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In a recent incident of flooding at Samakhushi, Kathmandu, a 13-year-old child got swept away. This happened because of unplanned urbanization in Kathmandu. Rampant encroachment upon the city’s river banks has increased flood risks.

Old and narrow sewer systems are also to blame as they cannot cater to a burgeoning population resulting from urbanization. Stormwater gushing into these systems accentuates flooding. With rivers constrained because of urbanization, where will the discharge go?

The other problem is climate change. The amount of rainfall that we should be expecting in a year occurs in a space of four months nowadays. Since the city doesn’t have enough natural drainage for the rainwater, rains ultimately end up flooding the streets, and rivers that are already narrow. To avoid incidents like the recent one, the first thing to do would be to let rivers take their natural course. Internationally, many cities have started doing that.

The author is associate professor of urban planning at Pulchowk Campus and general secretary of Regional and Urban Planners’ Society of Nepal

The ruling Nepali Congress has decided to hold its Mahasamiti meeting in November to undertake responsibilities assigned to it by the party’s policy convention as decided in the 14th general convention.

The Mahasamiti is the party’s apex body, which dwells on contemporary political issues. The party has also decided to hold a nationwide campaign between Aug 5 and Aug 14 and in the community from Aug 27 to Sept 10 for strengthening the party’s organizational base.

The week-long meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC), which took place after a gap of one year, also made its position on a host of national agendas, but failed to address key intra-party issues such as holding a policy convention, forming the party’s department and addressing concerns related to the party’s sister organizations.  Regarding the current corruption scandals, the party has said that good governance is its top priority.

“The Nepali Congress has and will always be committed to making the country free from corruption by punishing anyone who commits corruption according to the law,” the party has said.

The party has also commended the government for the steps taken to investigate and prosecute fake Bhutanese refugee scam and Lalita Niwas land grab case. Several high level politicians, including senior NC leader Bal Krishna Khand, and business persons have been implicated in both scandals. 

The NC has said that its policy on corruption is that no innocent should be punished or guilty be spared. During the CWC meeting, however, many CWC members of the party had defended Khand and protested the call raised by the general secretary duo, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, to suspend him. 

Through its CWC meeting, the Congress party has also recommended that the government ensure good governance, control corruption and uphold transparency and accountability, as desired by the people. The party has also called on the government to improve services provided through government offices.  Although there have been some improvements in the procedures for obtaining essential documents such as passports, national identity cards, driver’s licenses, etc., the NC has demanded “immediate and meaningful” improvements from the government to create a situation that can be felt by the consumers.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the Ukraine-Russia war made negative impacts on the production and distribution systems worldwide, affecting our society as well, according to NC, consequently, industrialists, traders, businessmen, farmers, and laborers are worried about running their businesses and maintaining their daily lives.
The coalition government formed in this situation is working to address these problems, and there have been some signs of improvement in the economy recently, the NC has said.

“To make these reforms comprehensive and sustainable, to strengthen the economy, and to make the banking system accessible to the general public, the Nepali Congress draws the government's attention to make important decisions on this sensitive issue,” the party stated.

While the government is taking meaningful initiatives to control price increases and shortages, it is the state’s duty to ensure smooth supplies of essential commodities to the people and provide relief to the people. So, the Congress has requested the government to conduct a proper study of low-income families, daily wage earners, street vendors who have been displaced and are currently employed, and make necessary decisions for their livelihood.

The CWC meeting also requested the government to conduct a serious and in-depth investigation into the smuggling of 100 kg gold through the Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office and bring the culprits to book.

The party has also drawn the government’s attention toward shortage of fertilizers and seeds that farmers have been facing during the cultivation season. Due to low rainfall, paddy transplantation has not taken place on one-thirds of the land, which has had a negative impact not only on the daily life and annual income of farmers but also on the national domestic product, the party has said, calling on the government to provide fertilizer and seeds to the affected farmers at concessional prices.

The NC has also raised the issue of lumpy skin disease, which has killed and affected thousands of cattle across the country. The infection has become particularly hard on cattle farmers due to the ongoing economic recession, the party has said, urging the government to provide compensation to the affected farmers and distribute vaccines at the earliest.

The Congress party has also expressed concern that the paddy output could drop this year due to low rainfall. This could have a negative impact on the daily life and annual income of farmers, as well as the overall GDP of the country, the party has said. The NC has asked the government to take proper strategic precautions and manage possible food shortage.

