MPs show concern over Indian agro-production getting market at cost of local produce

Lawmakers have expressed concern over the agriculture produce imported from India reaching the nooks and corners of the country when the production of own farmers has not got access to market.

Taking part in the deliberations on the Appropriation Bill 2077 BS in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, they urged the government to bring special plan for the marketisation of the domestic agriculture produce.

Dharmasheela Chapagain of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) wondered how the agriculture produce imported from India was reaching the villages of Nepal when the agriculture products grown by the domestic farmers was not reaching the market. She urged the government to pay attention to the production and marketisation of agriculture produce.

She also drew the government's attention to address the tea farming sector through the budgetary allocation.

Radha Gyawali of NCP said although the budget addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, still the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Health and Population was inadequate. She called for the supply of fertilizer, seed and other agriculture inputs to farmers in time and for proper marketisation of vegetables, fruits, meat, egg and dairy products. She stressed that the state should give protection to farmers. Gyawali spoke of the need of creating environment for greater energy consumption and bringing subsidy programmes in energy production.

Pushpa Bhusal of the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, argued that the budget could not work for alleviating the crisis brought by COVID-19. She said the government has allocated more budget in the infrastructure sector and called on the government to provide the requisite budget for the agriculture sector.

Bhusal also called attention of the government to focus the budget towards employment creation n the agriculture sector where 60 per cent of the population is said to be engaged.

Discussions were held in parliament today on the topics related to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Health and Population, among others under the Appropriation Bill.

Bimala Bishwokarma, Shyam Kumar Shrestha, Maya Devi Neupane, Tirtha Gautam, Kamala Roka, Hit Bahadur Tamang, Anjana Bishankhe, Niradevi Jairu, Prakash Rasaili, Chhakka Bahadur Lama among the lawmakers also put their views on various topics in course of the deliberations. The House of Representatives will meet again at 11 am on Sunday.