NA meeting: Lawmakers urge government to give alternative to petroleum products

Kathmandu: Lawmakers have suggested the government give alternatives to petroleum products and traditional skills during the discussion held on the government’s policies and programmes for the coming fiscal year 2022/23 in today’s meeting of the National Assembly.

They asked the government to pay attention to different issues including providing chemical fertilizer on time, establishing fertilizer factories in the country, paying attention to national pride projects, resolving the problems of landless squatters, to pay attention to providing quality education. Some of the lawmakers put forth their views in favour of the government’s policies and programmes while some others expressed their dissatisfaction with it. On the occasion, a lawmaker of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Jayanti Devi Rai, said that though the government’s policies and programmes are good, the government has to pay attention to increasing the use of electricity as an alternative to petroleum products in the policies and programmes.

Similarly, Bhuwan Bahadur Sunar of the CPN (Maoist Centre) suggested the government should give tax exemption on raw materials brought from abroad in order to modernize indigenous and traditional professions. There should be a government programme to preserve traditional skills, professions, art and culture, added Sunar. Tul Prasad Bishwokarma of Rashtriya Janamorcha asked the government to dismiss the provincial system and to spend its budget on development as restructuring of the state has increased expenses. Likewise, Maya Prasad Sharma of the CPN (Maoist Centre) said that it was good to give more attention to tourism and agriculture in government policies and programmes. Gomadevi Timilsina of CPN (Unified Socialist) said that the government’s policies and programmes have to pay attention to bringing Bansbari Leather and Shoes Factory, and Janakpur Cigarette Factory into operation again.

Similarly, Tulsa Kumari Dahal of the CPN (UML) shared that she felt that the government brought the policies and programmes against the people’s sentiments and the government has not paid attention to the issue for the resolution of problems that could surface during the rainy season. Nanda Chapai of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Prakash Pantha of the Nepali Congress, Radhe Shyam Paswan, Gopi Bahadur Sarki (Achhami) of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Indu Kadariya of the CPN (UML) and Anita Devkota of the Nepali Congress also took part in the discussion on government’s policies and programmes. The NA will meet next at 11:00 am on May 27. —