Let's abolish the National Planning Commission

Especially in our country, there is not only a regional imbalance of development, but also an imbalance of development according to cultural diversity. To reduce such imbalance, the Planning Commission has been set up in principle. But regional imbalances still persist. Karnali is weak in all development indices. Even now, one is forced to see rice flown or rolled from Kathmandu. Madhesi Dalits are the most disadvantaged.

Even Dalits in the hills have not been able to improve their living standards by getting the benefits of development. Tribal and tribal communities are pushed towards economic, political, social and cultural crises in the name of development. Who got the results of the development made by the Planning Commission? Community diversity is nowhere to be seen. Instead, the crisis seems to have increased.

Planning in villages and cities

Nepal is a country full of villages - this has been said many times by the political parties and the Planning Commission. Previously, the five-year plan was said to be village-centric. Villages were emptied when the Commission was making village-centric plans, i.e. after implementing the Fifteenth Plan. The Himalayan part is dry. Why did this happen? The Planning Commission documents never answer this. Although 40 percent of the land is said to be barren in the data, more than 40 percent of the land is barren in the Himalayan and upper hilly areas. The economy of mountains and hills died. Even though the air and water were good, the mountains were not fit for human habitation. Biodiversity of the mountains is untapped due to lack of human resources.

What kind of plan did we make? The entire mid-hill terrain became uninhabitable. Our plans didn't work in the mountains, if so, is urban development awesome? Cities are no longer livable. One should drink water that should not even be touched. Oxygen is not clean. The road that man walks is not easy. Poisonous foods have made every kitchen a breeding ground for disease. From this point of view, our plans are neither for the city nor for the village. More than 30 years ago, the slogan 'Let's build our own village' was introduced. The slogan was brought by the Planning Commission. Which village was formed with this slogan? The task of the commission is not to raise slogans, but to translate politically raised slogans into programs and projects. As soon as the slogan of 'Let's make our own village' was raised, the process of village reclamation started. It was not a catchy slogan, it had to be translated into practice.

employment and planning

Although there is cow ghee in the eastern hills, in 2015, Nepal showed 'bravery' by importing Dalda ghee from India for the first time. All the fifteen plans made so far talked about agricultural development. But today's situation is that food worth billions has to be imported. Why did not agricultural development? What are the flaws of the plans? No public debate. Instead, there was a community-level campaign in education until 2040. When this constitution came, there were 35 thousand schools, now there are 27 thousand.

In 8 years, 8,000 schools were reduced, 1 million students were lost, i.e. they went to private schools. Health has been taken over by the private sector. The process of industrialization was not properly managed and the country moved towards the service sector, which led to a crisis in the local economy, local production and employment. If we analyze the biggest crisis in Nepal now, it is the weak local economy, weak production and lack of employment. Employment does not automatically occur when production is not taken up the chain of industrialization. Why did our previous plans fail? Not found anywhere.

Some speculation on the part of the commission Some arguments are put forward to say that

plans are working. Fifty years ago, how much was the black paper road, how many are there now? What was the status of drinking water, what is it now? How many toilets were there, how many are there now? These questions seem reasonable. Black paper roads increased, cemented, tin-covered houses were built, but how much did it increase production and create jobs? We consider that as an indicator of development. But from an economic point of view, it gave an advantage to the market. The private schools and nursing homes that grew up with

development also served the market. The market began to determine the indicators of development. Our plans failed. In particular, development based on physical infrastructure should be seen in the chain of economy, employment, production and industrialization. Our development plans and processes so far could not capture this essence. So today our country is in crisis. Now is the time to find a solution to the problem through public debate rather than lip service and argumentation. The problems of our reference were not solved by the plan. Unemployment increased. Production decreased. All kinds of imbalances increased. In this sense, the Planning Commission cannot confirm its justification and relevance.

