UML’s prescription for the development of Mid-hills

The CPN-UML has concluded its ‘Resolution for Prosperity’ campaign, traversing the Mid-Hills Highway from Juhlaghat in Baitadi in the west to Chiwa Bhanjyang in Panchthar in the east.

During the campaign, the UML engaged with people from various walks of life and collected their suggestions and grievances. The party has compiled all these inputs and submitted a memorandum to the government, drawing attention to people's concerns.

The document includes 751 demands related to 46 sectors, according to UML leaders. “We collected people’s suggestions and grievances by interacting with different political parties, organizations, local units, and business leaders, among others. It is the government's responsibility to address these concerns,” stated UML Deputy General Secretary Pradip Gyawali.

One of the demands highlighted in the memorandum is a change in the alignment of the Mid-Hills Highway in certain areas. The UML has said in the document that the highway has been routed through unnecessary places due to political pressure and influence. UMl has called for a 'technical audit' of the highway to reduce its length.

“The 1,879-kilometer highway won't be appropriate from a national highway perspective. The length can be reduced by constructing tunnels and viaducts,” UML has stated in the memorandum. “Track opening work hasn't begun in some areas. Similarly, there has been a delay in the installation of the Bailey bridge in Matela of Jajarkot. Contractors leaving work midway should be penalized.”

Rajendra Gautam, chief of UML’s Publicity Department, said that the length of the highway can be reduced by 500 kilometers compared to the under-construction Madan Bhandari Highway.

751-point demand

Province-wise, there are 161 demands from Gandaki, 170 from Koshi, 135 from Sudurpashchim, 113 from Bagmati, 89 from Karnali, 75 from Lumbini, and eight from Madhesh.  The majority of these demands focus on road development, education, tourism, agriculture, horticulture, health, industry, and energy. Local communities have also sought programs for bridge construction, irrigation, building construction, culture preservation and promotion, land management, settlement development, sports, ending caste-based discrimination, water supply, and river training, among others. Most of the demands (157) are related to roads, while 25 demands are related to motorable bridges.

“The increasing demands in the road sector indicate that the mid-hills region is emphasizing on connectivity,” said Gautam. “Some of the demands include shortening the Mid-Hills Highway, managing settlements along the road, and proper management of secondary roads connected to the highway.”

In the education sector, most demands revolve around the management of teaching positions, relief quota teachers, and the quality of education in community schools. Additionally, locals have called for the promotion of archaeological sites along the highway, the preparation of a tourism master plan, and the construction of trekking trails.

“In the agriculture sector, we see great potential for orange and marigold farming in the mid-hills region,” said Gautam.

Similarly, local stakeholders have demanded programs for easy access to health services.

UML has concluded that the construction of the Mid-Hills Highway has made a positive contribution to the mid-hills region, emphasizing its potential for agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. “Since the area is rich in water resources, boasts a clean environment, offers beautiful vantage points for sightseeing, and is rich in the culture, tradition, and lifestyle of different ethnic groups, the mid-hills region holds immense prospects for tourism development,” reads the memorandum.

Migration taking a toll

UML has acknowledged both the challenges and opportunities in the mid-hills region, identifying migration as a major issue in the hilly areas. “Many settlements are becoming empty, and schools in a few places are on the verge of closure due to a lack of students. Farmland has been left fallow,” said Gyawali. “There are only children and the elderly in many settlements.” Gyawali said that the government must dispel misconceptions that nothing can be done in Nepal to check migration. “Lack of market access and fair prices for farm products is one of the reasons behind growing migration in the mid-hills region. We have drawn the attention of the government toward this issue,” he added.

UML has also urged the government to halt the uncontrolled import of vegetable products to support local farmers. Controlling middlemen, providing capital and technology for farmers, implementing crop and livestock insurance programs, ensuring a minimum support price, and facilitating market access for farm products are some of the suggestions given by the party.

Additionally, the party has drawn the attention of the government toward crop loss caused by wildlife such as monkeys and wild boars, as well as irrigation problems due to receding water levels because of the impacts of climate change. UMl has sought concrete programs to address these issues.

Slow progress of development projects

The UML has expressed dissatisfaction with the slow progress of transformative projects in the region, such as Bheri-Babai, Sunkoshi-Marin, and Pushpalal Mid-Hills Highway. Additionally, it highlighted that initiatives such as health insurance, basic hospitals, and the establishment of government medical colleges in each province have not advanced. Furthermore, the budget for strategic road projects has been unfairly reduced, it alleged..

The party concluded that extreme favoritism has become evident in development work. Laxity in project execution and economic recession have plunged businesses related to construction materials into crisis, with a lack of coordination hindering infrastructure development efforts.

Gyawali added that the party has brought to the government’s attention deliberate attempts to undermine nationally significant projects initiated by the UML. He cited examples such as the non-construction of the main dam of Bheri Babai despite the completion of the diversion tunnel. “While tunneling work in Sunkoshi Marin is nearing completion, other components of the projects are not progressing at a similar pace,” he added.

The UML has also said that the plan to build 10 new cities along the Mid-Hills Highway, initiated 14 years ago, is in limbo. Gautam stated that the government has reduced the budget for this component of the highway project.

The initial plan aimed to create cities equipped with modern services and infrastructure capable of accommodating at least 100,000 residents each. A primary objective of these cities was to control migration.

Lack of coordination

Stating that a lack of coordination among government agencies is affecting infrastructure projects, including highways, the UML called for proper coordination among line agencies. “The construction of the Mid-hills Highway has been affected in Gorkha and Dhading districts due to the proposed Budhigandaki Reservoir project. Similarly, the road section in Ramechhap has been unnecessarily extended to avoid inundation by the Sunkoshi-Marin project,” UMl said in the memorandum. “Lack of approval for a bridge over Karnali by the proposed Betan Karnali Hydropower Project is forcing locals of Achham to undertake a nearly 400-kilometer journey to reach provincial headquarters in Dhangadhi.”