By Purushottam P. Khatri
Kathmandu, Sept. 20: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said on Friday that the requirement of full implementation of the Constitution dissipates the demarcation between the ruling and opposition parties.
“What I believe is no political party will be at the ruling or the opposition side at a time when there is a need to fully implement the Constitution,” Prime Minster Oli said while addressing a special ceremony organised on the occasion of the 4th Constitution Day, also known as National Day, at the Army Pavilion, Tundikhel, this morning.
“Our democracy (Loktantra) is so extensive that some secessionist forces and institutions were brought under the mainstream of the Constitution this year," Premier Oli said.
“I urge all forces that have been left behind and are misguided to join the mainstream of the Constitution without any delay,” he said.
According to him, the phase of launching political movement in the country had ended after the formation of the three-tier governments.
People are the base for Loktantra and when people become strong, other institutions of Loktantra will also be stronger; and when these institutions become strong, democratic system will be automatically stronger, he said.
If there arise some obstacles while implementing the Constitution, such issues can be dealt with and amended accordingly, he said.
Highlighting some major initiatives and programmes of the economic developments and achievements made by the government in the past 18 months, Prime Minister Oli said the country became able to achieve 7.1 per cent economic growth during the fiscal year of 2018/19, the highest economic growth of last one decade. And the economic growth rate of all economic sectors would be in between 5 to 9 per cent, he said. Also, the economic growth rate of all States of the country is in between 6 to 8 per cent, he said.
Similarly, the export trend during the fiscal year 2018/19 increased by 19.4 per cent, while the increase in the import of goods limited at 13.9 per cent, Prime Minister Oli said.
Likewise, the branches of commercial banks and financial institutions in the local bodies reached 737. Branches of other banks and financial institutions have reached 8,805 from 5,857 within last one-and-half year, according to the PM.
Under the government campaign ‘Let Us Open Bank Account’, so far 165,622 people have opened their bank accounts since the campaign was launched on April 14, 2019 under the slogan of ‘Let Us Related to Prosperity: Every Nepali Has Bank Account.’
Within this last 18 months, the government have successfully managed Fiscal Federalism in the three-tier government, he said.
Also, over 30,000 firms have joined vehicles and consignment tracking system that came into effect from the current fiscal year, he said. The system would help control custom leakage trend.
Import and export of goods have resumed from Sindhupalchowk dry port at Larcha which had come to a halt since 2015 earthquake, he said. Tele-presence technology has been adopted to monitor the national pride projects running in the country from the current fiscal year, he said.
In the last fiscal year the government was able to blacktop 1,601 km road and construction of 243 bridges had been completed.
From this year, the energy consumption ratio increased to 245 kilowatts per hour from 110 kilo watt per hour.
Within this year, over 4.5 million fruit plants were planted. The present government had also amended 201 old Acts, and scrapped 13 old Acts, issued five ordinances and 42 bills are currently at the parliament awaiting deliberations.
“I have repeatedly told you that I have experienced death many times,” he said. “That means, I'm living a life after many stages of deaths.”
"I hereby once again would like to express my commitment that the country will once again be able to 'change its tentacles,' and our dreams will come true; and to complete this campaign, I have been leading the government at present," PM Oli said.
People now have a government that has a clear vision and goal, he said and added the Gautam Buddha International Airport will come into operation from the current fiscal year and Pokhara Regional Airport from the next fiscal year.
Preliminary preparations for running tunnel highway, railway, and dream of operating ships have been completed within this period, he said. The present economic size of the country is at Rs. 350 billion and within the term of the present government, it will reach up to Rs. 500 billion, he said.
To observe the Constitution Day, a special function was held at the Nepal Army pavilion. President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Prime Minister Oli, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Krishna Bahadur Mahara, National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Timalsina, senior government officials, security chiefs, lawmakers, leaders from various political parties, foreign diplomats and among others.
The function featured a march-past by security agencies, including Nepali Army, Nepal Police, and the Armed Police Force. An aerial display of a banner reading ‘Constitution Day-2076’ and a flower dropping ceremony through two helicopters were also the parts of the ceremony.
A cultural procession featuring traditional cultures of various ethnic communities was also held. Cultural processions representing the identity of each seven States were also performed during the function.
To mark the anniversary of the promulgation of the new Constitution through the historic Constituent Assembly (CA), various programmes were being held across the country.
For the first time, a drone was also used to manage peace and security through the function hour in Tundikhel.
A large number of general public carrying national flags on the main road had gathered to observe the function.