The party has urged the government to declare areas where paddy transplantation is not possible due to delayed or insufficient rains as 'dry areas' and provide necessary relief and compensation to the farmers. Additionally, the NC has also called on the government to provide compensation to victims of floods, landslides, and other catastrophes in different parts of the country.

Similarly, the NC has urged the government to support the people who have been affected due to the wrong intentions of some microfinance banks and cooperatives. The party has asked the government to deliver justice to the depositors and take necessary decisions to support borrowers who have not been able to repay their loans taken on group guarantees.

The NC has also concluded that the enactment of the Citizenship Act, initiated by the party, has brought smiles to the faces of people. The party has requested the government to prepare Citizenship Regulations at the earliest and facilitate the process of citizenship distribution.

Stating that transitional justice laws are crucial to bringing lasting peace in the country, the NC has asked the government to pass transitional justice bills from both Houses of parliament by forging consensus among all parties.

The NC has also drawn the attention of the government to the need to bring crucial laws like the Federal Civil Service Act, Federal Police Act, Federal Education Act, among others, which are crucial for the smooth implementation of federalism.

Stating that groundwater levels in the Tarai Madhes region are depleting due to the impacts of climate change and environmental impacts on the Chure region, the NC has asked the government to find out the reasons behind this and provide a solution to the problem.

Among the 753 local governments, 33—11 municipalities and 22 rural municipalities—have failed to bring their budget for the fiscal year 2023/24 on time. According to Section 71 of the Local Government Operation Act, 2017, local governments are required to present their budget by Asar 10 (June 24/25) and have them passed by the end of Asar (July 15/16). 

On a positive note, Sudurpaschim province, which has 88 local units, has achieved a 100 percent record this year as all units passed their budget on time. In the fiscal years 2022/23 and 2020/21, Gandaki province had also set a perfect record. 

Meanwhile, Madhes province continues to have a poor track record. As the second largest province in terms of local units, Madhes has 136 governments, and 24 of them failed to pass their budgets on time this year. The number of local units missing the budget deadline in Madhes was 34 in 2020/21, 32 in 2021/22, and 28 in 2022/23.

Geeta Devi Mahato, the Vice-chairperson of Chandranagar Rural Municipality in Sarlahi district, Madhes, has accused Chairperson Raj Kumar Mahato of taking unilateral decisions without consulting others, resulting in the budget presentation delay. 

Raj Kumar, on the other hand, points finger at Geeta Devi and her team for the delay, claiming they refused to attend numerous meetings convened to address the issue concerning budget allocation. “They have been boycotting the executive committee and village council meetings without providing any valid reasons,” he says.

Disagreement between municipal heads and their deputies is the main reason behind the delay in budget presentation.  

ApEx reached out to many representatives from the local units that had failed to bring their budget on time, and they all had the same excuse, where mayors or chairpersons blamed their deputies and vice versa.

Four local units in Gandaki province, two in Lumbini and one each in Koshi, Bagmati and Karnali provinces also failed to meet the budget presentation deadline.

Ram Chandra Joshi, mayor of Kushma Municipality, Parbat district of Gandaki province, says that the budget process was obstructed because several ward chairpersons wanted more budget allocations for their areas. “There is no other reason to obstruct the budget presentation process other than to exert political pressure on me.”

Joshi says he lacks a majority in the executive committee and council, but the Local Government Operation Act, 2017 has not imagined a majority or minority provisions for local executives and councils. “Despite being aware of the law, the obstruction from executive committee members prevented us from presenting the budget on time,” adds Joshi.

The Municipal Association of Nepal (MuAN) says that the general public should not suffer due to the power struggles among local representatives. “A law should be passed so that those local units that fail to bring the budget on time are prohibited from spending even a single rupee from the state coffers,” suggests an official from the association.

Currently, the only repercussion faced by municipalities for delayed budget submissions is receiving reduced subsidies from the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission. 

“The commission allocates subsidies to local units based on their performance, with timely budget presentation and approval carrying weightage of five points each in the total score of 100 points,” says Gyanendra Paudel, the spokesperson for the commission. “In other words, higher scores lead to increased subsidies.”

Federalism expert and lawmaker Khim Lal Devkota, suggests redirecting the reduced subsidy of local units that fail to meet the budget deadline to neighboring municipalities.

