Dolakha, September 12

Gauri Shankar Rural Municipality, Dolakha has stalled the USAID-funded Suaahara Nutrition Project from carrying out its activities in Ward No 4 of the rural municipality for its covert operation.

Suaahara has long been working in the district in the field of nutrition and health.

“They were asked to submit all the details related to policy, programmes and estimated budget before carrying on with their work, but they ignored our calls and tried to influence us unduly through different channels. Hence we had to stall the project,” said Ward Chairperson Prahlad Karki, accusing the project of promoting irregularities. He further informed that the district coordination committee had been informed about the ward’s decision.

“We took a decision to this effect from a ward-level meeting. A letter citing the decision has also been registered with the DCC,” Karki informed, vowing not to entertain any non-government organisation, as long as they don’t maintain transparency while executing their programmes.

NGO Federation of Nepal Dolakha chair Dharmendra Moktan clarified that NGOs must be transparent and should address the right to information of the common public.

“In fact, any NGO that cannot make public details of its policies, programmes and budget can’t be a member of the federation,” he said.

Moktan further pledged to probe further and take action against the NGO. “Action will be taken as conduct of one NGO is going to bring shame to the entire fraternity,” he said.

Suahara Project district coordinator Arjun Aryal, however, disavowed any knowledge of the decision taken by the ward. “We have a local partner organisation and it hasn’t informed us about the ward’s decision,” Aryal said.