District level human rights committee formed

A district-level human rights committee has been formed in Lalitpur today to monitor the situation of human rights during the COVID-19 crisis. Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had decided to form four-layered committees for the monitoring of human rights status.

The three-member committee coordinated by Nepal Bar Association, Lalitpur president Arjun Maharjan comprises journalist Gyan Prasad Poudel and NGO Federation representative Tikaram Dahal.

The first meeting of the committee has decided to look into the ongoing lockdown against the COVID-19 and other activities to take place here during the crisis and will present study findings before the constitutional human rights watchdog body and other related organisations.

A study about the entire human rights sector in the district and monitoring of hospitals, quarantine facilities, isolation care units, ambulance service, relief distribution, availability of daily essentials and daily needs of the people are also the concerns of the team, it is said.

If needed, the committee is allowed to nominate two more members. Meanwhile, the Lalitpur metropolis is to feed daily wage workers and poor during lockdown through a coupon system.

As said by municipality spokesperson Raju Maharjan, details of people facing difficulty in managing two square of meal during this crisis have been collected from every wards and it is preparing to offer them meals for two times a day free of cost.

Besides, free distribution of meals for 150-200 heads each day is taking place at Lagankhel area for a week targeting daily wage earners who are out of work at present due to lockdown.