Rautahat, April 4

With a view to promote local participation in selection and approval of development plans and projects, the state has been implementing Constituency Infrastructure Special Programme and Constituency Development Programme at every Constituency through lawmakers.

However, plans under these programmes are endorsed without public knowledge and the trend is flourishing by the day in Rautahat.

As per the existing law, local people’s participation in the selection and endorsement of plans and projects under Constituency Infrastructure Special Programme and Constituency Development Programme is mandatory.

However, lawmakers are found to be allocating and approving plans inside hotels and closed rooms of the District Development Committee.

Such plans are formulated keeping in view the convenience and benefit of the party cadres and leaders.

Senior CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, who won the last polls from Rautahat Constituency No 1, had designed a plan worth Rs 15 million under Constituency Infrastructure Special Programme at Chandranigahapur-based Alpine Hotel.

His way of designing the plan at the hotel with the LDO has irked locals from his constituency. Krishna Chandra Jha, a local from Matsari VDC, expressed doubt over the effectiveness of plans hatched inside a hotel room.

“We are saddened that Madhav Kumar Nepal won the election with people’s votes, but he did not bother to consult us while framing developmental plans,” Jha bemoaned.

Similarly, lawmakers Mohammad Mustak Aalam, Prabhu Sah, Satya Naryan Bhagat, Sunil Yadav and Ram Kumar Bhattarai elected from Constituency No 2,3,4,5, and 6, respectively allocated and approved the plans inside the closed room of the DDC without holding deliberations with people of their constituencies.

Ramlal Das from Gangapipara bemoaned that distribution and approval of the plans from closed rooms would benefit party cadres, not the public.

NC lawmaker Sunil Yadav of Constituency No 5, however, responded that lawmakers were forced to allocate and approve the plans from the DDC due to lack of conducive environment in the village.

LDO Bandana Jha said she could do nothing as the lawmakers had decided to select and endorse the plans and projects from the DDC itself.

“We had to reach Chandranigahapur after UML leader Madhav Nepal called us there for the allocation and approval of plans,” Jha added.