Kathmandu, May 25 President Bidhya Devi Bhandari today presented the government’s annual policy and programmes for the fiscal year 2017-18. While presenting the document in the Parliament, President Bhandari said the new policy and programmes were based on the current fiscal year’s policy and programmes, as they had to be introduced in the run-up to the second phase of local level elections considering the constitutional obligation of unveiling the new budget on May 29. Much of the document is a continuation of policy and programmes of the current fiscal, except that it has provisioned strengthening the newly created local levels and provinces. It also pledges to provide adequate financial, human and technical resources and arrange security and administration staffers to enhance their capabilities. While reading out the policy and programmes, President Bhandari said the government was committed to conducting the second phase of local polls on June 14 and reiterated its commitment to hold provincial and parliamentary elections before January 21. Opposition lawmakers, including the ones from the main opposition party, CPN-UML, obstructed the House session after President Bhandari unveiled the policy and programmes. The House was then adjourned until 1:00 pm tomorrow. The opposition parties have been obstructing the House to protest against the government’s recent decision to increase the number of local levels in Tarai districts. In a nutshell The government plans to:

• Hold provincial and parliamentary polls by January 21
• Maintain high economic growth and limit inflation
• Continue ongoing national pride projects with high priority
• Include local levels in reconstruction and post-quake recovery
• Continue reform initiatives in areas of revenue, tax and customs
• Attract more FDI in industrial sectors and promote exports
• Acknowledge agriculture as major sector of production and develop tourism as base for economy
• Develop hydroelectricity projects with high priority
• Expand inter-country and inter-regional transmission lines
• Give importance to the development of east-west railway, metro rails, flyovers and tunnels
• Make education up to secondary-level compulsory and free and hand over its responsibility to the local levels
• Establish universities in provinces and operate open universities
• Strengthen ties with friendly and neighbouring countries
• Restructure Nepal Police as per the federal set-up
• Deploy government employees at the local levels immediately
• Continue ongoing Ujyalo Nepal Programme and end load-shedding
• Implement the Chure Tarai Madhes Protection and Management Master Plan
• Mobilise Nepali Army for development activities, conservation protection and disaster management