Kailali has the highest number of 26 schemes district-wise, only two in remote hilly Bajura, which is at the bottom of the poverty index.
The government of Sudurpaschim Province has recently ensured a budget of 4.93 billion 4.1 million for multi-year plans with a period of three years. Budget has been ensured for 85 schemes of roads, concrete bridges, irrigation, buildings and suspension bridges. But the distribution of the budget and number of plans has been made so unequal that out of the nine districts of Far West, the number of plans and budget allocated in seven hilly districts is more than the number of plans and budget allocated in two districts of Terai, Kailali and Kanchanpur.
Leaders who have access have 'put their hands on Jagannath'. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is the agency that ensures resources in the multi-year plan. 55 schemes have been selected for Kailali and Kanchanpur. A budget of 3 billion 50 million 65 million has been kept for that plan for a period of three years . But only 30 schemes have been kept in seven hill districts namely Doti, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Acham, Bajhang and Bajura. For which 1 billion 42 million 76 million budget has been ensured.
District-wise, the most budget has been allocated to Kailali for the multi-year plan. A budget of 2.25 billion 3.4 million has been ensured in 26 schemes by constructing 14 roads, nine concrete bridges, two irrigation projects and one building in Kailali. While the remote hilly district Bajura, which is at the bottom of the poverty index, has only two plans. 12 million 12 million has been allocated for the construction of two concrete bridges namely Rajatoli Bridge in Martadi and Dansanghu Bridge in Kolti. Roads, irrigation, suspension bridges and buildings are not included in any other scheme Bajura . District-wise, Kanchanpur has been given the highest number of plans for multi-year plans. In Kanchanpur, the budget has been ensured for 29 schemes including 13 roads, eight concrete bridges and eight culverts. Among which, 525 million for roads, 583 million for concrete bridges, 144 million for culverts and a total amount of 1 billion 25 million 31 million have been ensured.
Darchula is the district with the lowest budget after Bajura. In Darchula, only 149.7 million has been budgeted for five schemes including two roads, one concrete bridge and two suspension bridges. Budget has been ensured for four schemes each in Dadeldhura, Doti and Bajhang, five schemes each in Baitadi and Darchula and six schemes in Achham. For the total budget assured projects, 22 million in Dadeldhura, 161.1 million in Doti, 15 million in Baitadi, 28.24 million in Bajhang, 34 million 32 million in Achham.
There are 32 provincial constituencies in Far West. Chief Minister's Constituency is Kailali 2 (1). In that constituency, eight plans have been placed in multi-year plans, including five roads, two road bridges and one city hall. In which a total budget of one billion 97 lakhs has been ensured . 616.2 million budget has been ensured for 12 schemes including 5 roads and 7 bridges in Kanchanpur 2 (2) constituency of Congress leader and Economic Affairs Minister Bahadur Singh Thapa. In Kailali 4 (1) of Congress leader and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Prakash Bahadur Bam, 6 projects worth 535 million have been allocated, while in constituency 5 (1) of Congress MP and Minister of Physical Infrastructure Development Prakash Deuba, resources have been secured for 6 projects worth 166 million.
In the constituency 3 (1) of Rajendra Singh Rawal, the leader of the ruling party UML parliamentary party and former chief minister, 8 projects of 29 crores 21 lakhs have been implemented in multi-year . Rawal is proportional member of parliament from the constituency. Two multi-year projects worth 128.7 million in Kanchanpur 1 (1) of UML leader and Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperative Minister Bir Bahadur Thapa, and 136.2 million in Kanchanpur 1 (2) of Congress leader, Legislation and State Affairs Committee Chairman Diwansingh Bista's constituency. Similarly, another power partner party, MP Lakshman Kishore Choudhary, has two plans worth 120 million in Kailali 1 (2) constituency, and two schemes worth 29 million 72 million in the constituency of Ghanshyam Chaudhary, MP and chairman of the Finance, Development and Natural Resources Committee.
But in the constituencies of some leaders, not a single plan has been selected for multi-year . In Kailali 4 (1) constituency of former Chief Minister and leader of United Samajwadi Party, Kailali 4 (1), Civil Liberties MP Khusiram Choudhary's constituency Kailali 3 (2) and Congress MP Man Bahadur Rawal's constituency Achham 2 (2) no plan has been implemented for multi-year . The government has a legal obligation to allocate the budget to the selected multi-year plan until the plan is completed.
MPs have expressed their anger towards the government saying that the selection of multi-year plans is unequal. "Ministers and leaders who are accessible have raised their hands, this is too much," ruling Congress MP Juna Dani said, "planning should be prioritized in remote and backward districts." But here the opposite is happening.'
RPP MP Khemadevi Bista said that only in the constituencies of ministers and leaders, resources are ensured for multi-year contracts and said that no basis has been prepared for plan selection and resource assurance. It is unbalanced. Those who have access are being arbitrary,' she said.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, Surat Kumar Bam, admitted that there was no prioritization by making any criteria in the selection of plans. "We have not put any new plan under the road plan in the multi-year plan, it is only for upgrading," Secretary Bam said.
