of Karnali from Rs. 61 crore."

What does the local level say ?

Karna Bahadur Rawal, chairman of Kharpunath village municipality of Humla, who received Rs.

A member of the Nepali Congress, he said, “It is not possible to make new plans within 15 days. If the purpose was not to distribute the money to the cadres, the money had to be sent on time. ”

The Kharpunath village municipality has informed the Chief Minister's Office that the money raised from the people's tax cannot be spent on Hachuwa.

The ruling CPN (Maoist) has led in 55 out of 79 local levels in Karnali.

According to the Raskot Municipality of Kalikot, the work of Rs 5.5 million for the Chief Minister's Employment and Chief Minister's Dalit Women's Income Program is nearing completion within two to three days.

Mayor Kashi Chandra Baral, who is affiliated to the ruling party, said, “We had planned to start work as soon as the budget is confirmed. After receiving the budget, some plans have been made and some are being made. ”

The municipality has informed that the amount has been spent on some projects which were completed last month through the employment program but the budget was insufficient and two road upgrades were started earlier this month.

   

It has been said that drinking water, irrigation, embankment, road and building can be constructed at the local level through the Chief Minister's Employment Program which has to spend 70 percent on wages.

However, some local level chiefs have complained that the Chief Minister's Office has sent the plan along with the money by removing the plan sent by them.

As it is not possible to do all the work till mid-July, some Karnali residents are worried that they will be paid by showing the work on paper.

The state government is defending itself

According to officials, the Chief Minister has sent Rs 100 million for the purchase of equipment and construction of infrastructure for the Dalit Women's Income Program and Rs 210 million for maintenance and additional electrification of the Karnali Ujyalo Program.

However, Vimala KC, spokesperson of the state government and Minister for Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives, said that the amount would be in the local level account and if the work was not completed within 15 days, the work could be started even after mid-July.

"The budget could not be sent on time due to the lockdown," she said. But now that the work has started, it will be completed. ”

He requested that the money be misused and said that the work would be monitored by setting up a mechanism to ensure quality work.