NC Lawmakers Obstruct NA Meeting

20 Feb, Kathmandu : The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has asked the government to sack Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, and carry out investigation on audio clip released from media.

NC lawmakers obstructed today’s meeting of the National Assembly putting forth such demand. Soon after the beginning of the meeting, NC lawmakers stood from their respective seats as a protest. Although NA Chair Ganesh Prasad Timilsina urged the NC lawmakers time and again to sit at their respective seats, they turned deaf ear to Timalsina’s request and he allocated time to NC lawmakers to put forth their views.

On the occasion, NC lawmaker Jitendra Narayan Dev said that the House could not be run until fair investigation was carried out into the audio clip, saying Banskota, also the Spokesperson of the government, had asked for Rs 700 million to Rs 750 million commission in course of purchasing security printing press despite Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli expressing commitment to adopt ‘zero tolerance towards corruption’.

The NC lawmakers also demanded the Prime Minister to carry out investigation into the case by sacking the Communications Minister immediately and to brief the House about the case. The NA meeting has been postponed till February 27 after NC lawmakers continued their protest even after repeated request by Chair Timalsina to take their seats and allow the upper house to carry out its business.

No meaning of spreading rumor giving political colour: Minister Banskota

Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, has said that he would give information in detail about the charge against him after returning Kathmandu. “I am ready to face punishment if the blame is proved,” said Minister Banskota.

The Minister was referring to an audio-clip in which he is reportedly heard asking for 700 million in commission from an agent of a business firm. At a cadres’ gathering organised at Beldandi rural municipality this morning, he said, “There is no meaning to spread rumor giving it a political colour.” The Communications Minister argued that reactionary forces would be defeated if works in favour of people are carried out. He mentioned, “Blame itself is not a big issue.

Charges are levelled day by day while running the government.” Banskota, who inaugurated newly constructed building of Nepal Telecom Office at Belauri, Kanchanpur, today, argued that Telecom’s ‘4G’ project would be brought into operation in all districts within a year as per government’s commitment.

He expressed the view that Nepal Telecom’s people’s property not of government, adding that the task of expanding telecom service is underway in order to provide telecom services to service recipients in cheap price. RSS