Author: Himalaya Post

Kathmandu – The social mobilization programme launched by the Poverty Alleviation Fund (PAF) has been found questionable, and its strategy unclear. The monitoring report prepared by the National Planning Commission on the structural management and operation and the effectiveness of the PAF activities painted bleak picture. The PAF set up to help reduce poverty by mainstreaming the poor and excluded communities in the mainstream development is led by the Prime Minister. It has been conducting programmes on livelihood and small infrastructures by forming 32,000 community organizations with the expansion of its programmes in 66 districts across the country. The NPC report on PAF has mentioned that monitoring and evaluation was ineffective and the programmes failed to reach the target groups. Although nearly one million households were benefitted with various programmes as employment generation and capacity building, lack of professional capacity among PAF employees, disparity in experience, increase in corruption cases, lack of mutual trust among the units it promoted, and incompetent secretariats were severe problems suffering the PAF. The NPC has suggested the PAF to reduce the number of community organizations to a manageable level. The PAF is in need of reform, report pointed out.  ...

Darchula – The construction of a suspension bridge at Lalima of Lekam rural municipality-3 in Darchula has been left neglected for the past three months. The under-construction project to connect Nepal and India has stalled since last mid June. The construction work was halted citing a growing water revel in the river. The Manomalika Construction Company was awarded the contract for project construction two years ago at a cost of Rs 13.2 million, but no significant progress has been noticed so far despite the extension of the term twice. As promised in the latest agreement, the project needs to be completed by mid-December. A call for the tender was made following the announcement of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to free the country of ropeways, known as tuin, in the two years when he assumed the prime ministerial post first time. Now, Oli is in the post second time, but the problem is as it is. The locals here have no alternative but to cross the river with the help of tubes risking their lives. Under the project, only pillars have been erected at one side. Contractor Deepak Saud said the construction works could not take place in the initial year due to a lack of timely permission by the local government of India. The construction work was hampered also by a delay in importing construction materials from India...