Author: space4knews

Advanced medical equipment purchased for millions of rupees by public hospitals has remained unused for years. The Office of the Auditor General’s 63rd report highlights that the lack of skilled personnel and weak management have prevented these devices from being operated. At the National Trauma Center, a cath lab machine worth NPR 53.7 million and a CT scan system costing NPR 247.7 million are non-operational, forcing patients to seek care at private hospitals. Kathmandu, May 15.

Despite significant investments in state-of-the-art medical devices at government hospitals, such equipment has been lying idle for years. The absence of qualified staff, deficient management, and negligent decision-making have rendered billions of rupees in public investment ineffective. The Auditor General’s 63rd report brings to light the failure to commission expensive medical devices at institutions ranging from the National Trauma Center to Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital. According to the report, these machines have become akin to “scrap” due to inadequate staffing, lack of training, and poor management practices.

At the National Trauma Center, a cath lab machine valued at NPR 53.78 million has remained unused since 2015 (2072 BS) due to the lack of trained personnel. For nearly a decade, the machine has remained inoperable, depriving patients of vital cath lab services and forcing them to pay high fees at private facilities. This equipment was donated by the Government of India to provide immediate treatment for passengers involved in accidents experiencing blockages in the heart or vessels. Similarly, a CT scan system worth NPR 247.79 million at the same center is also non-functional. In addition, 14 ventilators and 5 C-arm machines remain unused. The backlog of such essential devices at the hospital deprives patients of basic services.

At Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, 300 sets of lead and ECG cables worth NPR 7.26 million are also out of use. Despite being procured, these items have been stored in warehouses for years due to management deficiencies. The situation is similar at Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital in Madhesh Province, where X-ray machines valued at NPR 49.09 million, endourology sets, laparoscopy systems, anesthesia machines, and electrocardiology equipment lie unused. Government manufacturing machines at the Singha Durbar Vaidyakhana Development Committee have also been found unused, including 60 types of machinery. Key equipment such as single rotary tableting machines, automatic capsule filling machines, and powder filling machines remain idle, negatively impacting government drug production. Likewise, the Nepal Police Hospital has state-of-the-art equipment like a 16-slice CT scan and a 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner that have not been commissioned and remain unused.

The report emphasizes that many devices have exceeded their warranty periods without being put into operation, depriving the general public of even the minimum healthcare services the state should provide. Health sector experts suggest that while corruption and commission in procurement may exist, the fundamental problem lies in the absence of requisite human resources, training, and maintenance planning. The government’s recurring tendency to purchase equipment without proper planning or preparation has rendered significant investments in health care ineffective.

The ward office of Ward No. 9, Swarnapati, in Bodebarsain Municipality of Saptari, has directed the clearing of land illegally encroached upon at the Small Customs Office within seven days. The notice, signed by Ward Chairperson Tapasi Yadav, states that failure to vacate the land within the specified timeframe will result in compensation claims.

The ward office has decided to evict the long-standing illegal occupants from the land belonging to the Small Customs Office in Swarnapati village, Ward No. 9, Bodebarsain Municipality, Saptari. A notice issued on Friday instructs the removal of any structures built on the encroached land under Swarnapati lane within seven days. According to the notice signed by Chairperson Tapasi Yadav, “If the land is not vacated within the stipulated period, compensation for the land will be demanded, and the encroachers will be fined.”

In the Three Number Bridge area of Bara, the Division Forest Office launched a bulldozer operation demolishing nearly 100 homes and businesses. Minakumari Rumba’s newly built house, constructed just three days earlier using a loan, was razed by the bulldozer. Locals and entrepreneurs protested the government’s decision, claiming they were not given adequate time to vacate the land for which they had received ownership certificates.

On the morning of Friday, 1 Jestha, the team from the Division Forest Office arrived at the Three Number Bridge area with a bulldozer while Minakumari was having tea. Dough was prepared to bake sel roti for customers expected throughout the day. Minakumari had no idea that her house, built only three days before, would soon be demolished. Rumors of the demolition had spread the previous afternoon, but she did not fear the destruction since she had just replaced her old house a month earlier, leaving enough space under the road’s jurisdiction. Moreover, the local government had issued ownership documents for the land, fueling hopes of clear title deeds.

However, those hopes were shattered shortly after when 2-3 police officers entered her yard. Panicked, she called relatives and sought help from the ward chairperson, but to no avail. Her house, constructed with a loan at 3 percent monthly interest just three days ago, was demolished before her eyes. The Division Forest Office of Bara coordinated the operation with the Division Road Office from Hetauda and the Parsa National Park team to demolish nearly 100 establishments belonging to about 50 local entrepreneurs.

