NC's Koirala asks how Baluwatar land landed in NCP leader's name

NCP Gen Secy Paudel says ready to face action if found guilty

KATHMANDU, May 7: Key leaders of both the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) exchanged arguments over the involvement of a ruling party leader in the Bulawatar land scam, during a parliamentary meeting on Monday.

Lawmakers from the two sides spent most of the House meeting on deliberations on the government's policy and programs presented by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Friday.

Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Shashanka Koirala expressed concern over the Baluwatar land scam, along with other issues.

“Who stopped the government from recovering tax from Ncell and where are the corrupt involved in the wide-body purchase scam? How did government land end up in the name of your party leader?” Koirala questioned during the deliberations.

He also questioned how the policy and programs would be implemented, accusing the government of making plans without any resources for implementing those plans.

Also taking part in the deliberations, ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) General Secretary Bishnu Paudel, who has been facing criticism both within and outside his party for purchasing land in Baluwatar, said that he was ready to face action if he was found to be at fault. “Questions have been raised about the land possessed by my family at Baluwatar. I strongly urge the government to probe the issue and I am ready to face the music if I am found guilty,” he said.

Most of the opposition lawmakers criticized the policy and programs for their vagueness and for selling dreams without the means of realizing them.

Ruling party lawmakers for their part defended the policy and programs, saying they offered a long-term vision and adopted a stance of zero tolerance against corruption .

However, some ruling party lawmakers stood alongside the opposition to criticize the use of the phrase 'my government' by the president in the policy and programs statement to parliament .

Influential NC lawmaker Gagan Thapa came down heavily on the policy and programs for being prime minister-centric instead of being a plan for the greater good of the country. “Even the plans shared by the concerned ministries and plans included in policy and programs don't match. This shows how baseless the policy and programs are,” Thapa argued.

Presidium member of the opposition Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) Mahantha Thakur termed the policy and programs a ritual and against the spirit of federalism. “The policy and programs don't reflect federalism and the republic . It has centralized the programs and there is nothing new for us,” he said.

The government plans to endorse the policy and programs for fiscal year 2019/20 after answers from the prime minister to lawmakers' concerns.