KATHMANDU: Gagan Kumar Thapa, President of the Nepali Congress, has said that constitutional and legal provisions must be amended to ensure meaningful development in Karnali Province.
Addressing an election rally in Birendranagar, Surkhet, on Thursday, Thapa argued that structural reforms are necessary if Karnali is to overcome persistent poverty and underdevelopment.
His remarks come days after senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Balendra Shah, commented in Birendranagar that Karnali had lagged behind due to old political forces.
Responding indirectly to Shah’s statement, Thapa said development cannot be achieved merely by singing songs about Karnali’s Marsi rice and Yarsagumba.
“Talking about Karnali’s yarsagumba, Marsi rice and herbs in songs is not enough,” Thapa said. “We can describe Karnali as heaven, as a granary, and recite poems about Rara. But why is Karnali still carrying 40 percent poverty and unemployment? This must be reviewed. It is not enough to say everything will be fixed once I come, or to blame previous leaders.”
He reminded Shah that Kathmandu Metropolitan City collects billions in revenue annually. “The local government in Kathmandu collects the highest house rent tax. Karnali receives only around Rs 520 million. There is neither transport revenue nor significant house rent tax collection here,” he said. “The first agenda for Karnali’s development is to amend the Constitution and laws. We must move from collecting Rs 520 million to generating Rs 52 billion.”
Taking a swipe at populist promises, Thapa said becoming prime minister and performing “magic” would not resolve structural issues. “It is not enough to say I will become prime minister and perform tricks. Necessary amendments must be made in the Constitution and laws,” he said.
He also acknowledged weaknesses in budget spending in Karnali, stating that even allocated funds have not been fully utilized. “People ask what has been done all these years. Karnali has limited resources and has not even been able to spend 60 percent of its budget. For Karnali, we must even reconsider the timing of the fiscal year to ensure effective spending,” he added.
Thapa stressed that without policy-level reforms and structural changes, Karnali’s long-standing development challenges would persist.
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