“We could not announce the full-fledged budget, allocating enough fund to these priority projects, but I instruct you secretaries to make sure the announced ´one-third budget´ are utilized in the most efficient and productive manner. [break]At least national-pride projects should not be affected because of insufficient allocation of budget,” a secretary attending the meeting quoted Bhattarai as saying.
The National Pride Projects puts special emphasis on projects having crucial significance in national development. Earlier this year, the government declared Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track, East-West Electrical Railway line, Mid-hill Highway, Tarai Postal Roads, Regional Airport in Bhairawa and Pokhara, Budhi Gandaki project, second international airport project in Nizgadh, Tamakoshi Hydropower, Melamchi Drinking Water, North-South highways in Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali zones and Sikta Irrigation as the national pride projects.
With the major festivals fast approaching, Bhattarai also instructed to the secretaries to make necessarily preparation to discourage black marketeering and ensure smooth supplies of essential commodities in the market.
He also sought cooperation from the secretaries to enhance good governance in the country. “The government could change but bureaucracy is the permanent state-machinery. So your cooperation is desirable in maintaining good governance and effective service delivery for people,” said Bhattarai to secretaries.
PM defends chief secretary appointment
PM also defended the government´s decision to appoint Lila Mani Poudel as the chief secretary which led to the resignation of five senior secretaries.
“The government selected Lila Mani Poudel on the basis of better work performance compared to other secretaries. Besides, we also gave priority to him as he can serve full three years of service period as chief secretary,” Bhattarai was quoted as saying. Bhattarai had spent most of the one-hour long meeting justifying the government´s decision on the appointment of chief secretary.
Bhattarai expressed dissatisfaction over the press meet organized by Shyam Mainali, one of the five secretaries who had decided to put in papers over the chief secretary appointment. “It not a suitable to organize a press conference to vent dissatisfaction by a high ranking official. He could have expressed his grievances personally to me,” he said.
Secretaries Shankar Koirala, Shyam Mainali, Abanindra Kumar Shrestha, Trilochan Upreti and Shushil JB Rana had tendered their resignation expressing their resentment over chief secretary appointment.
During the meeting some secretaries had expressed their grievances on the discrimination during posting and transfer of the secretaries.
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