The members of the House of Representatives (HoR) have suggested to the National Planning Commission (NPC) to plan only implementable projects. The development projects should be planned on the basis of need and relevance, they reminded.
During a meeting of the finance committee on the draft of the 16th five-year plan on Sunday, the lawmakers urged the NPC to review the 15th five-year plan and draft the next periodic plan accordingly.
Former finance minister and committee member Bishnu Prasad Paudel said the NPC should have autonomy to select and decide projects. He however said a separate law is imperative to direct planning commission.
Lawmaker Padam Giri stressed whether the 15th periodic plan was assessed effectively before drafting the new one. Strengthening the national economy by making it self-reliant and creating jobs should be prioritized, he added.
Surya Bahadur Thapa opined that the Plan needs to be objective and practical. The Plan must not be whimsical, he reminded.
Purna Bahadur Tamang demanded that every province be allocated a Rs 1 billion budget to provide medication to poor people. Timeliness, relevance and significance are elements of an effective plan, according to him.
Narayan Prasad Acharya also pointed out the need for creating atmosphere for the NPC’s autonomy.
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha emphasized the need for assessment and relativity in the course of formulating periodic plans.
Mukta Kumari Yadav’s suggestion was to align the 16th periodic plan with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as time for achieving the SDG targets was fleeting.
Similarly, promotion of industries, tourism, agriculture, education and health are points to mull over in the next arrangements, according to Ganga Karki.
Metmani Chaudhari focused on job creations, trade balance and poverty alleviation.
On the occasion, vice-chairman of the NPC, Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, shared that the new plan was drafted based on the 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 Periodic Plan has aimed at building good governance at political, administrative, judicial, private and non-government fronts; while social justice will be established in the sectors of health, education, employment, housing and others, thereby ensuring prosperity in the human life and national economy.
The current 15th five-year plan expires with the end of the current fiscal year 2023/24.
