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Nepali Congress lawmaker Krishna Prasad Sitaula has said that there should be no delay in amending the Constitution as per the requirement.

Speaking during the 'Special Time' in the meeting of the upper house of the Federal Parliament today, Sitaula said the implementation of the Constitution should be reviewed to take the country forward.

"How much have we achieved what have we given to the people through the implementation of the constitution? Let us seriously review whether we have been able to use it properly in the interest of the people or not,” he said.

Lawmaker Sitaula insisted that if there is any flaw in the State governance system or weakness in the Constitution it should be amended.

"It is necessary to review whether we have been able to implement the rights guaranteed in the constitution or not," he added.

Stressing on the need for completing the task of giving justice to the conflict victims at the earliest, he said: "Speedy justice needs to be delivered. We fought together (for the republic), reached an understanding, brought change and the constitution. Now we have to solve the problem together.”

Stating that the determination that should have been seen in the transformative political parties was not seen, he said the time has come for all to stand united.

Government's activities should be people-oriented: Lawmaker Aryal Similarly, CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Urmila Aryal has said the government's activities should be people-oriented.

Saying that there has been disappointment among the people in the recent past as the government's activities have not been pro-people, she said the State should be aware of it.

According to her, although the Constitution was drafted with understanding to address the rights of all sections after the movement of 2006/2007, there was a challenge in effective implementation.

"We make promises when we form the government, but when we come to power, we all forget what we have promised to the people. The purpose with which the movement was made, it has not been implemented. The failure to implement these objectives has caused disappointment among the people," she pointed.

Aryal suggested the government to focus on how the common people get happiness instead of being power-oriented.

She said that the rights given by the constitution should be reviewed further. Emphasis on promotion of free, compulsory and universal education Maya Prasad Sharma has drawn the attention of the government to fulfill the demands of the agitating teachers, stressing on the promotion of free compulsory and accessible education.

He said that the right to compulsory education up to the basic level and the free education up to the secondary level has not been implemented.

Sharma said unity among the pro-republic parties was necessary for the implementation of the republic.

Tulasa Kumari Dahal said that remittances sent by workers going for foreign employment should be properly utilized and it is necessary to include these workers in the contribution-based social security fund.

She stressed on the need of creating employment in the country by keeping the economy active, promoting technical education, identifying agriculture and tourism sectors and creating an environment of employment.

Call for probe into Saurya Airlines crash

Ghanshyam Rijal demanded a fact-finding inquiry into the accident of Saurya Airlines that crashed in July last year.

"Eight months have passed by since the plane crashed, but we have not been able to prepare a report after investigating it. The relatives of the deceased are demanding an inquiry. I would like to draw the attention of the government to address their demands," he said.

Renu Chand also stressed that there should be no delay in investigating the Saurya Airlines plane crash. Krishna Bahadur Rokaya said the teachers were agitating and stressed the need of holding talks with them and fulfilling their demands.

Rukmini Koirala has objected to the idea of legalising sex trade, stating that some people were trying to establish a false narrative saying so.

Similarly, lawmakers Bishnu Kumari Sapkota, Bishnu Devi Pudasaini, Bishnu Bahadur Bishwakarma, Krishna Prasad Adhikari and Padam Bahadur Pariyar also raised various issues related to the development construction and people's livelihood. 

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that it should be made clear by a law whether to provide the state facilities to former VIPs.

In his response to the topics raised by lawmakers during a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, the Home Minister apprised that there is no law granting the facilities to the former VIPs and the government has been proceeding with the formulation of laws towards that end following the advice from the court, Office of the Auditor General and the parliamentary committees.

"It will cause no additional burden on the State coffer to grant such facilities."

He argued that the government is aware of the need to avoid unnecessary economic burden on the State and recognize the citizens' sentiments while proposing the draft bill regarding such facilities. "The government believes that the taxes paid by the citizens should be spent lawfully."

In his replies to queries over the Pathibhara cable car construction project, he said the government has expected the roles with responsibilities from all quarters to resolve the disputes through dialogue peacefully. "The government is ready to address social, religious, and cultural concerns of agitating sides and the locals.  Presently, the area has been guarded by a security force with high patience."

