Sunday, July 09, 2006

Government reiterates commitment to peace process

The government has expressed commitment to continue the peace process with the Maoists.

In its policy and programmes presented at the House of Representatives on Sunday, the government said it will restore lasting peace in the country as per the people’s aspiration by holding election of the constituent assembly in an fearless environment as per the agreement between the government and the Maoists.
The policy and programme further said that the government is committed to restore peace in the country by holding the election of the constituent assembly after forming an interim government after adopting an interim constitution and asked for assistance from all walks of life.
The government will implement the agreements including arms management reached between the government and the Maoists and the seven party alliance and Maoists.
The government will take assistance of United Nations as required for weapons management and the peace process.
The policy and programmes presented by the Deputy Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli due to ill-health of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala further said the government will be manage the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police as per the changed political situation.
“The government will develop responsible security mechanism for the protection of people’s lives and properties,” Oli said.
The government has announced appropriate compensation to the families of the victims of the popular movement of the country.
The government has also decided to give loan to the landless freed Kamaiyas (bonded labourers) in discounted interest rates.
To meet the growing demand of electricity and to solve the problem of load shedding, the government has decided to initiate some middle level hydropower projects.
The policy and programmes said the government will make legal provision to implement the historic proclamation of the parliament.
The government will launch relief programmes for the people affected by the conflict and will prioritize reconstruction of infrastructures destroyed by it.
Stating that there is vast gap between the available resources and expectation of the people, the government will work for proper utilization and management of resources, the policy and programmes said.
The policy and programmes said that the government will move ahead as per the concept of partnership among the government, general people, private sector and non-governmental sector for the development of the country.
The policy and programmes further said the government will provide certain grants to the village development committees fulfilling certain criteria for construction of road, irrigation project, drinking water, school buildings apart from the regular development expenditure.
Foreign aid will be mobilized in the national priorities including construction of rural infrastructures and for the poverty alleviation, it said.
The government will give proper attention for the development of road infrastructures and the government will link seven district headquarters by the end of this fiscal year.
The government has expressed commitment to take necessary step to remove irregularities of fiscal sector and will take action against willful defaulters.
The government will organize promotional programmes to increase the flow of tourists visiting Nepal and will make the air service more reliable.
“Though there are some opportunities to Nepal due to its association with the regional and global trading arrangements like SAFTA and the WTO, challenges are also emerging, so the government will work to get maximum benefit from the WTO after lobbying along with the small and least developed countries,” Oli said while presenting the policy and programmes.
The government will announce a special development package for the Karnali region and also create employment opportunities in the region.
The government will give continuity to the programme “Education for All” to ensure participation of all in the primary education.
The government will provide scholarships to all girls from class one to ten of Karnali zone and scholarships to 50 percent girls of the rest of the 70 districts. Similarly, the government will provide scholarships to the students of dalit communities and families below the poverty line, the policy paper said.
The government will focus on skill development and amend the laws to make the foreign employment sector systematic. The government will give proper attention to develop human resources for self-employment within the country and to enhance the quality of foreign employment.
The government will implement the programme of skill development and empowerment of women to bring the women into mainstream. The government will form and implement the laws for equality of women by amending discriminatory laws against women.
Oli said the government will form policies to provide health facilities to the people of rural areas and to the people injured during the people’s movement of the country.
The government will make provision to ensure people’s right to information. The government will make the state-run Radio Nepal, Nepal Television, Gorkhapatra and Rastriya Samachar Samiti independent, self dependent and competitive. The government will also encourage development of private electronic media, Oli said.
Timely changes will be made to make civil service more dignified. The government will provide allowances to civil servants to meet the rising inflation.
The government will make necessary structural reform to solve the citizenship problem of terai region and to provide citizenship certificate from the mothers’ name.
The government will initiate efforts to resolve the Bhutanese refugee problem and to return all Bhutanese refugees to their homeland, Oli said.
The policy further said Nepal’s diplomatic mission abroad will be utilized to promote national interest in the issues of tourism, trade and employment.
Earlier, His Majesty the King used to read out the programme before the joint session of the parliament, but the cabinet decided to present the policy and programmes of the government through the Prime Minister .

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