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The government has announced plans to revive the three defunct state-owned industries. Presenting the government’s policies and programs in the Parliament on Friday, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that the government is planning to re-operate Hetauda Kapada Udhyog, Gorakhali Rubber Udhyog and Butwan Dhago Karkhana. President Paudel said that the government is also planning to form a high-level study committee to study the operation, integration and management of industries that have been closed for a long time. The government is planning to revive the sick industries in cooperation and partnership with the private sector. Likewise, the President said that the government will provide certain resources for the cost of construction of goods and transmission lines for the industry.    

President Ram Chandra Paudel presented the government's policies and programs for the fiscal year 2023/24 in the federal Parliament on Friday. President Paudel read out the policies and programs in the joint meeting of both the houses of the federal Parliament in the Parliament Building in New Baneshwor this afternoon. At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal handed over a copy of the policies and programs to the President. As per the constitutional provision, the President shall address either a meeting of any House or a joint sitting of both Houses of the Federal Parliament and summon the lawmakers. This is the first address to the Parliament after Paudel was elected to the post of the President. In the countries having parliamentary democracy, there is a practice of presenting the government's annual policies and programs in the federal Parliament and the Parliament passing the same after deliberations on them. Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Dahal, Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki, leaders of various political parties, heads and representatives of constitutional bodies, high-ranking government officials, heads of the Nepal-based diplomatic missions and distinguished persons from various walks of life were present in the parliament. Before this, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, the National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, the Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar welcomed the President to the Parliament building. A contingent of the Nepali Army offered a guard of honor to the President on the occasion. The President reached the Parliament Building in a cavalcade. The House of Representatives and the National Assembly will hold their separate meetings today itself after the joint meeting is over. The Prime Minister will table a copy of the President's address to the joint sitting in the separate meetings as well. Both houses of the federal Parliament will deliberate on the government's policies and programs for some days beginning Sunday. The Prime Minister will reply to the queries raised by lawmakers in course of the deliberations. There is a constitutional provision that the finance minister should present the annual budget in the Parliament for the next fiscal year on the 15th of Nepali month of Jeth every year after the policies and programs are passed by the Parliament.  

The parliamentary committee has formed an 11-member sub-committee to discuss and submit a report on the transitional justice bill. A meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee under the House of Representatives held on Friday decided to form the sub-committee to submit the report by holding discussions with concerned stakeholders in the transitional justice bill. The sub-committee has been asked to submit the report to the committee within three weeks of beginning of the task. Ramesh Lekhak, Jeevan Pariyar, Sushil Thing of Nepali Congress and Subash Chandra Nembang and Mahesh Bartaula of the CPN-UML are the members of the sub-committee. Other member of the sub-committee are Purna Bahadur Gharti of CPN (Maoist Center), Santosh Pariyar of Rastriya Swatantra Party, Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ranju Kumari Jha of Janata Samajbadi Party, Goma Labh Sapkota of Janamat Party and Sher Bahadur Kunwar of CPN (Unified Socialist). Prior to this, the members of the committee stressed on the need to take the transitional justice bill ahead and complete the remaining tasks of the peace process. The bill to amend the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act was registered on 9 March, 2023. Lekhak had proposed the formation of a subcommittee to conclude the bill. Meanwhile, Nembang in the meeting stressed the need for all to come together to conclude the bill.    

The Cabinet endorsed the policies and programs of the government on Friday. A Cabinet meeting held in Singha Durbar this afternoon endorsed the policies and programs of the government for fiscal year 2023/2024. The government is unveiling its policy and programs today. President Ram Chandra Paudel will present the policies and programs in the joint meeting of both houses (House of Representatives and National Assembly) of federal Parliament at 4 pm.