Discussion held on the draft of Sanitation and Hygiene Bill in Karnali

Published On: January 20, 2024 04:35 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KARNALI, Jan 20: A discussion on the draft of the Karnali Province Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Bill was held in Birendranagar, Surkhet on Friday.

On the occasion, Minister for Water Resources and Energy Development of the Karnali provincial government Urmila Bishwakarma expressed her commitment that the opinions, suggestions and advice from the discussion will be included in the draft.

The bill should be formulated in such a way that it does not conflict with and also does not duplicate the federal law, she said.

Likewise, President of the Municipal Association of Karnali Province, Hasta Bahadur Pun, emphasized that only the laws that resemble the social, economic and geographical uniqueness of the region will benefit the people of Karnali.

President of Karnali Province Association of Rural Municipalities, Nim Bahadur KC, said that it is necessary to create a law so that the right over resources belongs to the local level. He emphasized that laws should be made in accordance with local compatibility and the uniqueness of Karnali as the local government is the implementing agency of any law.

Joint Secretary at Water Resources and Energy Commission Secretariat Kalanidhi Paudyal insisted that any law made in the country should be simple, comprehensible and enforceable, and all-side cooperation is necessary in the implementation of the laws.

Deputy Director General of the Water and Sanitation Department, Madhav Bhandari, argued that Karnali would be treated unfairly if the decisions were made at the federal level.

Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Development, Navin Chandra Adhikari said that policy, structure, representation and linguistic issues raised on the draft will be addressed.

Senior Divisional Engineer of Karnali Province, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, Ramesh Subedi, made a presentation on the process of drafting, its legal basis, stages and the blueprint of the bill.

Secretaries/representatives of the relevant ministries, heads of local levels, journalists, water supply and sanitation experts, people with disabilities, heads of indigenous federation, industry and commerce, hoteliers and other stakeholders attended the discussion.