Kathmandu, April 18: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has appealed to all to switch back to the yester years to sense corruption that seats deep within as the invisible enemy.
“If one travels down the memory lane and makes an attempt to figure out who he or she was, one also becomes aware of the corrupt,” Koirala said. “To realise corruption, one needs to recognise oneself first.”
“An analogy of my present with the past and insights into how the status has changed in terms of what I eat and how I live now gives a clue to corruption,” he said.
Koirala told this while addressing the inaugural session of a discussion on achievements Nepal made in the 10 years following the restoration of democracy. The discussion was organised by Nepal Students’ Union, the sister organisation of the ruling Nepali Congress.
“I have warned the ministers that they may be terminated if only I hear of them being implicated in corruption,” Koirala said and appealed to NSU workers to speak up against any such immoral conduct.
“I have also told the ministers that I know them not by name, but by their performance,” he said. “The ministers should be willing to walk away happily.”
“I chose to take over as the Prime Minister at difficult time,” Koirala said. “May be you all wonder as to why I removed Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as the Prime Minister,” Koirala said. “I did not want to unseat Bhattarai, but was forced to take the tough decision in view of the increasing corruption and confusion within the party.”
The evils surrounding the nation may be put to end if we succeed in restoring law and order situation in the country, curb corruption and ensure good governance with administrative reforms, he said. “I am committed to them.”
Koirala expressed surprise over the way the government’s decision to activate the Constitutional Council to restore law and order in the country was twisted. “Activating the Council means activating the government and the people themselves,” he said.
Koirala said former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who heads a high level committee consisting of several ministers, had been told to proceed with negotiations with the Maoists. Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel is holding talks with other parties to arrive at some conclusion to solve the four year old insurgency, which has claimed well over 1250 lives in all.
“I have instructed the Finance Ministry and the National Planning Commission to expedite development programmes in the areas where the law and order has been underestimated.”
The concept of good governance, Koirala said, was thought of about a decade ago at the time of appointing an administrative reform commission, which has recommended that the number of ministries be reduced to 19 from 26. As per the recommendations, the ministries have been reduced to 21, he said.
The government has been mulling appointing regional heads to give impetus to decentralisation, he said. The difference of hierarchy amongst Chief District Officers, Police chiefs and the army chiefs at the district level have also necessitated the creation of regional heads to coordinate with all three heads.
Koirala said the Melamchi project alone would not be enough to find an end the problem of drinking water in Kathmandu Valley. He said the Asian Development Bank had advised the government to develop Kathmandu into a heritage city by relocating the valley’s population for which the Bank has pledged to help implement the programme.
He said the government would force the relocation of the garment industries based in Kathmandu and extend cooperation in setting up such industries in the areas outside the capital valley.
The Prime Minister said the Asian Development Bank had hinted at foreign assistance if the government planned to build a second international airport.
The process of democratisation has already begun in the Congress party and this will be given continuity during the NSU’s upcoming general convention, he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Poudel, who is one of the founding members of the NSU, appealed to all not to focus only on the negative aspects of the past decade, but also to make realistic assessments of the achievements.
“A lot has been achieved in the past though there are some dissatisfaction,” Poudel said. “And, these discontents are necessary.”
“All should extend cooperation to help the Prime Minister realise his commitments that are aimed at ending corruption, a fall out of morality in crisis.”
Congress General Secretary Sushil Koirala said the anti-democratic elements had become active due to the erosion of values and called on the people to resist such movements.
“There is no alternative to democracy,” Koirala said. “The problems surfaced in the past because democracy could not be institutionalised.”
NSU’s former President N. P. Saud said the gains of democracy could not reach to the people due to the shortcomings in the formulation of economic policies and their implementation.
He stressed the need to evaluate the performance of the party and the government to translate into action the words of the Prime Minister.
Congress’s former General Secretary Basudev Risal said the country had its role in building able and deserving citizens and the brain drain should not insult the nation.
He said the student wing of the ruling party should remain active in promoting values.
NSU’s President Govinda Bhattarai presided the function which was addressed by Dr Jeev Raj Pokhrel. Pokhrel reviewed the progresses made in the field of education during the last 10 years while NSU’s central member Bishwa Prakash Sharma delivered welcome address.