Dhangadi, May 21

People’s representatives in various local bodies of Sudurpashchim Province have voiced their concerns at what they call an ‘unfair’ distribution of development projects.

According to sources, more development projects have been proposed for constituencies and places, which are better off, due to link to leaders who have more leverage.

A case in point, Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta’s personal aide Shivasingh Oli is said to have managed to ensure more development projects for the local body he hails from, Doti’s Jorayal Rural Municipality.

While the federal government has proposed development projects worth Rs 20 million for Jorayal, development projects of above Rs 70 million have been proposed for the rural municipality by the provincial government, apparently at Oli’s behest.

Another local body in Doti, KI Singh Rural Municipality, has received comparatively less development projects worth around Rs 50 million. CM Bhatta and PA member Purna Kumari Joshi are from the rural municipality.

“What concerns me is that the CM’s aide has been wasting money on projects that he randomly picked without following due procedure and priority,” said Jorayal RM chairperson Durgadatta Ojha. “While the local body has to go through a long procedure to select development projects, it’s unfair that some heavyweights from the province can randomly select projects without following the minimum criteria,” he added, further suspecting a commission game behind the projects implemented by the provincial government.

Doti’s remote Sayal Rural Municipality Chairperson Tej Dumrel also expressed his concerns about the unfair distribution of development projects. “Sayal is one of the most backward regions in the district but has received a very low development budget,” he said.

CM’s aide Oli and PA member Joshi, however, claimed selection and implementation of development projects were done on the basis of necessity and demand of the people.