KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to form a task force to move the issue of constitutional amendment toward a meaningful conclusion.
The task force will facilitate internal discussions within the party and hold dialogues with political parties involved in the constitution-drafting process, constitutional experts, and civil society representatives.
The decision was made during the Central Working Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress, which concluded on Monday, according to party Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel.
In Monday’s meeting, party leaders including President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice Presidents Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung, and General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma shared their views.
The meeting reaffirmed the party’s responsibility to safeguard and implement the constitution of the federal democratic republic of Nepal, which was promulgated under its leadership. It reiterated the party’s full commitment to upholding the constitution and the republic.
A seven-point agreement between the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, reached after reviewing a decade of constitutional implementation, emphasized the need for timely amendments.
The agreement calls for reviewing the constitution’s strengths and weaknesses and prioritizing necessary legal reforms to ensure political stability and effective governance.
Call for more people-focused governance
The meeting also emphasized the need for the ruling coalition to remain committed to the people and work more effectively. It urged the government to deliver on development, good governance, and prosperity in line with public expectations.
According to Chief Secretary Poudel, the party has asked the government to boost agricultural production for food self-sufficiency, prevent fertilizer and seed shortages, and reduce the health risks posed by excessive pesticide use.
The Nepali Congress also called on the government to address industrial, commercial, and supply chain challenges, create an investment-friendly environment, increase domestic production and employment, and end the existing quota system and monopoly in gold distribution.
In light of growing disaster risks, the party urged the government to provide early warnings to minimize loss of life and property and to ensure effective disaster relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts.
Furthermore, the party highlighted the impact of drought in the Terai-Madhes and called for a targeted strategy to support affected farmers. It demanded continued subsidies for sugarcane farmers and stressed the need to protect savings defrauded by cooperative operators by ensuring early reimbursement of up to Rs 500,000 to each victim.
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