KATHMANDU: More than a month has passed since the government’s decision to resume the use of Lokta (handmade) paper for citizenship certificates but there is no initiative from the government’s side to do so. Nepal Handmade Paper Association (HANPASS) former president Kiran Dangol said Nepali handmade paper was supposed to be used from this January but the government has not invited any aprty to offer price quotation. “If there is no quotation sought by the government within a week, we will go in a delegation to the concerned body,” said Dangol.

A month ago, Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) and HANDPASS had approved the minimum standards for Nepali handmade paper that is to be used in the Nepali citizenship certificates. “We were hopeful about the use of Lokta paper for citizenship certificates resuming from January 2010, but the government has not made any move in this direction,” he said.