Ministry of Water Supply facing problem following hand over of Office, Human Resources

Kathmandu / Dec 14 : The Ministry of Water Supply is facing problem carrying out its works with the hand over of its structures and human resources to the Provincial Governments after the adoption of federalism.

Ministry’s spokesman Ritesh Kumar Shakya said that although the offices and the human resources working there have been transferred to the provincial government, the federal Ministry’s responsibility regarding construction of structures, distribution and management of water supply has not reduced with the federal government.

Prior to this, the Ministry had structures and human resources under the federation under it. The structures and the human resources have now been handed over to the provincial government at present based on the new constitution. The offices in all but a few districts have been handed over. The federal Ministry has temporary offices in only 15 districts.

Before, there were around 2,500 employees under the Ministry and now it has only 400 employees after the employee adjustment process.

“Although the offices and employees have been transferred to the provincial governments, the work has not,” Ministry spokesman Shakya said.

The National Planning Commission (NPC) has made arrangements according to which the federal ministry has to construct the projects and programmes targeting population more than 15 thousand in the Tarai, 5 thousand in the hilly region and a population of 500 and more in the mountainous region.

At present there are 15 project offices under the Ministry in various places while 10 offices are to be added in the current fiscal year, Shakya said. The Ministry had appointed 100 employees on contract last fiscal year due to the shortage of employees.

“We have been discussing regarding supply of the required number of employees,” he said. The Ministry has been constructing the national pride project, Melamchi Water Supply Project, as well as many other projects.

As per the revised work division regulation decided upon by the Council of Ministers on December 24, 2015, the scope of work of the Ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation has been fixed.

Accordingly, formulation, implementation, regulation and evaluation of policy and programmes related to water supply fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry. Similarly, the responsibility of water supply, sanitation and sewerage is with the Ministry.

The responsibility of Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Management Board, the Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited and the Kathmandu Valley Water Supply and Sanitation Project Implementation Directorate lies with the federal government.

Likewise, the Nepal Water Supply Corporation, Melamchi Water Supply Development Board and Melamchi Water Supply Project, the Water Supply and Tariff Determination Commission and the sanitary sub-group of Nepal Engineering Service are under the Ministry’s jurisdiction. RSS