Kathmandu, August 4

The Parliament today failed to pass anti-caste discrimination (first amendment) bill due to lack of quorum.

Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar had to  adjourn the Parliament meeting as only 97 lawmakers were present in the House when time came to pass the anti-caste discrimination bill. The speaker scheduled another House meeting at 1:00pm on Sunday. As per the parliamentary regulations, at least 149 lawmakers should be present to pass a bill.

Earlier, lawmakers from various political parties drew the government’s attention to the sluggish nature of relief and rescue operation for flood and landslide victims.

Majority of the lawmakers, who spoke in today’s House session, asked the government to be serious towards the plight of the flood and landslide victims and drew the government’s attention to other contemporary issues.

Speaking during Special Hour, lawmaker Gauri Shankar Chaudhary and Janak Lal Chaudhary urged the government to provide immediate relief to the flood victims of Kailali district. They said dozens of villages of Kailali district had been inundated by incessant rainfall displacing hundreds of people.

Lawmaker Manju Kumari Chaudhary drew government’s attention to the loss caused by flooding in  the Triyuga River. She alleged that concerned government agencies did nothing to control the river even after hundreds of hectares of land was swept away by the swollen river displacing hundreds of people.