Citizenship ID card issue should be addressed appropriately: Minister Thapa

Kathmandu : Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa has underscored a well-informed decision on granting the citizenship identity card to the citizens of Nepal, arguing that it was an issue attached with the identity of the country as well as national security and sovereignty.
At a meeting of the State Affairs Committee under the House of Representatives organized here Sunday to deliberate on the Bill relating to the Nepal Citizenship Act-2063, Minister Thapa reiterated that it was imperative to hold serious deliberation so as to rightly address the issues relating to the citizenship.
Thapa added, “We have seen plenty of instances where many countries’ sovereignty was at stake due to inability of rightly addressing the citizenship issue.”
Earlier in the deliberation on the same, Committee member Prem Suwal had furnished a suggestion to the concerned authorities to forward the provisions on granting the citizenship identity cards taking into consideration the fact that Nepal shares porous border with its neighbouring countries.”
Similarly, lawmaker Rekha Sharma asserted that the policy makers should make discretionary decisions addressing the questions raised regarding disparity in the issuance of the citizenship identity cards among the citizens.
Likewise, lawmaker Yashoda Kumari Gurung said that while addressing the issues relating to the citizenship ID card, the concerned one should take into account the unity in diversity and national sovereignty.
She was of the view that the issue should be addressed on the basis of the political decisions.
Lawmakers Krishna Gopal Shrestha suggested to forward the citizenship issues with the sentiments of nationality and patriotism. Pampha Bhusal argued that since the citizenship issue was directly connected with nationality, indivisibility, decisions on the same should not be made at the will or vested interest of a person.
Janardan Sharma, on the context of the foreigners obtaining Nepali citizenship identity card while some Nepalis bereft of the legal recognition as a citizen of this country, opined that the issue should be addressed considering nation, nationality and the ordinary citizens.
Nawaraj Silwal was of the view that the Committee itself was capable of addressing the issue relating to the citizenship card and formulating related laws.
Brajesh Kumar Gupta, Meena Pandey, Rajendra Mahato, Ram Sahayak Prasad Yadav univocally suggested to forward the process based on the recommendations furnished by the stakeholders, experts and those making amendments in the Bill.
In the meeting, Committee Chairperson Shashi Shrestha shared that altogether 55 lawmakers forming 23 groups had presented amendments on 102 issues relating to the Bill.
—