December 17: Minister for Urban Development Ram Kumari Jhankri has expressed her dissatisfaction over the so-called priority projects of the federal government. She said that the projects are profiting a handful of people who have access to power centers.

“People with access to the federal government have been misusing the priority projects. It is the politicians who determine the future course of action of a nation but the politicians are not able to choose proper plans,” said Minister Jhankri while speaking at the meeting of the Development and Technology Committee of federal parliament on Thursday.

According to Jhankri, the choice of projects is made without considering the economic impacts and do not comply with the provisions of the Financial Procedure and Financial Accountability Act.

She said there is no need to build a view tower worth more than Rs 500 million on a hill at a time when hundreds of families are living under makeshift tents. According to Minister Jhankri, the parliament should curb the imbalance in the choice of plans. She said that housing reconstruction and urban development could not be carried properly out due to the lack of coordination among the different tiers of government.

During the meeting, the chairperson of the committee Kalyani Khadka directed the ministry to ensure proper standard and criteria for construction of buildings at a time when the government itself was constructing buildings for various bodies without giving due consideration to impact on environment and other issues.

According to Chairperson Khadka, in order to address the people's intense desire for development in the changed political context, the committee has directed the government to identify the projects that have stalled due to lack of budget and expedite them immediately.