Kathmandu, April 29Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba tore into the government for its alleged misrule, including its attempt to centralise powers in the Prime Minister Office and curtail press freedom.While addressing the first meeting of the budget session today, Deuba criticised the KP Sharma Oli-led government ‘for not doing any single work that could strike a chord with the public.& The government drew flak not only from the main opposition party but also its coalition partner Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal.Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, which withdrew support to the government a few weeks ago, threatened to launch street protest against the government if the constitution was not amended and other demands of the party were not met.Reading out a written statement from the rostrum of the Parliament, Deuba said the government did not do enough to rehabilitate tornado-hit people in Bara and Parsa districts and to maintain law and order.&The government failed to spend capital allocated for development work and it handed over Budi Gandaki Hydro project to a company without calling a tender,& he said and added that the government was trying to protect land mafia involved in the Baluwatar land-grab case.
He also criticised the government for taking decisions through the Constitutional Council even in the absence of the leader of opposition.Member of RJP-N presidium Anil Kumar Jha said if the government continued to ignore his party demands, then his party would launch street protest against the government.&The government is neither positive about amending the constitution, nor is it willing to make the Girish Chandra Lal Commissionreport public,& he said.
Jha said many party leaders, including lawmaker Resham Chaudhary were victims of false indictment.Rajendra Shrestha, co-chair of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and deputy parliamentary party leader, said if the government didn&t amend the constitution as per the two-point agreement, the party would quit the coalition government.Former prime minister and Coordinator of Naya Shakti Party Baburam Bhattarai asked the government to investigate the Baluwatar land-grab cases and wide-body aircraft purchase deal.
Bhattarai said the government should withdraw the newly registered National Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Bill that proposed to put the rights body under the purview of the Attorney General.Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker Rajendra Lingden, Rastriya Janamorcha Party lawmaker Durga Paudel and Nepal Workers and Presents Party leader Prem Suwal also criticised the government for not living up to people expectation.However, NCP deputy parliamentary party leader Subas Chandra Nembang defended the government, saying the government was doing all it could to control corruption.
He said the government also wanted to investigate the land-grab cases.