BABBLER

Indians have experienced the slavery of the British rulers. India was liberated from British rule seven decades ago but the Indian slavery mentality has not ended. Troubling neughbours and demonstrating hegemony is the Indian culture.

Nepal constructed an international airport in Bhairahawa but India could not digest it. Nepal, a landlocked country, is continuously demanding new air routes via the Indian sky but the Indians didn’t respond to Nepal’s humble quest. Therefore, aircraft to and from the newly constructed airport in Bhairahawa are compelled to make a big round using old air routes. Moreover, as Indians didn’t allow the authority to operate the Instrument Landing System (ILS) in the Gautam Buddha International Airport, international flights have been halted in the airport due to bad weather causing visibility problems. ILS helps aircraft in approaching the airport even during bad visibility.

Understandably, India doesn’t want Nepal’s prosperity, therefore, always creates hurdles.

BRI, MCC and SPP

Local media is making a hue and cry after the Chinese Embassy DCM stated that the Pokhara International Airport has been constructed under the BRI framework.

Those so-called foreign-paid Nepali diplomats are claiming that the newly inaugurated Airport was not constructed under the BRI framework.

They have undermined that since China initiated BRI, all types of bilateral cooperation belong to BRI. Earlier, the Chinese ambassador in Kathmandu had already made clear about this.

Not to forget, MCC, an American aid programme belongs to the Indo-Pacific Strategy initiated by the USA. Moreover, the lethal and non-lethal military support for our Army belongs to the SPP project. The sky truck aircraft and also arms supplied by the USA to Nepal are under the SPP programme.

To conclude, Nepal should not take such cooperation either from China or from the USA, otherwise, should not make a hue and cry on such issues. Nepali diplomats and political leaders in the government should become responsible before making unnecessary remarks. More importantly, our leaders, policymakers and diplomats should abide by the country’s foreign policy.

Why has revenue declined?

Since Nepal adopted the multiparty system, the country has been transformed into a total consumer country depending on foreign markets for all products, including agricultural products.

Customs duty on imports has become the major source of revenue collection for the country. When billions of rupees worth of customs revenue were manipulated by the previous government, the present government is facing a serious crisis.

The quantity of sugar imported from the foreign market has not been reduced. Also, imports of many other items have not declined, rather, they have inclined. But customs revenue received from these items has declined drastically.

It is said that the previous government, in the process of collecting the election funds and also making personal gains, had manipulated the customs revenue by under-invoicing the price and also by producing fake documents.

If our corruption control bodies will become effective, we could know who had manipulated the government revenue!

Not odd, the PM Sher Bahadur Deuba was distributing Rs five thousand to each voter in Dadeldhura.

Discouraging local products

It is a surprise to note that Yatru, an electric motorbike assembled in Nepal is facing different hurdles in getting operational permission.

The reason is that there is no legal provision for producing vehicles in Nepal. This is a minor hurdle, which can be addressed by the cabinet but the government is not interested in such things.

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

• Outgoing minister Dilendra Badu left the office without opening the license to export betel nuts. Those middlemen, who had already handed over the fund from the betel nut businessmen to clear the line, are in trouble as Badu took the money but didn’t open the channel.

Badu, when he was the minister for industry and supplies, was able to distribute new licenses for producing liquor and increasing the transportation rate of the petroleum products transporters, however, he failed to permit betel nut businessmen.

Arzu Rana, spouse of Sher Bahadur Deuba was also in favour of those betel nut businessmen.

Rajaram Neupane

• Reconciliation without a king has no meaning, let the Congress, which has lost its policy, dare to come out of the political convention, especially under the influence of Prachanda, the king is still indispensable for the nation and the Congress for democracy, and the reconciliation of BP was with the king, not with the communists.

Shambhu Chouhan

• The initiative taken by the Home Minister to facilitate the access of citizens to Singha Darbar is commendable. There is no need to be strict for security reasons. As entry is tightened, people’s distaste for the government increases. Therefore, it is advisable to allow entry after checking and keeping necessary records of the visitors.

Shanta Raj Subedi

• Nepal’s central economic problem is that it has implemented socialism for the rich and powerful people and rugged free market capitalism for the poor and weak.

Bhim Bhurtel

• Nepali dress with a Nepali cap, Daura Suruwal and coat is the distinct identity of the country. By erasing the identity and history of the country, the identity and self-respect of any resident cannot remain in the world.

Bhim Rawal, PhD

• Maoist means Congress, Congress means Maoist.

Ritambhara

• Let’s abolish federalism, proportional representation and secularism.

Subash Paudel

• My main political line is to abolish federalism, secularism and republicanism.

Lokesh Dhakal

• Back to Mangalman: Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary democracy; back to the 1990 Constitution! I support this idea.

Er Prakash Joshi

• India’s demonetization chapter is finally closed, making Indian notes held legally by Nepali banks and individuals useless. India never thought about its nearest neighbor. It’s a shame!

Rameshore Khanal

• Airports should not be built with loans. Railroads should not be built. Do not make a road. Schools, hospitals, and drinking water projects should not be constructed. Ministers, parliamentarians, leaders and employees should be given tons of salaries and allowances by taking loans. You should buy them a car. After that, you will be rich in everything!

Bimal Pokharel

• They say leaders are bad. Bureaucrats are worse than leaders. Look at those who own houses and cars by taking bribes. PhD holder foreign funded intellectuals are worse than the bureaucrats as they are selling religion and culture. Even worse are media editors, they are misleading society by communicating false ideas imposed by foreign powers.

Arjun Gyawali

• Among the 53 airports, only 22-23 are fully operational and 10-11 are operating only temporarily and the rest are not operational.

An example of unplanned infrastructural development.

Bishnu Raj Upreti

• When Juddha Shamsher constructed the New Road, locals had questioned, “Why is this road needed here?”

After 90 years, it is the same and has become congested.

Today, people question, why you need such a fast track; why do you need such international airports?

DRD

• One Pokhara airport has been constructed with the amount of the expenses for the operation of the seven provincial governments for 5 years. The Indian blockade caused 8 billion rupees worth of loss. The general sector expenditure of the government on average is over 9 billion rupees for one year. The total cost for the Pokhara Airport is 16 billion rupees in total but opponents are making a hue and cry as if the country is sinking!

Dipak Poudel

• Since the year 2046 BS, India was said to be constructing the postal road, but still, it has not been built. Those funded animals don’t even graze. On the other hand, China has constructed the Pokhara international airport with loans and grants those funded creatures have started to bark.

Vimal Lamic

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