MPs concern over SC regulations on citizenship

Members of House of Representatives have expressed serious concern over new Supreme Court regulations that made citizenship certification mandatory while filing applications in courts.

They claimed the new provision has denied hundreds of thousands of poor people living in the terai region from access to justice.

"The new system has introduced - 'no citizenship no justice system'," said Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Pashupati Shumsher Rana. "We demand that government send teams to every doorstep immediately to distribute citizenship certificates," he said. "The process should be complete before Constituent Assembly Elections"

Nepali Congress Assistant General Secretary Dr Ram Baaran Yadav urged the government to introduce a Citizenship Bill immediately to ensure that the people get citizenship papers before assembly elections.

Yadav said only those who are aboriginal people and cannot bribe government officials are without citizenship papers.

"Those migrated from the south have already received certificates through the strength of their wealth and approach with panchayati rulers," he said. "Now even if we offer citizenship papers, no Indian comes to Nepal because of growing economic opportunities in India."

Most of the MPs who spoke during special hour accused the government of failing to maintain law and order. "The insecurity prevailing in village has not shifted to cities and the capital after the ceasefire," said Rana. "All factories and hotels have been terrorized and businessmen have been victims of extortion," said Rana. MPs also suggested the government to respect the spirit of the janaandolan's mandate and urged the Maoist rebels not to try to walk out of the dialogue table.

They expressed serious concerns over ongoing cold war between the government and the Maoists, instead of taking concrete initiatives for confidence building.