Bill to address problem related to obtaining citizenship: Lekhak

Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak expressed his confidence that the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill-2081 would resolve the problems that Nepali citizens face while acquiring citizenships.

Responding to the queries raised by Lawmakers in the House of Representatives meeting on Sunday after deliberating on the Bill, Minister Lekhak explained that the Bill was introduced to relieve people from problems while obtaining citizenship identity card.

“It is imperative to ensure equal rights to women. A situation where a mother is not sought while a man goes to apply for citizenship and the father’s where about is sought when a woman goes for it cannot be considered as equal,” Lekhak said. The Bill was designed to facilitate the process of issuing citizenship identity card as well as to eliminate gender-based discrimination thereby achieving gender equality, argued Home Minister Lekhak.

He informed that regulations, criteria and procedures will be formulated soon after the endorsement of the Bill. Lekhak also assured there will not be any gender-based discrimination while issuing citizenship identity card.    

He added that the existing legislations would be amended to achieve above-mentioned goals, he added.