1. Background

The “directive principles and policies of the state” embodied in the Constitution of Nepal 2047 specify to provide maximum opportunities for people to be involved in governance through decentralization. Adopting this, the Local Self-Government Act, 2055 and Regulations, 2056 have made provisions to empower local bodies. There is a need for local bodies to take responsibility for planning, implementation and operation to develop infrastructure through decentralization and local self-governance at the local level. The relevant central agencies are active in the implementation of programs related to physical infrastructure, social development and environment. These bodies have also adopted various policies and strategies to achieve the sectoral goals. In this context, the National Housing Policy 2053 for the development of the agricultural sector, the National Sewerage Management Policy 2053, the Long-Term Agricultural Plan 2054, the National Transport Policy 2058 for the development of the transport sector, the Irrigation Policy 2060 for the development of the irrigation sector, the National Policy for Water and Sanitation in the Water and Sanitation sector 2060 etc. are significant. Some of the existing thematic policies and strategies have not been able to cover the local infrastructure development programs to be conducted through local bodies. The National Strategy for Rural Infrastructure Development, 2054 (Council of Ministers) was approved in November 2054. The goal of this strategy was to adopt a universal process in the implementation of rural infrastructure development works coordinated by various thematic ministries, donor organizations and local bodies in their own way. The strategy also seems to have projected the ten-year organizational framework and required investment amount. As specified in the strategy, the Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads was established in Bhadra in 2055 under the Ministry of Local Development. With the aim of conducting infrastructure development works at the local level from a single agencyIn 2058, the District Infrastructure Development Office (currently District Technical Office) was established under the District Development Committee. When evaluating this strategy as a whole, it was seen that although it has a one-door system and multidisciplinary objectives for local infrastructure development, it is mostly focused on rural road construction. After the implementation of the Local Self-Government Act, 2055, it is certain that these bodies will make a significant contribution to the country's development due to the widening of jurisdiction, resource management and operation of local bodies. In accordance with the objective of making local bodies more active, people-oriented and responsive under the local self-governance system, the rights of the programs conducted by the central bodies have been transferred to the local bodies, including the formulation, implementation and after implementation of the necessary maintenance, maintenance and operation of programs related to infrastructure development in other areas. Garin procedure has been adopted. In this process, coordination will also be done between the sectoral efforts of infrastructure development by the central level and the local level development efforts by the local bodies. Even after a long period of implementation of the Local Self-Government Act and Rules, there is a lack of long-term thinking, lack of entrustment of local infrastructure works to local bodies in accordance with the spirit of decentralization, inability to prepare a clear blueprint of what should be done in rural and urban infrastructure in accordance with the spirit of the Act, infrastructure to be implemented at the local level Due to reasons such as the inability to get quality returns from the programs, the National Strategy for Rural Infrastructure Development, 2054 needs to be comprehensively reviewed, and accordingly, the Local Infrastructure Development Policy, 2061 has been formulated and implemented.