Sukul Bahas is a platform that facilitates regular interactions between citizens, local activists/groups and bureaucrats/public officials. The aim of the discussion forum is to talk about localized and specific issues so as to bring together parties that are capable of acting on the problems. Sukul bahas promotes openness of ideas and perspectives, establishes contact between parties that don’t come together otherwise
and thereby creates a system of check and balance between the public and bureaucrats/ government bodies.
Sukul Bahas, an integral element to Galli Galli’s objective was entwined with the aim of the project with the belief that relevant issues, multiple perspectives and a mutual purpose to improve and strengthen the public sector would emerge from it. In the course of one year, several sessions were conducted within and outside Galli Galli office premises. The sessions were utilized to identify issues of public dissatisfaction, to probe into their experiences while accessing public services and analyze them to create a picture to present them during Galli Galli’s interaction and interviews with public officials. Discussions centered on issues, such as, rapid urbanization and its consequences, impacts of air pollution in Kathmandu valley, urban governance and urban development, effectiveness of health insurance in Nepal, understanding of local level elections among the youth, rental issues in Kathmandu and other such issues of public concern.
The conducted Sukul Bahas are:
2) Taxi meter: necessity and practicality.
3) Challenges and solutions to maintain the beauty of roads in Kathmandu.
4) Compulsion of road expansion in Kathmandu and the measures to reduce the compulsion.
5) Causes and solutions of LPG shortage.
6) Will clean water flow in the rivers of Kathmandu?
7) Challenges seen in waste management.
8) Post-earthquake debris management.
9) Budgeting / implementation process and budgeting during monsoon.
10) Understanding and differences between the representation of women in local government.
11) The increasing use of digitization and its future.
12) Local bodies’ presence and initiative to provide service for squatters.
13) Consumption of government land: The role of government and citizen.
14) The reaction of vehicle owners and drivers on strict traffic rules and fines policies.
15) Modernization in Teej: Culture or distortion?
16) Role of youth in implementation of constitution.
17) Basic Orientation on Fundamental Rights.
18) Election of Independent Student Union and its Necessity.
19) Existing air pollution in Kathmandu and its direct impact on public health.
