Kathmandu, March 2:

The National Planning Commission (NPC) vice-chairman Dr Jagdish Pokharel today stressed the continued importance of planned economic development. He said this at a function held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NPC.

“Planning is all about how the government of the day intervenes in the development process. We have been following indicative planning down the years,” Dr Pokharel said, adding that in the days ahead, the government will have to ensure that planning is done along ‘different lines’.

Member of NPC Pushpa Raj Rajkarnikar was of the view that while planning as such will continue in future what will have to change is the way it is drawn up and implemented.

“Economic planning will live into future. But the need now is to look into it through a changed perspective. Rather than considering it to be a top-down approach to development, the need now is to consider it as a bottom up approach,” Rajkarnikar said.

He was also of the view that planning now is something which is beyond the purview of the NPC. “Rather than considering it as a job solely of the NPC, what we have to consider is the job of planning belongs to people. They are sovereign and can be expected to come up with all their demands which must find a place in planning,” he said.

Other member of NPC, Chaitnaya Subba was critical of the planning process so far which has not delivered expected results. This has reflected upon the growing number of conflicts, he added.

“The progress so far has been mixed. Which is to say that planning has not helped fight economic disparity, inequality and regional imbalance,” Subba said. He added that the element of inclusiveness should be ensured in years ahead.

Other member, Indira Shrestha was of the view that challenges are daunting and include rising dependency on foreign economic assistance, which cannot be expected to render development sustainable.