Kathmandu, March 12: Public money amounting to Rs 15 billion has been spent in 10 years since the formation of the President Chure-Terai Madhes Conservation Development Committee.
In this connection, the review and reflection of the outcomes against the public expenditure is being carried out.
The committee that was established in 16 June 2014 had spent Rs 14 billion and 960 million as of the fiscal year 2080-81 BS i.e. 16 July 2024.
According to the committee, financial progress was 88.93 percent and physical progress was 91.84 percent during the period. There are 124 posts of employees, including six office-bearers receiving monthly perks and benefits in the committee, out of which 86 posts are currently filled.
Sharing its progress, Committee Chair Dr Kiran Poudel said the committee has so far extended multi-year crops in 1,459 places and 166 hectares of hilly agricultural land. Similarly, the committee has considered the greenery promotion programme in 5,230 hectares of land and the production and distribution of 29.349 million saplings as its achievement, he noted.
“So far, we have constructed 412- km of embankments and 162 hectares of green belt, reconstructed 139 wetland lakes, and 628-year water harvesting ponds and conserved 548 water sources,” he shared.
“For not receiving adequate budget and dearth of human resource, we have not been able to deliver our performance in line with its master plan”, Dr Poudel said.
The committee having its central office in Lalitpur has established programme implementation units in Salakpur, Janakpur, Chitwan, Butwal and Lamki. Chure region is stretched over 37 districts and 325 local levels in seven provinces. Chure is being cleaned up due to low topography, migration, climate-related risks and fires.
The committee was established to contribute to reducing poverty through conservation of natural resources, sustainable management and promotion of ecological services. The committee however had marred with various controversies and challenges since its inception.
The committee that has been complaining of political meddling has also faced allegations of corruption and irregularities from time to time. At present, two office-bearers of the committee have been relieved of their posts as per the court’s order on ground of qualifications. The government is forming a task force to collect suggestions from different sections for the restructuring of the committee.
It may be noted that the Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal (FECOFUN) has been opposing the formation of the committee since its inception for ignoring the community participation.
Federation President Thakur Bhandari commented that the committee’s work was not connected to the local people so it has not remained functional as anticipated. “It has curtailed the rights of local indigenous peoples so the committee should be dissolved. As long as it lasts, the Chure will continue to be destroyed”, he mentioned.
Founding Chair of Chure Committee Rameshwor Khanal claimed significant contribution of the committee to the conservation of Chure. He suggested that the committee should make budgetary provision to implement the master plan and manage necessary human resource to make the committee’s work vibrant.
He also recommended bringing an act related to Chure, representing the community in the committee and working in coordination with the province government and the stakeholders. Similarly, Chure expert Dr Vijay Singh Dunwar highlighted the importance of Chure conservation for safe future of Terai Madhes. He expressed concern over the erosion of Chure which he said would consequently turn the land into a desert.
He also echoed Khanal’s recommendation to introduce an act related to Chure for its effective performance.
According to the 61st annual report of the Office of the Auditor General, there has been dismal progress in the targets of mapping the forest area in 36 districts, checking 14,150 hectares of forest encroachment, managing forest area and grazing in 4,800 farmer groups as stipulated in the progress report of the first five years of the master plan of the committee.
Similarly, there has been no progress in expanding multi-year crops in 7,265 hectares of hilly arable land, managing 165,675 hectares of forest, managing the use of river-borne wastes in 180 rivers, managing settlements for 20,505 households in sensitive areas, expanding domestic solar energy to 38,484 households and increasing micro-hydropower development and utilization to 261 kW.
Similarly, out of the target of managing 89 wetlands, only 65 have progressed, the OAG report mentioned. Out of the target of preparing integrated river system resource development action plan in 64 rivers, progress has been made in only 47, and only 1,917 households have been expanded against the target of expanding biogas to 81,137 households, the report stated.
Pointing out that the anticipated outcomes have not been achieved in the five years of the implementation of the master plan, the report suggested that the programme should be implemented in such a way that the goals included in the master plan are met.
