Kathmandu, November 10
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Minister for Home Bimalendra Nidhi have piled pressure on Prime Minister Prachanda to give Rs 50 lakh to NC leader Sujata Koirala for her treatment.
According to a source close to the Congress, NC leader Ramchandra Poudel to provide economic assistance to Koirala, who has breast cancer.
The source told Onlinekhabar: NC President Deuba and Home Minister Nidhi are pressing Prachanda to provide Sujata at least
Rs 50 lakh for her treatment. But Prachanda is hesitating to provide the sum.
A Congress leader said: Ramchandra Poudel is accusing PM Prachanda of trying to run the government in an autocratic manner at a time when Prachanda is refusing to provide funds to Sujata.
Notably, Minister for Health Gagan Thapa holds the view that VIPs should not get funds for their treatment from the state coffers.
Deuba and Nidhi are putting direct pressure on Prachanda for the release of the sum.
This comes at a time when Health Minister Thapa is preparing to introduce a provision that will disallow release of more than one million rupees from the state coffers in the name of treatment funds.
The source said: PM is under immense pressure. It will be no wonder if the Cabinet chooses to provide Rs 50 lakh for Sujata’s treatment. Sujata had reportedly made up her mind to sell her land for treatment, but then Deuba and Nidhi stopped her, pledging to get the funds from the government after holding talks with Prachanda.
The source quoted Prachanda as saying during the meeting with Nidhi and Deuba that people will come down heavily on his government if he releases such a huge sum in the name of someone’s treatment. After that, Congress leaders are bargaining for the release of Rs 50 lakh instead of one crore rupees.
