Dahal stresses for dismantling ‘setting’ in bureaucracy

CHITWAN, Aug 29: Chair of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has insisted on the need of breaking the ingrained culture of setting (collusion) in bureaucracy which has only served the vested interests.

In his address to the 25th General Assembly of Contractors’ Association, Chitwan, today, the former prime minister claimed that there was the hand of employees in awarding the tender of big projects to a same company time and again. “These all are happening in connivance with employees,” he blamed.

Chair Dahal said he had requested the government and secretaries to find multiple contractors for the construction of a big development projects to promote the culture of competition, meritocracy and get project completed in time.

As he claimed, same contractor holds the contracts of five to seven bridges and due to this in practice, works are not completed in time nor could small contractors get chance to compete. Big people have established their monopoly in the construction business.

He had been listening to grudges from contractors that the 2015 earthquake and (southern border) blockade hampered the construction workers, thus prolonging the project, he said, adding, “I promise my initiation to extend the deadline of projects got delayed by such adversities by a year without fine.”

According to him, change in the perception of government employees and contractors towards each other was imperative. “The private sector accuses the State and employees of escaping duties and responsibilities while employees and the State call contractors the cheaters,” he shared.

The Chair went on to say that development and prosperity in the country was not possible without keeping the private sector happy and protecting it.

On a different note, he expressed his concerns over growing cases of violence against women, seeking the government sensitivity to it.

On the occasion, President of the Federation of Contractors’ Association of Nepal, Bishnu Bhai Shrestha, asserted that only contractors were not responsible for delayed projects. RSS