Some common promises made in the manifestos of the major political parties -- UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML are: construction of a 53 km ring road touching every VDC and municipalities in the district; blacktopping of all sub-roads in Lokanthali-Sanga section of the Araniko Highway; several micro drinking water projects; irrigation facilities; erection of view towers and promotion of cultural and religious heritages such as Changunarayan, Ranikot Durbar and Surya Binayak to attract tourists and creation of living museums reflecting traditional way of life. [break]
Shyam S. Dhaubadel, a well-known social worker in the district, said the parties´ documents fail to specifically mention the time duration and budget required to implement their plans, leaving the public doubtful about their claims.
“The parties have neither offered instant solutions nor proposed long term solution to the ongoing problems such as crisis of drinking water, unemployment and shrinking of fertile lands. Including the problems as party agenda is not enough to convince voters. The way to achieve them has to be well defined,” added Dhaubadel.
In the two constituencies of the district where Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party (NMKP) has had strong hold since 1991 general election, the UCPN (Maoist) secured second position in the CA election of 2008, lagging by 8,424 votes. In the last election, NMKP Chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe was elected with total 18,100 votes from constituency 1.
Sanu Suwal is the UCPN (Maoist)´s candidate against Bijukchhe this time. Similarly, Krishna Lal Bhandel is representing the NC while CPN-UML is represented by Ranju Napit in constituency 1. All of them are local residents of the same constituency.
The country´s smallest district with two constituencies has a total of 1,49,000 voters. Among them, in constituency 1, 30 candidates will vie to win the votes of 67,000 voters.
Bhaktapur constituency 1 includes Duwakot, Jhaukhel, Chhaling, Changunarayan, Bageshori, Nagarkot, Tathali, Sudal and Bhaktapur Municipality´s ward 1 (Suryamadhi), 3 (Tachpal), 4 (Kwando), 5 (Bholachhe), 8 (Sukuldhoka), 9 (Chochhe), 10 (Byasi), 13 (Nasmana) and Tapalachhi in 15 and ward 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of Madhyapur municipality.
Though the District Development Committee data shows drinking water facility reaching 72 percent households, it comes down to below 50 percent during dry season, says Bhaktapur Local Development Officer Rajendra KC.
The situation is worse in urban areas where the entire wards and local units face water shortage, said Bharat Baga, 51, a local entrepreneur at Kamal Pokhari.
“We know that CA election is not for development works but voters here are reluctant to cast vote if the water woes remain unaddressed,” added Baga.
In order to curb the shrinking cultivable land in Bhaktapur, once considered the grain house of the Kathmandu Valley, NC´s candidate Bhandel said the youths would be encouraged to involve in agriculture activities through the introduction of new technologies in his area.
But the residents of the Chhaling said that unemployment problem has taken a heavy toll on cultivable lands of Bhaktapur as youths sell the lands to go abroad in search of employment.
Some issues can be addressed only through policy making, but none of the candidates have tried to address that.
In 1979, the District Development Committee Bhaktapur had prepared a master plan on land use. However, the plan that envisaged making the district a green belt for the Valley is now gathering dust somewhere.
The master planners wanted buildings to be constructed only along the roadside and develop the southern part as a green area. But the proposed green belt got gobbled up while the government remained a mute spectator.
As a result, around 40 percent of arable land was lost to six years of real estate boom here.
The indigenous seeds have been banished whereas the seed banks and cooperative have failed to guarantee qualitative hybrid seeds. The agricultural productivity, no wonder, is also declining.
Big 3 tie up against NMKP, Bijukchhe stands firm
The UCPN (Maoist), NC and CPN-UML candidates in their poll publicity campaign have called on the Bhaktapur voters to change their representation this time.
“It´s worthless to vote for a party that just resorts to criticisms and refuses to join the government,” says the UCPN (Maoist)´s candidate Suwal.
Similarly, NC candidate Bhadel urges public to reject NMKP saying that the party could not ensure a basic facility of water for its people.
The women candidate of the CPN-UML Napit states that Bijukchhes´ representation from the constituency failed to increase access of women to education, health and income generating skill, limiting them to household work which has made them more vulnerable to gender-based violence.
Meanwhile, Bijukchhe states that he has not come up with ambitious development agendas in this election as the government allocates only one million per year to a constituency representative for development work.
“It more important that the budget allocated for various development works in the district are used in right place and time. NMKP ensures just that,” said Bijukchhe.
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