Nepal needs long term planning: Nepal

Kathmandu, Mar. 25: Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Saturday said that country needed long term planning for sustainable development, and any obstacles that come in the way of development should be discouraged.

"There is conspiracy in not approving large-scale projects while some forces are always trying not to let large scale projects and investment come to Nepal," he said while addressing a workshop on 'Development and Prosperity' organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the CPN-UML at Kathmandu School of Law, Bhaktapur.

He leads the Department of Foreign Affairs of the party.

According to Nepal, in order to take the country on the path of development, major laws and policies should be amended to create conducive environment for large-scale projects. "Failing to do so means the development will be like a chimera."

"Development planning should be far-sighted. I saw a single-lane bridge on the way while I was travelling to Jajarkot a couple of days ago. Such myopic development plan should be corrected," he said.

Sharing his experience as the Prime Minister, Nepal criticized the bureaucracy for being sluggish.

"Bureaucracy is not development-oriented, and sometimes the court had also halted the development works. When our government had planned to expand the road from Maitighar to Bhaktapur about two decades ago, the Everest Hotel filed a case at the court and the latter issued a stay order. The trend is ever growing," he said.

Former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey presented a paper on the Development model for Nepal.

President of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Suraj Vaidya, economist Dr. Bijaya Poudel, sociologists Hari Sharma and Dr. Suresh Dhakal, and lawyer Yuba Raj Sangraula commented on the work-paper.

Former minister Keshav Badal, former member of the National Planning Commission Dr. Bhim Neupane, lawmaker Lalbabu Yadav, former parliamentarians Dr. Dilli Raj Khanal, Hari Bairagi Dahal, governance expert Dr. Khim Lal Devkota and other experts also expressed their views on the topic.

Similarly, in the second session of the programme, former vice-chairman of the NPC and governor of Nepal Rastra Bank Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada presented a paper on 'Nepal's economic development: challenges and opportunities'.

The session was chaired by vice-chairman of UML Bhim Rawal.

Technology expert Mahabir Pun, agriculture expert Dr. Durga Dutta Dhakal, tourism expert Prachanda Man Shrestha, water resources expert Surya Nath Upadhyaya and banker Chandra Dhakal commented on the paper.