Popular programmes face snag in Karnali

By Rajani Yogi,Surkhet, Apr. 27: Several popular programmes initiated by the Karnali government are encountering obstacles, largely attributed to shifts in governmental leadership. 

There’s a trend of disowning initiatives introduced by the previous administration, ultimately leading to the downfall of these once-popular programmes.

The change in government leadership, particularly after the budget announcement, has led to the overshadowing of key initiatives, resulting in their suspension. 

Numerous programmes announced by the previous government are currently at a standstill.

One such programme affected is the ‘Mukhya Mantri Mahila Aayaarjan’ programme. The programme has remained suspended for the past three years.

The programme was initiated to achieve credit and income generation activities through the increase of institutional capital in the economically and socially backward women’s cooperatives of the province.

The programme aimed to facilitate women’s self-employment by enhancing access to income-generating activities.

In the fiscal year 2021/22, the provincial government introduced the programme as a special initiative.

The working procedure 2021 was prepared to facilitate the programme’s implementation. 

A budget of Rs.473.8 million was allocated for the programme’s implementation during the fiscal year 2021/22.

The working procedure was formulated by the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, while the implementation of the programme falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives.

In the first year of the programme’s implementation, 97 women's cooperatives from across the province participated in the agricultural cooperative initiative.

Despite substantial budget allocations in the first fiscal year, the programme’s implementation has faltered, with only a fraction of the allocated funds utilised.

During that period, a budget of Rs.170 million was allocated to the districts for the 97 selected cooperatives.

Information Officer of the Ministry, Ram Bhakta Adhikari, informed that the programme was executed through the District Agricultural Development Office.

In the first year, out of the 97 women’s cooperatives selected, only 92 adhered to the set procedure. The official stated that only Rs.168.2 million of the budget was utilised that year. 

Furthermore, the programme was executed solely within that fiscal year. 

Only 35.51 per cent of the allocated budget was utilised. Despite having adequate funding in the first year, the budget remained largely unutilised.

According to the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives, the government has not allocated any budget for the programme in recent years.

Similarly, other well-received programmes, including the ‘Bank Khata Chhori Ko, Surakshya Jeevan Bhar Ko’ (bank account for daughter, security for lifetime) initiative and ‘Karnali Ujyalo’ have also been suspended, leaving beneficiaries in limbo. 

The programme was initiated to facilitate the opening of bank accounts for daughters born after July 17, 2019.

Despite being included in the policy, programme and budget for each fiscal year, the programme implemented in the first three fiscal years has not been executed. Likewise, another popular programme that has been put on hold is ‘Karnali Ujyalo’. This initiative has been halted following the change in government. Although this programme is included in every budget, there has been no advancement in its implementation.

To provide electricity access to the province within three years, the then Chief Minister, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi initiated collaboration with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, with plans for implementation of the programme starting from January 2020.

Moreover, another well-known programme of the Karnali government has also come to a standstill. The ‘Chief Minister Dalit Income Generation Programme’, which has struggled with effective implementation since its inception, has been stalled in recent years.

Similarly, the ‘One School, One Healthcare Worker’ and ‘Golden Plough’ initiatives taken by the provincial government in 2020/21 have faced similar fates, adding to the list of suspended programmes. 

Even the promising ‘Golden Plough’ programme, designed to recognise excellent farmers, has been hindered by logistical issues, impeding its rollout across all districts. The procedure specifies that the best farmer will be selected based on the performance of farmers chosen from each district.

The Information Officer of the ministry, Ram Bhakta Adhikari said the programme could not be implemented because the farmers couldn’t be selected from all districts during the fiscal year 2021/22.

The disruptions in these programmes highlight the need for greater continuity and commitment from successive governments to ensure the effective delivery of essential services and welfare initiatives to the people of Karnali.