HoR: Replies to lawmakers' queries on Appropriation Bill

Ministers concerned have been furnishing replies to the questions raised in course of the deliberations on the topics related to various ministries under the Appropriation Bill, 2022, in the House of Representatives.

The ministers for the ministries of Youth and Sports; Urban Development; Agriculture and Livestock Development; Education, Science and technology; Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Foreign Affairs; Water Supply; Finance; and Health and Population are scheduled to reply to queries in the meeting of the House of Representatives today.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology Devendra Paudel, replying on behalf the Minister for Youth and Sports, said that providing employment to the youths within the country is the cross-cutting topic and so there were many programmes for youth employment under various ministries.

He said programmes as the 'one school-one playground' included in the budget would be started from the current fiscal year itself.

Minister Paudel informed that a new criteria has been implemented for enhancing the quality of the nursing education. Lawmakers Bimala Bishwokarma, Dila Sangraula Panta, Prem Suwal, Mana Kumari GC, Sarita Kumari Giri, Renuka Gurung, Mina Subba and Maina Kumari Bhandari had sought clarification from the Minister on this topic.

Likewise, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Mahindra Raya Yadav while replying to the MPs' queries, said that the budget has included various programmes for the promotion and development of the agriculture sector.

He said budgetary allocation has been made for programmes aiming to attaining self-sufficiency in agriculture by rendering it as a dignified, respected and profitable profession, developing the infrastructures in this sector and providing pension to the farmers under the farmers protection scheme.

Stating that the country is almost self-sufficient in wheat, chicken and eggs at present, the Agriculture Minister reiterated that programmes have been proposed in the budget for achieving self-sufficiency in the basic food grains in the coming two years.

He added that it is proposed in the budget to celebrate the Nepali Year 2022 AD as the 'Year of Agricultural Bio-Diversity' and the data has been prepared for providing relief to farmers whose rice crops were damaged due to the torrential rains last year and forwarded to the Ministry of home affairs for necessary action. Rs 5 billion has been earmarked for this relief programme, he said.

Similarly, Minister Yadav said that a programme has been proposed for implementing the livestock insurance scheme. The Ministry has already determined the support price of sugarcane and sent it to the Ministry of Industry. A directive has been issued for making arrangements for online system for making the transparent distribution of fertilizers.

Regarding the question when will be a fertilizer plant established in the country, the Agriculture Minister said that budget required for this has been allocated and this is a matter related to the Ministry of Industry. Discussions on this topic are also on in the Investment Board, he added.

Lawmakers, Ganga Chaudhary Satgauwa, Nirudevi Pal, Jhapat Bahadur Rawal, Bimala Bishwokarma, Prem Suwal, Ghanashyam Khatiwada, Khem Prasad Lohani, Bimala BK, Parbata DC Chaudhary, Dr Dila Sangraula Panta, Rameshwar Raya Yadav and Pramod Saha had sought clarifications from Minister Yadav.