Kathmandu, July 1

Lawmakers of various political parties today urged the government to deploy rapid response teams to rescue flood and landslide-affected people and make arrangements for relocating settlements at high risk.

Speaking at today’s meeting of the Parliament, the lawmakers criticised the government for not making effective arrangements for rescue works and providing relief materials to the flood and landslide affected people. They also urged Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar to instruct the government to effectively respond to the problems created by floods and landslides in various parts of the country.

Nepali Congress Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha criticised the government for not doing anything to minimise the damage due to continuous rainfall. He urged the government to make arrangements to minimise the damage to life and property due to floods and landslides.

CPN-Maoist Centre’s Chief Whip Hita Raj Pande said the government should deploy rescue teams immediately and should keep it prepared to save lives of the people. He demanded that at least 200 families living in Barpak of Gorkha, the main epicentre of last year’s earthquake, be relocated as the place is at high risk of landslides.

Pande demanded that the government make arrangements for providing relief to the people of earthquake affected districts, including Gorkha, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha. He urged the government to send rescue teams to the areas.

Ram Kumar Rai of Khambuwan Rastriya Morcha Nepal urged the government to send technical teams to the flood and landslide-hit areas at the earliest.

Ram Krishna Yadav of Nepali Congress said the government should act seriously to save the lives of people as floods and landslides were wreaking havoc in various parts of the country.

Taking part in the discussions on Appropriation Bill, lawmaker Nabindra Raj Joshi demanded that the government allocate sufficient budget to enhance the quality of education in government-run schools.

Meanwhile, Judicial Council Bill and Forest (second amendment) Bill -- were tabled at today’s Parliament meeting. The House meeting forwarded the forest bill to the concerned committee of the Parliament. Speaking on the Judicial Council Bill, lawmakers, including Radheshyam Adhikari of NC, Janak Raj Joshi and Ram Narayan Bidari of CPN MC and Prem Suwal of Nepal Workers’ and Peasants’ Party, criticised the bill stating that it failed to incorporate the provisions to enhance people’s access to justice.