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In Nepal MCC project in 2012, the then senior Maoist leader and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist leader and Finance Minister Varshman Pun demanded. It was taken to Parliament for approval on July 15, 2019 when KP Oli was the Prime Minister.The MCC grant was signed in 2017 with the goal of modernizing energy and transportation. MCC will provide grant support for economic growth, poverty reduction and strengthening of democratic institutions. MCC also promotes the interests of Nepal-US friendship. MCC is a non-military agreement. MCC is a partnership grant fund.
MCC is an independent US foreign aid agency dedicated to reducing poverty through economic growth.
Due to excessive politicization of MCC, the implementation has been delayed. After the MCC was approved by the parliament last year, the door of implementation opened. It is a 5-year project as agreed on 14 September 2017. US $500 million grant and Nepal government will invest $130 million in it.
The power transmission line and road infrastructure projects under MCC are starting from August 2023. There will be a global tender for the construction of 315 km long transmission line.
The Board of Directors of MCA-Nepal has representation from Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport and Nepal Electricity Authority. It is chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.
The program will provide direct employment opportunities to 7500 during the project period. The project will also provide technical assistance to the Government of Nepal in various undertakings in the energy sector.
Besides, 77 kilometers of roads will be maintained and the quality of the roads will be maintained. New road maintenance will be done in Dhankhola to Lamhi section of Dang district. Lamhi Shivkhola section road will be added. This project will be completed in 5 years.
American Ambassador Dean R. Thompson said that the implementation of MCC is his priority.He said that America is not involved in the political process of Nepal. Support is expected from the local and central government of Nepal and all parties to complete the project. The MCC project will create 10,000 jobs. Nepalese people should take advantage of MCC and understand it. Our hope of implementing the project will not diminish due to the protests and obstructions seen in Nuwakot, Dang, substation construction and road expansion and in the areas of Ratamate and project implementation.
Under MCC transmission line project passing through Kathmandu, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, Dhading, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Tanahun, Palpa, Nawalpur and Parasi districts, Lapsifedi-Ratmate-Hetauda, ??Ratmate-Damauli and Damauli-Butwal 400 KV transmission line, Butwal-Nepal-India There are projects.
On the occasion of the 75th year of Nepal-US diplomatic relations, the US has expressed its happiness to provide skills, technology and knowledge in the fields of further development and emergency assistance, education, health and other fields.The US has also said that it will continue to support Nepal's democratic values ??and long-term economic development. MCC has also expressed its belief that it will help in reducing poverty in Nepal and in civil investment and good governance.
TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT THE MCC-NEPAL COMPACT
- The MCC-Nepal Compact will advance Nepal’s economic growth by strengthening and expanding the energy sector, improving road quality, and creating business opportunities for the people of Nepal.
- The Government of Nepal demonstrated its commitment to the MCC partnership by contributing an additional $130 million U.S. dollars towards programs. This remains the largest up-front contribution of any partner government in the history of MCC.
- The Government of Nepal identified the country’s need for more widely available and reliable electricity, and safer roads that are more consistently maintained and worked with MCC to focus on these national priorities. Nepalis will lead compact project teams and will be accountable to Nepali stakeholders for making decisions and achieving results. Citizens of Nepal will be hired to lead compact
- Over the last decade, the MCC-Nepal Compact has received the support of every Prime Minster and committed endorsements from civil society and the private sector.
- Even after parliamentary ratification, the MCC-Nepal Compact, does not and will not prevail over Nepal’s constitution.
- The MCC-Nepal Compact will make travel cheaper, the movement of goods easier and safer for drivers, travelers, and commuters along the East-West Highway network using climate-smart, sustainable technology to recycle asphalt and create a safer transportation network that is easier to maintain, quicker to repair, and better for the environment.
- The MCC-Nepal Compact will support the construction of powerlines connecting clean energy generated by Nepalese hydropower resources to over two-thirds of the homes and businesses across Nepal.
- The MCC-Nepal Compact is a non-military agreement; it does not have any military components and by U.S. law, MCC funding cannot be used for military assistance or training.
- The MCC-Nepal Compact is not, and never has been, a deliverable of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.
- MCC partnership is 100% grant funding – not loans.
MCC Nepal has accepted. There is no use spreading confusion about this. Border expert Buddhinarayan Shrestha, former Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri, and the presidents of the main parties have also said that MCC is a development project and should be used for infrastructure construction anyway. They believe that the dispute cannot be in the interest of the country.
