True Devolution
Nepal’s noted geographer Harka Gurung was way ahead of his time. This week we revisit an op-ed by him published in 2002 where he pointed out the need for true devolution of power in Nepal. Twenty years down the line, Nepal is a federal republic with three levels of the government, but the true decentralisation is elusive. Nepalis will be electing local governments on 13 May, but only when voters reward candidates who show promise to perform can bring about grassroots development.
Excerpts from an op-ed by Harka Gurung published 20 years ago this week o issue #88 5-11 April 2002 of Nepali Times:
It is clear that the problem of decentralisation has less to do with a legal framework than with economic viability. As a consultant to the Constitution Reform Recommendation Commission in 1975, I had proposed the re-organisation of the 75 districts into 40. The proposal was based on an economic rationale, but was rejected for political reasons. Since then, there has been much extension in roads, airports and telecommunications. These have narrowed the geographic space enabling the administration of a much larger area. The reduction in the number of districts also seems a logical option to economise administrative cost. The present district consolidation proposal is to reduce the number of administrative districts to 25 from 75.
Districts can function as autonomous bodies only if they have an adequate resource base. This would mean curtailing the present highly centralised budgetary allocation system and empowering districts with more taxation authority. District income could also be enhanced by allocating a certain percent of revenue from the district’s natural resource exploitation. There has been much discussion on the legal framework of the Local Self-governance Act 1999, which endorses the concept of devolution. A realistic approach towards decentralisation needs to first clarify the confusion between delegation of central functions and devolution of authority to local entities. This implies a drastic change in the relationship between the central government and the district hierarchy. The decentralisation effort in Nepal has failed due to the command system and economic fragility of the districts. And district autonomy is feasible only through the consolidation of their economic base with a wider tax base and revenue sharing of income from local resource use.
From archives material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: www.nepalitimes.com
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