Roads to nowhere

Emphasis on populist programs on election eve is a characteristic of any democracy. Politicians everywhere act like, well, politicians, wily and opportunistic, ever ready to gain the slightest advantage over their rivals. Look at how every political party has been bending over backwards to seek greater help for the flood hit in the Far West. In this case, their opportunistic nature has worked to the advantage of the poor flood victims who have been in the news (and liable for state help) thanks to the politicians constantly playing up their plight. But only very rarely does populism benefit common folks. The push for inclusion of populist projects in annual budget is a case in point.



With the November election on the horizon, pressure is mounting on the government to endorse populist projects as budget formulation process for the next fiscal intensifies. So far, proposals for construction of around 30,000 bridges and roads worth Rs 100 billion have been tabled at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) by various influential people aligned, directly or indirectly, to different political parties. Last year, there were over 22,000 such requests. [break]



As per the norms, local level projects should be designed and finalized by concerned district development committees (DDCs). But influential local people and politicians are flocking to the ministry to lobby for endorsement of their proposals. Almost all projects tabled by these influential people are related to construction of roads and bridges. For the implementation of all the proposed projects, the government would have to fork out at least Rs 100 billion. And the cash strapped government is in no position to do that: if things go as planned, only 400 such projects will be accommodated in the final budget. But the actual number is likely to be far higher given the unrelenting political pressure bearing down on government operatives. The problem with these projects that are pushed by politicians and their henchmen is that very few of them actually materialize, with major chunks of project funding ending up in the outsized pockets of local-level political operatives and their masters at the center.



The annual budget should hew close to the country’s priorities. At present, there is no bigger priority for Nepal than successfully holding new Constituent Assembly election and towards that goal, improving the law and order situation. In the long run, the major priority should be to boost the national economy by reviving the moribund industrial sector, which cannot be done without drastically improving the country’s power generation and distribution capacity. In view of the severe resource constraints ahead of the upcoming election, it is all the more important to prioritize spending. The bridges and roads (many of them entirely imaginary) can wait. It would also be wrong to pick and choose among the proposed projects ahead of the polls since the decision could, deliberately or not, play to the advantage of a certain political party or candidate. If the country can get a viable constitution and executive power can be safely transferred to the political players, half the job for the country’s development will be completed.