Parliament endorses Medical Education Bill amid strong NC resistance

KATHMANDU, Jan 25: A meeting of the federal parliament Friday endorsed the controversial National Medical Education Bill amid strong resistance from the main opposition party Nepali Congress.

As soon as the Speaker asked Education Minister Girirajmani Pokhrel to present the Bill at the parliament, the NC lawmakers stood from their seats and created hindrance. However, Minister Pokhrel forced himself through the NC lawmakers’ blockade to the rostrum and tabled the Bill.

The NC lawmakers were chanting slogan against the government in front of the rostrum. But, the Bill was endorsed subsequently by two-thirds majority.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba criticized the government for its authoritarian style and warned to launch protest programs at the parliament and the streets.

The ruling party Nepal Communist Party Yogesh Bhattarai insisted that the Bill has accommodated all the deals reached with agitating Dr Govinda KC and told him “not to stage such difficult hunger strike anymore”.

The government claims that the 95 per cent demands of the senior orthopedic surgeon Dr Govinda KC who has been presently on his 16th fast-onto-death in a bid to press the government to fully implement the agreement the government inked with him during his previous strike, has been addressed in the bill.

The House will next meet at 1 pm on January 31.