What does he want?

Published On: June 3, 2018 02:30 AM NPT By: Republica  | @RepublicaNepal


Mahaseth’s mistakes 

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth has been committing one after another mistake that has not only made people question government’s zero tolerance commitment against corruption but could also damage road infrastructures and put people’s lives at risk. First, he recalled Rupnarayan Bhattarai, director general of the Department of Transport Management, who spearheaded the crackdown on public transport syndicate, to the ministry. It is said Mahaseth did this in collusion with transport entrepreneurs who were unhappy with Bhattarai for taking tough action against them. Since the government launched a campaign against transport syndicates tussles had started between Mahaseth and Bhattarai as the latter did not compromise on his dealings with transport associations. When it appeared that transport syndicates would escape action, Bhattarai worked in close coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). PM Oli had assured him support and resources to improve the public transport sector. Mahaseth was flexible in his dealings with transport operators. Transport operators were unhappy with Bhattarai for amending Transport Management Directives (2004) to bring them under legal framework. Now with Bhattarai stripped of power, there are real fears of decisions against transport syndicates becoming limited to papers.

Mahaseth has committed yet another blunder by allowing vehicles of up to 32 seats and cargo trucks weighing up to 16 tons to ply along BP Highway despite the high risk of road accidents there. Because heavy vehicles were found responsible for major road accidents, the government in September 2015 had banned vehicles of over 18 seats and cargo vehicles of over 10 tons on the highway. The decision at the time was taken as the road has been constructed to withstand just up to 10.2 tons and heavy vehicles were found to be damaging the highway and leading to more road accidents. Why did this decision have to be reversed? What does Mahaseth want? The new decision may lead to more road accidents, especially at night. Besides, the heavy vehicles are going to damage the highway further. According to a recent report, as many as 35 major road accidents had occurred in a period of five months last year in which 31 persons died. A minimum of one accident was reported every day for a year.  Between 2008 and 2016, a total of 172 people have reportedly died in road accidents along this highway.

Raghubir Mahaseth, the richest man in Oli’s cabinet, does not seem to care about what implications his faulty decisions will have. More egregiously, he does not seem to care about the damage it will inflict in our road infrastructures and road accidents in which people, mostly the poor, die every year. He is taking one after another unpopular and dangerous decisions. It is the responsibility of the prime minister to make his cabinet ministers serious toward lives of public and public property. Prime minister should immediately intervene to revoke the faulty decision related to BP highway that connects Kathmandu with Tarai plains in the shortest distance. It must be ensured that the highway remains safe and that lives of people travelling along this road would not be lost. If Mahaseth stays adamant to every wrong decision he is making he deserves to be sacked, nothing less. First few months in power, Mahaseth is showing utter disregard for public concern. We fear that PM’s commitment against corruption will never materialize if minister like Mahaseth stays too close to interest groups.


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