Upper House lawmakers call for prioritizing job creation and youth mobilization in budget

KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 29: National Assembly (NA) lawmakers, speaking in the discussions on the principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill for the upcoming fiscal year, called for emphasizing employment generation and youth mobilization by upholding good governance.

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat had presented the Principles and Priorities of Appropriation Bill for Next Fiscal Year in the meeting of the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, on February 26.

Taking part in the debate in the NA meeting today, lawmakers underscored making the budget functional and changing the tendency of getting the budget passed from parliament by issuing whip, but not obeying the suggestions in the course of implementing it. Similarly, they emphasized giving high priority to the agriculture sector, ensuring security to the health workers, making clear the responsibilities on service delivery of the three tiers of government, bringing a plan for the consumption of electricity produced in Nepal within the country itself and on also increasing capital expenditure and revenue collection.

Prakash Pantha, Dilkumari Rawal (Parbati), and Dr. Khimlal Devkota among other lawmakers participated in the discussions. Dr. Devkota on the occasion called the attention of the government, saying those ministers who were said to participate in the meeting were not present in the meeting. President of the Legislation Management Committee, Jayanti Devi Rai, presented the Bill on Anti-Money Laundering and the Promotion of Business Environment, 2079 BS in the meeting. She also presented the report of the onsite study programme on law-making process and practices of the local levels.

Similarly, the upper house lawmakers have drawn the attention of the government towards the difficulties faced by the people due to the lack of drinking water and irrigation facilities in the Tarai-Madhes region. They expressed their concern on this issue while speaking in the ‘zero hour’ in the meeting of the National Assembly.

Lawmaker Tulasa Kumari Dahal called on the government to make arrangements for providing pure drinking water to the people in the Madhes. She also stressed on conservation of the Chure ecosystem by stopping its over-exploitation and making arrangements for irrigation in the Madhes which is the ‘bread basket’ of the country.

Lawmaker Jaga Prasad Sharma called for putting to an end the trend of meagre expenditure of the budget appropriated for big projects, drawing the government’s attention to finding a solution to this problem.

Taraman Swanr called on the government to expedite the construction of the Seti and Mahakali highways considered as the backbone for the economy and development of the Sudurpaschim and to ensure a budget for these road projects in the next fiscal year’s budget. Bhagawati Neupane urged the government to develop the birthplace of the pioneer poet of Nepali as a tourism destination.

Bimala Ghimire drew the attention of the government for immediately addressing the demands of farmers and the victims of usurious lending. Lawmaker Sumitra BC called for immediately taking ahead the process for reconstruction of houses for the earthquake-affected people of Jajarkot who are still living under tents even after nearly four months since the disaster.

RSS