Model administrative HQ in Kawasoti limited in paper

By Bomlal Giri,Nawalpur, July 20: After Nawalparasi district was divided into two, the then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli inaugurated the model (administrative) headquarters of (Bardaghat Susta East) in Kawasoti on April 20, 2019. Apart from gravelling 6 km of road, nothing further has been accomplished till date. Ironically, each year allocated budget for the project freezes. 

For the construction of administrative headquarters, 176 bighas land of Ram Mandir Chaur in Kawaswoti Municipality-3 was made available. The land was provided by the federal government through the Gandaki Province government. In the allocated land, the offices of local, provincial and federal government are  proposed to be constructed. Apart from Land Registration Office and Survey Office, all other government offices are running from rented accommodations. These government offices are paying the rent to the tune of 1 million rupees per month.

According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR), it is estimated to cost 26 billion  rupees to make the model headquarters. It was designed to accommodate four government offices in one block but the DPR got changed multiple times and the project couldn't take its final shape/form. Environmental Impact Assessment too couldn't be carried out, because of which the clearing of the trees in the allocated land area has not progressed yet. 

Department of Urban Development and Building Construction assigned with the task  of constructing administrative building is waiting to call the  tender once required fund is allocated. Due to monetary crunch, call for tender has been  delayed. The head of the project, Jhak Bahadur Thapa, said  call for tender was delayed due to lack of sufficient money. As a result, construction work couldn't progress. The head of the project Thapa said , physical infrastructures like District Administration Office, District Treasury Controller Office,  buildings of security agencies, Inland Revenue Office, Department of Roads needed to be constructed first and it required  at least Rs. 4 to 5 billion to call the  tender and start the work. 

The federal government in last three fiscal years yearly planning is increased by threefold!The project of Rs. 3 billion was planned. In the previous fiscal year 430 million rupees was/were allocated for the project, but that money got frozen.

Gandaki Province Assembly member of CPN (UML), Roshan Bahadur Gaha Magar from Nawalpur said spirit of federalism was  not being felt in the district. He said he had frequently raised voice in Province Assembly for the allocation of required funds. The elected people's representatives from Nepali Congress (Dr. Shashanka Koirala from Nawalpur 1 and Bishnu Karki elected from Nawalparasi 2 (Bardaghat-Susta East) did not raise a  strong voice, as a result the ministry didn't allocate the required budget, said  Gaha Magar.

It was planned to build District Administration Office, District Court, District Government Attorney Office, District Police Office, District Armed Police Office, Office of District Coordination Committee, Land Revenue Office, District Survey Office, District Election Office, District Education Coordination Unit, Traffic Office, National Restructuring  Commission,  District Jail, Forest Office, Infrastructure Development Office, Drinking Water and Sanitation Division, veterinary hospital, transportation service management, Agriculture Knowledge Centre, Ayurved, etc. in the place proposed  for the headquarters.

Likewise, there is a plan of constructing infrastructure consisting of assembly hall having a capacity to accommodate 5,000 people, organized park, canteen,  modern football stadium stretching in 15 bighas , etc.

A question mark is raised over the construction of those infrastructure now. The former people's representatives  proposed  to make a very ambitious administrative headquarters but being unable to impress the federal government only the much-needed structures are planned to be constructed. Bishnu Karki, parliamentarian elected from Nawalpur 2, has said now the work was  done to construct District Administration Office, Office of District Coordination Committee, District Government Lawyers Office and District??? Primarily. In the beginning, the need of 20 billion rupees  was estimated. But now four government office buildings will be built at a  cost of 4 billion rupees,  said parliamentarian Karki. 

Parliamentarian Karki, elected form CPN (UML) ,  said an ambitious project was planned in the past and it was necessary as well but now the work is in progress to construct four buildings only and it is a positive initiative .

The land allocated for headquarters and government office buildings has turned into a playground and a place to learn to drive when the proposed  project didn't progress. Lately, there is a  danger of encroachment of government land as well. Four years after the inauguration and still languishing in the making of a DPR, before the inception of the concept of model headquarters different organizations have started building structures. 

Police have demolished the buildings constructed over the proposed  site by Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, Nawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Guthi of Newa community, Gumba of Buddhist religious group, Ram Mandir, Bishwakarma Temple, cowshed and the building of Chhetri Samaj. 

Federal government has not allocated  enough budget, ministers and people's representatives are frequently changed and the conflict of  politicians to make plans according to their interests had made it obvious that the plan to build a model headquarters is destined to never materialise.