Kathmandu, April 18

At a time when the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front is preparing for a decisive movement at the City Hall, Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet has come up with a statement whose upshot is that a movement is not possible just because a handful of people desire it.

Addressing an interaction organised by Reporters Club near the City Hall, Basnet claimed that two major demands of the agitating Madhesi parties have already been addressed with the first amendment in the new constitution; and the government has been pledging to resolve the other demands through dialogue.

He said the demands of agitating parties regarding the number of election constituencies and proportional inclusion of disadvantaged communities were incorporated in the new constitution.

Claiming that the agitating parties had failed in their previous attempt to make their agitation a decisive one, Basnet said a movement was not the people’s preference now.

He claimed that the temporary settlements, as part of the reconstruction of the mega-campaign would begin soon.

He said that temporary settlements would be arranged for quake survivors before the monsoon began,and added that it would take at least three to five years to completed the reconstruction projects as per the practices in different parts of the world.

On behalf of the government, Minister Basnet invited the Madhes-based disgruntled parties to resolve their issues through talks.

He blamed the previous Nepali Congress-led government for failing to make necessary preparations for reconstruction works even six months after the earthquake.

He said the new government formed six months after the earthquake had to do all the ground work for reconstruction and even had to form the National Reconstruction Authority by endorsing a bill which the previous government should have passed.

He further said laws related to internal security as per the federal modality was in its final stage and other security and administrative bodies would be restructured in accordance with the same modality soon.