Govt serious about addressing usury victims’ problems: PM Prachanda

Kathmandu / Feb 28: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has assured that the government was seriously working towards addressing the problems of victims of usury, microfinance and cooperatives.

In today’s meeting of the National Assembly’s National Concern and Coordination Committee, PM Prachanda asserted that the government was serious about the issues of the usury victims and was effortful to form a high-powered commission and frame acts and legislation to iron out the problems.

The court was yet to issue a verdict on some cases related to usury, according to the PM. Towards this, he urged the court also to facilitate those cases considering the sensitivity of the issues and cases.

The Head of the Government said, “The problems have emanated on the legal part not on the part of government. To resolve it, the court process should be completed. As the laws could be in favor of the perpetrators for the transactions based on the old papers and legal evidence (Tamsuk), the government and the court will work in tandem to resolve it according to the nature of the transaction.”

The victims of these sectors have been staging phase-wise protests in recent months.

On the occasion, the PM said talks were held with the concerned agencies and stakeholders today as well.

Responding to the lawmakers’ concerns, the PM said the government was working in a planned fashion to expedite the development of the Kathmandu-Tarai Madhes Expressway, advance construction of Sunkoshi Marin Diversion, take initiatives to resolve the issues of British Gurkhas, rescue the Nepali youths recruited illegally in Russian military service and table the Civil Servant Bill.

Concerned agencies are directed to formulate the upcoming 16th periodic plan, government’s policy and programmes, and prepare the budget by giving priority to the Committee’s directives, according to the PM.

During the meeting, Committee Chairperson Dil Kumari Rawal (Parbati) reminded the PM about the Committee’s directives on intergovernmental relations, national heritage, human rights, foreign affairs, national pride projects, national security, constitutional commissions and others. RSS