Constituent Assembly member and CPN- UML youth leader Rabindra Adhikari has been active as a Chairperson of Parliamentary Development Committee. He is also a key member of cross-party dialogue team formed to break the constitutional deadlock. What in his view are our main development hurdles? And where is their effort at consensus constitution headed? Mahabir Paudyal and Thira L Bhusal caught up with him at Singha Durbar Monday afternoon.
To start with, will you update us on the progress of Development Committee?
We launched a series of discussions with development-related ministries, Prime Minister and National Planning Commission and identified our development problems. Certain ministries work on infrastructure development, social development and economic development projects. We cannot identify development bottlenecks without understanding the nature of development projects implemented by these ministries. We studied around 300 development projects including 27 national pride projects. We have activated seven national pride projects including Bhairahawa Airport, Pokhara Airport, Bheri Diversion, Melamchi Project, Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track and Mid-hill highway. We also studied 500 small projects implemented by local bodies.
What did you find?
We found that problem starts at project selection stage. We do not do proper homework. We do not carry out proper feasibility study and cost-benefit analysis. This is why we spend considerable time in laying the groundwork. There are some projects which were introduced a decade ago but where there has been little progress. Nijgadh Airport and Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast-track for instance. These projects of vital national importance have not taken off. Take East-West railway. We called it a national pride project, announced a bid and awarded the contract. But the Department of Forestry has come in the way. This shows lack of coordination between line ministries. There are a number of hurdles.
One, our contractors are not efficient. Even foreign contractors seem to have learned to delay work. The contractor of Ring-Road expansion project was supposed to complete the work in two years. Now it says the project cannot be completed due to scarcity of sand and aggregates. Two, our government is too weak to punish contractors who fail to complete projects on time. Three, our ministries and National Planning Commission lack competent human resources. We have to bring engineers from abroad. Then land acquisition is another major problem. Projects do not take off due to land disputes with locals. Four, our government cannot solve problems on time. It takes very long to settle even minor issues. Five, there is a tendency among development actors to take decisions only after ensuring they personally gain from the projects. Every actor seeks profit. There are organizations and commission agents which function like parallel governments at local level. Our development projects are victims of these problems.
What has the Development Committee done to sort out those issues?
We have introduced a system in which small scale projects can be launched and implemented by local bodies themselves. Land Acquisition Act and Public Procurement Act are in the works. Delay in authorization has been minimized. We have also worked to expedite national pride projects. There is a new provision whereby Environment Impact Assessment cannot take more than six months. These initiatives are paying off. Project approval and authorization processes have become faster.
You are missing a big point. Political obstruction at the local level is the biggest challenge to these development projects.
True. But this has more to do with political instability. We are in transition. It must end and politics should be for development and employment generation. Let me tell you there are several parallel governments in place. There is a government at the center but several parallel governments at national and local levels.
Why do you say that?
Associations of contractors, transport entrepreneurs and government employees, there are syndicates, cartels and groups of local goons. As our government is weak, these parallel governments have become stronger. Unless the government and legislature are strong this nexus of parallel governments cannot be busted.
Nothing stops Congress-UML coalition from doing so. It enjoys two-thirds majority in the Parliament.
You need to look beyond two-third majority to understand this issue. It has more to do with our political culture. These parallel governments are not operating without any support from the parties in the government. In fact, the parties in the government run parallel governments of different kinds. They are the ones who back and protect parallel mechanisms. There is lack of culture of development, democracy, governance and discipline in these parties. Unless we institute good governance in our political parties, things are not going to change. The bad culture in parties is taking away honest and committed people from party institutions. Either they give up, or become part of bad culture or escape the whole system. Nothing can be more unfortunate for the country.
This is what youth leaders have been saying for years. There has been no change.
There are four categories of people in every institution, including in political parties. One group accepts the status quo and moves on. Another group is really worried about the mess in political and public institutions but since they cannot do anything to change the system they compromise with their ideals. The third group surrenders or escapes. But there are a few who struggle against all odds. I have been doing the same. There are people of fourth category in all sectors. They are a few. But they need to be identified, encouraged and supported. Otherwise, this country has no hope. Forget other things, even if the government does what it has promised in its plans and policies and annual budget, it will solve most problems. It will reignite hope. The tragedy is that the government does not care to keep its promises to the people.
Melamchi Project has been a talking point in Kathmandu since the early 1990s. Will it ever materialize?
There are doubts. When the contract with Chinese company was terminated, it shattered hopes of Kathmandu residents. The fear is that even the second contractor might run away without completing the project because there is a tendency among contractors to hightail it after getting mobilization money. The second contractor of Melamchi project is also dilly-dallying. But we have warned them. There is reason for hope this time. The new contractor is slow but it is working. I assure you that Melamchi will finally materialize. People of Kathmandu may not get to use Melamchi water by April 2016, as planned. But I believe they will get it within 2017. But again the government needs to exert pressure on contractor to complete the project on time.
Do you suggest the government is soft on contractors?
Not really. But the situation is, big contractors have access to high office including the Office of the President, Office of the Prime Minister, ministries, everywhere. Ministers and other officials may say one thing for public consumption. They may speak against contractors as well. Something entirely different happens during informal meetings. Contractors influence them. Thus state must be committed to Melamchi and other big national pride projects. There should be no politics with projects related to health, wellbeing and survival of people.
Let’s change track. How is the initiative of youth leaders for consensus building going?
Our efforts to break the deadlock are going in positive direction. I am convinced we will be able to break the deadlock in the next few days. If we were in the decision making positions, there would have been a breakthrough already. But old generation leaders like to take it easy.
You sound optimistic. What have you done?
I cannot share the details with the media now. But we second generation leaders from major parties have had a series of joint meetings, perhaps a dozen or so, in the recent days. We jointly persuaded leaders to hate wars. We reached out to all leaders and persuaded them to resume talks.
But parties have not softened their stands.
It may seem so from the outside. The ego clashes between top leaders contribute to this perception. But we have come to an agreement that both process and content should be settled simultaneously. We have persuaded senior leaders that once consensus is built on content, process becomes secondary. We hope to see the results of these initiatives before February 28. There will be a breakthrough soon.
All second generation leaders from NC, UML, and Maoist and Madheshi parties agree that opposition parties should not leave the Constituent Assembly. We are flexible. We are genuinely committed to constitution making. The problem is with big leaders. But if top leaders stick to their guns, there is a danger that all gains of People’s Movement will be lost. Attempts to reverse the achievements of People’s Movement have started. If Prachandaji does not mend his ways, it will embolden forces bent on unraveling all the process following 12-point agreement. Prachanda himself might be used in this design.
Finally, what proposals do you have to bring the agitating parties on board?
We have some options. One, settle government form, electoral system and judicial system through voting and send these issues to Drafting Committee. Then we send state restructuring issue back to Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee with maximum time limit of three months for consensus. This committee keeps working on state restructuring while the process also continues. The other option is to resolve all issues at once. We have proposed consensus among two-thirds majority as sufficient consensus. Another option is to form a new Commission for state restructuring while continuing with statute drafting on other issues. I believe parties will come around to one of these options.