Narayan Neupane
Kathmandu, Oct 24: Nepali Congress leader Kantika Sejuwal has stressed on the need of the lawmakers formulating policies and programmes, determining an agenda with a common conclusion for building a new Nepal rather than being divided into the ruling and opposition.
Talking to National News Agency (RSS), she said, “We failed to achieve progress as per the target due to the political bickering and frequent change of government. Not only me, many people feel that we have not been able to make achievements that we should have made so far.”
Lawmaker Sejuwal said that through the parliament she is learning the process and procedures of drawing the government’s attention to the country’s problems and priorities, adding that she is not at all satisfied with the wrangling in the parliament in the name of the ruling and the opposition sides.
“The positive works and good practices initiated by any government should be given continuity, implemented and completed even though there is change of government. I firmly believe that all the parties should have common views on formulating quality laws and their effective implementation,” said the Nepali Congress lawmaker from Jumla district.
In addition, the former Mayor of Chandannath Municipality, Jumla, Sejuwal said it is difficult to address all of the aspirations of the people due to the limited means and resources at disposal. “There are limited means and resources whereas the population and geography to be addressed is large,” she added.
Sejuwal, who began her political journey from the Free Student Union of Jumla Multiple Campus, was the distinguished member of the Teachers Association and also the first female head teacher in the then Karnali Zone. She was elected the Mayor in the local election held after the country entered into federalism practice. She was also elected the central member of the Nepali Congress.
She said expanding electrification, telephone and blacktopped road network, improving the economic status of women and empowering them, and combating harmful social practices as child marriage and narcotic drug abuse among the youth are the major issues in Jumla, the district she is representing in parliament.
According to her, although formulating laws is the primary duty of a lawmaker, the parliamentarians in a developing country like ours have to also work for and facilitate in the development works in their constituencies.
Also the member of the Parliament’s Industry and Commerce, and Labour and Consumer Interest Committee, lawmaker Sejuwal said the parliamentarians also have to involve in the works related to development and construction as this is also the “citizen’s agenda”.
The Committee members recently visited different districts throughout the country in connection with carrying out a market monitoring to check black marketing and price hike of daily essentials ahead of major festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Chhath, among others.
She underlined the need of building political culture and a system of good governance in the country for strengthening democracy. Expressing worries over the growing exodus of the country’s youths to foreign countries in search of job opportunities and for higher studies, she stressed on the need for the government to take effective steps to stop this exodus of youth to foreign countries, taking effective steps towards creating maximum job opportunities at home and improving the country’s higher education sector.
Lawmaker Sejuwal also suggested making health services and education up to secondary level free of cost. RSS
