Provide relief package to drought-hit farmers: NA Members

Kathmandu, July 27: The National Assembly (NA) Members have drawn the attention of the government to address the issues of farmers caused due to the longstanding drought in Tarai-Madhesh and ensure provisions for timely supplies of fertilisers and seeds. 

In Sunday's NA meeting, the lawmakers asked the government to immediately announce relief packages to the affected farmers. The MPs also urged the government to develop resilient infrastructures for disaster risk reduction.     

CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Jhakku Prasad Subedi urged the government to provide relief to the people affected by the drinking water shortage and those hit hard by the shortage of irrigation facilities.     

Likewise, Dr Beduram Bhusal of CPN (Unified Socialist) said that Nepal should embrace climate change adaptation policies and reduce greenhouse emissions as the entire humanity was affected by the climate change impacts.     

Puja Chaudhary of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal cautioned the government that the drought in the Tara-Madhes could result in reduced GDP of the country, as farmers have not yet transplanted the paddy seedlings due to drought and lack of irrigation supplies.     

MP Dr Anjan Shakya said access to fiscal services should be expanded among women and marginalised communities and stressed that Nepal should encourage the export-oriented industries for import replacement.     

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress lawmaker Kamaladevi Panta said the Chief Commissioner of the Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) should make his views public as the Special Court stated that the CIAA's investigation in regard to the procurement of the planes for the Nepal Airlines Corporation was a 'selection bias'.     

She also expressed concerns about the deteriorating credibility of the crucial organs of the state. (RSS)