Nepali cabinet finalizes govt's policy and programs

A meeting of the Nepali Council of Ministers (cabinet) on Monday decided upon the policies and programs to be presented in Tuesday's sitting of Parliament by the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) government.

"The policies and programs have prioritized, in keeping with the spirit of the recent pro-democracy movement, issues that include the demands and participation of all the people in various sectors," State Minister for Information and Communication Dilendra Rasa Badu told reporters.

Monday's meeting also appointed officials to the National Sports Council, Social Welfare Council, and High-level Media Commission.

The cabinet meeting also scrapped the concept of United Command of the security forces under which the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police were mobilized as a joint force.

As many as 3,773 police under the Unified Command, formed by the erstwhile Surya Bahadur Thapa government in 2003, were called- off by the cabinet.

According to the participants of the cabinet, the Unified Command was unnecessary in the current political picture.

The Surya Bahadur government introduced the concept of Unified command to overpower the guerrilla insurgency.

More than 50 agendas, including giving a day's leave to only the employees of the Royal Palace on the King's birthday, were presented in Monday's meeting.

Earlier, there used to be a public holiday on the King's birthday.

Prime Minister Girija Rasa Koirala is expected to be present in Tuesday's meeting of the House of Representatives.

Source: Xinhua