Lamjung, February 14

Naya Shakti Party-Nepal Coordinator and former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai has stressed the need to keep politics out of the way of development activities.

Speaking at a programme in Sundarbazaar, Lamjung, today, the former PM called on all and sundry to move ahead in unison for the development of the country by putting aside their grudges. “The journey to prosperity is suffering due to the

tendency among political leaders to throw monkey wrench in others’ works, which is not good,” said Bhattarai, who arrived here today during his Mechi-Mahakali march.

“If we can’t do something by ourselves, we should simply let others try it and help them the best possible way we can, not pull them down,” he added.

Further, the former rebel leader, without taking anyone’s name, lamented that the leaders who had proved their mettle during the revolution failed to bring development and prosperity. Regarding disputes along the mid-hilly highway, along which he is leading the march, Bhattarai underscored the need to find a solution to the dispute.

“The highway is a project of national glory that can open the door for prosperity of the entire country, so we must do the needful to complete it as soon as possible,” he observed.

In Lamjung, construction of 8-km stretch of the highway has failed to take off owing to locals’ protest. They have been uncooperative about the highway construction as per the designated standard citing its impact on the bazaar area.

Meanwhile, earlier, the government in Gandaki Province had warned it would resort to force if consensus remained elusive till mid-February over the dispute related to highway construction in Lamjung district.