Kathmandu, July 7

Nepali Congress senior leader Ramchandra Paudel today told the Parliament that the CPN-UML should show flexibility to pass the constitution amendment bill in order to bring Madhesi forces on board the election process.

Addressing the House during special hour, Paudel said the UML should understand that Madhesi forces might not participate in the third phase of local polls if the constitution was not amended.

Paudel said the government had stated that it would build modern cities in Lamjung and Achham, but such plans should not shrink arable land in those districts.  Stating that migration from villages to cities was increasing, Paudel urged the government to create employment opportunities in rural areas to control the trend.

Nepali Congress lawmakers Ramhari Khatiwada and CPN-Maoist Centre lawmakers Ram Naryan Bidari and Ram Maya Bogati drew the government’s attention to media reports regarding removal of a patient’s kidney in Manmohan Memorial Medical Collage without the consent of the patient and demanded probe into the incident.

CPN-UML lawmaker Rameshwor Phuyal said low expenditure of development budget was a big problem which the government should address.

The House concluded debate on ministry-wide budgetary allocation today. Almost two dozen lawmakers including Bhim Rawal, Ram Ayodhya Prasad Yadav, Shakti Basnet, Saroj Sharma and Tejulal Chaudhari had put forth their views during today’s meeting.

Many of the lawmakers said the budget presented by the government mainly focused on the development of cities and villages.

They also urged the government to bring bills related to provincial and parliamentary elections soon. The lawmakers also demanded that the government bring programmes to strengthen local levels and people below the poverty line be given identification cards.

Some lawmakers also urged the government to generate employment opportunities in the country. The next meeting of the House has been scheduled for 11:00am on Sunday.