KATHMANDU: Members taking part in Monday’s meeting of the National Assembly (NA) have voiced a wide range of issues from managing monsoon-induced disasters, scarcity of vaccines against COVID-19, claiming back encroached Nepali lands to countering political anomalies among others.

Some of the members criticized that the provincial and local units were not bestowed with authority as stipulated in the Constitution of Nepal. They also decried that the irresponsible statement and act on the part of a minister in the incumbent government regarding an incident related to Dalit communities recently.

Janata Samajbadi Party’s (JSP) Sekhar Singh, Udaya Sharma Poudel and Bimala Rai have called for rescue, relief and resettlement operation for those hit hard by monsoon-induced disasters such as flood, landslide and inundation among others. They also drew the attention of the government to ensure smooth supply of vaccine against COVID-19 and provide COVID-19 vaccines to elderly, people with disabilities among others disadvantaged communities reaching out to their doorsteps.

Similarly, parliamentarian Dr. Khimlal Devkota spoke of the need for the government of Nepal to make effective efforts to take back the encroached Nepali lands, arguing that we could not safeguard the constitution unless we would emphasis honesty and integrity.

Similarly, CPN (UML)’s Ram Lakhan Chamar demanded amendment in the appointments in the National Dalit Commission as he viewed that those appointments did not carry the constitution’s essence, sentiments and principle of proportional and inclusive representation. He opined that the political parties were on the prowl on the judiciary. According to him, only fresh polls were the solutions to the current political stalemate. Reinstatement of HoR would not provide an outlet to the political deadlock, he argued.

Likewise, another NA member from CPN (UML) Komal Oli opined that nobody should evaluate the incumbent government and blame it based on its weakness in the past. Defending the incumbent government, the member representing the ruling party cited the loss of many lives due to CPN (Maoist Centre)’s political vanity. She opined that any political parties that fails to perform well should not interfere with the activities of those willing to deliver.

Nepali Congress’s Drigha Narayan Pandey underscored unity and national consensus between democratic and republican parties to douse the voices against republic and federalism.

CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Kim Kumar BK argued that the constitutional provisions and government’s acts and activities should be evaluated. He drew the attention of the government towards an incident of caste-based discriminations prevailing in the society including the metropolitan city like Kathmandu. Chakra Prasad Snehi from the same party demanded impartial probe into the mysterious death of Ashmita Dhami, 26, of Parshuram Municipality in Dadheldhura district who was working as the Primary Health Post in the locality. RSS