By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, June 28: The Standing Committee meeting of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Saturday continued discussions on the border issues.
Today’s meeting again dwelt on the agenda related to outstanding border dispute between Nepal and India, said NCP spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha while briefing the media after the meeting.
Realizing the gravity of the agenda, today’s meeting once again focused on the issue relating to border encroachment, he said.
According to Shrestha, most of the Standing Committee members who spoke today lauded the national unity seen in the course of publication of updated political and administrative map of Nepal that incorporated the encroached areas of Kalapani and the constitutional recognition of the map.
Nepal has made a historical achievement towards protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity, by releasing its new political map and endorsing the constitutional amendment bill for altering Nepal’s map in the national emblem, NCP spokesperson Shrestha quoted Standing Committee members as saying.
The members said similar national unity should continue until Nepal reclaimed its encroached lands, said Shrestha.
During the meeting 21 Standing Committee members including Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Gyawali, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai, party secretariat member Bam Dev Gautam, Subash Nembang, Janardan Sharma, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Minister for Education Giri Raj Mani Pokharel, among others, expressed their views on the agenda.
Responding to the query as to why one of the party chairs and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli didn’t stay in the meeting full time, the NCP spokesperson said PM Oli left the meeting in the middle due to his health condition.
The meeting will continue on Tuesday, NCP spokesperson Shrestha said, adding that the first session of Tuesday’s meeting would again focus on the same agenda followed by discussion on the prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19.
Similarly, another meeting would seek solution to existing issues through the review of government’s works, assessment of party activities and remaining work of party unification, said Shrestha.
He said, “The meeting will gradually discuss all the seven agendas the party endorsed and reach logical conclusion on them.”
The Standing Committee meeting of NCP on Wednesday had endorsed seven agendas to be discussed in following meetings.
The prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19, Nepal’s border issues, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, among other contemporary issues, have been set as agenda for discussion at the meeting.
Besides, the incident of west-Rukum in which six youths were beaten to death, has also been listed for discussion. The Standing Committee meeting is expected to seek solution to existing issues through the review of government’s works, assessment of the party activities and remaining work of party unification.
Similarly, the committee meeting would also discuss the bill related to citizenship and allowance for members of federal parliament.