KATHMANDU, MAY 31
Prime Minister Balendra Shah responded to lawmakers' queries in the House of Representatives (HoR) on Sunday, amid continued demands from opposition parties for the Prime Minister to address Parliament.
At the outset of the meeting, Prime Minister Shah sought time from Speaker Dor Prasad Aryal to respond to concerns raised by lawmakers. The Speaker then allowed party representatives to put forward their queries before the Prime Minister.
Responding to questions on Nepal's border disputes with India, Prime Minister Shah said the government was committed to resolving issues related to Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani through diplomatic dialogue. Replying to a query raised by CPN-UML lawmaker Padma Aryal regarding infrastructure construction by India and China through Lipulekh, the Prime Minister said Nepal had already sent a diplomatic note to India and received a response.
Similarly, responding to a query raised by Shram Shakti Party lawmaker Aren Rai, the Prime Minister said both Nepal and India had encroached upon each other's land in some areas and the issue should be resolved amicably through negotiations. "You may find this surprising, but I came to know after becoming Prime Minister that not only has India encroached on Nepal's land, Nepal has also encroached on India's land in several places," Prime Minister Shah told the House.
"We have encroached in some places, and they have as well. We want to resolve these issues by sitting together as friends," he added.
He informed the House that both countries had agreed to address the issue through discussions involving historians, surveyors and experts familiar with border matters.
Prime Minister Shah also said Nepal had discussed the issue with the United Kingdom, arguing that Britain should also bear responsibility for unresolved border disputes dating back to the British India era.
Responding to concerns raised by RPP lawmaker Khushbu Oli over misuse of visit visas, Prime Minister Shah said the government had issued strict directives to curb abuse of the system.
He informed the House that the Ministry of Labour was working on a provision allowing Nepalis travelling on visit visas to convert them into labour permits while remaining abroad, instead of returning to Nepal for the process.
On the budget provision imposing a five percent value-added tax on electricity consumption above 50 units per month, the Prime Minister said the measure aimed to strengthen the country's electricity infrastructure.
He said Nepal's current transmission lines, transformers and substations would not be able to handle a rapid nationwide transition to electric energy use without major upgrades.
Replying to the lawmakers, Prime Minister Shah said the government would arrange land for genuine landless people currently staying in holding centres.He said residents living along riverbanks in the Kathmandu Valley had been relocated due to flood risks and poor living conditions, adding that the government was committed to managing land for genuine squatters across the country.
Responding to Nepali Congress lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC, the Prime Minister also said the government would study and act on reports of commissions formed over different political movements and human rights violations, including the Gauri Bahadur Karki-led commission report on the Gen Z movement.
"The government will study all commission reports submitted so far and proceed accordingly," he told the House.
The HoR meeting is ongoing.
