Kathmandu, April 12, 2007

The proceedings of the interim parliament were disrupted today after the lawmakers raised their concern about the common minimum programme tabled before the House on April 10.

The lawmakers accused the government of insulting the legislature by tabling an “illegal document” of eight parties. The document signed by the eight parties was tabled by Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Ram Chandra Poudel.

“The government has to clarify whether it is the parties’ document, or the government’s programme? The document nowhere has the government’s official insignia and just has leaders’ signatures and thus was illegal.

It should be withdrawn,” said MP Birodh Khatiwada. The lawmakers asked Poudel to confess before the House that he erred by tabling an illegal document. Speaker Subas Nembang adjourned the House and directed the government to provide the document as per the correct rules and procedures.

“I direct the interim government to provide document to the lawmakers by following proper procedures and rules,” said Speaker Nembang. CPN-UML’s MP Ishwar Pokhrel claimed that the document shows the incompetence of the government.

“The parliament cannot debate an illegal document. The government should table an authorised document and the minister should beg pardon,” said Pokhrel. He added that the government has “insulted” the supremacy of the parliament.

Lila Mani Pokhrel of Jana Morcha asked the Speaker to issue a directive to the government warning it not to repeat the same in future.

Hailstorm batters crops, livestock

For Laxman Raj Giri from Thali of Kathmandu, rejoicing at having the chicks in his poultry farm ready for sale, it was a real whammy when a sudden hailstorm last evening in Kathmandu took a toll of 4,500 chicks.

The hailstorm that came without warning at the heels of a sharp drizzle lasted from from 5 pm till 6:30 pm and crushed three sheds in his poultry firm, killing 4,500 chickens.

Giri, who has been running a poultry farm in partnership with Ram Prasad Shahi and Shyam Timilsina since last July, told The Himalayan Times, “Our investment worth over Rs 2 million has gone right before my eyes.” Till 3 pm today, there was a thick layer of hailstones over his poultry farm.

The open ground in adjoining areas were also covered with hailstones. Some hailstones were so big they weighed half a kg. Thali, Danchhi, Nayapati, Bhadrabas, Alapot, Gagalfhedi in Kathmandu and Changunarayan and Chhaling in Bhaktapur saw plantations totally destroyed by the hailstones.

Maila Thapa, 54, from Thali is distraught ever since the sudden hailstorm. “The hailstorm has wiped me out financially. How do I support my family now?” he wondered aloud.