DHANGADHI, March 21: The lawmakers of Kailali recently submitted the details of their upcoming projects to the District Coordination Committee (DCC), which showed that a huge budget of infrastructure development program launched by Sudurpaschim Province is being invested in unproductive sectors.

The provincial government has allocated Rs 20 million for each lawmaker of Sudurpaschim to invest in the development projects of their choice. In fact, this program was introduced under pressure from the lawmakers themselves. The province has sanctioned a total budget of Rs 640 million under this program for altogether 32 electoral constituencies of Sudurpaschim.

A committee will be formed in coordination of the lawmakers. As assured by the provincial government, the committee will be spending the budget on the projects chosen by the lawmakers. Coordinators will have the authority regarding the distribution and division of the budget. However, lawmakers seem to have neglected the infrastructures, which could facilitate the public. Instead, they have prioritized the construction of temples and other buildings."It seems that the lawmakers choose the projects to woo their cadres not the people," said one of the officials of the District Coordination Committee, seeking anonymity. Projects of importance such as road, drinking water, electricity, culvert, embankment among others have failed to grab the attention of the lawmakers.

Some of them have decided to invest in the construction of memorial parks in the name of their cadres. Dilliraj Panta, a lawmaker from the Nepali Congress (NC) elected from constituency no. 5 of Kailali has sanctioned a budget of Rs 4 million for the construction of BP Koirala Memorial building in Dhangadhi-1. He has also sanctioned Rs 5.8 million for the construction of a temple and other religious sites. Likewise, he will be investing Rs 5 million in schools and Rs 2 million in roads. "People have spiritual and emotional attachment with temples," said lawmaker Panta, adding, "BP Memorial building is also for the purpose of public use."

Similarly, Nepalu Chaudhary, a lawmaker elected from constituency no. 5 (a) has sanctioned Rs 1.5 million for Madan Memorial Building, Rs 3 million for the construction of a community building and Rs 10 million for a temple. Likewise, he has decided to spend Rs 6 million on a school building and its playground.

Ratan Bahadur Thapa, a lawmaker from Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has allocated Rs 2.4 million for the construction of a temple and a church. Not just that, he has sanctioned Rs 5.8 million for Tharu museum building and Rs 3.5 million for the construction of a safe house for single women, orphans and elderly people.

Likewise, Rana Bahadur Rawal, a lawmaker elected from Kailali 1(a) will be spending Rs 800,000 for the construction of BP Memorial Building in Tikapur-1. Moreover, he has sanctioned Rs 12 million for the construction of a school and its compound.

The allocation of budget and project selection made by other lawmakers is no different.

 
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• dcc