Bhaktapur's five political parties forward 11-point memo to PM

Five political parties in Bhaktapur has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli through the Chief District Officer, warning that the government is going astray when the country is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nepali Congress, CPN Maoist Centre, CPN UML, Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal and Rastriya Janamorcha have presented a charter of 11-point demands before the government.  The memorandum has accused the government of taking a wrong course when time demands unity among all political parties in fighting against the pandemic.

The memorandum calls the government for taking effective measures to combat the pandemic, ensuring immediate vaccination against COVID-19, making provisions for free treatment of COVID-19 patients, and guarantee required medical supplies to hospitals, providing immediate relief assistance to the people bearing the brunt of anti-COVID-19 prohibitory measures and giving cent per cent allowance to the front line workers — health workers and other employees — during the pandemic so as to keep their morale high.

Similarly, the oppositions have demanded the government to come up with alternative arrangements in view of the disrupted academic session due to the implementation of measures against the pandemic, to facilitate farmers for transporting produces to the market easily, to assure smooth supplies of fertiliser and agro seeds in the current farming season and to extend the deadline for clearing instalment for small and medium entrepreneurs.

Likewise, it has been demanded to make arrangements for refinancing by waiving off interest and fine of lockdown period, make necessary arrangements for the completion of development projects and to create an environment conducive for smooth supplies by controlling artificial price hike.

The memorandum has been signed by Nepali Congress  Bhaktapur vice president Hari Prasad Nepal, CPN Maoist Centre Bhaktapur chair DP Dhakal, CPN UML chair Rajan KC, Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal chair Shyam Shilpakar and Rastriya Janamorcha chair Shivahari Nepal.

Receiving the memo, CDO Prem Prasad Bhattarai promised to forward the memorandum to the government.