KATHMANDU, April 3: Parliamentarians expressed handful of concerns that has caused resent in local levels during the meeting of federal parliament today. Common national agenda that were raised include bringing investment to boost the country’s economy, timely distribution of grants to earthquake victims to rebuild homes, opening of Tatopani border and those across the country.
Minendra Rijal of Nepali Congress claimed that the white paper failed to acknowledge the role of private sectors post 1990 in the country’s growth and in turn, blamed one another for a failed economic state. “There’s no time to blame any longer and the Ministry of Finance must look into ways to generate revenue, employment and investments to push the country towards development,” Rijal said adding that these were crucial to alleviate poverty.
Lawmakers urge govt to maintain peace and security
Likewise, parliamentarians Agni Sapkota, Pampha Bhushal, and Birodh Khatiwada urged the government to be serious to the needs of the earthquake victims. The leaders also scorned former Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba’s bluff decision of providing additional Rs. 100,000 as ‘irresponsible and a ‘humiliating joke’.
“It is astounding that the central government is unwilling to address the Chinese needs to reopen the Tatopani border which has been shut down for the past three years,” Sapkota said adding that the move had ‘severely affected employment of residents and reduced national income’. In turn, Sapkota urged the government to address the Chinese concern of strategic security and control of illegal activities to resolve the crisis. Meanwhile, Bhusal urged the government to be careful to ensure that development works would not affect loss of heritage, culture and identity.
Other parliamentarians shared that with a stable government in place, it was crucial to have clear priorities and meet the demands of the public to give them respite from lackluster development of the past.
