KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Parash Mani Gelal has criticised the government for arranging a helicopter for Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal after he reportedly fell ill with a common cold and fever.
Addressing the House of Representatives meeting on Monday, Gelal said ordinary citizens were struggling to access transportation to hospitals while medical personnel were unavailable at some health facilities.
Taking a strong swipe at ministers travelling across the country, Gelal questioned the decision to arrange a helicopter for Minister Lamsal.
“People are struggling for gas, fertiliser, communication services, electricity and basic healthcare. A helicopter is arranged when a minister catches a common cold, but when ordinary people are critically ill, they have no means of reaching hospitals and there are no doctors at hospitals,” he said.
Gelal said ministers’ publicity campaigns and videos would not make people happy unless their visits resulted in tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“Don’t travel around the country; solve the country’s problems,” he said, adding that people had begun saying that only the faces had changed.
The Udayapur-elected lawmaker said his remarks were not intended to oppose the government but to convey the concerns of the public. He urged ministers to spend more time in their ministries developing policies, making decisions and boosting the morale of government employees rather than travelling around the country.
Gelal also criticised the government for appointing a large number of advisers, arguing that lawmakers themselves could provide recommendations on problems and solutions in all 165 electoral constituencies.
“There is no need to empty the state treasury by appointing a jumbo team of advisers,” he said.
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