LALITPUR: Despite laws that say policies and programmes should be implemented from ‘bottom

to top’, almost all procedures in ministries are just the opposite — ‘top to bottom.’ And this trend has led to people in local levels being denied involvement in the formulation of policies and plans.

Reports prepared by the Ministry of Local Development after recently monitoring programmes in 10 districts show that the plans and policies are directly forced down from the ministries and political parties for implementation, which is against the Local Self-Governance Act-2055BS. The Act has provisioned plans and programmes that must originate from the local level.

Dr Dinesh Chandra Devkota, acting Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission, said the devolution could not be enforced as the “actors” of development activities in the districts were not very interested and responsible.

Dr Devkota said the districts failed to update them while making periodical plans and programmes. “Neither the centre is interested in devolving power nor the local level is using its rights. Joint efforts from the local level will play a crucial role in materialising the concept,” he said.

Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, the MoLD spokesperson and leader of the monitoring team in the Western Development Region, said the laws were not enforced as per their spirit. “The reason behind this is lack of reporting and a penalising system in the local bodies,” he said.

The MoLD monitored development activities and use of allocated funds in the 10 districts — Morang, Ilam, Bara, Kaski, Rupandehi, Banke Surkhet, Dadeldhura, Kanchanpur and Rautahat. The Ministry is monitoring another 10 districts — Saptari, Panchthar, Parsa, Kathmandu, Tanahu, Kapilvastu, Dang, Dailekh, Kailali and Darchula — as part of the second phase. MoLD officials said the concept of ‘bottom-up’ policy was severely affected by recommendations and orders from ministers, political leaders and even parliamentarians.

“Local bodies also don’t want to offend the centre by suggesting and choosing plans and programmes from the local level,” said Thapaliya.

“Local bodies and the political mechanism in the grassroots level should be more responsible towards the people rather than the government.”

Dhruba Bandhu Aryal, under-secretary at the Local Development Section at the NPC, also said interference by political parties and the government is a major factor that has led to the situation.

“We are working to make the devolution process more effective by empowering local bodies,” Devkota said.