I did not commit these mistakes: Nepal’s PM

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has refuted various allegations leveled against him by his opponents.

Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai refuted the opponents’ allegations by issuing a press statement through his personal secretary Bishwa Deep Pandey on Friday.

Prime Minister said that his statement that country’s economy could ‘submerge’ due to flood of development of neighboring countries if we failed to scale up our development speed with them was twisted and misinterpreted as that the country itself could ‘merge’ but there was no reality in it.

Likewise, the prime minister has disowned the unfounded statement reading ‘the country’s key lies elsewhere’ and attempts were made to question his patriotism adding that no one was able to furnish such evidences so far about the his statement to that end.

“Misinformation was also disseminated by stating that the PM was trying to hand over Tribhuvan International Airport to India for upgrading and strengthening of the airport. Attempts were made to conceal the facts and create illusion in a Goebbels’ style despite knowing that brining in some foreign companies and handing over the responsibility of an airport are two quite different issues,” reads the statement issued by the PM’s personal secretary.

The Prime Minister also dismissed the news that the government provided Rs 30 million to one Yami Foundation and added that the Foundation itself does not exist.

Dr Bhattarai also said that demolition of the 22-tap garden of Balaju at the initiation of prime minister’s wife Hisila Yami was not true as the alternative track to that route was opened prior to formation of this government.

Similarly, appointment of his kin in different posts was also false adding that Professor Timila Yami was working at Kathmandu Upatyaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL) for five years and the KUKL itself appointed her as the Acting Chief based on her seniority just to hold the general assembly.

Likewise, the Prime Minister said that the news disseminated as the Prime Minister did not accept the formation of new government under the leadership of Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala though UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ was ready for the NC-led government was also untrue because no such agreement was forged between the Maoists and NC.

Stating that the Prime Minister faced the charge of contempt of court while trying to keep the constituent assembly alive in last June, Dr Bhattarai said that the charge that he dissolved the CA was a false publicity.

Similarly, the Prime Minister has defended the upgrading of the capacity of the Trishuli-3 ‘A’ but added that baseless publicity were made saying that the prime minister attempted to bag commissions by increasing the capacity of the hydel project.

He said that the upgrading of the capacity of the project would benefit more to the country as power would become cheaper.

The Prime Minister also said that false publicity was made in case of chopper procurement for the Nepal Army saying that the helicopter was being purchased by sidelining the Ministry of Defense to please the Nepal Army. To this, he said that Ministries of Defense, Finance, Civil Aviation and others were represented in the chopper procurement committee and this fact was concealed.

Likewise, the news of the government’s dillydallying to provide relief package to the conflict victims of Badarmude incident was wrong as Rs 6 million has been given to the victims through the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction. He further said that there was no dispute between party chairman Dahal and himself regarding this issue.

Lastly, Prime Minister also said that Commissioner of the Kathmandu Valley Town Development Authority Keshav Sthapit was sacked with due process for his failure to carry out the designated works. “There is no truth that Sthapit was sacked for his failure to provide earthworms.”