Local bodies confuse in lack of laws

Kathmandu, Feb. 15: Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD) Dinesh Thapaliya said on Thursday that the local governments were confused about budget formulation and resource identification and mobilisation. 

“Many of the local units are yet to realise their autonomous status and continuously look to the central government for support for every small activity and decision,” he said at the Development Journalist Felicitation programme, organised by the Forum of Development Journalists. 

According to him, the capacity of the local bodies, in terms of legal, resource mobilisation, human resource management and work procedures needed to be strengthened, but the required policy and procedural provisions were yet to be formulated. 

Although the Local Government Operation Act has been formulated, the local bodies couldn’t use it as the bylaws have not been developed for the implementation of this legal instrument.

Thapaliya said that the local bodies were not to blame for the poor performance but the central government. 

“We at the central government are responsible for the confusion at the local level. Had the central government formulated the necessary policies and enhanced the capacity of the local bodies in time, the local governments could have performed better,” he said. 

He said that the local bodies were capable of handling the government and performing the necessary development works as they had better understanding of the local needs and people’s preferences. 

Senior Journalist Bharat Dutta Koirala said that communication was necessary for development.

“Without communication, there will be no mobilisation, and without the latter there will be no development,” he said.

Journalist Mohan Mainali was felicitated on the occasion.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 16 February 2018.