Kathmandu, Jan 7:
The members of the House of Representatives (HoR) have suggested the National Planning Commission (NPC) to plan only implementable projects. The development projects should be planned on the basis of need and relevance, they reminded.
During a meeting of the finance committee on draft of the 16th five-year plan on Sunday, the lawmakers urged NPC to review the 15th five-year plan and make the next periodic plan accordingly.
Former finance minister and committee member Bishnu Prasad Paudel viewed the NPC should have autonomy to select and decide projects. He however said a separate law is imperative to direct planning commission.
Lawmaker Padam Giri stressed whether the 15th periodic plan was assessed effectively before drafting the new one. Strengthening of national economy by making it self-reliant and creating jobs should be prioritized, he added.
Surya Bahadur Thapa opined that the plan needs to be objective and practical. Plan must not be whimsical, he reminded.
Purna Bahadur Tamang demanded that every province be allocated Rs 1 billion budget for medication of poor people. Timeliness, relevance and significance are elements of effective plan, according to him.
Narayan Prasad Acharya also pointed out the need for creating atmosphere for NPC’s autonomy.
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha emphasized the need assessment and relativity in course of formulating periodic plan.
Mukta Kumari Yadav’s suggestion was to align the 16th periodic plan with sustainable development goals (SDGs) as time for achieving SDG targets was fleeting.
Similarly, promotion of industries, tourism, agriculture, education and health are points to mull in the next arrangements, according to Ganga Karki.
Metmani Chaudhari also focused job creations, trade balance and poverty alleviation.
On the occasion, Chairman of the National Planning Commission, Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, shared that the new plan was drafted based on the previous practices and with adequate review. He assured that precise and practicable plans would be prioritized.
With the broader goal of ‘good governance, social justice and prosperity’, the 16th plan has aimed at building good governance at political, administrative, judicial, private and non-government fronts; while social justice would be established in the sectors of health, education, employment, housing and others, thereby ensuring prosperity in the human life and national economy.
The current 15th five-year plan is being over this fiscal year, 2023/24.
Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)
