Kathmandu: National Assembly members have demanded the withdrawal of the government’s decision to stop the subsidy being provided to sugarcane farmers. Speaking in today’s meeting, they expressed dissatisfaction towards the government’s decision and drew its attention, through the NA Chairperson, not to discontinue the subsidy. The government had decided to stop providing a production subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal from the coming fiscal year.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the farmers would face problems due to the decision to stop the subsidy the government has been continuously providing to sugarcane farmers for the past 30 years, they argued. On the occasion, Dr. Beduram Bhusal asked the government to continue the subsidy, saying stopping the subsidy means not helping the farmers.
Similarly, Gopi Bahadur Sarki Achhami shared that farmers of various districts including Rautahat, Sarlahi, and Mahottari would be discouraged by stopping the subsidy while Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav urged the government to rethink the decision. Yadav drew the government’s attention to take diplomatic initiatives to ensure the safety of Nepalis living in Israel and Iran as well as their immediate repatriation due to the war between the two countries.
Likewise, Indira Devi Gautam pointed out the need for extensive discussion, counseling from the school level, and arrangement of treatment to spread awareness about mental health while Ganga Kumari Belbase called all for blood donation and to take initiatives to increase the blood donor population to two percent from 0.5 percent.
Taraman Swar and Sharada Devi Bhatta drew the government’s attention to prevent coronavirus infection as it is increasing day by day, urging to conduct tests at border points and adopt high precautions. Similarly, Sumitra BC, Maya Prasad Sharma, among others, also drew the government’s attention to various issues.
NA members drew the attention of the Foreign Ministry through the NA Chairperson to take coordination and diplomatic initiatives with both countries to make contact immediately with Nepalis willing to return home and demanding their rescue. Wishing for world peace, they urged the government to adopt precautions about possible risks Nepal might face from the war and demanded it to inform the House about the state of Nepalis and their security. Speaking on the occasion were Jayanti Devi Rai, Suresh Kumar Ale Magar, Padam Bahadur Pariyar, and Bhagawati Neupane.