Kathmandu, May 23: Discussion on the government’s policies and programmes presented through Royal address in Parliament continued for second day today.

Parliamentarian K. P. Oli of Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist began the discussion criticising the government’s policies and programmes. He sadi that the working paper lacked commitment to launch activities for people’s welfare.

“This is an evident to show that the ruling Nepali Congress is unable to do anything for people,” Deputy leader of CPN-UML Parliamentary Party Oli said.

Supporting the amendment proposal tabled by the party President Madhav Kumar Nepal, he pointed out various problems, including declining economy, increase in the number of people under poverty line, and little achievement in the fields of agriculture and industry and accused the government of failing to address these issues.

He said that the Maoists who have deviated from the mainstream politics would not succeed in their mission. “But the government has to approach this issue from clear a angle with clarity of vision.”

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party President Surya Bahadur Thapa said that there is nothing new in the programmes. “We do not see any basis in them to resolve the existing problems.”

The working paper has nothing to do with reality and have not been able to address the burning issues of the country, he said.

The government has to be able to free the country of Congressisation, political corruption and mafiaism. He asked all to forge consensus in the matters of national importance.

Similarly, Nepali Congress’s Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat said that the amendment did not come in the spirit of the Royal address.

Dr. Mahat, while stating that the present programmes aimed at uplifting the status of the people living in poverty, said, “The Royal address has incorporated good governance, control of corruption and smuggling, social justice, unemployment, economic growth, security and economically underprivileged people.”

He asked all to think of new strategies to resolve the Maoist problem. He denied the charges of the opposition parties that economic liberalisation hardly benefited the poor.

Badri Prasad Mandal of Nepal Sadbhawana Party said that the government’s policies were not serious enough to address people’s problem.

He accused the government of turning a deaf ear to the problem of citizenship.

Pari Thapa of National People’s Front said that the government has not been able to show concrete bases for the addressing the issues, including soaring price hike, corruption and good governance.

Nayaran Man Bijukchhe of Nepal Peasants and Workers’ Party said that the working paper is an evident of the government’s inability to work for public welfare.

RSS adds: Raghuji Pant of CPN-UML said although it has been claimed that new programmes for tackling the challenges of the new millennium have been brought in through the statement of policy and program, effective programmes in this conncetion have not materialisel

He said the policy and programme is silent about accommodating the majority of the population dependent on agriculture in the industrial sector in keeping with the changing times, there is no clear program for tackling the Maoist problem, and policy and programme similarly fails to respond to the development of water resources and communications in keeping with the changing circumstances.

Narayan Prasad Saud of Nepali Congress said the living standard of the people can be improved if the ruling and opposition parties can advance unitedly towards tackling the problems of poverty, law and order and corruption facing the country adding that the Royal Nepal Army should be involved in safeguarding the national borders of the country.

Ghanendra Basnet of the CPN-UML said the policy document of His Majesty’s Government is nothing more than an eye-wash and it lacks any concrete programmes on maintaining law and order in the country, removing corruption, alleviating poverty and accelerating land reforms.

Bharat Kumar Shaha of the nc noted that the working paper has given priority to maintaining peace and security, streamlining the administration, ensuring industrial development, attaining high economic growth rate and alleviating poverty widespread in the country.

CPN-UML’s Pashupati Chaulagain observed that the new document lacks commitment to any new policy and programme, the paper has not identified the problems and challenges facing the country and the slogans of poverty alleviation serve as nothing more than rhetoric.

NC’s Ramesh Lekhak said the government has included in its document such programmes as ensuring peace and security, reviewing the laws which are discriminatory, uplifting the backward and dalit communities, alleviating poverty and attaining high economic growth rate.

Jagannath Khatiwada of the cpn-uml said the working paper has not touched upon the spirit of the concept of the welfare state, people’s real problems have been ignored, there is no programme for containing population growth and the problem of unemployment has not been addressed.

Gokarnaraj Bista of the same party noted that the policy document is directionless, it lacks programmes for increasing food production and attention has not been given to solving Indo-Nepal border disputes.

NC’s Ramjanam Chaudhary of the nc remarked that the amendments proposals presented by the opposition parties, upon close study, reveal that they are nothing more than protests for protests’ sake, the document has given priority to maintaining peace and security, removing poverty, bringing corruption under control and eradicating the bonded labour system.

Tirtha Gautam of the CPN-UML complained that the document has not given any attention to projects prioritized by the ninth plan and nothing has been mentioned of providing relief to the fire victims of Rukum district.

NC’s Shankar Prasad Pandey said the government has laid more emphasis on guaranteeing security of life and property and sought to resolve the maoist problem through talks.

Sher Dhan Rai of CPN-UML noted that in the working paper, the current situation of the country has not been properly analyzed, there is no commitment to the report concerning revenue leakage and there is no programme to stop the commercialization of education.

NC’s Homnath Dahal stressed the need to rectify the mistakes and shortcomings of the past, improve the quality of education at public schools, advance the long-term Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP) and form a national development army by integrating ex-armymen and police.

Kunta Sharma of CPN-UML remarked that the policy document has no programmes for women, there is no commitment to write off the loans taken by earthquake victims, attention has not been given to establishing an agriculture market and it lacks a resolve to remove anomalies and distortions arising out of the privatization of education.

CPN-UML’s Tara Samyanghe complained that people’s living standard has not been increased even after ten years of democracy, people have been ground under the pressure of poverty and revolutionary agriculture plans have not been implemented.

Bir Bahadur Lama of the same party said despite being the second richest country in hydro-power generation, proper attention has not been given to this sector and programs are hollow.

Shankarnath Sharma of cpn-uml noted that the working paper has censored the provision of compulsory primary education and there is no income-generating programmes for the landless people.

Cpn-Uml’s Chandramani Kharal suggested bringing about programmes for ameliorating the conditions of the Tharus, Danuwars and Majhis in Nawalparasi, Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts.

Ratna Prasad Sharma Neupane of the same party complained the new working paper has failed to address the situation under which the people of remote areas have to live in India for half of the year and there is no programme to prop up the sick industries in the country.

CPN-UML’s Banshidhar Mishra expressed the view that the paper has not given any attention to the ninth five year plan and ayurved and naturopathy have been ignored in the document.

Durga Linkha of the same party noted that the working paper is very confusing and misleading and spoke of the need to incorporate the amendment proposals presented by his party.