Surkhet, November 5

As the provincial government struggles to make significant achievements, questions are being raised over the capability of the chief minister and his cabinet members in Karnali Province.

The province has then Maoist-centre leader Mahendra Bahadur Shahi as the chief minister, who is comparatively light on experience.

On one occasion, while he on the one hand vowed to drive away all the NGOs and INGOs from the province accusing them of propagating the image of poor Karnali, on the other hand he called out those INGOs to invest in the province, saying the province desperately needed investment for development and prosperity.

Similarly, it is also worth remembering how the CM gave fake details of the preliminary contract with China regarding the investment for Kohalpur-Hilsa road. It is, however, important to note that the road doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the province. There were also times when he claimed that major investors were ready to invest in the province.

“When he took office, we had a lot of expectations and thought that the man packed with youthful energy would do wonders, but as time passes by he has proved no different from other leaders who are good for nothing. In fact, people have started raising questions over his capability lately,” he said.

“After seeing the scenario so far, I don’t think prosperity of the province is not possible under the current chief minister’s leadership,” he added.

Questions have also been raised over the capability of Finance Minister Prakash Jwala, who is second in rank in the council of ministers of the province.

Province Assembly members, even from the ruling party, have started doubting his capability.

Among others, random budget allocation and failure to implement the budget months after its endorsement are a few issues to name which have raised doubts.

“We thought he was the right man, also given his earlier capacity as the president of the Finance Committee, but if we are to see his performance towards budget implementation, there is enough room for doubt over his capability,” said an NCP (NCP) leader Gulabjung Shah.

The province’s Physical Planning Minister Khadak Bahadur Khatri has also come under criticism for allocating most of the fund for his own constituency and neglecting other areas.

Opposition party Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Jivan Bahadur Shahi described the provincial ministers as ‘educated looking people hollow from inside’. “They look educated and intelligent but can’t do anything,” he said.