Kathmandu, August 6:

The meeting of the Policy and Programme Department of the Nepali Congress (NC) today saw representatives of the professional organisations putting forth their views on whether the party should initiate ideological changes in the light of the February 1 royal takeover. While the issue of settling the ‘dispute’ with the institution of monarchy by evolving suitable safeguards was the main concern, other issues which attracted strident views were the need to translate the socio-economic agenda “so that the cause put forth by the Maoists is suitably addressed following the resolution”. The meeting took the form of an interaction session with the members of the team led by senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel soliciting the opinion of the members of the intelligentsia on what should be the policy and programme of the party in the years ahead.

The department, headed by Paudel, has Mohammed Aftab Alam and Mahanta Thakur and others as members. Today’s session is the first in a series of such meetings which may be held to come up with views representing a wide spectrum of society. The policy and programme will be debated in the powerful central committee before being tabled at the party’s forthcoming General Convention. The policy and programme department is expected to come under pressure to suggest a tough line against constitutional monarchy.