HEADLINE NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Govt determined to keep law and order, control corruption
PM furnishes replies to lawmakers

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, July 5:The House of Representatives today endorsed the budget for the new fiscal year with a majority voice vote.

Speaker Taranath Ranabhat asked the lawmakers to vote on the Appropriations Bill tabled by Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya.

The estimates of revenue and expenditure for 2000/2001 presented by Acharya on May 30 amount to 91 billion, 621 million and 335 thousand rupees.

The main opposition Communist Party Of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) along with other opposition parties voted against the Appropriations Bill when it was put up for voting today.

A simple majority of 103 votes is required for the passage of the budget. The ruling Nepali Congress has 113 legislators in the 205 member House of Representatives.

Earlier, the House rejected 41 proposals of the opposition parties seeking reduction of rupees 100 in the budget allocations of different Ministries.

Of the proposals, 13 came from the Main Opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), 14 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Seven from United People’s Front Nepal, four from Nepal Sadbhavana Party and three from National People’s Front.

Earlier, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said the government was determined to bring about changes in the country through an understanding with the opposition.

He was furnishing replies to the lawmakers’ queries on appropriation heads concerning the Secretariat of Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office, the National Planning Commission, the Ministries of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Labour and Transport Management and General Administration that he is looking after.

The government is committed to eradicating corruption, giving good governance and maintaining law and order situation in the country with the support from the House since it took office, he said.

Prime Minister Koirala said the government was continuously having talks with the opposition parties on major national issues, including corruption, good governance and peace and security situation in the country. "Peace is the foundation for the all round development of the nation. Therefore, the government is thinking over the possibility of a peaceful dialogue with those who have resorted to the path of violence and terrorism."

The first and foremost duty of the government is to maintain law and order in the country, he said adding it is natural that the pace of development has slackened due to diversion of national sources which ought to be used for developmental work towards maintenance of peace and security. "Therefore, everyone concerned should contribute to getting the country rid of the murder and violence."

Since the beginning of the current fiscal year, the government has made efforts to sanction various plans and programmes in a proportionate manner in consistence with the geographical features, demography and the requirements of such district, Koirala said.

RSS adds: The budget for the central region is large due to the concentration of a maximum number of national level projects in this region as well as the focus in the central level budget on education and health, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said.

He made it clear that larger appropriations have been made because of a number of developmental projects, which are in operation and the continuity in the assistance from donor agencies for such on-going projects.

He informed the house that the involvement of and effectiveness in the regional planning offices would be increased to follow up and assess projects including those in poverty alleviation from next year and implementation and supervision of this work would be carried out by the national planning commission.

The developmental programmes have been set out keeping in mind poverty alleviation, the main thrust of the 9th plan, he said and made it clear that the government has adopted a policy of playing the role of facilitator in the industry and commerce sectors and a catalytic role in setting up physical and social infrastructure.

He mentioned that the government has endorsed the basis and set out the working procedures for making appointments to government undertakings transparent in order to make the administrative mechanism prompt, competent and economical and make the people feel this change. The process has been initiated for changing the ownership of undertakings, committees, councils, boards or commissions which have no use, are inactive or have no reason to be in existence.

Referring to the policy of the government to confine its role to the formulation of policy matters and let the bodies responsible for mobilisation of employees do the implementing, he said the government is firm in its belief that interference in the staffing on the basis of creed would not lead to desired results.

He said that transfers, promotion and other procedures concerning o employees are being executed as per the existing legal framework.

He said different measures have been taken in order to maintain uniformity and transparency among the different government bodies and other public enterprises and made it clear that the government has raised the pay for government employees to make the entire administrative mechanism performance and result oriented.

Reduction in the number of ministries as well as employees in a proper way are under way as part of its effort to restructure the existing organisational set up of the ministries, he added.

Prime Minister Koirala also assured of bringing in a bill in parliament concerning the commission for investigation of abuse of authority to make it strong and result-oriented and put in place institutional and other procedural arrangements in a bid to curb corruption, revenue leakage and irregularities which are posing a challenge to the country.

He informed that the government has determined a new wage pay rate for labourers on the basis of the recommendations submitted by the minimum wage determination committee in accordance with the labour act, and brought it into effect from the current fiscal year.

He said that an act concerning juvenile courts has been brought out recently and its regulations are being prepared. Once the task is completed, it will be implemented effectively.

A law has also been mulled over for the rights and interests of labourers working in transport sector, he said.

He informed that the government has taken initiative towards setting up and activating diplomatic missions in view of the cheating from time to time by manpower agencies and the troubles borne by the employees since overseas employment is a useful means to an end to the murderous activity.

In reply to a question, the Prime Minister said the government is determined to empower women and a bill concerning women’s rights is under consideration in the house.

He further said that he would furnish details about the achievements of the proposed visit to India after completing it.

He said that the government has accorded special priority to Karnali zone by instituting a poverty alleviation fund.

Responding to another question, he said the government has kept opened the door for dialogue with the Maoists at all times.

MPs Asta Laxmi Shakya, Budhhiman Tamang, Badri Prasad Mandal, Dilliraj Khanal, Hari Acharya, Rajendra Prasad Pandey, Til Kumar Meyongwo, Prakash Jwala, Yadav Bahadur Rayamajhi, Kunta Sharma, Ram Kumar Choudhari, Netra Lal Shrestha, Renu Kumari Yadav, Shankar Nath Sharma, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Suresh Kumar Karki, Shushila Nepal, Nara Bahadur Hamal, Chandra Bahadur Shahi, Parashu Ram Meghi Gurung, Urmila Aryal, Pashupati Chaulagain, Phatik Bahadur Thapa, Basanta Kumar Nemwang, Hitkaji Gurung, Prem Bahadur Singh, Gokarna Bista had asked questions to Prime Minister.

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