Govt efforts slack to tame dengue outbreak: lawmakers

Kathmandu– Lawmakers have blamed the government that its activities were slack while the dengue was stalking people across the country.

They argued that the dengue spread to 48 districts, but the line ministry was idle to control it. At the zero hour of the House of Representatives meeting today, the lawmakers urged the Speaker to direct the concerned minister to inform parliament about the government efforts to this end. Krishnagopal Shrestha informed that a senior citizen of 76 year from New Road, Kathmandu, died of dengue fever recently.

Dila Sangraula accused the Ministry of Health and Population of failing to control dengue epidemic which has now spread across 48 districts in the country.

The Minister's view on dengue spread was condemnable, she said, wondering, "Is it the duty of Nepal Army, and is it appropriate to mobilize it to control dengue?" Pushpa Bhushal seconded Sangraula's view.

The Ministry has maintained that the dengue has so far spread to 48 districts and more than 3,000 have caught the disease. Four persons have succumbed to it.

The line ministry informed that it was difficult to minimize the dengue spread because the post of 'vector controller' was scrapped. Similarly, the government's attention was drawn seriously toward the acid attack on 15-year old girl student, Mushkan Khan, in Birgunj. The government is asked to provide free treatment to her and take stringent action against the culprit. Another lawmaker Tek Bahadur Basnet asked the Ministry of Finance to end the trend of accumulating expense at the end of the fiscal year.

Dev Gurung demanded the government that it reviewed the court verdict on the case relating to NCell capital gain tax. Dev Prasad Timalsina complained that the sugarcane farmers were not provided proper price to their products.

So, the industries cheating the farmers must be taken action, he stressed. Padma Narayan Chaudari was for government's announcement that Siraha and Saptari were drought-hit districts. Nabina Lama wondered why the government discriminated between the lawmakers elected directly and those from the proportional quota.