Lawmakers Raise Flood, Health, Education, and Dalit Issues in Parliament

Kathmandu. Speaking in the zero hour of Tuesday's House of Representatives meeting, lawmakers drew the government's attention to pre-preparations for floods and waterlogging as the rainy season begins, and to issues of health, education, and Dalit victims.

Speaking in the meeting, lawmaker Rajeshkumar Chaudhary mentioned that Rautahat district, surrounded by rivers on all sides, gets inundated every year, causing damage worth crores, and demanded efforts for timely prevention. Similarly, lawmaker Rambinod Yadav alerted the government to the problems of erosion and waterlogging of the Kamala river in Dhanusha Constituency No. 2, as well as the lack of education and health. Lawmaker Rubina Acharya emphasized that the upcoming budget should be allocated based on needs and stressed pre-preparations to avoid natural disasters during the rainy season.

The issue of violence and insecurity against Dalits and marginalized communities was also prominently raised in the parliament. Lawmaker Radhika Ramtel expressed anger over the rape and murder of 16-year-old Anisa BK in Surkhet and the death of 22-year-old Shrikrishna BK in police custody in Sindhuli, stating that the state has failed to provide security to vulnerable citizens. Lawmaker Rima Bishwakarma stated that 18 days have passed since the death of Shrikrishna Bishwakarma, but the victim has not received justice, and it is not acceptable to dismiss most deaths in custody as 'suicide'.

Lawmakers also questioned the government's move to remove informal settlements without proper preparation. Lawmakers Rigla Yadav and Rekha Kumari Yadav demanded that settlements should not be removed without guaranteeing and managing proper housing for the informal settlers. Similarly, lawmaker Bina Gurung urged the government to provide compensation to those with land ownership while conserving Pokhara's Phewa Lake and to properly manage the Jallari community, who have been involved in fishing for years.

On other issues, lawmaker Rupesh Ranjit demanded the advancement of the construction of a vaccine university and Bir Hospital in Bhaktapur and the closure of brick kilns operating against standards. Lawmaker Bidushi Rana drew the government's attention to the need for proper management of road routes and transportation to prioritize industries and production.