KATHMANDU — Winning elections is difficult for political parties and leaders, but fulfilling public expectations is even harder. To meet public demands, clear policies, vision, and action plans are needed—along with strong commitment to implementation.
Longstanding Crisis in the Cooperative Sector
For years, citizens have been troubled by unresolved issues. Those who came to power and held ministerial positions mostly offered promises but failed to deliver, leaving people without justice or relief.
One such ministry is the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, where people have long awaited support but received none. Instead of solving problems, ministers leading this ministry were often embroiled in corruption scandals. The suffering of the people went largely ignored.
However, the situation now appears to be changing. A ministry burdened with problems has received a young minister, whose working style has already begun to inspire hope.
Minister Rawal’s Leadership and Early Actions
Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Pratibha Rawal now serves as minister. She is responsible for two key ministries—Federal Affairs and General Administration, and Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. Both ministries carry heavy challenges, public dissatisfaction, and complex issues.
With strong determination, challenges can become opportunities. Minister Rawal has embraced these problems as opportunities.
Since taking the oath of office on Chaitra 13 and entering Singha Durbar, Rawal has not had a moment of rest. In fact, she had already been working on understanding solutions for these ministries for the past four years.
She has identified several ways to address the problems, continues to explore new solutions, and is actively engaging with stakeholders. Based on her prior research and consultations, she has already begun implementing initiatives that are bringing hope and satisfaction to concerned groups.
Efforts to Resolve the Cooperative Crisis
First, focusing on the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation:
More than 1.4 million cooperative depositors have been protesting for the past four years. Misuse of savings by cooperative operators has left them in distress, and some have even lost their lives during protests.
Understanding the depth of the problem, Rawal sent a letter on Chaitra 16 to the National Campaign for Cooperative Depositor Protection, inviting representatives for discussion at the ministry on Chaitra 17.
She brought together protesting activists, ministry officials, and concerned departments for discussions. Her message was clear: she had not come to give assurances, but to solve the problem, and she encouraged participants to provide suggestions.
Following her request, campaign representatives submitted an eight-point proposal. She acknowledged that these ideas had already been identified and assured that the government would now move forward responsibly.
Her approach gave hope to cooperative victims. Her words carried a plan, not just promises. She was confident, and there were two main reasons behind that confidence—the RSP manifesto and the government’s reform agenda.
During the election, the RSP had released a 100-point manifesto, which pledged to return small depositors’ savings within 100 days of forming the government. It also proposed creating a unified savings protection fund to prioritize repayment, starting with small depositors.
Similarly, the government’s reform agenda passed on Chaitra 13 includes a provision to begin the process of returning small depositors’ savings within 100 days.
After discussions with the minister, campaign member Kushal KC said that the minister’s commitment and the government’s decision have raised hope that savings will be returned and those responsible for fraud will face action.
Challenges and Administrative Reforms
Why did the return of cooperative savings become so complicated, and why did victims continue to suffer? Minister Rawal is well aware of this. Previous governments failed to treat it as a public issue and instead politicized the problem.
There was also a narrative that holding one individual accountable would solve the crisis instantly. Legal actions were taken repeatedly, but the problem did not decrease—in fact, it worsened. This is because the issue lies with cooperative operators who misused funds, not just individuals targeted for political reasons.
Some still argue that the state cannot use public funds to compensate depositors. While it may be true that the government cannot return all savings at once, more than NPR 300 billion has reportedly been misused across dozens of troubled cooperatives.
However, solutions are possible. Not just on paper, but through real policy and action. Minister Rawal has already explored multiple ways to recover savings—bringing back absconding operators, tracing their investments, and using those assets to repay depositors step by step.
The money people saved—often by sacrificing basic needs—was once filled with sweat and hard work, and now with tears. Can the state ignore this? It cannot. In a welfare-oriented democracy, the government cannot turn a blind eye. Minister Rawal appears to understand this well.
She also leads the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, which oversees civil service management. Traditionally, this ministry has been dominated by bureaucrats rather than ministers. Rawal has begun addressing this trend. She is assigning staff to local levels lacking chief administrative officers—based on merit, not influence or connections.
She has clearly instructed civil servants to report to assigned posts quickly or step aside. Her early actions have sent a strong message to those accustomed to using political influence for favorable postings.
Minister Rawal brings not just youthful energy but also clarity, solutions, and a strong sense of responsibility. If she continues to work selflessly to meet public expectations, her success could benefit the entire nation.
