Lawmakers given rights to select development projects at local levels

Kathmandu : The lawmakers have been assigned the responsibility of selecting the projects for the infrastructure development at local levels. As per the local infrastructure development partnership programme which was earlier named ‘Parliamentarians’ Development Fund’, the people’s representatives are assigned to select the development projects in their respective constituencies.
Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Purushottam Nepal, shared that the final authority to chose the development projects has been given to the lawmakers who are elected through the FPTP system as per the Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme (Operation Guideline) Regulation 2075.
The government had allocated Rs 40 million in the budget of fiscal year 2075/76 to each lawmaker elected in the 165 FPTP constituencies. Joint Secretary Nepal further said the allocated amount would however be sent to the concerned local level after the Ministry receives the detailed information of the selected development project through the district coordination committee.
The Ministry sends the amount at the local level through the office of the comptroller. The regulation has mentioned that amount cannot be spent except in the physical infrastructure. Similarly, for a fiscal year, maximum 20 projects can be chosen. The administrative cost for the execution of the project must not be more than 0.20 to 1 percent. There will be only two projects of Rs 5 million while no projects below Rs 1 million.