KATHMANDU, July 12

Legislature-Parliament on Sunday endorsed the government’s policies and programmes for fiscal year 2015/16 presented by President Ram Baran Yadav on Wednesday through voice vote.

All seven amendment proposals registered by opposition parties, including Unified CPN-Maoist, were rejected through voice vote.

Girirajmani Pokhrel, Gopal Dahit, Jangi Lal Raya, Sushil Kumar Shrestha, Ram Kumar Rai, Mina Pun and Anuradha Thapa Magar had registered separate amendment proposals on different issues.

As soon as Prime Minister Sushil Koirala finished answering the queries raised by lawmakers, Chairman Subas Chandra Nembang put the proposal for voice voting.

Responding to lawmakers’ questions, Prime Minister Koirala said the government’s main focus would be on drafting the new constitution and ensuring peace and stability in the country at this critical hour after the disaster. “Government would do its best to include the issues raised by the lawmakers,” he said.

Koirala said forceful religion conversion would not be allowed and would be made punishable. Answering the queries, he said the government would resolve the issue of Lipulek through diplomatic channels.

PM said the government would bring load-shedding to an end within a year but he could not explain how the it would achieve the goal.

Several lawmakers demanded clarification, as they were not satisfied with the PM’s response to their concerns about the government’s policies and programmes, which were discussed for two days.

Earlier taking part in the discussions, NC lawmaker Shankar Bhandari said the reconstruction works should proceed and the allowances for disabled people and landless squatters should be increased.

UML’s Bishnu Poudel said opposition parties should also be included in the govern-ment’s policies and programmes. “Priority sectors have not been identified and agriculture and tourism should be give due priority besides reconstruction,” he said.

UCPN-M’s Agni Sapkota said the government failed to internalise the critical situation of the country following the earthquake even though the Parliament has already endorsed a stricture. He said the policies and programmes could not be supported because that needed to be amended.

Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, presented economic survey today and is scheduled to present the budget for the new fiscal at 4:00pm on Tuesday.