KATHMANDU: Members of the House of Representatives (HoR) have suggested that the National Planning Commission (NPC) plan only implementable projects. They said that development projects should be planned based on need and relevance.
During a meeting of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on the draft of the 16th Five-Year Plan on Sunday, lawmakers urged the NPC to review the 15th five-year plan and formulate the next periodic plan accordingly.
Former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel expressed the view that the NPC should have autonomy to select and decide on projects. However, he also mentioned that a separate law is imperative to direct the NPC.
Lawmaker Padam Giri stressed whether the 15th periodic plan was effectively assessed before drafting the new one. He added that strengthening the national economy by making it self-reliant and creating jobs should be prioritized.
Similarly, Surya Bahadur Thapa opined that the plan needs to be objective and practical. Another lawmaker Purna Bahadur Tamang demanded that every province be allocated a budget of Rs 1 billion for the medication of poor people. He highlighted timeliness, relevance, and significance as elements of an effective plan.
On the occasion, the Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, said that the new plan was drafted based on previous practices and with adequate review. He assured that precise and practicable plans would be prioritized.
With the broader goal of ‘good governance, social justice, and prosperity,’ the 16th plan aims to build good governance in political, administrative, judicial, private, and non-government fronts. Social justice would be established in the sectors of health, education, employment, housing, and others, thereby ensuring prosperity in human life and the national economy.
The current 15th five-year plan is set to conclude the current fiscal year.
