KATHMANDU, Feb 12: Lawmakers have drawn the attention of the government on various issues of public concern during the zero-hour of the meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Wednesday.
The MPs raised multiple burning issues including the possible impacts of coronavirus in Nepal's tourism sector and Lalita Niwas land corruption case registered by the anti-graft body Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
Hira Gurung, wondered why the government has been failing to book the person who openly admitted that he was responsible for the murder of 5000 people. Earlier on January 15, Chairman of ruling Nepal Communist Party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who led the decade-long Maoist armed insurgency, had said that as the leader of the rebel group he would take responsibility for the killings of 5,000 people during the conflict era, but not 17,000.
A lawmaker from the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Bidya Bhattarai urged the government to effectively launch screening at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) in order to prevent novel coronavirus from entering the country. "Screening through the scanning machine should be effective and reliable," she said adding that such a strict screening at the country's only international airport should be mandatory. She also stressed the need to disseminate message to the aspiring tourists that Nepal is safe from this viral outbreak.
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Another MP Bina Kumari Shrestha, expressed her concern over the increasing trend of informal labor market instead of the formal one. "Although it's been long since the labor act was enforced, laborers are yet to be organized resulting in inadequate payments and facilities," added she. She stressed the need to manage the domestic laborers by registering them under every local level government.
Raising the issue of people's right to basic health facilities, another lawmaker Bina Devi Budhathoki took time to draw the attention of the government to make necessary arrangements to provide free medicines and fundamental health services to the public.
Binda Pande expressed her belief that those involved in Lalita Niwas land scam would be sent behind the bars as the case is already under consideration at the Special Court. Speaking further, she also demanded that the government should issue a white paper to inform the public about controversy raised regarding the decisions taken by the government in connection to giving government properties in lease to Yeti Holdings.
Speaking on notorious Lalita Niwas land grab case, Bishal Bhattarai insisted that the guilty must be brought to book. Moreover, a high-level investigation committee is to be formed to study the issue of government land throughout the country, according to Bhattarai.
Commenting on the government campaign of demolishing Chhau shades in Karnali and Sudur Paschim Province, MP Bishnu Sharma maintained that age-old social evils cannot be easily rooted out simply by dismantling those menstrual sheds. "Extensive awareness campaign is a must."
Sashi Shrestha took time to urge the government to finalize the members of the National Women's Commission claiming that it is not good to keep office bearers' post vacant in constitutional organs like NWC even in four and a half years of its formation.
Shanta Chaudhary, an NCP lawmaker Shanta Chaudhary opined that entry into the Singha Durbar could be made easy on the basis of national identity card.
"A fixed time-interval should be allocated and entry can be eased through a national ID," she said adding that people are facing a severe difficulty getting a pass and making it to the country's administrative center.
NCP lawmaker and former minister Sher Bahadur Tamang stated that rumor about the outbreak of coronavirus in Jugal rural municipality of Sindhupalchowk district is baseless. He, however, urged the government to inform the people about the recent health issue the locals have been facing at present.
Sarala Kumari Yadav raised the issue of severe traffic jam in the capital affecting normal life and urged the government to work on it.
