PM for Early Repatriation of Bhutanese Refugees

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has stressed the need to conclude the repatriation process of Bhutanese refugees, who have been living in Nepal for more than past two decades. In a meeting with Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on March 3, Koirala who reached Myanmar to participate in the Third BIMSTEC Summit reiterated Nepal’s stand to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem at the earliest possible. “I have requested him [Bhutanese Prime Minister] to create a favourable environment for the respectful return of the refugees to their homes at a time when most of their offspring have settled abroad under third country rehabilitation programme while the elderly are still languishing in the refugee camps”, the Prime Minister said after his meeting with the Bhutanese PM.

 

Local Polls Date Soon: Singh

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Prakash Man Singh has said that the government has already initiated the preparations for holding the local elections. During his meeting with the office-bearers of Local Development Journalists´ Society in the Capital on March 4, Singh said the government has started the process of formulating necessary laws and acts and revising the existing ones to hold the local election. He added that the date for local polls would be announced soon on the basis of political consensus.

 

Budget on Time: FinMin

Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat has said the budget for the next fiscal year will be presented on time. Speaking at an interaction programme in the Capital, on Thursday (March 6), Minister Mahat said, “I assure you that the country will have a full budget this year on time.” The budget for the year 2013-14 was presented on time after two years, in July last year.Similarly, Dr Mahat said that constitution writing, security, good governance and economic development were the government’s top priorities at present. He informed journalists that the new government will soon bring its policies and programmes.

 

Energy Minister Assures Power Supply in Evening

The government is planning regular power supply in the evening hours in the near future, according to Minister for Energy, Radha Gyawali. Addressing a function organised in the Capital to mark the International Women’s Day, the Energy Minister said the people, mainly women and students, have been hit hard by power outage in the evening time. She then assured of no power outage in the evening (6 pm to 9 pm) everyday. Gyawali also said that the government was trying to end load-shedding within the next five years.

 

‘Even This CA Can’t Deliver Constitution’ 

CPN-Maoist Secretary Dev Gurung has ruled out the possibility of the present Constituent Asembly (CA) issuing the new constitution. Speaking at a press meet at Waling of Syangja district on March 8, Gurung said, “Parties in the CA are quarreling with each other. People are pinning their hopes on such parties. But, it seems even this [Constituent] Assembly, too, cannot deliver the new constitution.” Top leaders of the major four political parties were responsible for the dissolution of the previous CA, he claimed. Gurung also charged that the major parties tried to revive the 1990 Constitution through the first CA. “But such efforts were aborted because of the protest by our party.”