Kathmandu: The government’s spokesperson Mr. Gokul Prasad Baskota has finally capped the ongoing debate on Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) debate stating that the government will ratify the US offer from the Parliament soon.

This definitely caps the MCC debate. Though the MCC opponents will continue their tirade against the US grant offer that it is.

Mr. Baskota is also the minister for information and communications and is presumed to be the “yes” man of the Communist Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Briefing the media men Thursday, December 26/19 the minister said that “the MCC shall come into operation shortly”.

Making a satirical comment on some Nepal Communist Party stalwarts, Minister Baskota said that “some have been opposing the MCC for their self-pleasure and yet some few were against the US grant offer for want of proper understanding and adequate knowledge as regards the Millennium Challenge Corporation-the brain child of the US administration.

“Nepal government is committed to ratify the MCC from the Parliament come what may as Nepal has already signed the MCC agreement with the US-one of the oldest diplomatic friend of Nepal.

To recall, the then finance minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki had signed the MCC agreement with the US in Washington as back as in the year 2017.

Sher Bahadur Deuba was the Prime Minister of Nepal then.

Notably, the NC leaders have so far not opposed the MCC scheme.

“I hereby advise politely to go through the agreement on MCC carefully”, said Minister Baskota to the attending gathering of the media men at the ministry.

The Minister questioned those who have been opposing the MCC vehemently as to where in the agreement it has been mentioned that Nepal shall join the US military alliance?

The MCC is not at all linked with the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS), added the Nepali Minister.

According to the Minister, the MCC as a process/program was initiated in the year 2013 when the idea of the Indo-Pacific Strategy was not even in its embryonic stage.

This perhaps detaches the MCC from the IPS.

The idea or the notion of the IPS (Indo-Pacific Strategy) came into existence right in the year 2017 only, elaborated the Minister close to the “ailing” Prime Minister.

“And thus for these reasons, the IPS and MCC have no links as such with each other”, Minister Baskota summed up.

Dr. Shankar Sharma, the former Nepali Ambassador to the US said that there was nothing to fear about the MCC offer which is all but a grant.

Dr. Sharma says that “Nepal must not waste time in unnecessary debate(s) on the MCC as this US offer is meant for the development of Nepal.

Dr. Sharma was sent to the US as Ambassador of Nepal from the Nepali Congress quota.

This must have some meaning. That’s all.