Karnali Province Faces Delays in Project Implementation

Surkhet. Although there has been a long-standing discussion about ending the 'Asare development' tendency in Karnali and implementing projects on time, no improvement has been seen. The Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development, which has the largest number of projects in Karnali, has not been able to implement even 20 percent of the projects even after the passage of three and a half months of the current fiscal year. In the current fiscal year (2083/084), this ministry has a total of 1,352 projects, including 286 for embankment and dam construction, and 565 for irrigation structure construction. There are 464 projects for drinking water structure construction and 37 projects for electricity structure construction. This ministry has offices in all ten districts. According to the details provided by these offices, only 88 projects in 9 districts, excluding Salyan, have moved forward in the implementation process. In Surkhet, there is continuity in ongoing contract projects, while projects like the purchase of drinking water pipes are in the contract agreement phase. In Dailekh, only 18 projects have been contracted for implementation, and in Rukum Paschim, 10 projects. In Jajarkot, 5 river control, 6 irrigation, and the remaining 5 drinking water and energy projects have been contracted. In Kalikot, 4 projects are in the implementation phase, and in Humla, the largest number of 24 projects are in the implementation phase. Similarly, in Dolpa, a total of 16 projects have been contracted, including 4 for river control, 8 for irrigation, and 4 for drinking water. In the remaining districts of Surkhet, Jumla, and Mugu, no projects have been initiated yet. Ramesh Subedi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development and Senior Divisional Engineer, says that survey work is currently underway in those districts. The fact that most projects have not entered the implementation phase even after the first quarter indicates that the pace of development is slow on one hand, and it will have a multifaceted impact on capital budget implementation on the other. Furthermore, it is clear that the 'Asare development' is still prevalent in the government. Ministry spokesperson Subedi also admits that the project agreement and tender process has been delayed this time. According to him, the main reason for the delay in project implementation this year is the change in office chiefs. 'This year, the office chiefs of Surkhet and Humla resigned under our ministry. Office chiefs have been changed in Rukum Paschim, Salyan, Jajarkot, Dolpa, Kalikot, and Jumla districts,' he said, 'There has been a delay due to new office chiefs reporting and studying.' Additionally, after the office chief of Humla resigned and the office chief of Jumla was transferred to Surkhet, office chiefs have not yet been appointed in these two districts. Water-induced disasters in the country and the province have also had a direct and indirect impact. On the other hand, for projects under the federal conditional grant, the provincial budget used to be allocated and the amount received before the project construction. 'This year, projects under irrigation and river control have not yet been allocated and received,' he added. 'Side Effect' of Government Change The 'side effect' of government change is visible in the project implementation phase. 'Government changes and the formation of a new cabinet, restructuring of the Planning Commission, and other activities do affect the pace of project implementation,' said spokesperson Subedi. Previously, the government led by Yamlal Kandel presented the budget, but as it was entering the implementation phase, Mangal Bahadur Shahi became the Chief Minister. He, who became Chief Minister on Saun 12, gave full shape to the government only after the second week of Bhadra. The fact that the ministry remained without a minister for a long time has also had an impact on the implementation phase of development projects. Currently, Kal Bahadur Hamal of UML is leading the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy Development. Staff Shortage Staff shortage is also one of the reasons for the lack of timely progress. Out of a total of 222 sanctioned posts in this ministry and its subordinate bodies, only 159 posts have been filled. Specifically, there is a shortage of 56 technical staff. The delay in projects entering the implementation phase on time has had an impact on capital expenditure. In the current fiscal year, this ministry has been allocated a budget of 4 Arba 81 Crore 95 Lakh, of which 4 Arba 52 Crore 16 Lakh is for development, i.e., capital expenditure. By the end of the first quarter, only 9 Crore 49 Lakh of the development budget has been implemented.