Kathmandu, Mar. 30:Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya has said that the report of the revenue leakage joint parliamentary investigation committee will be implemented on the basis of the report of the task force constituted by His Majesty’s Government.

Replying to queries concerning his ministry at question-answer hour at the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Finance Minister Acharya said that it was not true that an office of the Small Farmers Development Project was being established at Thulo Lumpek of Gulmi district.

He said there was a programme for opening a sub-branch office of Nepal Bank Limited at the headquarters of Dailekh district  this fiscal year.

Those seeking replies from Finance Minister Acharya were mps Phatik Bahadur Thapa, Nar Bahadur Hamal and Prakash Jwala of the cpn (uml).

Likewise, replying to queries concerning his ministry, Minister for Education Amod Prasad Upadhyaya said although there was no programme for granting permanent status to temporary secondary schools at Ambote, Lumti, Swalpa, Mahadev Dada, Sirthauli and Ladabhir of Sindhuli district in the current fiscal year, such secondary schools in the district would be gradually made permanent on priority basis depending on the resources of His Majesty’s Government.

He said although there was no programme as such at present for the establishment of a far-western regional university, the government was focusing all its efforts towards this end.

Those putting queries to Minister Upadhyaya were mps Ganga Prasad Nepal, Bijaya Subba and Gorakh Bahadur Bogati of the cpn(uml) and mp ramesh Lekhak of the Nepali Congress.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya presented details of agreements pertaining to foreign cooperation which were concluded  between july l7, l999 and February l2, 2000, at the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

At the meeting, chairman of the State Affairs Committee Hom Nath Dahal presented the Nepal Citizenship (sixth amendment) Bill 2056 along with the committee’s report.

Similarly, Minister of State for Health Tirtha Ram Dangol presented the Martyr Gangalal National Heart Center Bill 2056.

The next meeting of the House will be held at ll am tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya, replying question raised by the mps at the meeting of the National Assembly today, said poverty alleviation is not possible until the economic growth rate is increased from existing two to three per cent to seven to eight per cent.

Stressing the need for attracting private sector investment in tourism and telecommunications sectors as government investment is inadequate for attaining high economic growth rate, Mr Acharya said that investments should be increased in the education and health sectors for development of human resources. Private sector participation can be involved in a few areas of these sectors, he added.

The finance minister said internal and foreign loan assistance have to be mobilised as investments have to be increased  because the national savings rate stands at 11 per cent and gross domestic production stands at about 18 per cent.

Stating that foreign assistance had not been mobilised properly as a result of the decline in the morale of the bureaucracy caused by political intervention, and development programme implemented with foreign assistance not being carried out on the basis of the state’s priority, Mr Acharya said that improvements had to be made in the administration and policy relating to foreign assistance formulated for this purpose.

The finance Minister said that the possibilities of bringing about changes and extending development programmes to the people can be attained only through consensus between the prolitical parties, the civil society and the private sector.

Mr Acharya also assured the mps of the Upper House that the procedural problems encountered in the distribution of funds to the mps for carrying out development programmes in their respective constituencies would be solved to save it from lapsing.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Communications Jayaprakash Prasad Gupta has said the nc government is active for privatisation of state-owned publishing and broadcasting bodies since the Congress party from the very beginning of its inception has upheld the view that operation of newspapers by government is not practical and cannot be justified.

Responding to issues concerning his ministry pointed out in the third report of the delegated legislation committee (2056) at the National Assembly today, Mr Gupta noted that it is with a view to transferring broadcasting body to the private sector that private sector participation has been encouraged in telecommunications and radio services.

If the private sector carries out its responsibility honestly, it will also be allowed to operate national broadcasting services, he added.

The report also points out shortcomings seen in several acts and regulations and recommends various suggestions for improving this sector, the Minister said, adding the suggestions forwarded by the committee will be instrumental in preparing a draft of the act.

Similarly, Health Minister Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, responding to issues pointed out in the report concerning his ministry, said the process for amending the act concerning Nepal Medical Council and health services is underway.

Stating that and His Majesty’s Government will gradually rectify the shortcomings pointed out in the report, Dr. Yadav made it clear that health tax is collected keeping in mind the adverse impact on health of alcohol and other nicotine items.

Minister for Land Reforms and Management Siddha Raj Ojha noted that geometric system will be made more effective in order to minimize land-related problems.

Dual ownership on land will be ended as early as possible, he added.

Likewise, Finance Minister Mahesh Acharya remarked that the government will seriously study the report and soon amend the acts in order to remove shortcomings, adding that acts, regulations and by-laws should not contradict each other.

Cpn-uml’s Ram Chandra Bhattarai, Uttam Kumar Mahat, Devendra Ghimire and Surendra Prasad Pandey had taken part in the discussions.

Chairman of the delegated legislation committee Basudev Bhatta said the committee had prepared the report after studying various by-laws framed by different offices under His Majesty’s Government and 18 different acts.

Meanwhile, Balaram Ghartimagar of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, speaking during special time at the National Assembly today, said law and order situation is utterly dismal in the country and the people have been displaced from their own villages.

Cpn-uml’s Lal Bahadur Bishwokarma noted that even in the 21st century Dalits are living a neglected life.

NC’s Arvind Kumar Thakur noted that people are yet to enjoy the fruits of democracy in the field of education and agriculture, adding that the nation should respect the martyrs.

Bir Bahadur Singh of the cpn-uml said the helpless people are being harassed both by the police and the Maoists and strongly denounced the incidents of arsenal, looting and rapes by police at different vdcs of Rukum district.

NC’s Tilak Prasad Neupane complained that though Nepal owes us $ 4.6930 billion loan during the past five decades, people are growing poorer and poorer every day.

Cpn-uml’s Surendra Prasad Pandey demanded strong action against some persons of the Nepali Congress who today kidnapped Rautahat ddc chairman Jaya Prakash Kaushal from his office.

NC’s Bhim Bahadur Shrestha demanded that the government make policy to declare Chitwan a pollution-free and health city.

Shukra Raj Sharma of the same party expressed grief over the death of 93-year old Min Bahadur Gurung, a democratic fighter of the Nepali Congress and expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.