Kathmandu— Nepal’s House of Representatives (HoR) witnessed protests from Members of Parliament Gopal Sharma and Ashika Tamang, prompting Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal to direct the government to respond to their concerns. MP Sharma requested information on aid efforts in earthquake-affected districts including Rukum, Jajarkot, and Salyan, while MP Tamang has been seeking assistance for 37 days to repatriate the remains of a Nepali citizen, Santosh Rai, from Cambodia. The Speaker issued the directive during today’s HoR meeting after both lawmakers stood in protest to demand answers.

Lawmaker Concerns Highlighted

MP Gopal Sharma raised questions regarding government action in areas impacted by recent earthquakes, specifically mentioning Rukum Paschim district and neighboring regions like Jajarkot and Salyan. The lack of a timely response led him to seek clarification during the HoR session.

Separately, MP Ashika Tamang has been advocating for the repatriation of Santosh Rai’s remains from Cambodia for over a month, having initially raised the issue during the zero-hour of a previous HoR meeting. Her continued appeals underscore the urgency of the situation.

Bill Advances Amidst Protests

Despite the protests and demands for responses to lawmaker queries, the House of Representatives did approve a proposal for consideration of the “Mines and Minerals Bill, 2083”. The proposal was tabled by Speaker Aryal himself.

A similar attempt to table the bill on August 11th was unsuccessful due to insufficient attendance – a lack of quorum – highlighting the challenges faced in maintaining parliamentary proceedings.

The government is now expected to provide responses to both MP Sharma and MP Tamang within three days, addressing concerns about earthquake relief efforts and the repatriation of Nepali citizens from abroad.

(With inputs from RN)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.