Kathmandu: In a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, lawmakers of different political parties drew the government’s attention towards the dire need to upgrade roadways across the country. 

Airing her views in a zero hour of the session today, Anisa Nepali demanded that the government upgrade the Dang-Deukhuri road. “Though the road was opened years ago, it has not been upgraded yet,” she informed the House. 

Ambar Bahadur Thapa apprised the House that rising accidents along the Karnali Highway was majorly due to its narrowness and urged the government to upgrade it to a double-lane facility. 

Ishwari Gharti echoed the need of safe roads in Rolpa at first instead of tourism and other sorts of development while Tshiring Damdul Lama Bhote urged the government to fist repair and upgrade the damaged roadways. 

Member of Parliament Amber Bahadur Rayamajhi said that policy reform of Udayapur cement industry is necessary and requested for its reform. Similarly, he drew the attention of the government to advance Mirchaiya-Katari-Ghurmi road as well as Ghurmi Chatra Sunkoshi corridor as soon as possible.

Likewise, Achyut Prasad Mainali drew the government’s attention towards restoring bridges in the country. 

Dr. Amaresh Kumar Singh expressed his concern over rising cases of suicide in various parts of the party, highlighting on the need of forming a high-level judicial committee to prevent possible cases. 

Amrit Lal Rajbanshi said the issue of landless squatters were becoming more serious and challenging, demanding the National Land Commission make its affairs effective. 

Amrita Devi Agrahari said the parliament should be utilised and developed as a venue for exchanging, generating and cultivating ideas for achieving the prosperity of the nation. 

Arjun Narsingh KC said the scale of corruption had increased, demanding an end to a syndicate in tender for development projects. 

Lawmaker Ishwor Bahadur Rijal said monkey menace in Dolakha district has almost displaced farmers by destroying their crops. He also drew the government's attention to the issue and sought solution. 

Similarly, D.r Chandra Kanta Bhandari also complained about monkey's menace in Gulmi district, and sought the government's initiatives to solve the problem.  

Ishwori Devi Neupane demanded that the government seeks a solution to increasing suicide cases lately. 

Urmali Majhi and Eknath Dhakal drew the attention of the government to prioritise and take transitional justice to a conclusion at the earliest. 

Similarly, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri asked the government to reconstruct physical infrastructures destroyed by the flooding in Mugu district, and provide reliefs and compensation to the victims. 
The victims are facing a shortage of basic facilities like electricity, road and drinking water as a result, he pointed out. 

Kantika Sejuwal mentioned that health workers and employees working for the Karnali Academy of Health Sciences had been struggling due to economic problems. 

Lawmaker Gagan Thapa demanded that the government in line with laws should provide subsidy and concessional loans to the small-scale farmers who are enduring bank loans. 

Also, Jeevan Pariyar demanded the publication of the report relating to the Pokhara Yeti Airlines aircraft crash at the earliest, and compensation to the families of the deceased.

Parliamentarians demand probe into Acharya's self-immolation

Parliamentarians in today's House of Representatives (HoR) meeting have demanded investigations into the self-immolation by one Prem Prasad Acharya in New Baneshwor some days ago. 

Speaking during the special hour in the meeting, Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist) demanded the formation of a judicial commission for investigating the incident. 

Similarly, Raj Kishor Yadav of the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal called for tabling a special proposal relating to the self-immolation at the parliament. 

Likewise, Ranjita Shrestha of the Nagarik Unmukti Party demanded a release of 'innocent' Tharu inmates. 

Stating that patients visiting the country's grand old Bir Hospital were forced to get treatment at private hospitals by paying high fees for lack of intensive care units (ICUs) in the hospital, Prem Suwal of the

Nepal Workers Peasants Party stressed the need for adding ICUs in the hospital. 

Also, independent lawmaker Prabhu Sah called for controlling black-marketing. 

Nat'l consensus needed to combat challenges, MP Basnet says

CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Shakti Bahadur Basnet has said that national consensus was needed to face the national challenges.

Speaking in the House of Representatives (HoR) meeting today, the Maoist Centre Member of Parliament (MP) said that the broader national consensus help troubleshoot national challenges. "Acts have not been made so far for the implementation of the citizens' fundamental rights. This is the problem caused due to our traditional working style," he said adding that our performances were not as per the policy and procedures for our failing to ensure better context demanded by the political system.

Likewise, Rastriya Swatantra Party's Manish Jha said that archeological heritages in Tarai-Madhes were awaiting protection. 

Also speaking at the meeting, Rastriya Prajatantra Party's Dhawal Shumsher Rana said that the projects of the national pride were not implemented in an effective manner and drew the Prime Minister's attention of the poor progress on Sikta Irrigation Project.   

Bir Bahadur Balayar of the Nepali Congress said though Godawari in Kailali had been already declared the capital of the Sudurpaschim Province but the infrastructure development demanded by the Province capital was still awaited. Drawing the government’s attention towards that end, he questioned why the Sudurpashim had been excluded from the projects of the national pride.   

He took time to say that the Sudurpashim Medical College area had been covered by the grass and no concrete efforts had been taken yet to operate the facility. He was of the opinion that rights of entrepreneurs should be ensured.

The CPN (UML)'s lawmaker Raghuji Panta demanded that Prime Minister and all ministers allocate one and one and a half hour of their time and compulsorily present in the parliament session. "I want to urge ministers not to go against the basic values of the constitution." 

Contradiction in the statement delivered by the PM and minister was not a good sign for democracy, he commented while referring to the media report that the Urban Minister said that the Rastriya Prajatantra Party did not accept federalism and secularism the day after Prime Minister addressed the National Assembly. 

22nd annual report of NHRC tabled in HoR

The 22nd annual report of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has been tabled in today's meeting of the House of Representatives. 

Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, on the behalf of Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' tabled the annual report for the fiscal year 2021/22.

In the meeting, Speaker Devraj Ghimire, read out the letter received from the Office of the President regarding designating Prime Minister Dahal the responsibility of Home Ministry. 

Speaker Ghimire informed the meeting that the post of lawmaker of Chitwan Constituency-2 has remained vacant. The HoR will meet next on February 5.

-RSS