Govt’s priority is to hold federal, province elections on time: PM Deuba; refutes claim of expensive car for president

Kathmandu / July 10: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the government has accorded first priority to holding elections at the federal and province level within the stipulated time (by January 21, 2018).

Prime Minister Deuba said this while responding to queries related to various topics concerning the Offices of President and Vice President, the Office of Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers and National Planning Commission Secretariat raised during deliberations under the Appropriation Bill, 2074 at the second meeting of Legislature-Parliament on Monday.

PM Deuba also said the government was committed to discouraging tax evasion, maintaining good governance, increasing the size of budget for local level and forming the commission to determine the number of electoral constituencies.

The Prime Minister also informed the house that the government has prioritised the post-quake reconstruction drive.

“All 744 local levels and other concerned sectors will be ordered to implement the programmes incorporated in the budget for the fiscal year 2017/18 and the government is determined not to let the current seven per cent of economic growth fall,” he said.

On a supplementary query about the proposal to purchase a costly vehicle for the President, he said there was no such proposal made while maintaining that the issue related to purchasing a vehicle for the Head of the State should be considered a normal matter considering the aspect of security and dignity.

PM refutes claim of expensive car for president

Meanwhile, PM Deuba has brushed off claims of receiving proposal to purchase an expensive and luxury automobile for president.

Answering to Nepal Workers Peasants Party’s lawmaker Prem Suwal at the Parliament on Monday, PM Deuba said though an appropriate car was required to maintain the dignity and security of the head of state but said no such proposals were made to the government.

Social medias were abuzz with comments after news reports of president’s office demanding Rs 160 million for new automobiles was made public.

Suwal had questioned PM about the purchase of such expensive car for the president.