Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli will address the issue of guthi bill through the parliament on Tuesday.
He will speak about the protest started by the Newar communities in the Kathmandu Valley and the vacancy announcement by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in his speech, according to his press coordinator Chetan Adhikari.
PM Oli has made up his mind to put the guthi bill on hold for now, according to a CPN source. He is focused on the issue of resolving the problems created by the bill since his return from Europe on Sunday.
He held discussion with Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Aryal and elected representatives of the party from the party who are against the bill on Monday. "PM Oli, who has listened to the arguments of both the sides, will try to resolve the issue by addressing the parliament today," the party source added.
Oli on Monday had assured the guthi bill will be seriously discussed in the Cabinet.
He gave the assurance after listening to the elected representatives from CPN in the Valley at his official residence in Baluwatar. "I have listened to your concerns. I will reach appropriate decision after discussing the issue in the Cabinet," he stated.
The majority of the representatives told PM Oli during the three-hour meeting that the bill should be withdrawn as it is against culture, traditions and arts. CPN lawmaker from Lalitpur 2 Krishna Lal Maharjan urged PM Oli to announce withdrawal of the bill Monday night or by Tuesday morning stating that the ongoing protests will intensify until it is withdrawn.
Lawmaker from Bhaktapur Mahesh Basnet said the bill should be amended instead of being taken back as it is already late.
Lawmakers Pampha Bhusal, Krishna Gopal Shrestha and Jivan Ram Shrestha also put their views during the meeting.
The majority of representatives from local bodies also demanded withdrawal of the bill.
CPN lawmakers from the Kathmandu Valley had earlier met senior leader Nepal before meeting Oli.
The lawmakers during the meeting held at the parliamentary party office in Singha Durbar Monday afternoon apprised Nepal, who is also a lawmaker from Kathmandu, that there is no alternative to taking back the bill and added that they should put the same views in front of PM Oli.
Nepal said he will also support the stance if all the lawmakers are unanimous on that.
Minister Aryal briefed PM Oli, who had expressed commitment to amend the bill if it were wrong while talking to media persons at the airport upon his arrival from Europe, about the bill and the disputed provisions earlier Monday.
Minister Aryal had also held discussion with the operators of guthis and elected representatives from the Kathmandu Valley while Oli was in Europe.
