KATHMANDU – CPN (UML) Chair KP Sharma Oli today handed to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ a memorandum incorporating 751 plans and programmes along with possibilities and challenges of the development of the Mid-hills region.
The main opposition party compiled in written form the demands, memos and suggestions that it received from the people and the problems the party itself observed in course of the ‘Resolution Journey for Prosperity’ campaign launched by the UML from Jhulaghat of Baitadi to Chiwabhanjyang of Taplejung from November 30 to December 17.
The UML has drawn the attention of the Government of Nepal to the latest condition of the Pushpalal (Mid-hills) highway and also to the need of realignment and improvement of the highway at several places. It is stated that the Mid-hills region has accorded priority to the highest number of 157 demands related to the road and 25 related to construction of bridge.
Among the major suggestions are related to road, education, tourism, agriculture and fruits, health, industries, energy, motorable bridges, irrigation, building construction, preservation and promotion of culture, land management, settlement development, sports, ending the evil social practices as caste discrimination and untouchability, and violence, management of drinking water and source conservation, reconstruction and rehabilitation in earthquake-affected areas, construction of tunnel way, prevention of soil erosion and construction of embankments, among others.
The memo incorporated various issues including migration becoming a big challenge in hilly settlements, some of the settlements turning empty due to outmigration, some of the schools being on verge of closure in lack of students, fertile land turning barren, some of the places even lacking family members to take care their elderly parents, as well as lack of youths to carry the dead to the cremation ground, said UML’s central Publicity and Publication Department Chief, Rajendra Gautam.
Similarly, the UML urged the government to stop the uncontrolled import of agro products from foreign countries, to control exploitation by middlemen, to make arrangement of capital and technology, crop insurance, support price of production and its market.
Stating that post-earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation task in Jajarkot and Rukum West is in snail’s pace and very disappointing, the UML assessed that death of more than 34 quake-victims from cold in lack of temporary huts and warm clothes is the matter of shame.
It also demanded the government to save the life of the people by providing relief for temporary huts and guarantee the temporary huts for them immediately.