“Not only was my house destroyed, but from today my hope and trust in the government is also lost,” Minakumari expressed despondently. She has been running a hotel business at Three Number Bridge for nearly three decades. Having demolished her old wooden hotel last month, she had just completed building the new house. “If the government had issued a prior notice explaining the demolition, why would I have taken a loan to build a house?” she asked. “We thought the new government would bring progress, but it turned out otherwise,” she added.

Minakumari’s husband passed away in 2012 (2069 BS). After demolishing the old wooden house that had belonged to her late husband, she had planned to run her business from the new structure. Now, with her business premises lost, she fears how she will repay the loan. Besides this location, she only owns approximately two kathas of agricultural land in Dhukuwabas village, which is also government land. “Who knows when the government might force us out from there as well?” she wondered.

Most homes in the Three Number Bridge area were used for hotel businesses famous for serving traditional dishes to travelers journeying through the East-West Highway’s Hetauda-Pathlaiya section. This small market is recognized as a resting place for thousands of travelers daily. According to Shambhu Khadgi, president of the Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs Association of Bara, daily business turnover exceeded 1 million rupees here. Yet, since Friday, the government’s demolition has permanently displaced these hospitality providers.

The government had awarded ownership certificates and issued assurances for land titles prior to initiating the demolitions. However, locals claim that although their settlements were previously recognized and ownership laid out, officials conducted the bulldozer operation without adequate coordination. Local resident Anil Pakhrin criticized the injustice, explaining they had been granted land ownership and occupancy permits in the past. When the forest office announced the demolitions via loudspeakers on Thursday afternoon, Anil and others took their ownership documents to the Jeetpur Simara Sub-Metropolitan City for assistance. Their main plea was for time to relocate their belongings, but no authorities responded.

“We sought help from ward chairpersons, the mayor, and federal parliamentarians, but no one listened,” Anil said, also lamenting that recently elected lawmakers are not even answering calls. “Even though local government had distributed ownership documents and promised titles, they did not coordinate to allow time for moving out,” he added.

In 2020 (2077 BS), Ward Office No. 22 of Jeetpur Simara had surveyed and issued occupancy rights to residents in this unauthorized settlement. These documents raised locals’ expectations for land title deeds from the Land Commission. According to local resident Deepakkumar Lama, the Bandavi Community Forest was established in 1998 (2055 BS) with the Three Number Bridge area officially recognized as a settlement. Although the 1985 (2044 BS) survey classified this region as forest land, the 1998 forest formation reinstated its status as residential. Based on this, ownership certificates were granted in 2020. Further, three years ago, the ward informed the Land Management Office that 24.96 hectares of this land were residential and ownership was accordingly distributed.

Locals are deeply disappointed that these longstanding recognitions were disregarded and the bulldozer operation carried out suddenly. Deepakkumar Lama said, “No matter the government, it is ours. We are its citizens and yet today we are treated like non-citizens, ignoring our history.”

The Division Forest Office chief, Sujit Kumar Jha, defended the operation, stating that settlements in forest and park areas must be removed. He claimed that multiple announcements and written notices were issued but ignored by locals, forcing the authorities to proceed.

Conversely, Mohan Sharma, president of the Jeetpur Simara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, accused the government of suppressing entrepreneurs by demolishing properties without allowing sufficient time for relocation. “Not just businessmen, but the fundamental human rights of locals have been violated by the state,” Sharma stated.

The Construction Entrepreneurs’ Federation has submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Integrated Infrastructure Development and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. Federation President Nicholas Pandey highlighted that the construction sector is in a critical crisis due to rising costs and urged for contract price adjustments. The federation requested the government to extend deadlines for stalled projects and arrange clear budget headings and payment provisions.

Amid severe inflation causing many projects nationwide to come to a halt, the federation delegation led by President Nicholas Pandey handed over the memorandum to Secretary Gopal Sigdel of the Ministry of Integrated Infrastructure Development and Secretary Sarita Dawadi of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation. Pandey informed that they met the secretaries to present the memorandum as the construction sector remains on hold.

According to Pandey, construction entrepreneurs face extreme difficulties due to increased prices. He emphasized the necessity to adjust contract prices in line with rising market costs and to extend deadlines for ongoing projects until Ashad 2084 (mid-July 2027) to create an environment conducive to continuation. Additionally, they demanded explicit budget titles and payment arrangements in the forthcoming budget for these projects.

Expressing concern over the crackdown on entrepreneurs amidst ongoing protests, Pandey said that investigations causing undue hardship to entrepreneurs would weaken the investment climate. He noted that fuel price hikes have increased the costs of construction materials such as cement, rods, and sand, and shortages of materials like bitumen are directly impacting construction work. Pandey asserted that the government must promptly issue price adjustment guidelines and provide concessions to offset the effects of price increases. Until these demands are addressed, he stated, progress on construction projects cannot proceed.

