Locals boycott Far-west assembly hearing over delayed Gurgi irrigation project

Dhangadhi: Locals have boycotted a public hearing organized by the Economic Development and Natural Resources Committee of the Far West Provincial Assembly, expressing frustration over the prolonged delay in the reconstruction of the Gurgi Irrigation Project in Baijpur, Kailari Rural Municipality-5, Kailali.

The hearing, chaired by committee chairman and Nagarik Unmukti Party parliamentary leader Ghanashyam Chaudhary, saw locals voicing anger that annual budgets are allocated for the project but no reconstruction has taken place.

During the program, Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development Prem Prasad Bhatta and Engineer Tekraj Binadi of the Water Resources and Irrigation Division Office requested that former local secretary Surat Bam and Irrigation Division Chief Dambar Dhital be allowed to respond, citing alleged corruption related to the project. The program was disrupted when local resident Rewanta Bohara demanded that employees be investigated for financial irregularities in the DPR, stating he had no complaints with the provincial assembly members.

Amid the commotion, while Engineer Binadi was addressing the audience, locals left the program in protest. The main canal dam of the Gurgi Irrigation Project, built in the 1950s, had collapsed, and both the federal and Sudurpaschim Provincial Governments have been allocating funds annually for its reconstruction since 2064 BS.

Committee Chairman Ghanshyam Chaudhary expressed disappointment over the boycott, noting that the purpose of the hearing was to listen to locals. He assured that the committee would issue instructions to the government for the stalled reconstruction after further discussions.

The hearing included committee members such as Maoist Center parliamentary party leader Khagraj Bhatta, UML Chief Whip Chakra Bahadur Malla, Congress MP Lalita Sunar, Maoist MP Shiv Singh Oli, and independent MP Dr. Tara Prasad Joshi. However, none were able to address the audience due to the boycott.