Kathmandu, May 12: Lawmakers are found divided while taking part in the discussions on the government’s policies and programmes in the meeting of today’s parliament.

Ruling parties’ lawmakers were found supporting and welcoming the policies and programmes while opposition party lawmakers were commenting and opposing it.

The ruling party lawmakers praised the government policies and programmes adding that it has incorporated agendas of constitution implementation, providing reliefs to quake survivors, and completing the remaining tasks of the peace process. They termed it as a milestone.

However, opposition Nepali Congress lawmakers criticized it saying it was similar to an election manifesto.

They said that the periodic government could not implement such populist programmes.

Participating the meeting, NC lawmaker Prakash Man Singh commented the policies and programmes as it seemed like an election manifesto and said that the periodic government can’t implement it. He asked the bases for local bodies’ election adding that when his party led government made such efforts for election no consensus was forged and how it might be possible for this time.

He suggested the government to hold all levels election in a package. Singh is the former Minister for Local Development.

On the other hand, ruling CPN (UML) lawmaker Amrit Bohara said that it was a periodic programmae adding that no government would be permanent as all are periodic. Leader Bohara who is also the former Local Development Minister said that the local bodies’ election was essential as representative posts in the bodies remained vacant for long affecting the developmental activities.

UCPN (Maoist) lawmaker Janardan Sharma said that the policies and programmes, has addressed the dissatisfactions seen in the new constitution as the implementation of the constitution was the need of the hour.

Another ruling party lawmaker Bhaskar Bhadra urged the government to announce the date for local bodies’ election. Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) lawmaker Gita Kshetri added that the policies and progarmmes failed to incorporate the agendas for industrial development and drinking water facilities.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to answer the quarries raised by the lawmakers on Friday.

Lawmaker Parshuram Tamang suggested first-prioritising Budigandaki Hydropower Project in the upcoming budget, while increasing the amount of money to be given to the April 25 earthquake victims.

Another lawmaker Janak Bahadur Buda viewed the policies and programmes as positive, while expressing sadness over its failure to emphasise the upliftment of Dalits and Janajatis.

Likewise, Nepali Congress lawmaker Dr Minendra Rijal accused the incumbent government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of the failure to distribute reliefs to the quake survivors and keep in track country’s economy growth.

On the reports of terming the policies and programmes as ambitious and it could not be implemented properly, ruling CPN-UML lawmaker Yubraj Gyawali said the policies could be implemented and that all should focus on the matter.

Similarly, Prabhu Sah, lawmaker of the coalition partner of the incumbent government lawmaker UCPN (Maoist), criticised the policies and programmes as abstract, baseless and aimless, viewing that people’s views towards the works of the state should not be derailed by presenting such policies that could not be implemented.

He said that the policies and programmes lack such programmes that fill people with encouragement by carrying out development in the nation.

Meanwhile, the disgruntled Madhes-based political parties boycotted today’s meeting of Legislature-Parliament, accusing the government of the failure to become serious towards their demands. RSS