काठमाडौं, १ जेठ – चालू आर्थिक वर्ष २०७९/८० को पहिलो १० महिनामा पूँजी खर्च मात्र १ ट्रिलियन १३ अर्ब ८४ करोड रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ। वित्त मन्त्री डा. स्वर्णिम वाग्लेले यस वर्षको उच्चतम पूँजी खर्चको अपेक्षा व्यक्त गरेका छन्। सरकारले १० महिनामा कुल खर्च ११ ट्रिलियन ७३५.२ अर्ब रुपैयाँ गरेको छ भने राजस्व मात्र १० ट्रिलियन १२० अर्ब रुपैयाँमा सीमित भएको छ, जसले १.५ ट्रिलियनको घाटा देखाउँछ।

आर्थिक वर्ष २०७९/८० को १० महिनापछि (श्रावण-बैशाख) पूँजी खर्च एक ट्रिलियन रुपैयाँको नजिक पुगेको छ। महालेखापरीक्षकको कार्यालयका अनुसार बैशाखको अन्त्यसम्म पूँजी खर्च ११३.८४ अर्ब रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ, जुन यस वर्षको वार्षिक आवंटनको मात्र २७.९१ प्रतिशत हो। यद्यपि वित्त मन्त्रालयले यस वर्षको लागि क्यारीओभर आवंटन जस्ता लचिलो प्रावधानहरू लागू गरेको छ, विकास खर्च अपेक्षित गतिमा अघि बढेको छैन। तर, वित्त मन्त्री डा. स्वर्णिम वाग्लेले यस वर्ष पूँजी खर्च रेकर्ड उच्चमा पुग्ने आशा व्यक्त गरेका छन्। उनले यस विषयमा यस हप्ता वित्त समितिमा भएको छलफलमा भनेका छन्।

वित्त मन्त्रीको अपेक्षाअनुसार, आर्थिक वर्षको अन्त्यतिर विकास परियोजनाहरूको कार्यान्वयन र भुक्तानीमा वृद्धि हुने क्रममा खर्च तीव्र हुने सम्भावना रहेको छ। सरकारले यस वर्षको लागि पूँजी खर्चको लक्ष्य ४०७.८८ अर्ब रुपैयाँ तोकेको छ। बैशाखको अन्त्यसम्म वर्तमान खर्च ८१४.६५ अर्ब रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ, जसमा वित्तीय हस्तान्तरणको रकम समावेश गरिएको छ। यो चालू खर्चको लक्ष्य १.१८०९८ ट्रिलियनको ६८.९८ प्रतिशत पूरा भएको हो। वित्तीय व्यवस्थापनमा खर्च २४५ अर्ब रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ, जसमा सार्वजनिक ऋणको ब्याज भुक्तानीमा बढी खर्च भएको छ। यस खर्चको श्रेणीले यस आर्थिक वर्षको लागि आवंटित ३७५ अर्ब रुपैयाँको ६५.३ प्रतिशत पुगेको छ। १० महिनाको अवधिमा कुल बजेट खर्च १.१७३५२ ट्रिलियन रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ, जुन कुल आवंटनको ५९.७५ प्रतिशत हो। सरकारले यस वर्षको लागि १.९६४ ट्रिलियनको बजेट कार्यान्वयन गर्दैछ। राजस्व पक्षमा, संकलन निकै सुस्त भएको छ। १० महिनामा सरकारले राजस्व लक्ष्यको मात्र ६६.७९ प्रतिशत संकलन गरेको छ। यस वर्षको लागि संकलन लक्ष्य १.४८० ट्रिलियन रुपैयाँ छ। संकलित राजस्व ९८८.५५ अर्ब रुपैयाँ पुगेको छ, जसमा ८९३ अर्ब रुपैयाँ कर राजस्व र ९४.९८ अर्ब रुपैयाँ गैर-कर स्रोतबाट आएको छ। सरकारले यस वर्ष विदेशी अनुदानको रूपमा ५.३४४ अर्ब रुपैयाँ प्राप्त गर्ने अनुमान गरेको थियो। तर, १० महिनामा मात्र १.७७८ अर्ब रुपैयाँको विदेशी सहायता प्राप्त भएको छ, जुन लक्ष्यको ३३.२८ प्रतिशत हो। यी तीन खर्च शीर्षकहरूमा आवंटन अनुसार खर्च गर्न नसक्दा, सरकारले मध्यावधि समीक्षामार्फत लक्ष्यहरूलाई तलकोतर्फ संशोधन गरेको छ।

On May 15, Prime Minister Balen Shah met with Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss the preparation of the upcoming budget. According to sources from the Secretariat, the meeting involved extensive discussions on the recently approved policy and program, as well as crucial matters related to the forthcoming budget.

Taking place on May 15 in Kathmandu, the afternoon meeting at the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers’ Office focused on significant topics, including the government’s recently passed policy and program and the upcoming budget. The Secretariat sources confirmed that Finance Minister Wagle met with Prime Minister Shah and left shortly after their discussion concluded.