Rekha Shrestha

Kathmandu, March 17:

At a time when road network and destroyed infrastructure are yet to be reconstructed in many district headquarters, the government is unlikely to be able to spend the Rs 120 million budget allocated for Integrated Security and Development Programme (ISDP) for the current fiscal year. “Only about Rs 60 million has been released till date,” National Planning Commission spokesperson, joint-secretary Keshav Bhattarai, said. The budget for ISDP was frozen in the last fiscal year too. While DDCs demand very few development programmes under ISDP, security forces too are focussed more on security matters than on expediting development works.

The DDCs have been implementing development programmes under other headings, including Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme. “The government releases budget for programmes under ISDP as per the demand of DDCs,” Bhattarai said. “Since they are implementing programmes under regular budget too, the local bodies might not have felt the need to demand programmes under ISDP.” Initially, ISDP was implemented in seven Maoist-hit districts — Gorkha, Rukum, Rolpa, Pyuthan, Salyan, Kalikot and Jajarkot — with a vision to providing security and implementing development works at a time. The programme became successful only in Gorkha, where the Army built road network. Security forces are still continuing construction and maintenance of four roads in Gorkha and other reconstruction works in Dang, Jajarkot and Dailekh.

Currently, ISDP has been implemented in seven more districts — Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk, Kavre, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur — though the government had last year planned to implement it in 20 districts with a new name — Integrated Peace and Development

Programme. Meanwhile, the government is yet to decide on whether to expand ISDP and reconstruction programmes in other districts in the coming fiscal year. “It depends upon the demand from the local authorities, “ said the NPC official. The Integrated Security and Development Programme is being implemented fully under government allocated budget even though international donors like USAID had shown interest to support the programme earlier.

The government has been carrying reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by the Maoists in Terhathum, Gulmi, Achham, Dolpa and Dailekh under Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programme, for which Rs 600 million was allocated for the current fiscal year.