“This measure could foster healthy competition among local representatives and encourage better performance,” he says. “Locals will also pressurize their representatives to perform their responsibilities if they see their neighboring areas doing well.”

Devkota highlights that this approach has been successfully implemented before Nepal adopted federalism, when District Development Committees (DDC) was in charge of budget allocation. Under the system, the government would reduce the subsidy of poorly performing DDCs and allocate it to more efficient and hardworking ones. The strategy significantly enhanced the work of most of the development committees.

“It is the only way I see to hold the elected local representatives accountable,” says Devkota.

Approximately 33 percent or one-thirds of the total federal budget, equivalent to around Rs 600bn, is allocated to the local level for this fiscal year. Untimely budget allocation negatively impacts local employment, income, and ultimately hampers the overall economic growth of the country.

Economist Chandra Mani Adhikari is opposed to the idea of reducing subsidies for non-performing local units, and suggests introducing other forms of punishment. “Why should the public bear the brunt of the representatives’ corrupt actions?” he says. “People should file a petition at the Supreme Court, as these actions are an assault on our system and a violation of the Local Government Operation Act, 2017.” 

Adhikari also warns that consistent failure of the local government to do their job well could fuel people’s resentment toward federalism.

Officials at the federal affairs department of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration say local governments are not under the ministry’s jurisdiction, that they are an elected entity chosen by the people. They say the ministry just facilitates the local units, and it is the job of the people to hold their municipal governments accountable.

Laxmi Devi Pandey, chairperson of the National Association of Rural Municipalities in Nepal (NARMIN) and the chair of Hupsekot Rural Municipality, claims that the association has repeatedly reminded local units and their representatives to do the job for which they have been sent by the people. “There is no need to obstruct the executive committee and council meetings because the failure to present the budget will harm the local economy and community.” 

Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, joint secretary and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, is hopeful that the local governments will get their act together in the coming years.

“The number of local units failing to submit their budget on time has decreased over the years, and this improvement is a result of adopting a ‘learning by doing’ approach,” he says. 

Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, there has been a decreasing trend in the number of local units failing to submit their budget on time. The figures for non-compliance were 46, 53, 42, and 33, respectively.

Bhattarai says the ministry has been guiding and training local representatives to execute their roles effectively by adhering to a fixed set of protocol.

What does a quintal of gold making it through an international airport indicate? 

A security breach of titanic proportions. 

On July 19, the illegal gold concealed inside brake shoes ‘imported’ from Hong Kong in the name of Ready Traders passed through the Tribhuvan International Airport customs as security arrangements failed.  

But a team from the Revenue Investigation Department managed to intercept and seize the consignment from Sinamangal, a stone’s throw from the TIA. 

An ongoing investigation into this audacious breach has thus far brought 16 suspects under its dragnet. Public perception is that those arrested are but some small fries and that the big fish are beyond the reach of the long arm of the law.

The citizenry has reasons to be skeptical vis-à-vis the illegal gold probe, given that investigations into previous cases of gold smuggling, the Bhutanese refugee scam and the Lalita Niwas land-grab have failed to make progress beyond a point.

Frustrated with endemic corruption, political instability and the lack of rule of law as well as good governance, the citizenry has already started speculating reasons behind this inertia at a time when a deeper feeling that the high and the mighty can get away with anything is taking root in the country.

Like previous mind-boggling TIA breaches, the quintal-heavy breach has given rise to more questions than answers.

How did the cargo evade air-tight security at Hong Kong? What exactly went wrong with the screening system at the TIA that day, and how? How many times has the system gone ‘haywire’ in recent days? What amount of such illegal cargo has already made it through?   

Is the notorious ‘setting’—a prevalent collusion between the elements of bureaucracy, politics and powerful business interests—also behind this breach?

Was a falling out within the setting behind the confiscation of the cargo?

What was the end destination of the illegal cargo?

The nature of the entire operation indicates that it’s a transnational crime as the flight carrying the cargo had originated in Hong Kong. Apparently, a country that barely requires 40 kg of gold daily does not need a quintal of gold.

While the public can only speculate, the government has the wherewithal to get to the root of the case and book the guilty by working closely with transnational and international law enforcement agencies, if need be.

What directions this and other cases take will depend on one thing: The political will on the part of the government.

If the government is really serious about restoring faith in the current political system, it should be able to unravel the quintal-heavy case and other high-profile cases, come hell or high water, given that the cost of its failure will be too high for the country and the people.