According to the Minister, disaster management, preparedness for potential incidents of fire,

Fair investigation into the cases of crimes reported from various parts of the country, reduction of road accidents, better treatment for the injury cases, and compensation to the affected are the priorities of the Ministry.

The control of cross-border crime between Nepal and India, the safety of Nepali and Indian citizens along the border areas, and smooth and decent movement of the citizens are the agenda of a coordination meeting held frequently among the security forces of the two countries.

 "We have implemented measures accordingly.  The border surveillance by security forces has been intensified. The government is planning to add seven more border outposts this year. Measures against smuggling have been intensified. A zero tolerance has been adopted against smuggling."

The Home Minister further said no inhumane treatment and torture at the Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre is accepted.

He also pointed out the need to increase the security workforce in Dailekh, adding that the issues of citizens in Siraha, Rautahat, and other districts are under investigation.

"The government has initiated actions to prevent any untoward incidents in the Child Correction Home in a sustainable way."  The government is much committed to ensuring peace and security by the maximum utilization of available resources, according to the Minister.

Bijay Paudel of Nepali origin has become a candidate for the Canadian Federal Parliament.

He has become the official candidate of the Conservative Party for federal lawmaker from the Humber River–Black Creek region of the Ontario Province, Canada.

“This election is historic for Canadians of Nepali-origin,” he said.

If he wins the parliamentary election, he will be the first Canadian of Nepali origin to be elected to Canada's Federal Parliament. Paudel had registered nomination for the election in 2021 also.

Paudel, a permanent resident of Bardiya, has been active in mainstream politics in Canada for a long time.

Currently, he has been working as the President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Canada.

Besides playing an important role in naming Sagarmatha Park in the Nepali community, he has also been equally active in other social work.

The Canadian provincial government had also honored him with the Responsible Citizen Award for his significant contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, Paudel was appointed as a special assistant to MP Kyle Seeback to look into Nepal affairs from the Canadian House of Commons.

In addition to that, he was appointed as a community ambassador last year by the Peel Regional Police.

Paudel, who was always with the Nepali community during both the good and hard times, is confident that he would get support and backing from the Canadian Nepalis during the election.

There is a provision to have 343 elected members from various provinces in the House of Commons of Canada.

According to the Constitution of Canada, the House of Commons of Canada formulates and endorses the federal law.

In this election, Paudel’s candidacy has the support of three Canadian parliamentarians as well as the Nepali and other Canadian communities.

President Donald Trump said he would speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday as he pushes to end the war in Ukraine, Associated Press reported. 

The U.S. leader disclosed the upcoming conversation to reporters while flying from Florida to Washington on Air Force One on Sunday evening.

“We will see if we have something to announce maybe by Tuesday. I will be speaking to President Putin on Tuesday,” Trump said. “A lot of work’s been done over the weekend. We want to see if we can bring that war to an end.”

Any such conversation could be a pivot point in the conflict and an opportunity for Trump to continue reorienting American foreign policy. European allies are wary of Trump’s affinity for Putin and his hardline stance toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who faced sharp criticism when he visited the Oval Office a little more than two weeks ago.

Although Russia failed in its initial goal to topple Ukraine with its invasion three years ago, it still controls large swaths of the country.

Trump said land and power plants are part of the conversation around bringing the war to a close, according to the Associated Press. 

“We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants,” he said.

Trump described it as “dividing up certain assets.”

Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff recently visited Moscow to advance negotiations, and he said earlier Sunday that a call between Trump and Putin could come soon.

During his conversation with reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he was pushing forward with his plans for tariffs on April 2 despite recent disruption in the stock market and nervousness about the economic impact.

 “April 2 is a liberating day for our country,” he said. “We’re getting back some of the wealth that very, very foolish presidents gave away because they had no clue what they were doing.”

Trump has occasionally changed course on some tariff plans, such as with Mexico, but he said he had no intention to do so when it comes to reciprocal tariffs, Associated Press reported. 

 “They charge us and we charge them,” he said. “Then in addition to that, on autos, on steel, on aluminum, we’re going to have some additional tariffs.”