KATHMANDU: L Blaming on the national politics of bleeding the country to a ruinous state, Non Resident Nepali (NRN) Association today urged the political parties in Nepal to prepare agendas for the economic well-being of the nation.

Speaking at a two-day Expatriate Nepali Journalists’ 1st global seminar and interaction organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists and supported by NRN Association, Dr Upendra Mahato, President, NRN Association, said there was a dire need to prepare an economic agenda to liberate the country from the current upheavals and to achieve prosperity.

Dr Mahato urged the political leaders to move forward with “economic agenda” for the country which he argued would help get rid of all the existing problems, including insecurity, federalism and army integration. “NRN is here with a campaign to make Nepal a progressive state. Therefore, we want the parties to engage in economic agendas for the country,” he further said.

“I call upon the political parties to join hands

with the NRN to make

this country economically sustainable and prosperous,” he added.

Speaking on the same occasion, Subash Nembang, Chairperson of the Constituent Assembly, said the economic

agenda could be possible if the parties readied

the new constitution by May 28, 2010.

“Though the gap is widening among parties day after day, they must realise that a consensus among them is a must for the greater national interest,” he said.

On a similarly tone, leaders from other

political parties underscored the need for political consensus to end the current deadlock.

Damodar Nepal, coordinator of the program said, “The main objective of the program is to bring together the Nepali media persons spread across the globe and campaign for their rights.”

He further said that they were also planning to form a common network of journalists outside the country.

Govinda Acharya, vice president of FNJ alleged that the government was not serious on the

issues raised by journalists. He said that the lack of an implementation of the Working Journalists Act has left many journalists deprived of their rights and privileges.

According to Acharya, FNJ had seven branches abroad and two new have been proposed.

Grant for school for disabled

KATHMANDU: PG Sherpa, president of Non-Resident Nepali’s Association, Belgium Chapter, provided an assistance of Rs 1 lakh for the construction of residential school building of Disabled Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal. At a programme organised at the construction site in Nayapati-5 on Saturday, Sherpa also pledged more assistance in future if required. On the occasion, a cheque of Rs 1.8 lakh was handed over to Kima Sherpa, coordinator of the school building construction committee. The cash was chipped in by Nepalis living in Belgium. Birendra Raj Pokharel, president, National Disabled Federation, called on NRNs to allocate at least 1 per cent of their total investment for disabled people in the country. — HNS