Kathmandu, June 18: Netra Lal Shrestha of RPP and CPN-UML chief whip Bharat Mohan Adhikari tabled separate proposals at the House of Representatives today seeking reduction of Rs. 100 from the expenditures under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.
Presenting the proposal RPP MP Shrestha said only cigarette, bidi, alcohol and beer industries are flourishing, corruption and smuggling are on the rise and domestic industries are being sold for almost nothing in the name of privatization.
He also stressed the need to establish chemical fertilizer factory, establish cement factories in Salyan and Surkhet, excavate precious stones in Jajarkot, pay due attention to mining coal in Salyan and set up adequate foodgrain depots in the remote areas.
CPN-UML’s Bharat Mohan Adhikari accused the ministry of paying no attention to promote domestic industries at a time when 80 per cent of cottage and small industries are on the verge of collapse and said that privatization and liberalization have increased imports, Nepal Industrial Development Corporation, Rastriya Banijya Bank and Nepal Bank Limited are facing serious crisis, Hetauda Textile Factory, Biratnagar Jute Mills and Flour Mills are in serious trouble, and the government is ignorant of the actual position of the 16 privatized industries.
He also stressed the need for an agricultural revolution, land reforms and proper market facilities for industrial development.
NC’s N. P. Saud stressed the need to formulate appropriate policies for promoting industries, especially agro-industries, check tax evasion and pay adequate attention to making privatization effective.
RPP’s Renu Kumari Yadav said a industry should be privatized only after properly evaluating its assets and capacity, government should give adequate attention to establishing industries based on medicinal plants and generate employment opportunities for people who have received training in cottage and small industries.
Badri Prasad Mandal of Nepal Sadbhavana Party drew the government’s attention to growing smuggling and revenue leakage, growing imports and decreasing exports, failure of privatization and the ailing condition of various mills and factories.
CPN-UML’s Pradip Gyawali said the budget is not likely to promote the country’s trade and industry sector nor has it any programmes for improving the condition of ailing industries, while NC’s Ramesh Datta Lekhak appreciated the programmes for formulating long-term industrial plan, identification of export-oriented industry and establishment of food reserve, and stressed the need to supply foodgrains to the hailstone affected people in the fare western region and establish paper and cement factories in Kanchanpur.
CPN-UML’s Prem Bahadur Singh, Jagdish Prasad Shaha and Shankernath Sharma were of the view that a long-term industrial policy should be introduced, foreign investment be encouraged, buget increased to meet foodgrain shortage in the remote areas and special priority should be given to indigenous industries.
Taking part in the discussion, MPs Narendra Bahadur Bam, Krishna Kishore Ghimire and Umakant Chaudhary of Nepali Congress welcomed the decision of the government to establish food security depots and pointed out the need to encourage establishment of industries in the hilly areas, supply foodgrains with consession in transportation to the remote areas and give special priorIty towards employing local people while setting up a new industry.
CPN-UML’s Sherdhan Rai said special attention should be given to save traditional indsutries, make iodized salt easily available throughout the country and encourage khukuri, rice paper and copper utensil industries in Bhojpur district.
Surya Prasad Pradhan of Nepali Congress and Ramnath Adhikari pointed out the need to make arrangement for effective running of the Butwal Spinning Mills and make a genuine study of the state of all the industries in the country and encourage small scale industries.
CPN-UML’s Dr. Dilliraj Khanal and Ratna Prasad Sharma Neupane said the 20-year programmes were introduced but without effective programmes, no programmes have been mentioned to uplift sick and small industries, donation given earlier for transportation of iodized salt to the remote areas have been discontinued and accused that the present industrial policy and programmes discourages the industrial sector.
MPs Ram Kumar Chaudhary and Shiva Raj Joshi (Dailekh) of Nepali Congress emphasized the need to encourage agro-based industries in an agriculture-based country like Nepal, the Department of Standards and Weights should monitor and evaluate works effectively and urged the government to provide foodgrains to the hailstorm-hit areas of Dailekh district.
CPN-UML’s Bir Bahadur Lama said the industrial policy of the government is not in the interest of the country and people and special attention should be given to industrialization.
Laxman Prasad Mehta of Nepali Congress spoke of the need to encourage agro-based industries, run industrial training programmes in the rural areas and make a provision of ration cards for easy and effective food supply. CPN-UML’s Tirtha Gautam and Krishnalal Maharjan asked the government to set up food depots in districts hit by food shortage, provide essential goods at cheaper prices, protect sick industries, provide skill-development trainings in lalitpur, and develop small scale industries.
NC’s Rajendra Kharel and Sabitri Bogati demanded that dairy and cheese factories should be opened in the country, Panchkhal should be developed as an industrial zone, attention given to promoting cottage industries, indigenous entrepreneurs encouraged and dry ariports built.
Gorakh Bahadur Bogati and Birodh Khatiwada of CPN-UML said at least 13 thousand metric tons of foodgrains should be stocked in Humla district, construction materials brought in from the northern points also, attention given to rescuing Hetauda Textile Factory, small industries protected and corruption in corporations under the Ministry of Industry controlled.
NC’s Hridayram Thami and Mohan Bahadur Basnet spoke of the need to work out clear-cut and transparent policies for industrialization in the country, make a re-evaluation of the industries privatized, provide electricity services in district for the development of industries and make necessary arrangement for operating a magnesite industry in Sindhupalchowk district.
CPN-UML’s Nara Bahadur Hamal, Damber Singh Sambahamfe and Devilal Thapa demanded that foodgrain depots should be opened on the basis of population, special priority given to develop cottage and agro-based industries, Amber and Slate mines in Dailekh district exploited, attention given to opening and developing indigenous paper industry and a herb and cider processing industry opened in Humla district in view of its potentiality there.
NC’s Janak Raj Giri, Kailashnath Kasaudhan and Ram Bahadur Bista spoke of the need to pay attention to the development of industries based on indigenous herbs, to bring under control corruption in government industries, solve unemployment problem through proper use of raw materials, set up a herbal store house at Khaptad of the far western region and carry out research work into the coloured marble mine in Upper Karnali.
CPN-UML’s Gokarna Raj Bista, Krishna Prasad Dahal complained that attention has not been given to ensuring supply manageemnt, there are no effective programme for quality control and attention has not been given to tapping mines of petroleum and uranium in Makwanpur.
Dan Bahadur Chaudhary and Nara Bahadur Budhathoki of the same party spoke of the need to supply iodized salt to all the people in an easy manner, set up dairy and paper industry in the country, not to remove foodgrain depots from remote districts and open herb processing factory in Jumla. crrrf Ganga Prasad Nepal, Ananda Prasad Pokherel and Durga Linkha, also of the CPN-UML, said industries in the country are in a miserable condition, factory producing powder milk should be opened, the magnesite factory in Dolakha district allowed to resume its operation, and research work carried into the possibility of opening limestone and coal factories in Dhankuta.
CPN-UML’s Lalbabu Pandit and Parsuram Meghi Gurung stressed the need to set up a chemical fertilizer factory, prioritize national industries and work out a clear-cut policy for setting up at least one industry in each district for expediting industrial development.
NC’s Tek Bahadur Chokhyal observed that the budgetary allocations and programmes for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies are appropriate, supply of foodgrains in district facing foodgrain shortage should be ensured and a rubber industry opened in Kailali district.