KATHMANDU, July 27

Unified CPN-Maoist lawmaker Ram Narayan Bidari on Monday raised objection over delay in discussing the appropriation bill presented by the Finance Minister two weeks ago at the meeting of the Legislature-Parliament.

Bidari questioned the delay in holding discussion on the appropriation bill saying the Parliament meeting had been called without business just to provide allowances without work.

He also questioned why the Parliament had not informed lawmakers in advance about its work schedule.

Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang thanked Bidari for raising an appropriate issue and said the government’s attention also must be drawn to this.

Nembang also said lawmakers were not informed about the business of the house in advance on Monday because the meeting was only to table the report regarding the bill on crime and punishment for those who attack people accusing them of practicing witchcraft.

Chairperson of parliamentary Women, Children, Senior Citizen and Social Welfare Committee Ranju Kumari Jha tabled the Report on the bill witchcraft (crime and punishment)-2015 during on Monday’s Parliament meeting.

Earlier, demanding time, lawmaker Devkaran Kalwar demanded that the government take action against those who had murdered a 10-year boy to save another child in Nawalparasi, as the culprit was moving freely by applying political pressure.

Lawmaker Ananda Prasad Pokhrel demanded that the government to build a Bailey Bridge at Charangekhola of Dolakha within a week.

Incessant rainfall in Dolakha district triggered floods that swept away a bridge over Charangekhola along the Lamosanghu-Jiri road on Saturday and disconnected the country’s link with the district. He also demanded that the government allocated Rs 1 billion through the reconstruction authority to develop an alternative route to the district.

Another lawmaker Mohan Tutu said naming the proposed Indigenous Nationalities International Covered Hall at Lakhanpur of Damak as Madan Bhandari Covered Hall would turn the construction site into a battlefield. He urged the government not to bring the name of a great leader to dispute.

Similarly, lawmaker Dilli Prasad Kafle raised concern about the increasing trend of taking long leaves of absence among civil servants deputed to Karnali.

The next meeting of the Parliament has been scheduled for 3:00pm tomorrow.