Reconstruction likely to be deferred

KATHMANDU: The first priority of the new CEO of NAR Sushil Gyawali should be institution building.

The NAR will not only work in 14 districts hit by the quakes but in 17 other districts affected by the disaster. For this, Gyawali will need a big and capable team of experts and technicians, who understand the grassroots well. His team should also take decisions quickly and roll out projects rapidly.

However, till date the government has only appointed one official Madhu Sudan Adhikari, director general of the Department of Survey as the secretary of the authority.

Also, Gyawali does not have much exposure to the country’s bureaucratic system, as he was previously working as the head, Town Development Fund, a relatively small institution.

The NAR, on the other hand, is a powerful as well as big institution, which will have to work in coordination with officials of various ministries to frame plans and strategies.

The NAR will also have to deal with donor agencies, non-governmental organisations and people at the local level.

So, if he is unable to execute his tasks well, the much-delayed reconstruction and rehabilitation works will be further deferred. This will aggravate sufferings of quake-affected people and have severe repercussions on the economy, as the country’s growth hinges on higher public spending.

Yet many are willing to give him the benefit of doubt, as no one can rule out the possibility of him rising to the occasion and delivering.