The newly-unveiled budget for fiscal year 2015/16 has allocated Rs 160 million this fiscal year for executing BADP in select VDCs and municipalities in Parsa, Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha and Saptari districts. The project covers a total 109 VDCs and six municipalities bordering India, according to officials at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (MoFALD).MoFALD spokesperson Purna Chandra Bhattarai said the idea of BADP was conceived as regular development interventions by the government failed to address the development needs of these areas. "The areas selected for BADP have a low Human Development Index. The necessity of BADP was felt as our regular endeavors failed to bring them at par with other region in terms of development," Bhattarai told Republica.
Spokesperson Bhattarai said the selected VDCs and municipalities not only have low literacy but also lack access to markets and economic activities for generating income. "We found that these places lack even basic things such as schools, drinking water and irrigation facilities. The project will try to address these needs by providing the respective VDCs and municipalities with top-up block grants," Bhattarai further said.
The government move comes amid complaints from various quarters that a large part of the southern plains remains neglected by government. The government has been implementing a similar project called Rural Areas Development Program, targeting 22 districts bordering the northern neighbor China.
Under Secretary Prakash Dahal at MoFALD said the project was designed to help meet the gap seen in the development needs and aspirations of people living in the bordering areas. "The project aims at providing local people in the bordering areas all the necessary facilities. This will make them feel the presence of the government," said Dahal, who is closely involved in the preparation of the project design.
The project fully funded by the government of Nepal aims at making interventions in the development of physical infrastructures, social infrastructures and other needs identified by local people. While the development of physical infrastructure involves various works such as construction of local roads, irrigation facilities and access to electricity, social infrastructure development will concentrate on the development of health facilities, construction of schools and modernization of Madarasa education, among other things.
BADP also aims at creating awareness among people, empowering them with various income generating skills, making positive interventions in addressing gender inequality and social exclusions and providing financial support to the needy. Whether to launch any special projects will be entirely based on the needs identified by the community.
Government officials said BADP will not have a separate office mechanism to oversee the project. While MoFALD will have a section overseeing the project, the district development committee concerned will have a coordination unit to facilitate its implementation. "We intend to carry out mapping of the current situation after analyzing gaps in the services being provided by various government agencies. This will give an idea where additional government interventions are necessary," said Dahal.
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