MCC implementation is being delayed due to long and deep politicization.
After it was passed in the parliament and accepted by the government, now it is the property of Nepal, every level and level of society should be responsible for everything from transmission lines and road transport to jobs related to the food, food and roof of the poor Nepalese. To escalate the dispute is to deprive the poor of benefits, jobs and food.
Nepal has 22 billion debt. Projects built with loans are becoming a trap.
The trade deficit is increasing, the daily expenses of the country, the salaries of the employees have to be paid with loans. The government itself says that the police cannot be paid for 3 months, it will be paid in July. Nepal's financial market has been affected by problems.
Therefore, what Nepal needs is not loans, but grant-based development. How can the grant be implemented more profitably? The subject should be the interest of the political administration.
India and China are more interested in Nepal because of the border. After the arrival of MCC, China is becoming more aggressive towards Nepal.
China has advanced BRI against MCC. Prachanda, a Delhi-trained Maoist leader, has become the Prime Minister, minus KP Oli, who is close to Beijing. These are Prachanda, Which was raised against the then king by former Indian administrator Shyam Sharan in 2005-6, he even prepared a successful design to remove the monarchy. The same Shyamsharan is going to Delhi after stopping going to the Boao meeting in China.
After overthrowing the monarchy, Prachanda, who was in Delhi's good book, became the prime minister under Delhi's orders, and is now running the political administration of Nepal.
The king abdicated saying that his abdication would benefit Nepal, but the welfare of India is increasing. Because of Maoist, Hindu Nepal has become secular, Christianity has increased significantly. Often Nepali communists have been converted to Christianity. Universal Foundation Korea even gave the communists holy wine. However, Hindus have lived together with Christians and Muslims. India's grip is so strong within the Communists and Congress that they do not raise the issue even when Nepalese territory is moved to the Indian map.It is included in the constitution to confuse the people. They don't talk about bringing it back. It is widely believed that traitors need Delhi's blessings to stay in power in Nepal. During the monarchy, the power was in the palace, in the republic, Delhi and Beijing have moved.
After the acceptance of the MCC, voices have started coming from Delhi and Beijing that the monarchy should be restored. In 2006, Sonia Gandhi's personal assistant MP Karan Singh came to Nepal. Karan Singh may come to Kathmandu again. Because he was the witness between the king and parties at that time. Monarchy may be considered necessary by India and China as a security shield.
Beijing and Delhi understand that MCC is an American strategy. Beijing has openly shown its security concerns in Nepal. Tibetan refugees, Taiwan issues are core issues for China. America is concerned about human rights and democracy. Trump passed a bill to increase aid to Tibetans on the last day of his term, which Wyden has also adopted the same policy. Beijing has been angered by the US launching a search for a successor to the Dalai Lama. On December 21, the US Congress passed the TPSA.
It was a bill to strengthen US support for Tibet through democracy, humanitarian aid and prevention of Chinese abuses. President Joe Wyden's diplomatic front and dealings with China are meaningful in the South Asian region.
Since the early days of Wyden, Taiwan's female ambassador and most recently, Taiwan's president's visit to the US was like an earthquake for China. American tremors have also started in the Sri Lanka-China, China-Pakistan economic corridors. Beijing is always suspicious of Nepali Communists' opportunistic character. Communists are not considered reliable. Therefore, China has opened dozens of cooperative organizations and through those organizations and agents, it has started playing in Nepal's politics, diplomacy and people's level. More than 7,000 Surakis from China are working as laborers and hundreds of tourists and experts are working in different parts of Nepal. Reports of US or Indian action in Nepal have also reached Beijing.
In this perspective-
Against the MCC, China made the communist camp protest strongly against the US. India did not speak out about the MCC. Finally, the communists got the MCC approved by the parliament, and the opposition ended. Maoists were not seen as reliable and dependable because they asked for a plan by themselves and opposed America by themselves. India is not a trusted ally of America, but India remained silent on the MCC issue out of necessity. Even if Beijing does not oppose it, it is keeping a close watch on the MCC project.
Whether it is clear or not, the cold of Washington, Delhi and Beijing can be experienced in Nepal. The main point is that the opportunistic Nepali leaders do not have the talent and status to face this competition. This is the biggest obstacle to the implementation of MCC. Obstacles now mean that Nepal will fall further behind in development and deprive the poor Nepali people of their livelihood.
Enough is enough. Extreme politics about MCC should stop now. It is only unfortunate for the country to be affected by excessive politics.
- Dr. Binita
