When false progress irks PM...

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, Jan 3: A formal function organized to launch a book written by Revenue Secretary Krishna Hari Bastola on Sunday suddenly took an unpleasant turn after chief secretary flatly refuted a quick progress statement of a secretary over the repair of a bridge.

Just three months back, the Prime Minister, alarmed by news report that serious cracks appeared over the Mugling Bridge across Trishuli river -- a lifeline that connects Western hilly cities like Pokhara with the capital city-- had directed Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MoPPW) to immediately start maintenance and repair works to avoid possible collapse of the bridge .

At the event that brought almost all government secretaries together, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal all of a sadden started enquiring about the bridge with Chief Secretary Madhav Prasad Ghimire and Vice Chairman of National Planning Commission Jagadish Chandra Pokharel
The answer was prompt.

“We have already done necessary works,” said MoPPW Secretary Purna Kadariya, whose ministry oversees Department of Roads. But the statement quickly attracted a strong refutation from chief secretary Ghimire. “No such work has been done yet,” said Chief Secretary Ghimire, leaving Kadariya red faced. Ghimire had dropped by at Mugling to inspect the repair works on Saturday while returning to Kathmandu after visiting his home village in Palpa.

Visibly furious Prime Minister then came down heavily on secretary Kadariya and said, “You are supposed to even note down things that come from people. But you have failed to implement the directive that came from the prime minister himself,” he said. “Whom should we hold accountable? Everyone seems to pass the buck.”

The prime minister expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of coordination among government agencies and the overall performance of bureaucracy. His complaints were mainly concerned with bureaucratic dilly-dallying, lack of transparency as well as effective delivery of government services.

Among other things, the prime minister was particularly concerned about growing deforestation, waste management in Kathmandu Valley; prolonged load-shedding hours, anomalies seen in tender bidding process, fraudulent activities of manpower agencies, haphazard urbanization and illegal encroachment of public land.

The prime minister directed the Forest Ministry to immediately take action against district forest officers found encouraging deforestation. “There have been reports that deforestation has been increasing more than ever. The president has also expressed concern about it,” he said. “If you fail to take action against the district forest officers involved in such activities deforestation will grow even more.”

The prime minister also criticized the ministry of labor and transport for rewarding fraudulent manpower agencies. He said that the Nepali embassy in Gulf had received many complaints against the manpower agencies that were awarded. “You should better not put hands on controversial things,” he directed Secretary Dinesh Hari Adhikari.

The prime minister also directed secretaries to work towards checking corruption, attracting brilliant minds in bureaucracy and making Tourism Year 2011 a success.