Kathmandu, July 3

Cutting across political boundaries, lawmakers today demanded a probe into Taukhel incident in which a wall fell on schoolchildren of Pushpanjali Secondary School, killing two of them and injuring at least 24, in Lalitpur, on Friday, following incessant rain.

Speaking at today’s Parliament meeting, Nepali Congress lawmaker from Lalitpur Udaya Shumsher Rana demanded a probe into the incident and action against the guilty.

He claimed that the incident occurred due to human recklessness.

Yogendra Tamang, who represents CPN-Maoist Centre from Lalitpur, said the incident took place due to the recklessness of the school management and the land plotting company that raised the wall violating rules.

There should be a probe into the incident and the guilty should be brought to book, he said. He asked the government to find out if there were other such schools elsewhere in Nepal.

CPN-MC’s lawmaker Nisha Kumari Sah said the Taukhel incident took place not because of natural calamity but due to human recklessness.

Ganesh Singh Thagunna of CPN-UML accused the government of not being serious about the death of three people and displacement of thousands in Darchula due to flood and landslide.

Aindra Sundar Nembang of CPN-ML criticised the government for not being prepared to prevent the damage due to natural calamities. “The government begins to talk about rescue and relief only after the incident takes place and forgets it after a few days.

“This tendency has been causing damage to life and property,” he said.

Jay Dev Joshi of CPN (United) blamed the government for being flippant, as it had not been able to identify and take precautions in risk-prone zones.

Lawmakers also took part in discussions on budget allocation of 10 ministries – Supply, Energy, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Women, Children and Social Welfare, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Federal Affairs and Local Development, Physical Infrastructure and Transportation, Urban Development, Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers – and three offices – National Planning Commission, Office of President and Office of Vice President.

Speaking during Zero Hour, lawmakers Teju Lal Chaudhari, Prakash Chandra Paudel, Nisha Kumari Sah, Dirgha Raj Magar, Dil Sobha Pun, Prem Suwal, Pyarelal Rana and Parbata DC Chaudhari urged the major parties to focus on constitution implementation.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the Parliament endorsed a condolence motion on the death of former minister and Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal leader Mangal Siddhi Manandhar.

Manandhar died of cardiopulmonary arrest on July 1.

Lawmakers of agitating Madhes-based parties, who have been boycotting the House meetings after the promulgation of the new constitution, however, could not attend the House meeting, as they were late for the second meeting of the House.