Kathmandu, May 23:
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav Wednesday called for joint efforts by political parties to promulgate the new constitution by May 27 even as the time was running out.
Referring to the government decision to seek extension of the tenure of the Constituent Assembly by three months, he said that the government and other political parties should cooperate with one another for the promulgation of the new constitution within the deadline.
President Dr. Yadav said this after inaugurating the newly constructed building of the Nepalese Army Institute of Medical Sciences at Bhandarkhal, Kathmandu.
Mentioning the series of ethnic-based protests by different groups and the trend of announcing general strikes, Dr. Yadav said, "None of the communities or classes are Madhesi, Himali and Pahadi, we all are first Nepali."
Dr. Yadav urged the political parties, especially Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN-Maoist and Madhesi Front to produce a timely constitution for the sake of the country, its people and democracy.
He also expressed his concerns about massive deforestation in Terai Chure areas for the past few years. He urged the government to take steps to fully authorizing either Nepal Army or the Armed Police Force to protect Nepal’s forests.
Dr. Yadav said in the past five years, a total of 96,000 hectares of forest areas had been denuded.
Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Chhatra Man Singh Gurung, giving his concluding remarks, said the Nepalese Army Institute of Medical Sciences was opened for fulfilling the need of quality health services to the general public and generating quality doctors.
He said the institute, spread over nearly 100 ropanies of land, was
built in nine months. The Nepalese Army Welfare Fund spent a total of Rs. 2 billion for the construction of the building.
At the function, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, medical doctors, Dr. Arun Sayami, dean of TUTH, vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University Prof. Dr. Hira Bahadur Maharjan, high ranking army officials and civil servants were also present.
