Significant achievement towards prosperity

Five months of Oli-led government 

Kathmandu, Aug. 13: The government said on Monday that it had made significant achievements towards economic prosperity with visible progress in good governance, infrastructure development, reform in the financial administration, energy development and social sectors, such as education, health and post-quake reconstruction in the last five months.

Making public a 72-page report, the government highlighted its achievements and presented its future roadmap for the next five years.

The two-thirds majority government, led KP Sharma Oli, chairman of the  Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), said that initiations were taken for the transformation of infrastructure with progress in the Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bardibas Railway Project,  Melamchi Water Supply Project, energy projects, roads, Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) and irrigation projects.

Railway line testing at Janakpur-Jayanagar was successfully concluded. More than 80 per cent track bed has been constructed on the the 30-kilometre section of the 108-km Simara-Bardibas Railway project, read the report. In the first phase, construction of the 52-km- long Jayanagar-Janakpur-Bijalpura railway line will be completed.

The government has listed the black-topping of the Narayangarh-Mugling Road, progress made in the  Kalanki-Koteshwor Ring Road Expansion Project, completion of 70 bridges at different locations, progress at Galchhi-Trishuli-Syaphrubenshi Road and designing of eight international-level conference halls across the country as its major achievements in the infrastructure sector.

 Similarly, construction of an ICP on the Nepal-India border at Birgunj; finding the spots for petroleum storage at Battar of Nuwakot district, Aanbu Khaireni of Tanahun district and Kavrepalanchowk and Lalitpur district; 6-km tunnel constructed at the Bheri-Babai Diversion Project; and commencement of embankment construction on the Karnali River have also been mentioned as the achievements of the government.

“Preparations have been expedited to celebrate Visit Nepal Year 2020, Tribhuvan International Airport’s operation time has been expanded to 21 hours from the existing 18 hours, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Second International Airport at Nijgadh has been approved, and there has been 52 per cent progress in the Gautam Buddha International Airport at Bhairahawa, and a wide-body aircraft has been added to the fleet of Nepal Airlines Corporation,” said the government.

According to the report, the government has made significant reforms in the economic administration in the last five months, with the establishment of six Inland Revenue Offices and nine Taxpayers Service Office, banking service expansion to the local levels, digital payment system in the capital market, central billing system in government payment, implementation of the box office system in the cinema halls and making arrangement to pay the workers through the banks and financial institutions.

The government has announced targets for 12 sectors, which it would achieve in the next five years.

The targets include doubling the per capita income, which is US$ 1,004 currently, generating 5,000 megawatts of electricity, creating enough employment opportunities in the country so as to stop youth’s migration, doubling agricultural productivity, black topping the roads linking the headquarters of every local body, and building a 15-bed hospital in each local unit.

Similarly, completion of the Bhairahawa Airport within a year, compulsory and free fundamental education to all children, completion of the Kathmandu-Terai Fast Track, Dharahara and Ranipokhari, and opening a bank account for all citizens are also the targets of the present government.

Likewise, the government said that it had opened route permits across the country at the same time while ending the syndicate in the transport sector.

“The registration process of the transportation sector has been started at the Department of Transportation Department and the offices under the Department,” the report stated.

Similarly, the government stated that it became successful in dismantling the organised crime in the country, with the successful crackdown on the networks of gold smuggling.

“The concerned authorities have filed cases against 75 people accused in the gold smuggling scam. Of them, 45 have been nabbed, and 31 are still absconding,” the government added.

The government further said that it has taken effective steps to compel the construction companies to complete the construction works in time as well as succeeded in curbing the unnecessary foreign visits of government officials.

It also said that it formulated the Social Security Allowances payment Strategy, 2074 BS to regulate the distribution of the social security allowances through the electronic system.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 14 August 2018.