Kathmandu, Feb 27: Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) lawmaker Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact was inevitable for the construction of infrastructures in the country.

Putting forth his views on the discussion in principles on the US-aid grant in the parliament on Sunday, leader Dr Bhattarai opined that both the ruling party and the opposition should approve the MCC grant and there was nothing to have a qualm about the compact. He stated that all prime ministers of Nepal since 2010 should take responsibility for the MCC compact, and argued that he came to know that the MCC compact was chosen for Nepal while he was the prime minister.

"The MCC was taken forward during the premiership of eight leaders of different political parties. Those who took it forward should not protest it. I take moral responsibility on my part, "Dr Bhattarai reminded.

Furthermore, he said that although the MCC compact was signed in 2017, he felt hurt after going through wordings in another agreement relating to it in 2019.

According to him, the wordings in the agreement were still hurtful. The points in the agreement were put as per the international practices. Bhattarai wished that those hurtful points could be quelled and asserted that they (the prime ministers) have to take responsibility for that.

He however opined that the MCC compact, the common grant assistance, was signed for the development of Nepal and. He was dismayed that it was muddled deliberately or inadvertently. "MCC is a general grant agreement. It is deliberately or inadvertently muddled leading to the situation where we are having contradictory views about it. We must assess ourselves."

Moreover, Dr Bhattarai stated that it was a mistake not to approve the MCC agreement on time and there should not be further delay in enlightening the general public about the MCC agreement.

Stating that Switzerland had ensured its development and safeguarded its independence after paving the right path for development, Bhattarai asserted that MCC agreement should be concluded in consideration of the geopolitics.

He also argued that market, labour, capital and technology were prerequisites to development. Nepal is in dire need of capital and technology. "We need Rs 1,800 billion annually. We can't spend even half of that. How can we ensure development in the country," he wondered, appealing to all to build infrastructures and prosper the country.