Pokhara Metropolitan Development Program and Expenditure Center Stalled Amid Disputes
Pokhara Metropolitan City has faced delays in publicizing its annual development program, disrupting the daily operations and development activities across wards and metropolitan offices. Mayor Dhanraj Acharya has been accused of repeatedly modifying the budget passed by the municipal assembly, resulting in delays in the publication of the ‘Red Book’. Due to the budget and development program not being publicly available yet, payments have been halted and expenditure centers are at a standstill, local officials report.
1 Bhadra, Pokhara — Pokhara Metropolitan City is caught in disorder, confusion, and indecision. Mayor Dhanraj Acharya has been occupied with foreign visits, inaugurations, groundbreakings, and meetings with foreign delegations, while the annual development program remains halted. The metropolitan office has even failed to process payments for completed projects, citing the unfinalized annual development program. Although the budget was presented on Asar 5 (mid-June) and approved by the municipal assembly on Asar 17, it has yet to be made public, causing payment suspensions. This has affected services and development works from ward offices up to the central metropolitan administration.
The budget passed by the municipal assembly is currently under re-evaluation due to Mayor Acharya’s ongoing instructions to add and remove projects. Despite the budget and development program passing on Asar 17, council representatives express dissatisfaction over these continued amendments. The Departments of Infrastructure, Urban Development, Tourism, and Environment have yet to submit their development plans. Although the development program was supposed to be submitted by the end of Asar and made public before Shrawan 15 with authority granted to expenditure centers, the pending finalization of the budget has paralyzed spending mechanisms. The Finance Department Chief, Jayram Paudel, confirmed the delay in finalizing the Red Book necessary for public release. Several ward chairs and municipal assembly members claim Mayor Acharya continues to alter the plans.
Representatives complain that, despite the rule to publicize the development program by Asar 30 and empower expenditure centers, ongoing changes to the plans amount to disrespect toward the municipal assembly. Pokhara’s budget totals NPR 7.15 billion. Devkrishna Parajuli, Ward No. 4 chairman, stated that although the ward submitted plans on time, the ongoing modifications have prevented their public announcement. He questioned, “Why has the budget approved by the municipal assembly on Asar 17 still not been made public? Mayor Acharya has not provided any satisfactory explanations.” He further added that attempts to alter passed plans are unlawful and they will oppose such attempts.
The Chief of Economic Development, Manhar Kadariya, said the development program was returned for review. He explained, “Sometimes, hastily approved programs contain errors that need correcting.” Due to the non-publication of the Red Book, payments have been delayed. According to Finance Department Chief Paudel, bank accounts remain unopened and expenditure centers inactive.
Following the transfer of Chief Administrative Officer Muktiram Aryal to Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Pokhara remains without administrative leadership. Aryal was appointed to Kathmandu as Chief Administrative Officer on Shrawan 20, yet the annual development program needed to be finalized prior to this. The absence of a new administrative chief has hindered the public release and implementation of the development program. Staff acknowledge that the leadership vacuum has impeded program initiation.
Vimalranjan Karki, head of the Department of Urban Development, Tourism, and Environment, said they are awaiting the mayor’s directive. “Once we receive the mayor’s instructions, we will immediately submit our program; we are currently waiting,” he stated. He also confirmed that discussions over the additions and removals of plans have reached higher officials.
UML leader and Ward No. 5 chairman Vishnu Prasad Baral expressed dissatisfaction over the unpublicized budget. “Delays in submitting plans have hampered development programs,” he said. “We are raising concerns about these delays; the metropolitan management has weaknesses, which reflect in implementation.”
Currently, Hemprasad Acharya, head of the Education Department, is acting as the interim Chief Administrative Officer. Although Shrawan has ended, the development program remains unpublished, leading to questions directed at Mayor Acharya. The mayor states that the financial act he approved came into force on Shrawan 1, with only the budget delayed. He insists, “No work has stopped despite the budget not being released.” He acknowledged that initial system issues caused delays along with ongoing budget and plan determinations.
Mayor Acharya claims expenditure centers have been stalled because the extent of partnership funding for various projects has not yet been fixed. However, metropolitan employees reject these claims, pointing out that the absence of the Red Book has paralyzed expenditure centers and bank operations. The mayor contends that decisions regarding budget allocation for partnership programs have been halted. Although there is usually a pattern of introducing the budget by the third week of Shrawan, this time the process has been delayed. He also indicated preparations to finalize the budget without further amendments.