February 15 : Stakeholders have stressed on the need committed efforts from all concerned for the development of Eastern Terai.
Participating in an interaction held at Biratnagar on the topic “Nepal’s Development and Nepal-India Relationship,” jointly organized by New Business Age Pvt. Ltd. and Aarthik Abhiyan Daily on last Wednesday, the stakeholders alleged that the political leadership was indifferent towards the country’s development. They claimed that the leaders’ lack of vision about national progress was the reason behind the sluggish pace of Nepal’s development. Speakers at the program said that the Nepal-India relations have remained strong and cordial at the peoples’ level, though problems have been felt from time to time at the government level.
Member of Parliament representing Madhesi People’s Rights Forum-Democratic, Pawan Kumar Sharada, who presided over the event, opined that frequent strikes and shutdowns have ravaged almost every area related to national development. Sharada, who is also is also the President of Morang Merchants Association and an Executive Committee Member of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Nepal had to suffer a huge economic setback due to the recent blockade on Indian border because the country didn’t take any initiative to reduce dependence on India even after experience of a blockade in 1989. He said that the country once able to export rice has now come to the stage of importing it. Expressing his dismay over the fact, he added, “It’s easy to blame others. But what have we done since 1989?” |
Likewise, chief guest at the program and President of Chamber of Industries, Morang, Shiva Shankar Agrawal called for a strategy based on four pillars for the development of the country. According to him, the four pillars should be Service Sector, Manufacturing Sector, Agriculture Sector and Natural Resources. He added that even if it is necessary for the time being to send the youth, the crucial human resource, for foreign employment, they should be provided with proper trainings before they go abroad. He also called for removing the non-tariff barriers imposed by India on Nepal’s exports. On a different note, he added that both Nepal and India should be vigilant on containing the rise of illegal trade across the open border
Another participant, Dean at the Purbanchal University’s Faculty of Management, Professor Dr. Khagendra Acharya called for developing a ‘win-win’ situation for both Nepal and India so as to avoid bilateral tension between the two countries. He was of the view that a link road connecting the SAARC nations and China should be constructed for the development of the eastern Nepal.
Similarly, Industrialist Surendra Golchha stressed on the need of agricultural development in order to ensure overall development of the country. He said efforts should be made to reduce the production costs so as to effectively commercialize the country’s agricultural sector. Pointing at the possibility of attracting a significant number of tourists in the eastern region, he added that the tourism prospects and infrastructural quality of the region should however be bolstered to make it a reality.
Former lawmaker and a leader of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Jaya Ram Yadav, said that the country’s development would not move ahead unless there is an improvement in the relationship with India. He added that mere blame game would not help resolve the matter. CPN-UML’s representative Keshav Prasad Gautam said that the Nepal-India bilateral treaty of 1950 should be revoked. Former Executive Officer at the Nerude Micro-Hydro Power Development Bank, Mani Kumar Arjyal drew the attention of all to the fact that the microfinance companies are facing difficulty in finding a sector where to invest as there is a lack of a long-term strategy on microfinance. He said that the provision of identity cards for citizens of both Nepal and India should be made mandatory for cross-border travel.
At the beginning of the program, Editor-in-Chief of Aarthik Abhiyan Daily and New Business Age monthly, Madan Lamsal explained the objective of the program and said that the program focusing on the development issues of the country’s eastern region was organized at Biratnagar simply because no others than the people of eastern region would be as concerned and determined for the development of this region.
Among the other participants were First Vice President of Auditors Association of Nepal Mohan Subedi, Moran District Development Committee’s Pitambar Wasti, PABSON Morang’s former chairman Khamba Singh Basnet, Chamber of Industries, Morang’s first vice-president Mukesh Upadhyaya and Women Networks’ Sanju Sah.
