Local Development Planning Process in Nepal (A Study on Formulation and Implementation of Annual District Development Plan of Bajura District)

Abstract

The overall development system of nation depends upon the decentralization development planning in Nepal. The local development is grass root development plan and District Development plan is a bridge between grassroots plan and national development plan. District development plan seem to be theoretically decentralized plan considered one of the prime move for grassroots level development in Nepal. The backward society couldn't participation in real planning process. The legal producers in the case of Nepal are not inadequate especially in the theory and practice in decentralized participatory planning process. Thus this study report tries to review the practices, problems, prospects and coordination mechanism in formulation and implementation participatory development planning process based on Bajura District. The objectives of this study is to study the local development planning process in DDC of Bajura District, to study the involvement of non-governmental organization and private sector in participatory planning process of DDC, to examine the existing practices, to analyze the policy related issues to the planning process in DDC, to study the involvement and role of INGOs, NGO, donor agencies and private in participatory planning process. It is a mainly for academic propose. For this study the literature review has been done under two categories, the conceptual review and review of empirical study. For this study different books, journals, previous research work, reports plans polices, acts, articles and newspapers etc. related to this study has been reviews. It reviews the complex system governmental and quasi- governmental relations at local level in Nepal. It embraces an assessment of the appropriateness of the existing institutional and financial arrangement for promoting local self-governance, self reliance and people participation in accordance with announced government policies. The study has been limited in only one local development planning and on only one Bajura district. This study has been foundation based on field survey, it studies the primary and secondary sources information also has been used form appropriate sources. Local NGOs staffs, line agencies staffs, DDC officials, key informants, members of civil society, political party, local development planners, and other intellectual interviewee's structured, unstructured and open ended questionnaire have been used in collected primary sources of field survey. Similarly many reverent secondary sources of information from library related offices, research cents, and websites have been used during secondary information collection. The study area has been selected through theoretically the study area is enclosed under the framework of participatory planning process of local development, physically the study area has been selected in Bajura district, the Headquarter of "Martadi" is around 120 Km far from Dipayal (Headhunter of far western Development region).It covers the area of 2188 square Kms with population 108781. It has only one electoral constituency, 9 Ilakas, and encompasses 27 VDCs. Achhham and Kalikot district is in south, Humla is in North, Mugu and Kalikot is in east side and Bajhang is in west neighboring districts of this district. Participatory local development panning requires the broad participation of each development stakeholders in plan formulating and implementing. The local development planning without popular participation results the unsustainable development even hampers the practice of decentralization. The broad participation of responsible local development stockholders, local bodies, and district based line agencies, local and national NGOs, donor agencies, private sector and civil society and political parties. Their involvement in common form common agenda local development planning could be possible through good coordination among them at local level. During the field survey interaction with DDC ex members, DDC officials, NGOs staffs, line agencies officials, private sectors in Bajura the overall problems in regards with local development planning at district level identified were found which is lack of strong coordination mechanism among all development stakeholders in bottom-up planning practice. There is another problem that government grant is inadequate for local development activities. Similarly final selection of program and final ceiling of budget from center level is the main constraint for local development planning, many respondents argued to influence this condition. This study finds that private sectors seem highly profit oriented; however they are concentrating to the development work at present days then they were before, programs supervision; monitoring and evaluation aspect is very in this district. Analyzing the collective measures of district level government for decentralized planning the study concludes that per-planning homework has been performed in order to make the planning bottom up and to involved development stakeholders in local level planning process of district. DDC has been given vaguely defined powers to undertake planning directly coordination and settle disputes. According to the LSGA 1999, the DDC should concentrate on planning and coordination rather then directly involvement implementing the development activities. The district based line agencies which are under the umbrella off DDC planning needs to conduct the feasibility study and proposed the plan to DDC in timely. Wonderfully some district line agencies which should have most trained staffs, have less percent of the trained staffs in total. The isolated activities of the responsible authorities for local development leads program duplication and gap in panning. This study has found planning of NGOs is well but their implementation is not sustainable. It is because they are highly influenced by local bodies in the local development program. Generally DDC is responsible that coordinate its development partners in its planning mainstream. In either mode NGOs might be supportive for decentralized development. However most of the programs launched by NGOs and line agencies are duplication. This study has also identified that less percent of NGOs are involved in line agencies plan implementation. The budget once relished is also reduced time to time a fiscal year. The financial accountability remains questionable in the case of user's committee and service providers. The project implemented by local is service provider is submitted to users committee between the agreement of users' committee head treasurer, technician and local service providers which causes the financial mismanagement. In this context present study has given some recommendation for local level planning especially for district development. For sustainable development and strengthen the local governance, local election for the government should be necessary. If it is not possible, then there should be appointment of the one committee from representatives of all the political parties, civil society and different organization who are concerning to the local governance for wellbeing the overall development of district. The DDC should be fully authorized to select its plan and allocate the budget finally. Subjective resources should be provided to local bodies in order that they could implement the local development program directly. Ilaka level plan formulation should be strong and effective. Private sector should be integrated DDC umbrella in plan formulation. DCC should be strong mechanism coordination, monitoring and evaluation the district level committee to check their work performance. Weak financial management at local level cases the whole planning process fail. Thus the DDC should be select the most transparent agencies and make provision to reward them