With the aim of increasing the citizens' participation in the policies, programs and budgets made by the local level, the state-level discussion has started in Dadeldhura from Wednesday. The program started under the organization of Needs Nepal and Social Security Network will continue till Thursday.
45 people including heads, deputy heads and employees of 10 local levels of Sudurpaschim Province are participating in the program which started with the slogan 'Citizen Participation for Social Security and Inclusive Policy Making'. Representatives of Belauri Municipality of Kanchanpur, Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan Municipality of Kailali, Godavari Municipality, Chure Rural Municipality, Zorayal Rural Municipality of Doti and Dipayal-Silgadi Municipality, Badimalika Municipality of Bajura, Mashta Rural Municipality of Bajhang, Khaptadchanna Rural Municipality and Durgathali Rural Municipality are participating in the
program. The organizer stated that the purpose of the
program is to make the planning process participatory by prioritizing civil rights. In the
program, Gopal Thapamar, Secretary General of Social Security Network, said that policies and programs would be incomplete without citizen participation, and expressed his belief that such a discussion would give the right direction to policy making. "We have been working to ensure social security in favor of women, children and backward communities," he said.
He said that he is working in the field of children, women and the underprivileged in coordination with the relevant agencies. Amar Bahadur Khadka, the mayor of Badimalika Municipality Bajura, who participated in the program, said that the discussion focused on the question of whether the citizens would benefit from the policy program or not. It is important to make a plan by being close to the people rather than being close to the party. A policy made without citizen involvement is incomplete, he said. He said that this discussion is important to create a people-friendly budget. Krishna Sapkota, trainer of the
program, said that the local level should break the trend of repeating the old patterns in policy making. People should be at the center of development. "Participatory representation of the people should be ensured in policy and budget," he said. He emphasized that the local level should be serious about bringing a citizen-friendly budget for the empowerment of the people. In the
program, the budget practice was discussed in groups, as well as the issues that should be paid attention to in the policy program and budget formulation, as well as the challenges and solutions to the implementation were discussed.
