Nepal govt to adopt alt measures if Maoists don't let budget to be passed

Nepal’s home minister Bhim Rawal has said, Nepal government would seek and alternative way to pass the budget for ongoing fiscal year, if the Unified CPN (Maoist) lawmakers do not allow it to be passed from the parliament by obstructing the House.

Speaking to journalists at a press conference organised by Press Chautari, Banke, minister Rawal said, efforts were still on to find a solution to the current political deadlock.

However, if the Maoists don’t come to consensus and continue obstructing the House, the government will be forced to adopt alternative measures to pass the budget, he said.

Rawal had gone to Nepalgunj to observe the situation of recent floods and landslides in the mid and far west due to heavy rains.

In another function organised by press chautari, Kaski, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said if the budget is not passed, its not only the government but also the Maoists who will suffer. 

The Maoists are obstructing the House protesting against the President’s move to undo the then Maoist-led government’s decision to dismiss erstwhile Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal from his post.

They have tabled a resolution motion against the president’s move at the parliament secretariat. However, coalition partners including Nepali Congress and UML have not allowed the motion to be discussed in the parliament.

The Maoists have said they will not end their agitation until the motion is discussed or the President’s move is discussed in the parliament.

Meanwhile, the government has only one week before the Credit Bill it introduced in August to enable it to raise tax and release administrative cost in the absence of the budget expires. According to law, the government will not be allowed to raise any tax or spend a single paisa from Kartik 1st if the budget is not passed by then.