Political tensions loom as government aims to unveil fiscal year policies and programs

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed confidence that the policies and programs of the government for the upcoming fiscal year will be presented in Parliament without any obstacles, despite warnings from the main opposition Nepali Congress party.

President Ramchandra Poudel is scheduled to address the joint session of the federal parliament on May 14 to present the government's policies and programs for the next fiscal year. However, the Nepali Congress has threatened to obstruct parliamentary proceedings until a committee is formed to investigate allegations against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane related to a cooperative case.

Speaking after a program at the National Assembly House on Sunday afternoon, PM Dahal stated that he had serious discussions with the Nepali Congress leadership earlier in the day to find a way forward. "I seriously discussed with the opposition today to open that door. Even if the final conclusion is not reached, what I believe is that by tomorrow evening we will reach a conclusion and create an environment where policies and programs will move forward smoothly," Dahal said.

The Prime Minister's remarks came after Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Akhtar also acknowledged that Dahal was positive about forming a parliamentary committee to investigate the allegations against Deputy PM Lamichhane.

The opposition has been adamant that they will not allow Parliament to function until the investigative committee is formed to look into the cooperative case involving Lamichhane. The dispute has raised concerns about potential disruptions to the government's plans to unveil its policies and programs for the upcoming fiscal year.

PM Dahal, however, appears confident that an agreement can be reached with the Congress party by Monday evening, paving the way for the scheduled parliamentary address by President Poudel the following day.

The Prime Minister's assurances come amid heightened political tensions and uncertainty surrounding the government's ability to present its policies and programs as planned.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has promised to take positive initiatives to solve the problems facing Nepal's nursing sector through the government's upcoming policies, programs, and budget.

Addressing the 14th Nursing Conference on Sunday, Dahal acknowledged the various challenges nurses face, including a lack of uniform service facilities across different institutions, low wages, discrimination in the workplace, and difficulties in covering education costs even after years of employment.

"There is no uniformity in the service facilities of nurses. Service facilities should be ensured in private hospitals, private nursing colleges, and nursing homes with the minimum wage of the government of Nepal," Dahal stated. "The necessary policy should be made for the arrangement of the produced manpower in the country, and nursing services should be represented at the policymaking level."

Dahal also highlighted issues such as the extended duration of internships for nursing personnel, the absence of incentive programs for nurses working in rural and remote areas, and the increasing workload due to a shortage of nurses relative to the patient ratio in Nepali hospitals.

The Prime Minister assured that the government is aware of these problems and is taking serious measures to address them, including discussions on increasing nursing positions through organizational and management surveys.

"With positive changes in internal and external economic indicators, I believe we will successfully address these issues in the near future," Dahal said. "We are in the final stages of determining the policies, programs, and budget for the government of Nepal. I will take positive initiatives in the policy program and budget to solve the problems of the nursing sector."

Dahal also mentioned Nepal's significant progress in health service delivery and expansion, stating that more than 100,000 nurses are currently studying in the country, reflecting the growing interest in the nursing profession. He emphasized the need for scientific policies, plans, and programs for the proper management and timely development of nursing education.

The main opposition party Nepali Congress has called for the formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations surrounding Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ravi Lamichhane's involvement in a cooperative organization case.

In a meeting held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar on Sunday, Nepali Congress leaders urged Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to form such a parliamentary inquiry committee.

After the discussions, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak told reporters, "We have raised the issue of forming a parliamentary inquiry committee regarding the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the cooperative case, and the Prime Minister was positive about it."

Lekhakr added, "Whatever we have been raising in the context of cooperatives, we have kept our points regarding the formation of a parliamentary inquiry committee. We talked to the Prime Minister about this. We have made our position clear. The Prime Minister has taken it in a positive manner."

The Chief Whip stated that the Nepali Congress will make further decisions on the matter during their parliamentary party meeting scheduled for Monday.

The opposition's demands come amidst ongoing controversies surrounding Minister Lamichhane's alleged involvement with cooperatives before joining politics.