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After the first local elections in Nepal in 2074 BS, the common people got to experience their own government at home. But even in the post-political transformation, citizens still hold fears of the past – fears of how their problems will be solved, such as complexity of access to services, duplication of work, inaction and negligence.
The local level has played an effective role in controlling the corona epidemic, outbreaks of diseases, and making the people feel like the guardians, while some local levels even initiated exemplary work during their tenure. However, citizens want to experience real change along with structural change. However, the priority of some local governments during the first five-year tenure – such as the construction of view towers at a cost of tens of millions of rupees –has gone against the interest of the local people.
In some tourist and strategically important places, the construction of a view tower can be considered justified. However, without detailed comparative study and analysis of investments in the productive sectors, such as meeting the basic needs of the people, making the view tower the focal point of their government's investment defeats the very functions of the local level.
Although it is argued that the construction of a view tower is aimed at achieving prosperity of the municipality as well as the development of tourism, investment in relatively unproductive view towers cannot be considered meaningful.
Nepal's constitution has clearly oriented the country towards socialism. Instead of trying to raise the standard of living of the citizens by setting up sustainable cottage industries or creating family enterprises in collaboration with the neighbouring municipalities, why are the local levels reluctant to invest in areas that promote the economy of the country and prosperity of its citizens?
Looking at the government services, most of the major health centres in the municipalities do not even have an X-ray machine. Aren't such facts a clear indication of where we are and where our investments should go?
Therefore, it is necessary for the new people's representatives to move forward keeping in mind that the economy of their region can be speeded up by putting emphasis on meeting the basic needs. The need of the hour for the local government is to prioritise productive and employment-generating sectors.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
