Kathmandu, April 17

The main opposition Nepali Congress issued a press release demanding that the government provide adequate relief to poor people to end their suffering caused by almost a monthlong countrywide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The NC said people who lost their jobs due to lockdown and who have not got any relief material from the government were walking long hours to reach home risking their lives. The main opposition party also demanded the government to safely take the stranded poor people to their destinations.

The party also questioned the formation of the Landless People’s Commission under Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leader Devi Prasad Gyawali. “What should be the government’s priority now? Distributing land or putting food on people’s plates?” NC wondered.

The party said the government was allocating billions of rupees for the commission, but was not giving enough relief to workers, students and those living in rented room in the cities. The party said the government should ramp up testing to prevent spread of COVID-19 pandemic and distribute adequate relief to the needy people. “We urge government to focus on test to save people’s lives and to distribute adequate relief materials or else the country will face a dreadful situation,” read the release.

The main opposition party demanded that the government review its work and act to solve current problems.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 18, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.