KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the government has started working to resolve border-related disputes with India. The encroached land will be taken back through diplomatic dialogue with India, he said.
Talking to members of the reshuffled cabinet and secretaries at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, he said that facts show that Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura are Nepali territory, but India has claimed over it as attention was not paid towards it for a long time. “Now we need to talk to our neighbors seriously about the matter through diplomatic channel, and we can re-establish our rights and return back our territory,” he said.
Emphasizing on the need for coordination and collaboration among the ministries for development works, Prime Minister Oli directed the Ministers to develop a report on the status of work under their ministries within four days. “Every minister henceforth needs to adopt a policy of not only collaboration but also co-utilization in development,” he added. He also directed the authorities concerned to coordinate in order to ensure that the work of laying drinking water pipe, power poles and blacktopping of the road are done in an orderly manner.
Stating that the capital expenditure in the first four months was not so satisfactory than that of last year, PM Oli underscored the need to improve it. In the first four months (mid-July to mid-November) of the current fiscal year 2019/20, only 6 per cent of the Rs 408 billion allocated by the central government was utilized, according to the report of the Office of Financial Comptroller General Office. PM Oli reiterated,” We lag behind in capital expenditure in comparison to previous year.
Now we should not repeat the same situation for the second four months. We should scale up our efforts to get over this situation.” The Prime Minister spoke of the need to speed up the work strategically so as to achieve 50 percent utilization of capital expenditure in the second four months of the fiscal year i.e by coming mid-March.
Pointing out to the need to repair the roads in Kathmandu Valley and fill the potholes by the next four months, the PM also voiced his concern over the dust issues plaguing the Valley’s citizens. “It’s normal for the dust to surface from the places where development works are underway but there should be no dust where there is no construction works ongoing,” he said, expressing his confidence that there would be less decry over the dust once the development works are completed. The PM cited the reference of the recently dismantled old building in the PM’s official residence and the cloud of dust moving all over and quipped,” I myself am residing in the place where there’s dust all over.
But I don’t make any hue and cry about it because I know dust blows when construction works are underway.” According to him, the implementation of federalism and constitution and achievement in peace process were hailed by many. “Time has come to address people’s grievances,” he said. Similarly, he shared that Nepal has got international recognition to its efforts for and commitment to development, social justice and protection of democracy.
The country needs to be elevated to the stage of modernity and development, he said, reminding the ministers to effectively deliver service to the people. He urged the ministers to make the people aware about good works done by the government and wipeout rumours.
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