Kathmandu, Mar. 13: Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has said that political appointment, in hmg’s view, should aim at the development of the institutions, not at that of any individual.

Responding to a question posed by Bijaya Subba of the cpn-uml during question hour at the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Bhattarai said that qualification and professional experience had been made the main criteria for making political appointments and political prejudice was not allowed to play any part in it. Hmg was alert lest unrelated and inexperienced might get appointed.

Replying to a query by Om Prasad Ojha of the cpn-uml, he made it clear that it had been the policy of the present government to mobilise the administrative apparatus in keeping with well-established principles of good governance to retain political stability, maintain law and order, and provide prompt and efficient services to the people.

Expecting cooperation from other political parties for the effective implementation of these activities, the Prime Minister disclosed that the government had sought consensus on national issues and a three-member committee had been constituted with the Deputy Prime Minister as the chairman.

In reply to the query of Yam Bahadur Rayamajhi of the cpn-uml, Prime Minister Bhattarai said that at present, 626 Royal Army personnel including 69 of officers rank were on peace-keeping duty in eight countries.

According to him, there were 47 officers and 557 other army personnel of the Royal Nepal Army assigned in Lebanon, 9 officers in East Timor, 1 officer in former Yugoslavia, 6 officers in Sierre Leone, 2 officers in Congo, 2 officers in Kazakasthan, 1 officer (commando force) in Cyprus, and 1 officer in Croatia.

Fulfil commitments: Meanwhile, Bharat Mohan Adhikari of the cpn-uml, during special hour at the House of Representatives today, alleged that the government had not paid attention to implementing the declaration of the International Buddhist Conference held at Lumbini last year and the conference of Dharmodaya Sabha held recently at Chitwan.

Calling for commitments to making Lumbini an international pilgrimage centre of world peace, he stressed that the Mayadevi temple be constructed and Lumbini Development Trust be activated.

Netra Lal Shrestha of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party said that the people of the Maoist-infested areas where police-posts were being removed had become unsafe and alleged that the government had not been able to make provision of education, healthcare, electricity and potable in such areas.

MP Navaraj Subedi said that the local self-governance act had been introduced to implement the principle of decentralisation but the rights delegated to the DDC chairman were now invested water in the cdos.

Resenting the removal of the district irrigation office at keeping only unit office in Pyuthan, he demanded that the rights of the people should not be curtailed.

Hari Bhakta Adhikari of the Nepali Congress emphasised the need for the government to pay attention towards some of the ex-Gurkha soldiers making preparation to file petition at the international courts seeking pension at par with the British soldiers, which he said would affect the ties between Nepal and Britain.

Bijaya Subba of the cpn-uml said that the government had paid no heed to the decisions of the parliamentary committee which formulates law for the country.

Narayan Prakash Saud of the Nepali Congress said that the Indian side had set ablaze the settlement of the landless squatters at Tribhuvannagar of Mahendranagar and alleged that India had been encroaching by not recognising the border pillar at a place called Parasan.