The restructuring of the Planning Commission

Devendraraj Pandey has said many times. He went to the Planning Commission once when he was Finance Minister, in 2048. They are surprised to see that there are old processes, old beliefs. He wrote this in his book. In this way, there has been no change in the planning process till today. Work is progressing through the old process. Now we are in federalism, but the Planning Commission has not been restructured. The biggest drawback to

planning not working is the centralized process of planning, which cannot relate to the ground level. If there was a relationship, the result would not have been like this. Centralized mindsets and practices have not gone away. Plans are not made on the strength of research, plans are made on the strength of great leaders. Leaving aside a few individuals and trends, the commission has become a platform for implementing the will of big leaders. The commission is a shadow of sand, the people who go also understand this. When it is taken away, the person who executes the law is sought, except for one incident.

Right now we are in a very bad economic situation. The human labor force is displaced. Those who have lived in Nepal are in a state of inferiority. But our planning process does not take this into account. The Sixteenth Five Year Plan is not beyond traditionalist planning. Which does not solve our problem. Now we have to think about the composition of the Planning Commission. Can the current structure work? How much autonomy will be made to the Planning Commission?

If it is to be developed as an autonomous organization, the Prime Minister will cease to preside over it. The government will give a political view. The Planning Commission conducts a multi-pronged inquiry into that political vision. Formulates how the program can be translated. That is strategy and tactics, it should be done autonomously. He does not rule out political views. Creates possibilities and paths. That has room for practical translation. It is a very hollow thing to make a big book by collecting the projects given by the government. The Prime Minister does not give time to the Planning Commission. Why did you have to occupy? The government's perspective will be given.

A mess of priorities One of the lessons the world has learned in the

planning process is not to top-down plans. The illiterate is not understood by the literate. It is not something that Sahariyas give to village people. Planning is something that is brought from below considering its environment, available natural resources, geographical features, cultural system. In the case of federalism it is easy. Planning based on locality should be carried forward by trusting the local government.

Plans at the provincial level should be made by trusting the provinces. Even now the Union Government and the Federal Planning Commission are so strong, they know everything. He doesn't believe in weaving from below. The funny thing is that even a plan of one lakh is executed by itself. In particular, one of the core concepts of federalism is the concept of social justice in development.

If this kind of social justice is to be accepted, it should come in a way that strengthens the weak areas, weak castes and tribes. Resources had to get there. Now the resources and means are in the possession of few people. It is not broken. Where the Planning Commission is incompetent is in not having the power to demolish encroachment. Resources and means will be in the hands of a few people, and inequality and imbalance will not decrease if people are persevered in some planned marriage from above. The decentralization of the

plan has not happened, it is employee-centric. That means not being people-centric. The planning process is about engineering the original political vision into a technical framework. As our planning process is highly centralized and in the hands of a few people, its results cannot be extended. Those who can influence the plan will influence it to reach them. This leaves out the majority of individuals, communities and regions.

According to the geographical and cultural diversity of our country, diversity of plans is needed. Recommendations for Upper Mustang and Gitanagar in Chitwan are not the same. In particular, our plans have not accepted this diversity, promoting development based on a single culture. That is why the return of development has not been extended. Especially the western countries are made the standard of developed countries and the planning and development process has been carried forward, the result of that is the village is dying. Increasing livelihood crisis of tribals. Plans have not been made considering the relationship between development and culture.

Every five-year or three-year plan has certain priorities. But that doesn't translate into behavior. The first priority is air. Second, there is no structural management according to priorities. There are no strategies. Like: now production, employment, industrialization whatever, its main base in Nepali context is agriculture and forestry. We import four to five billion worth of wood and are happy that the forest has grown. Why can't our plan combine agriculture and forestry with entrepreneurship? Agriculture and forestry are the only bases that support the cycle of production, employment and industrialization.

But that's not the focus of our plan. Even though a big airport was built, but no ships, we have been proud. Why are we not ready to debate even though its achievements are nowhere to be seen? Now, if the Planning Commission is not ready for restructuring, if it is not ready for decentralization, if it is not ready to accept the change of priorities and diversity of development, then it is better to abolish it.