Kathmandu, February 9
Finance Minister and Nepali Congress leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Bhim Rawal engaged in a short skirmish during a meeting of the National Reconstruction Authority’s Steering Committee today.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who heads the committee, had intervened to end the tension.
Rawal, who represents the main opposition to the Committee, had criticised the government’s decision to provide Rs 100,000 to each earthquake survivor family claiming the decision was made without following due procedures. Karki, who later joined the meeting while Rawal was speaking, however, defeated the decision claiming it was meant to provide more relief to the survivors.
Then, Rawal said the government decision was ‘impulsive’, in response to which Karki gestured aggression, according to a meeting attendee.
Then, Prime Minister Deuba intervened in the debate and apologised for not discussing the issue at the Steering Committee before forwarding it to the Cabinet. He also requested Rawal to accept the decision as it was made following a previous commitment.
