KATHMANDU, JULY 20

Lawmaker Bamdev Gautam has said the Nepali Army should not be taken as a weak agency. Recalling the help and contribution of the institution when the country and people were in need, he said, 'One should not make statements randomly about the Nepali Army.'

Speaking at the special time of today's meeting of the National Assembly, lawmaker Gautam said, 'The Nepali Army is the power of the state. The Nepali Army should not be insulted this way as they are always ready to sacrifice their lives during any crisis in the country in the course of safeguarding nationalsovereignty and the border.'

Referring to the statement on reducing the number of Nepali Army personnel and utilising the saved money on the development of the country, which was raised in the Parliament, lawmaker Gautam stressed the need to stay away from any activity that would weaken the Nepali Army.

Lawmaker Ganga Kumari Belbase sought the conclusion of the process for addressing the demands of loan shark victims, while also thanking the government for confiscating around 100 kg gold being smuggled into Nepal. She also drew the attention of the government to the need to resolve the problems of Nepali migrant workers facing torture at the hands of their employers in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos through a diplomatic channels.

Saying that the farmers in Chitwan district have faced the problems of lack of market for their bananas and halt in insurance for banana farming, lawmaker Dil Kumari Rawal Thapa urged the line ministry to resolve the problems. She drew the attention of the government to the need to provide fertilisers to the farmers on time.

Speaking in special time in the National Assembly meeting, lawmaker Hariram Chaudhary said, 'Although more than 30,000 families have been liberated from the Kamaiya system (a bonded labour system that has been abolished now), these families have not been liberated in the real sense of the term.' He said many of the freed Kamaiya are still working at the homes of their previous landlords in inhumane condition as the government has failed to come up with decent rehabilitation programmes.

He said the freed Kamaiyas had been deprived of employment opportunities and were facing discrimination in education and health services. He urged the government to address these problems.

Bhairab Sundar Shrestha said the dispute in Nepal Red Cross Society, a volunteer organisation, had tarnished the country's reputation among the international community. He said the office-bearers of Red Cross should not be appointed on party quota basis.

Ramesh Jung Rayamajhi drew the government's attention to the need to resolve the problems seen in the cooperative sector as depositors were being cheated and were losing their homes and properties.

He urged the government to search for the money misappropriated by cooperative promoters and managers and seize their property. Rayamajhi also urged the government to take action against all those involved in the smuggling of 100 kg gold from Tribhuvan International Airport.

Rajendra Laxmi Gaire stressed the need to regulate social sites as these were being used to foment hate and as tools to spread fake news, thereby disturbing social harmony.

Mohammad Khalid expressed his ire at the Department of Immigration for returning many youths from the airport who were going abroad for employment although they were carrying work permits and legal documents with them.

Tula Prasad Bishwakarma expressed objection to the ongoing debate on decreasing the numerical strength of the Nepali Army, which is under a republican government. He also strongly called for checking mistreatment against members of the Dalit community in many parts of the country.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 21, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.