Forest Technicians Demand Administrative Reforms from Minister and Secretary
April 29, Butwal—Forest technicians have expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that the provincial government has shown reluctance to establish good governance, efficiency, and outcome-oriented management in forest administration. At an event organized by the Nepal Forest Technicians Association, Lumbini, technicians from 12 districts of the province openly voiced their frustration over policy delays and government apathy to Minister for Forest and Environment Devkaran Kalwar.
Speaking at the program, Association President Keshav Khadka said many essential policy and legal matters necessary for forest sector reforms remain stalled within the provincial government. He raised concerns about the suspension of procedural guidelines with e-tender provisions for timber and firewood auctions, the lack of progress in legislation related to auctioning standing trees, and government neglect of issues such as the cutting of Shorea robusta species in private forests. “Technicians in the field are actively pushing for forest administration reforms and good governance, but such urgency has not been reflected within the government,” Khadka stated.
Vijay Subedi, Chief of the Bardiya Forest Office, highlighted that delays in decisions related to online tendering, auctioning of standing trees, and management improvements have impacted operational efficiency. Forest Director General Ishwari Paudel emphasized that ongoing efforts to reform forest administration require timely legal arrangements.
Forest Secretary Pramod Bhattarai acknowledged that some issues remain stuck due to inter-ministerial coordination challenges and insufficient understanding of their seriousness, which has hindered decision-making processes. He assured that efforts will be made to reach conclusions on such matters promptly. Minister Devkaran Kalwar described it as unnatural for laws initiated by the ministry to be stalled and committed to prioritizing forest sector reforms moving forward.