The idea of setting up industrial villages at the local levels should be carried out only after a well-thought-out plan of action

The concept of establishing industrial villages at the local levels is not a bad idea in itself as long as it helps to lift the farmers – major suppliers of raw materials – out of poverty and increase their income. Majority of the people in the rural areas still depend on agriculture and forest resources for their livelihood. But their contribution to the national economy is less than 30 per cent. This trend has continued unchanged for decades despite the government’s repeated emphasis on modernising the country’s agriculture sector with financial and technical inputs. Why has the agriculture sector not grown at the desired level? A simple answer to this question is, it has not been linked with industries that produce finished products to be sold in the domestic and international markets. Every time a new minister takes charge of the Ministry of Industry, s/he comes up with a grandiose plan of linking agriculture with industries. But it is never translated into action, largely because of lack of a national level policy that could help drive the agricultural sector towards modernisation. Modernisation of agriculture and forest-based resources is next to impossible without connecting them with an industrial base.

Newly-appointed Industry Minister Lekhraj Bhatta on Tuesday announced that his ministry would set up industrial villages in 32 local levels across the country. The ministry will release Rs 9.2 million within 15 days to construct the necessary infrastructure. His announcement has come at a time when the much-hyped Bhairahawa-based Special Economic Zone has largely remained dysfunctional for want of international markets for the goods that would be produced there. Other industrial estates to be set up in each of the seven provinces have also not kick-started. As per the plan, the aim of setting up the industrial villages is to increase investment in small and medium-sized enterprises by mobilising local resources, raw materials, technology and skills.

This concept will not yield any desired results as long as the farmers do not get a fair price for their produce. Agro- and forestry-based industries have huge potential in the country. These industries not only help create jobs at the local levels but also help increase the income of the locals, who depend on agriculture. The government should promote agro- and forest-based industries by coming up with a national policy. Turmeric, ginger, cardamom, coffee, herbal products, dairy farm, sugarcane, low-volume, high value crops and timber industry are some of the major sectors where Nepal could have a competitive edge over other goods. But not even the domestic investors, let alone foreign ones, have come forward to setting up big agro-based industries. South Korea became an industrialised nation within decades because it stressed on small and village-based industries relying on agriculture. But working on an ad hoc basis, which we have been seeing for decades, will not produce any expected results. The idea of setting up the industrial villages should be carried out only after a well-thought out plan of action. The government first needs to analyse the available data to ascertain why small-scale industries in the country have failed to sustain.

Community schools

It’s no surprise that community schools are losing students to private schools where English is the medium of instruction, as is the case with such schools in Tanahun district. Private schools are making inroads even in small towns across the country, and parents are willing to spend some money if their wards will get a better education. The community schools would not have had such a poor image if the headmaster and the teachers were made accountable for what they teach. Instead, most teachers are party cadres, and are there to pocket the not-so-bad salary and perks doled out by the government.

Parents, however, might be unaware that a private school advertising as English-medium doesn’t necessarily mean it will provide a good education. If it’s hard to come across good teachers even in the capital, one can well imagine the situation in the small towns. In some districts in recent times, students have been leaving private schools and opting for community schools as the latter have improved greatly. Using English as the language of instruction and introducing technical education, among others, will add charm to the community schools that are affordable to all.