Kathmandu, May 11 : The National Assembly (NA) members have demanded the government appropriate huge chunk of money in health sector to prevent the COVID-19.    
Participating in the deliberation in NA on the principles and priorities (except tax proposal) of the Appropriation Bill for the fiscal year 2020/21, Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leader Narayankaji Shrestha asserted that the new budget should prioritize prevention and control of COVID-19 and minimization of such pandemic.    
He added, “The new budget should keep the welfare of the farmers in its high priority. Relief packages should be provided to the farmers and their produces should be given high premium. Public health and education should also figure in the upcoming budget.”    
Protesting India’s recent act of constructing a road by encroaching Nepal’s territory Lipulekh, Shrestha spoke of the need for all the Nepalis to safeguard country’s nationality. “This issue is of a grave sensitivity and it ought to be brought and discussed in the National Assembly.”    
Similarly, Nepali Congress (NC) leader Jitendra Narayan Dev argued that the new budget should allocate at least 10 per cent of its total amount for the health sector to control and prevent infection like COVID-19.    
Investment should be increased in the sectors that would create jobs and increase production, according to him. Likewise, NA member Shekhar Kumar Singh viewed that the new budget should be agriculture-oriented. He also voiced for safeguarding our country’s border.    
Beduram Bhusal from CPN expressed his qualm over the encroachment on Nepal’s territorial integrity and urged the government and all Nepalis to fight for the country.    
He opined that the new budget should prioritize job creations and elimination of hunger and diseases.    
Jagat Prasad Sharma drew the attention of the government to take into account the welfare of the martyr’s families and people with disabilities while allocating budget.