NA meeting: Main opposition party calls for forming parliamentary probe body

Kathmandu, May 10: Leader of the main opposition party Nepali Congress, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, has called for constituting a parliamentary investigation committee to look into the topic of embezzlement of cooperatives’ amount in which Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane is allegedly linked to. 

Putting views on behalf the Nepali Congress in the meeting of the National Assembly, the Upper House of the Federal Parliament, today, he made it clear that it would be difficult to run the House sessions if the said committee was not formed.

“We have been raising voice in the parliament from time to time calling for formation of the parliamentary probe committee. Where there is power, the investigation is halted at that point. We have not called for the Home Minister’s resignation. The reality should be known once question is raised,” he said.

Stating that his party’s parliamentary party has also decided that a parliamentary investigation committee should be formed to probe the Home Minister, leader Sitaula said the parliament’s meeting cannot proceed ahead if the committee is not constituted.

“We are of the belief that the government will form the investigation committee promptly on the basis of consensus,” he added.

Similarly, speaking in the meeting, CPN (Unified Socialist) lawmaker Dr Beduram Bhusal said that the next fiscal year’s budget should be able to infuse a feeling of forward-looking progress to the nation. He added that the budget should make the society reforms-oriented.

According to him, although a change has been made by forwarding the pre-budget discussion process in the parliament through amendment to the laws, the situation was such that works could not be carried out according to the same spirit.

CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Maya Prasad Sharma stressed on the need of making the next fiscal year’s budget implementable. He underscored on the need of making budgetary appropriation on a needs basis rather than on the basis of political power proximity.

“There is a concept that the budget appropriation used to be on the basis of proximity to power in the past and let there be no such indication in the next fiscal year’s budget. Priority should be given to projects that are implementable and the budget should focus on completing the national pride projects within the deadline,” the Maoist Centre lawmaker said.