Kathmandu, July 10
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba says the President’s Office has not floated any proposal to buy a new vehicle for President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
The comment comes a few days after reports said that the President’s Office had demanded Rs 160 million from the government. The President had been widely criticised for the move.
But, speaking at the Parliament meeting today, Deuba said no proposal was received from the President and it was normal to buy a vehicle for the President which could maintain the security and dignity of the position.
Before this, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party lawmaker Prem Suwal had sought clarification from the government over the issue.
Earlier, President’s press advisor Madhav Sharma had told Onlinekhabar that the President had not specifically said she wanted a new car. However, the car her office was using became old and was beyond repair, he had added.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also claimed that the government had prioritised conducting provincial and federal elections by January next year and sufficient budget had been allocated accordingly.
