KATHMANDU, Sept 3: The House of Representatives, the lower house of the federal parliament, today approved the proposal seeking consideration on the 'Racial Discrimination and Practice of Untouchability (Caste-based Discrimination) Crime and Punishment First Amendment Bill, 2075 BS.
The meeting of the lower house unanimously approved the proposal presented by the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Lal Babu Pandit.
While presenting the proposal to that connection, Minister Pandit said the government has brought the bill with the objective of establishing a society based on equality by rooting out racial discrimination.
Responding to lawmakers' questions, he said people practising caste-based discrimination would be punished and no criminal would be spared once the bill is passed and becomes effective in the form of a law.
Before this the lawmakers had pointed out the need of seeking solution to this problem of racial discrimination and the practice of untouchability by law and in practice as it was a social problem.
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They suggested bringing about social change through public awareness campaigns to end this social crime. The MPs urged the government to seek an alternative word for the word 'dalit'.
Lawmakers putting forth their views on the bill were Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, Prem Suwal, Durga Poudel, Laxman Lal Karna, Maheshwar Gahatraj, Surya Pathak, Asha Kumari BK, Sujata Pariyar, among others.
Proposal on Social Security Bill approved
Likewise, the meeting of the House of Representatives has unanimously approved the proposal seeking consideration on the 'Social Security Bill, 2075 BS', also presented by Minister Pandit.
Presenting the proposal, Minister Pandit said the state would not lag behind in providing the social security as far as permitted by its capacity. He said the social security allowance would be given only to the economically vulnerable section of the population, underprivileged and the helpless.
Taking part in the discussion on the principles of the bill before this, lawmakers Sher Bahadur Tamang, Divyamani Rajbhandari, Prem Suwal, Amrita Thapa, Sanjaya Kumar Gautam, Sarita Kumari Giri, Birodh Khatiwada among others, urged the government to make the distribution of the social security allowance transparent and effective.
Proposal on Land Bill approved
The lower house also approved the proposal seeking consideration on the 'Land Related Bill (Seventh Amendment), 2075 BS'. The proposal was unanimously approved.
Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal had presented the proposal in that connection.
Presenting the bill, Minister Aryal said the government was committed to addressing all kinds of problems related to land management and that the bill would put to an end the dual ownership over land.
Lawmakers Sher Bahadur Tamang, , Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, Tajendra Kumar KC, Divya Mani Rajbhandari, Rekha Kumari Jha, Ghanashyam Khatiwada, Pabitra Niraula Kharel, Dal Bahadur Rana, Bimala Bishwakarma, Narayan Prasad Khtiwada, Prem Suwal and others urged the government to move ahead the bill with provision to provide land to the landless squatters.
The next meeting of the House of Representatives has been scheduled for 1 pm on September 5.
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