The National Council (NC) in its recommendations on the 12th Plan has recommended allowing the interim government (IG) to continue with the Plan period activities.

Presenting the recommendations for adoption, member from Haa, Ugyen Namgay, yesterday said the recommendation is aimed at giving continuity to development works under the capital budget even during the election period. “This can be done by including the interim government’s tenure in the five-year Plan for the continued implementation of development activities,” he said.

The NC’s recommendation implies that a new Plan period should start immediately after the completion of one without interruption even during the election period.

However, the government has aligned the 12th Plan with its tenure, which means that the Plan period will commence from November 1, 2018. Aligning a Plan with the government’s tenure would mean that Plan activities conclude with the completion of the government’s tenure and new activities would be approved by the incoming government.

As per the government’s decision, new development activities under the capital budget cannot take place during the interim government’s time. 

 No new development activities were initiated since the end of the 11th Plan on June 31.

The recommendations, which came from individual members, were endorsed by a show of hands at the end of the deliberation on the 12th Plan.

Members had initially proposed 38 recommendations, but 16 of them were dropped due to lack of consensus. One of the recommendations the House dropped was about the need to provide assistants for teachers.

Another recommendation asks the government to use GNH policy screening tools in plans and programmes of national importance. The NC has also asked the government to submit detailed objectives and plans of its flagship programmes to Parliament.

The House also recommended the government to increase the current target percent of Annual Real GDP Growth to seven or more. The NC states that the government’s target of maintaining GDP growth between 5 to 6 percent is not ambitious.

The house also recommended creating enabling policies and laws regarding tourism to promote equal regional development and to improve infrastructure tourist sites.

The NC also asked for including budget for free nutritious lunch to all the students in identified schools.

The recommendations include providing appropriate compensation to those affected by wild animals and suitable compensation to those inhabiting in the park areas for forgoing developmental activities. The House also included a recommendation to provide adequate human resources in the Local Governments to strengthen the decentralization process.

The recommendations will be forward to the government.

MB Subba