Dipayal, June 23

Though the programme was conceived entirely for the development of electoral constituencies, it’s the cadres of the concerned political parties who are mainly benefiting from the Electoral Constituency Development Programme in Doti district.

While in most cases, consumer committees devise development plans and nominate the henchmen of the concerned political party as its members, development plans too have failed to to bring the expected progress.

Though the programme precludes development plans costing below 700,000 rupees, the provision is not followed as there are many projects that cost way below the amount. Rastriya Janamorcha Doti chairperson Benimadhav Joshi expressed dissatisfaction with what is happening.

“In fact, whatever is happening is not good. Though the programme is meant for development of the electoral constituency, the same and its fund seems to be obliging party cadres much more,” he said.

“Though it looks as if everything is going as per the procedure, what is happening is, in the name of development, they (those allocating the fund) are just distributing money to their cadres, that’s all,” he commented.

On his part, District Development Committee Doti Programme Officer Tek Bahadur Khadka denied his involvement in any of this.

“We don’t know anything about this, as distribution of the fund happens under the coordination of the directly elected legislator from the concerned electoral constituency,” he said, adding, “There is, however, no denying there is much political interference in the entire process from the formulation of the plan till its implementation.”