Kathmandu, June 22: The House of Representatives at its meeting today discussed the appropriation heads concerning the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Taking part in the discussion, RPP’s Govinda Bikram Shaha presented a proposal stating that Rs 100 be reduced from the amount allocated for the ministry.

Mr Shaha said in an age of information, some districts of Nepal are not linked with communications, telephone towers in the Maoist-affected areas which are left damaged should be repaired and the news of opposition covered by Radio Nepal, NTV and Gorkhapatra is inadequate.

He also spoke of the need to expand telephone lines in Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa and Salyan districts and open regional and ilaka post offices.

CPN-UML’s Raghuji Pant and Nara Bahadur Budhathoki stressed the need to work out a long-term policy for the development of communications, make postal services reliable and effective by modernising it, provide ads to all newspapers, expand telephone lines, pay attention to the development of information technology and distribute telephone services based on V-Sat technology only on the recommendation of the district development committee.

Hom Nath Dahal and Ramesh Lekhak of NC noted that except a few, NTV’s programmes are not effective, Radio Nepal needs to be revamped, a bill on right to information should be brought in the ongoing session, NTV should be linked with satellite, special programmes should be devised for the promotion of mofussil journalism, expand telephone lines in Mahendranagar, and telephones based on Marts system should be provided in Chandani and Dodhara villages.

RPP’s Buddhiman Tamang and Netralal Shrestha remarked that there has been partiality in expansion of telephone, postal services should be taken to the nooks and corners of the country, ads should be provided to all newspapers in a judicious manner, Gorkhapatra, Radio Nepal and NTV should be privatised and a clear national communication policy devised.

Nepal Sadbhawana Party’s Rajendra Mahato complained that very less budget has been allocated for development of information technology, there is no concrete programme to provide telephone services to some 2,385 VDCs and postal services are very slow.

CPN-UML’s Ram Chandra Yadav and Sherdhan Rai observed that Nepal is yet to make leaps in the field of information technology, VHF services should be provided in different VDCs of Siraha, media organisations are not impartial, Marts system based telephone lines provided in villages of Bhojpur constituency No. 2 and postal service should be made more effective.

NC’s Ramjanam Chaudhary and Narayan Prakash Saud said fund for hooking Nepal TV with a satellite is not enough, VHF telephone services should be provided in every VDC, Radio Nepal programmes should be made effective and songs and programmes should be broadcasted in ethnic languages also.

Lalbabu Pandit and Sushila Nepal of the CPN-UML spoke of the need to expand telephone services to neighbouring countries, make postal services more effective, lift political interference on media organisations, and remove indecent programmes from TV channels.

Bharat Kumar Shaha and Ram Chandra Tiwari of the Nepali Congress spoke of the need to give special emphasis on information technology, provide postal services at Bhagawanpur in Rupandehi, make mobile services easily available and expand Janakpur-Jayanagar telephone network.

CPN-UML’s Bir Bahadur Lama and Kamal Prakash Sunuwar noted that the budget is silent on rural telecommunications and salary of postmen should be raised.

NC’s Narayan Sharma Paudel and Hridayaram Thani said telephone exchange offices should be established in Ramnagar, Lothar and Gunjangarmadi in Chitwan district and telephone exchange lines should be increased to 700 in Surkhet and postal services should be made more reliable.

Meanwhile, taking special time at the House of Representatives today, various members of Parliament drew the attention of the Parliament towards current issues like floods and landslides, inundation caused by rivers, the labour movement, law and order situation, decentralization, etc.

On the occasion, CPN-UML’s Suresh Kumar Karki drew the attention of the Home Minister towards the rise in incidents of violence, terror and murder in Siraha and Saptari districts and implicating of the opposition supporters by the ruling side in different false cases.

Govinda Bahadur Shaha of Nepali Congress, referring to the obstruction in transportation service following damage caused by heavy rainfall to various section of the Singadhi-Sanfebagar road, demanded that the government take immediate emergency measures and run relief programmes in the affected areas.

MP Lilamani Pokhrel pointed out the need to construct embankment along the Garin, Kamala and Bagmati rivers in order to check soil erosion in Sindhuli district and take action against the policemen involved in beating two women in Kamalamai Municipality under the pretext of controlling liquor.

CPN-UML’s Lalbabu Pandit demanded that the case registered against four people in Darbesa VDC for not allowing their private land to be used as a road should be scrapped and that the government should give attention towards fulfilling the demand of the labourers of Biratnagar Jute Mills

Arjun Jung Bahadur Singh of Nepali Congress, stating that heavy downpour since the past week has highly affected and caused damage to 18 VDCs in Bajhang district, demanded that the district be declared a flood-affected district and special reconstruction programmes be launched in the district.

CPN-UML’s Sushila Nepal said attention should be given to fulfill the just demands of women employees under the women development division and renovate Lele-Chandanpur road and Bajrabarahi and Narayan Temple of Chapagaon.

Haribhakta Adhikari of Nepali Congress pointed out the need to constitute a high level price and quality monitoring committee in order to save consumers from being cheated due to adulterared and under weight products.

CPN-UML’s Kunta Sharma said the Prime Minister made promise in many places to exempt the loan taken by earthquake victims of 2045 B.S. but has not done so far.

Arjun Prasad Joshi of Nepali Congress drew the attention of the concerned body towards the one-sided decision taken by Parbat DDC in running development projects in the district.

CPN-UML’s Hem Narayan Yadav demanded impartial investigation into the incident of murder of ex-Siraha DDC chairman Chandra Narayan Yadav.

Rajendra Prasad Pandey, also of the same party accused the government of violating the local self-governance act in the distribution of revenues to the local bodies.