DHANGADHI: Sudurpaschim province government has not been able to form the provincial planning commission despite the passing of considerable time post government formation.

Constitution of the country provisions that province government must form provincial planning commission in order to create long-term and five-year plans. However, the province planning commission has not been set up in the province so far.

In lack of this initiative, the province government has started receiving criticisms.

Lawmaker Bharat Bahadur Khadka, who represents the main opposition Nepali Congress at the provincial assembly of Sudurpaschim Province, said that the government has not paid heed to their requests to form constitutional bodies such as the provincial planning commission and public service commission.

Likewise, people have started getting worried as to whether development activities would lag behind in lack of a planning commission.

The province planning commission would be responsible for laying down short-term, long-term, five-year, as well as 20-year plans of the province.

Chief Minister and Chief Secretary of the provincial council of ministers, Narayan Prasad Bidari, said that establishment of province planning commission was a political decision. "We are not lagging behind in forming the planning commission. Other provinces have also just started working towards it."

CM Bidari further stated that a time frame could not be determined for its establishment as it was a political matter, however, he assured that government would form the commission soon.