HoR meeting: Call for diplomatic initiative to bring back bodies of Nepalis who lost their lives abroad

Kathmandu, March 17: Lawmakers have demanded that the government ensure the safety of life and property for Nepalis working abroad and take diplomatic initiatives to bring back the bodies of those who have lost their lives there.

In today’s meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR), Madhav Sapkota called for the initiation of necessary legal and diplomatic processes to bring back the body of Sumina Tamang from Bahrabise Municipality-8 in Sindhupalchowk, who died in Iraq while working abroad.

Dr. Chanda Karki Bhandari stated that 15 bodies had been recovered from different parts of the country in the last nine days. She claimed that, on average, five people are being killed every three days, which, according to her, highlights a serious weakness in public security.

Deepak Bahadur Singh mentioned that the country’s economy was weakening due to the migration of youth abroad.

Krishna Kumar Shrestha expressed concern that businessmen in Bara were facing unnecessary hardships from the district administration. He noted that although he had raised the issue multiple times in Parliament for the development of Bara, it had not been addressed. He urged the government to provide drinking water to the people of Amlekhgunj.

Lalbir Chaudhary raised concerns over the increasing fear of wild animals in Bardiya district, where many people have been killed in attacks, primarily by tigers and elephants. He called for better management of the buffer zone and appropriate compensation for the affected families.

Dr. Amaresh Kumar Singh pointed out that discrimination against Dalits still persists. He also raised concerns about the rising criminal incidents near illegal stone and sand quarries in Sarlahi.

Sita Kumari Rana drew attention to the killing of a national animal, the cow, by locals in Jagannath Rural Municipality-6 in Bajura. She also highlighted the issue of cattle smuggling to India and Bangladesh, emphasizing the need to curb it.

Free Legal Aid Sought for Victims at Consumer Court

During the ‘Zero Hour’ session of the House of Representatives, Prem Suwal demanded that the government provide free legal aid to victims at the Consumer Court.

“The Consumer Court was finally established six years after the enactment of the Consumer Act, and the government must take action to make bills mandatory for every sale and purchase of goods and services. Without a bill, it is impossible for consumers to file a complaint in the Court,” he said, adding that free legal aid should be provided to consumers.

Durga Rai expressed her dismay at the topic of providing lifetime facilities to ex-VIPs. She also opined that the suggestion by some lawmakers to boost tourism through sex trade was inappropriate.

Dol Prasad Aryal called on the government to address the problems faced by Nepali migrant workers abroad, as well as the issues faced by foreign employment aspirants, who are still being exploited.

Tara Lama Tamang stressed the need for concrete policies to combat drug abuse and crime, noting that an increasing number of youths were falling into the trap of drug addiction.

Dilendra Prasad Badu demanded the expedited reconstruction of structures damaged by disasters.

Devendra Poudel emphasized the importance of timely road construction to address damages caused by floods.

Dr. Dhawal Shumsher Rana urged lawmakers to refrain from making “unnecessary comments” about the monarchy, while Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan called for action against those involved in killing cows in Bajura.

Lawmaker Nisha Dangi stressed the need for digital transactions to be made free of charge, while Lawmaker Pushpa Bahadur Shah advocated for reducing human-wildlife conflict and ensuring prompt compensation for victims of wildlife attacks and farmers whose crops have been damaged by wild animals.

Prakash Jwala raised concerns about the issue of prohibiting individuals from sitting for the public service commission exam more than six times, calling it an unjust restriction, as preventing any citizen from participating in the exam goes against the spirit of the constitution.

Pratima Gautam stressed the importance of bringing forward a bill to promote technical and vocational education.

Pratiksha Tiwari urged the pro-monarchy lawmakers not to spread the illusion that the king could be restored, as there is no provision in the constitution to allow for the restoration of the monarchy.

Prabhu Hazra demanded that Parsa be declared an industrial zone, while Basudev Ghimire emphasized that eco-tourism should be the foundation of prosperity, calling for efforts to promote eco-tourism in the country.

Bindabasini Kansakar raised the issue of the deepening water crisis, stating that quality drinking water is increasingly difficult to obtain. She also called for water quality testing.

Lawmakers Bimala Subedi, Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Prem Bahadur Maharjan, Dr. Narayan Khadka, Narayani Sharma, and Nirmala Kairala also shared their views on various contemporary issues during the Zero Hour.

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