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Opposition calls for consensus on Medical Education Bill
Nepali Congress lawmakers have warned of obstructing the Parliament and have called for consensus on Medical Education Bill, as the Parliamentary Education and Health Committee Chairperson Jayapuri Gharti presented the contested report with added provisions on the bill at the House of Representatives on Sunday.Tika R Pradhan
Nepali Congress lawmakers have warned of obstructing the Parliament and have called for consensus on Medical Education Bill, as the Parliamentary Education and Health Committee Chairperson Jayapuri Gharti presented the contested report with added provisions on the bill at the House of Representatives on Sunday.
“The government can comfortably endorse the bill with majority votes but the public is eagerly watching,” said NC Chief Whip Balkrishna Khand, who added that the government should honour past agreements it made with Dr Govinda KC.
During the zero hour of Parliament on Sunday, NC lawmakers including Sita Devi Yadav raised serious concerns over the deteriorating health of the senior orthopaedic surgeon, who is on the fifth day of his 16th fast unto death in Ilam.
Read: KC’s failing health cause for concern among doctors
The bill was registered at the Parliament Secretariat on July 6 last year. The House on July 29 decided to send the bill along with the amendments to the parliamentary committee for clause-wise discussions.
The committee on September 27 had formed a 10-member sub-committee to present its recommendations after holding necessary discussions on the bill.
“The sub-panel endorsed the report on January 7 after holding 15 meetings with education minister, lawmakers who registered amendments and stakeholders,” said Gharti, who had earlier assured KC that his demands would be met.
“Only three issues raised by KC have been revised in the bill. I cannot go beyond the parliamentary supremacy. The Parliament will decide here on.”
The discussion on the contested report and added provisions will begin in the next Parliament meeting scheduled for January 18.
“I have allocated five days for the ruling and the opposition parties to negotiate their differences on the bill so that they can forge a consensus,” Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara told the Post.
Read: NCP lawmakers bulldoze Medical Education Bill through House panel