Kathmandu, September 5:

The Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) has adopted a four-point resolution, flaying the government for “its diplomatic failure” to control the Koshi flood.

The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of the party that began here today urged the government to find effective and permanent solution to the problem of Koshi river through bilateral dialogues between Nepal and India. A press release issued by TMDP said that both Nepal and India were “equally threatened by Koshi menace.”

Meanwhile, TMDP leader Sarbendra Nath Shukla earlier presented a 20-page political paper at the CWC. He criticised the government for “its diplomatic failure vis-à-vis India.” “The government could not even put forward our humanitarian problem in a logical and effective way,” Shukla said, adding that the government adopted the policy of “abuse and excuses” vis-à-vis India.

Saying that this government is only to facilitate the framing of a new constitution and bringing the peace process to a logical end, Shukla cautioned the government not to do anything that would have long-term implications. The political paper also criticised the CPN-Maoist for establishing Law and Constitute Assembly ministry. “It is against the spirit of the constitution,” Shukla said. He accused the Maoists of separating some of the ministries to placate their cadres.

The political paper has also demanded to have an all-party body to monitor the government’s progress on the implementation of policy of inclusion and put pressure to the government to do the needful.

Commenting on the common minimum programme of the new government, Shukla said the government ignored the problem of Madhes, as it mentioned a certain time frame to implement agreements signed between the government and the Tarai-based parties.

He said the episode of Fifth Amendment of the constitution showed that the three major parties were not honest in implementing the February 28 agreement but they would continue to pressurise the government to address the Madhes issues. He said his party would resort to pressure tactics to get Madhes issues addressed in the new constitution.

Expressing dissatisfaction over government’s handling of the Koshi flood, Shukla said the government should effectively and impartially carry out the relief and reconstruction works in Sunsari district.

Twenty party leaders, including Sri Krishna Yadav, CA member Ram Kumar Sharma, Dr Pashupati Chaudhary, Bijay Singh and Pushpa Thakur, spoke at the programme.