Monsoon claimed 89 lives in 45 days: Gautam

KATHMANDU, August 2

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam on Sunday said 89 people died due to floods and landslides within one and a half months in 17 monsoon-hit districts.

Addressing the meeting of the Legislature Parliament on Sunday, Gautam said 37 people were missing, 47 were injured, 116 houses were completely damaged and 122 houses were partially damaged, four animal sheds were damaged and 363 cattle died due to landslides this year.

He said 286 houses of Taplejung district were under high risk, one school building, one temple and four suspension bridges of Kaski district were damaged.

He said all the households losing their dear ones had already received 40,000 each and the government had also provided the same amount as compensation to the households of missing people.

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He claimed that the Pokhara-Baglung highway was opened with the help of local people.

Addressing the meeting, Laxman Lal Karna of Sadbhawana Party said home minister only talked about the drought but he did not mention where that happened. He said government should know Madhes is also in this country. He added that the government should inform the House what it did for the people facing drought. Karna accused government of letting people die despite warning that landslides could take lives following monsoon.

Karna warned of obstructing activities of the government and the Parliament if government failed to answer why it did not address the woes of Madhesi people even after one month of drought.

Unified CPN-Maoist lawmaker Agni Sapkota questioned the government why discussions on appropriation bill could not start even after 18 days and why the Reconstruction Authority could not begin its works.

NC’s Shankar Bhandari said victims have not received the preliminary relief declared by the government even after three months of earthquake. He lashed out at the government’s ineffectiveness in providing relief to the disaster victims.

UML lawmaker Rabindra Adhikary drew the attention of the government towards delaying discussion on appropriation bill.

Minister for Agriculture Development Bamdev Gautam tabled the Nepal Veterinary Council (First Amendment) Bill and Minister for Health and Population Khagaraj Adhikary on Sunday introduced the Human Body Organs Transplantation (Regulation and Prohibition) (First amendment) Bill in the Parliament.