Lahan, Jan. 12: President of the Nepali Congress (nc) and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala said that the power of the nc is that of the people and vice versa and pointed out the need for the present nc majority government to understand the feelings of the people and carry out development works accordingly.

Addressing a mass meeting organised by nc siraha district committee here today, Mr Koirala said that if anyone has kept alive the Nepali Congress, it is the people of the rural areas. The existence, power and ideals of the Nepali Congress originated from the villages, he added.

Though the nc has a majority government, it has not gained momentum because of the wrong policies, nc president Koirala said, stressing the need to reassess the economic, educational and water resources policies to move ahead the development process.

Stating that he was of the view that ideological, economic and administrative initiatives should be taken to tackle the politics of murder, violence and terror, Mr Koirala said that the party and the government should resolve the Maoist problem ideologically as well as administratively.

The Maoists can be visualised but corruption is an invisible enemy, he said, adding that as it could not be defeated by moral power, all the nc rank and file should move ahead with moral courage to eliminate corruption.

Minister for Health Dr. Ram Baran Yadav said that various reactionary forces are active in creating factions within the Nepali Congress and all the party cadres should work in a united manner for the consolidation of the party and the institutional development of democracy.

Deputy speaker Mrs Chitralekha Yadav expressed the view that it was the duty of all the party cadres of the Nepali Congress, a historic party, to consolidate the party and fight for the stability of democracy.

On the occasion, nc president Koirala provided general membership of the party to 756 activists quiting the rpp (chand) to join the Nepali Congress without any conditions.

Earlier, nc president Koirala garlanded the statue of the late b. p. koirala at Kadamaha Chowk of Madhupatti vdc in Saptari district.

Likewise, party president Koirala inaugurated the liaison office of mp at Sitapur of Prasabani vdc of Saptari district and inspected the nc office at Bharadah vdc.

Former minister of state Padma Narayan Chaudhari, ex-chairman of Siraha ddc Chandra Narayan Yadav and various other speakers also expressed their views at the mass meeting chaired by president of nc siraha district committee Amir Kumar Yadav.