KATHMANDU: Lawmakers today flayed the government for deciding to get Machine Readable Passport (MRP) printed from India despite the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee’s directive to follow the bidding process among the selected companies.

Unified CPN-Maoist lawmakers said it was shame on the part of the Prime Minister to say India was asked to print MRP due to ‘political relations and diplomatic pressure’.

“Such a decision by the government will pose a serious security threat,” Bhim Gautam, a Maoist lawmaker, said, addressing the House during the zero hour.

CPN-ML lawmaker Yedubansa Jha and Maoist lawmaker Rajkaji Shrestha criticised the government for not paying heed to Public Accounts Committee, which had asked the government to follow the bidding process for MRP.

Yamlal Kandel of the CPN-UML came down heavily on the government for writing a letter to the parliament secretariat to withdraw the three Bills on Far-Western University, Mid-Western University and Agriculture and Forestry University.

He said that it was agreed, in principle, during the previous parliamentary session, to establish the three universities in the far-west, mid-west and Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan. He demanded that the Bills on three separate universities be sent to the parliamentary Statutory Committee for further considerations.

However, sources said the government decided to withdraw the Bills following difference in opinions between major parties and Madhes-based parties regarding the locations of the proposed universities in the far- and mid-western regions.

The Madhes-based parties have insisted that the far-western and mid-western universities should be established in Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj, respectively. But influential lawmakers of the three major parties said these universities should be based in Doti and Surkhet.

Meanwhile, Shanta Chaudhary, chairman of the parliamentary Natural Resources and Means Committee, submitted natural resources committee’s report to the House.

Similarly, Padamlal Bishwokarma, chairman of the International Relations and Human Rights Committee also submitted his committee’s report on Nepal-India border problems.

CA seat vacant

KATHMANDU: Constituent Assembly (CA) chairman Subas Chandra Nembang on Wednesday announced that a CA seat held by Nepali Congress (NC) president and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala was vacated after his death on March 20.

Koirala was elected CA member under the proportional representation system from Sunsari district. Nembang made an announcement to this effect after NC parliamentary party office formally notified the CA on Tuesday about Koirala’s death.