Kathmandu:

The Madhesi National Forum today demanded with the government to form a “Madhesi National Academy” for the overall development of the community that comprises of “around 50 per cent of the total population”.

The Forum has demanded proportionate representation at all political, diplomatic and administrative posts and decentralization of all the development works. “Some 3.5 million people in Madesh are without citizenship certificates; so they should be provided the citizenship certificates soon,” the release issued by the Forum states. Vice president Sitaram Shah and general secretary Lal Narayan Singh of the forum have signed the release.