Pun’s protest ends following 7-point agreement with Govt.

Kathmandu, 1 May: Magasaysay award winner Mahabur Pun today called off his indefinite fast following a written understanding between him and the government with the later promising to fulfill his demands in a time bound manner.

Pun called off the four-day long protest after Deputy PM Purna Bahadur Khadka and he signed the agreement pledging to establish an integrated fund for Research, Innovation, development and invention purposes.

A massive pressure had mounted on the government, and an overwhelming solidarity bestowed on Pun that apparently forced the government to accept his demands and sign the agreement.

The seven-point agreement signed between the two sides says that an integrated fund for research, development, inventions and research would be established and that would be spent on research.

The government would deposit one per cent amount of the capital budget of the federal government in the Fund from next fiscal year, and an official bill to manage and operate the Fund will be tabled and passed in the coming session of the Federal Parliament, the agreement says.

The draft of the bill would be prepared within next 60 days in consultation with the stakeholders.