Lalitpur, January 30:

Minister for General Administration Pampha Bhusal today said Nepalis should not depend on

other countries for their development.

Paying tributes to the martyrs on the occasion of the 68th Martyrs’ Week, she said that Nepalis should commit themselves to the development of the country, rather than expecting foreign aid. The programme was organised by Martyrs’ Memorial Committee (MMC).

Referring to the past consensus between the Maoists and other political parties to establish peace, she said, “We were able to restore peace in the country with our own efforts. Therefore, we should campaign for making the peace stable and the country prosperous.”

Claiming that no one could stop Nepalis from achieving prosperity and development, the

minister assured that the constitution would be drafted on time.

Lalitpur chairperson of Nepali Congress Chandra Maharjan said the government had been unable to avail the people of basic necessities such as drinking water and electricity.

MMC president Prakashdhar Sharma said the value of martyrs had been undermined by the act of declaring anybody a martyr under pressure. He said, “The killings should be investigated and only deserving persons should be granted martyrdom.”

He accused the government of serving its own interests rather than solving the problems of the people. MMC general secretary Durga Bahadur Shrestha called for strengthening national borders and building capacity to defend outside interferences.