Compliance of devolution in local bodies (A study of Parsa District, Nepal)

Abstract

This Thesis entitled „Compliance of devolution in Local Bodies‟ is conducted in Parsa District of Nepal.The main objective of this study is to explore the compliance of devolution in local bodies in actual practice as mentioned in LSGAACT 1999. Decentralization follows transfer of power and responsibility from center to region, sub-national and local levels. Local self-governance is the means of autonomy through decentralization. Principle of subsidiarity is the fundamental philosophy of it. Since 1960s, Nepal is practicing decentralization in different ways up to now. This is made due to gap between theory and practice. Whatever we have different legal and policy structure to apply the decentralization, the application of it among different form like devolution is also not practiced in real field as mentioned in LSGA ACT 1999. So, researcher has triedto explore the basic cause about it. This study is based on the primary and secondary sources of information. Information was collected through qualitative tools. The questionnaire was used and check list (Focus Group Discussion) was used as a qualitative tool. Seven samples were taken randomly as sample size and the respondents were DDC officials, NGOs, INGOs, CBOs representatives and parliament members. This study has been prepared in 5 different chapters. This study has focused on the hypothesis testing in the variable of political initiation, bureaucratic commitment, monitoring institution, financial resource availability and creating local environment. The result of the study shows except financial resource availability and creating local environment, other variables reflect the result that more than 70 percent compliance of devolution in local bodies even though not hundred percent. Due to various factors, the application of devolution is affected in real field. The financial resource availability variablehas been shown more than sixty percent resource scarcity. This does not show compliance as we expected in policy. Local environment is also hampering in local level activities day to day. The result of this variable shows fifty percent non-compliance in field level during research findings. So, it can be concluded that due to political weakwillingness to devolve the power, low proactive commitment of bureaucrat, weak and ineffective monitoring system, scar of financial resources as need in local demand and less supporting local environment for policy implementation are the major reasons not to fully compliance of devolution as in policy. Among them political initiation and other variables are the most important factor to increase the compliance of devolution in the local bodies of Parsa District.