Kathmandu. Deputy leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party Parliamentary Party, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, represents Kathmandu constituency-8 in the House of Representatives. Shrestha, a former youth and sports minister who joined politics nine years ago through Bibeksheel Nepali Party, was a former provincial member of Bagmati Province. He is also a tourism entrepreneur and is associated with various social services including heritage conservation.
Edited excerpts from an interview conducted by RSS chief reporter Narayan Prasad Neupane and reporter Sushil Darnal with Shrestha, a young lawmaker born in Indrachowk, Kathmandu:
Honorable, what are you busy with these days?
I have been a little more busy with parliamentary activities lately. At the same time, Kathmandu constituency no. 8 is my constituency, so time is being spent in the work of the constituency and meeting with the voters. Efforts are being made to listen to the grievances of the locals on the issue of culture and culture in the constituency and make every effort to address them.
How do you view the current parliamentary practice?
Parliament has a lot to do. The constitution is in the implementation stage. According to the constitution, the parliament has to make acts, laws and policies in a timely manner. There is a need for the urgency of all parties in law making. The common rights of the union and the state should be relaxed through the law. The necessary attention of the parliament has not been received on this. It seems that it has helped increase public anger. It cannot be said otherwise that there is a kind of anger among the people due to the lack of effective work according to the purpose for which the constitution was brought.
It is heard in parliament that there is no cordiality between the transformative and transformative forces, what do you have to say about it?
The emergence TAG_CLOSE_strong_43 of our party was from the angle that other parties could not work in the interest of the country and the people. Votes were received accordingly in the election. After joining the government, the hope for us changed. With the rise of the party, we raised the issues of good governance and service delivery. Because the law is not limited to paper. People should be able to feel the law. In the absence of that, it creates conflict in the society. Overall, despite raising their party agenda in the House, there is harmony and cordiality towards each other’s leaders and parties.
Where should improvements be made to make the current parliamentary practice even better?
Good governance is the priority of the people right now, there is no need to work concretely there. The House is the place to make laws according to time. However, if we review the last two and a half years, then it does not seem to have paid attention to it. In some places, we have to work beyond political interests. Earlier, I was an MP from Bagmati Province. We were diligent in making laws and also activated parliamentary committees. During that period, 65 laws were enacted. Accordingly, there is no activity in the federal house. The government also has an important role to play in keeping the House running. Because it is the government that brings the bill. I understand that the attention of the big parties has not reached here.
You are also a former minister, what do you think the government is?
Government is the body and guardian who manages the resources needed to run and mobilize the state. Development is done by law and policy, not by ministers. If the players play the game, the government will make policies, rules and laws for that. When I was the Minister for Youth and Sports, I did five policy-making works. At that time, the National Volunteer Policy was forwarded. There is room for the minister and the ministry to do a lot of work if they want. In terms of budget allocation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is seen as a poor ministry. But ‘strength’ is more of a policy than a budget. We tried to work out how monetary policy could be linked to the game. We also worked towards making sports professional and academic. As a result, the players can now earn money from the game and earn a living. Nepali players have made the country known internationally. However, the game and the players have not been understood and respected accordingly.
Is it said that the issue of good governance that you have been raising has made the party leadership difficult now?
We don’t say everything else is wrong. But we have been established on the issue of good governance. We have had some difficulty in maintaining that. When I was in charge of the Sports Ministry, I found corruption worth Rs 1.27 billion in a department of the ministry. In that case, I was surrounded rather than maintaining good governance. It seems that the middlemen are gradually being institutionalized in the country rather than the political leadership and policy rules. Middlemen are in all sectors. Every ministry has its own syndicate. That syndicate is becoming stronger than the people’s representative organization.
What do you say about the comments that the RSWP, which came to the House for the first time, was in a hurry to join the government at that time?
When our party was joining the government for the first time, when the President asked me, I said that we have not been given the ‘mandate’ to join the government. But the president said that the people are looking for service delivery. Being the fourth largest party in the parliament, it is not necessary to go to the government. At that time, he had advised to support the government but not to go to the government, even if it goes on the basis of conditions. But the president’s desire was that the people should go for good governance and delivery as they are seeking immediate relief.
How have you analysed the youth exodus?
Youth exodus should be seen not only as one-sided but also at larger. Migration of people is a regular process. However, we have to find out the reason for going abroad. It is necessary to find out the reason for the political, social or unemployment of the country due to which the youth have gone abroad. It is a fact that migration has taken place in the Terai due to problems in the hills due to service facilities etc. People have been forced to migrate to the Terai after nine months of farming and not being able to eat for three months. The number of people migrating in search of facilities is increasing. Therefore, the issue of youth going abroad should not be completely negatively defined. However, the state should provide employment opportunities for the youth going abroad for employment. If you want to send the youth abroad, you should send them only by making them skilled. Youth migration is also corruption in politics.
How can you do to maintain good governance in a country as you said?
Now the government formed by two major parties is two-thirds. The time is right for the government to maintain good governance. There is a majority who can amend the constitution, change laws and policies. They also have long experience in running the government. For all these reasons, the way is open for the present government to work on good governance in the country. But good governance has not been maintained. People are not looking for a big deal when it comes to good governance. The people have demanded that the lights should not go off, the floods should not wash away their houses, and the self-respect should not be hurt when they go to get the services provided by the state.
What is your party’s view on the constitution amendment?
I request the people to look into three issues: . We need to understand the party’s manifesto, Jaleshwar’s preamble and documents of the last national gathering. There, we have said that the form of governance should be amended. Earlier, I was a member of parliament from the province, but questions have been raised about the legitimacy of the state government. The people feel that lawmakers and ministers have received salaries from the taxes we paid by shedding blood and sweat, but they have not worked. The tax we have paid will only make two or four ministers wave the flag. The constitution should be amended in the number of local levels and the electoral system. The party believes that a directly elected executive should be the head of state. These issues should be discussed by taking them to the public. The suggestions received from the people during the constitution amendment should also be studied and addressed.
Finally, what is your message to the general public?
Building a country is not just about political leadership. Common people have an equal role to play. If all of us work with very positive thinking, then the country can be changed. If we can work constructively, we can explore the possibility of country’s development. For that, citizens should also be prudent.
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