KHOTANG, July 12

Stakeholders have shown great concern about authorised persons reaching villages to collect suggestions from the people on the draft constitution at a programme organised at District Administration Office, Diktel, in Khotang on Sunday.

Political party leaders, mediapersons, among other participants at the programme said the suggestion collection team did not reach the inner parts of villages and that was not fair.

Party leaders and journalists said it was very difficult to issue the constitution in the country as people were deprived of ownership of the statute. Stakeholders protested against the team after team members arrived in only three villages of the district citing lack of time.

District Chairman Lalit Kumar Rai of Rastriya Prajatantra Party said the suggestion collection team had created confusion among people. “A constitution delivered just for the sake of promulgation won’t be acceptable to the people,” he added.

Likewise, CPN-UML district Chairman Shyam Raj Rai said the team should not show their time limit for the great work. “We received the draft just now, how will the draft reach people of remote areas?” he asked.

The protest ran high after Secretary Sahajit Rai of the Constitution Suggestion Sub-committee informed they could not reach villages due to lack of time.

It is said that the suggestion collection committee had taken suggestions from people of Diktel, Khotang Bazaar and Arkhaule. The participants were also angry after they were informed that lawmakers had reached the villages in helicopters to collect suggestions.

Meanwhile, CDO Govinda Sapkota stressed that the suggestion collection team should go to villages. “This is a process and it has to be completed at any cost,” he added.