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PAC summons ministers, secys
KATHMANDU, JUN 24 -
In its bid to find out if any action has been taken to release newsprint imported by Kantipur Publications and being held up by India, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature-Parliament on Thursday summoned the Foreign and Commerce ministers. The ministers have been asked to appear in the PAC on Friday morning.
India has been holding up 1,000 metric tonnes of newsprint in its Kolkata port for the past 28 days.
The House committee decided to investigate the issue after lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties on Thursday decried the hold-up. The PAC has also asked the foreign and commerce secretaries to be present in its meeting at 8 a.m. on Friday.
“The committee is seriously concerned about the hold-up of the newsprint in Kolkata. We will take a decision on how to move ahead after an inquiry with officials tomorrow,” PAC Chairman Ram Krishna Yadav said on Thursday. In the PAC meeting on Thursday, 10 lawmakers said India’s decision to hold back the newsprint without a valid reason was against the Nepal-India transit treaty. They stressed early settlement of the issue, while also warning that it could adversely affect the friendly ties between the two countries.
“As per the transit treaty, import from a third country is an inherent right of Nepal. The newsprint hold-up for weeks is unnatural,” said Nepali Congress lawmaker Dip Kumar Upadhyaya. The lawmakers also claimed that India had “ill intentions” behind the act of holding back the newsprint of The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur dailies. “Attempts to spread terror (among the media fraternity) in the name of investigation is unacceptable,” said lawmaker Prakash Chandra Lohani. The lawmakers also decried the Indian Embassy’s position on the issue. They termed it “discouraging.”
“The Indian Embassy’s statement demonstrates the dominating attitude of India,” said Maoist Chief Whip Post Bahadur Bogati. UML lawmaker Rabindra Adhikari said that India seems to be venting its ire over one issue to another. Lawmakers Laxmi Lal Chaudhary, Keshab Prasad Mainali, Usha Gurung, Ramji Sharma and Alaudin Ansari said the issue is a national one and an attack against press freedom. “This is disrespect to a sovereign county,” said UML lawmaker Sharma. None of the nine lawmakers representing Madhes-based parties attended Thursday’s PAC meeting.
Posted on: 2010-06-25 07:41
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