KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Lawmakers have drawn the government's attention to two incidents in which drivers set themselves on fire at Tripureshwor Chowk within a span of two months.
Speaking during the ‘urgent session’ of the House of Representatives (HoR), the lower house of the Federal Parliament, on Monday, lawmakers stressed the need to determine why drivers repeatedly resort to such extreme acts following disputes with traffic police.
Yuvraj Dulal said it was deeply concerning that bus driver Arjun Dong took his own life on Monday after a dispute with traffic police at Tripureshwor Chowk in Kathmandu. He urged the government to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
“Two similar incidents occurred at the same place within a two-month interval. Why did the driver have to resort to such a serious act during a dispute with traffic police? I want to draw the government's attention to why the authorities did not take adequate precautions to prevent such incidents,” he said. He also urged the government to seriously examine why such incidents continue to occur.
Krantishikha Dhital said the two incidents at Tripureshwor Chowk highlight the need to closely examine the behavior of police personnel and the mindset of drivers. She said traffic police should change the way they interact with passengers and drivers.
Ashika Tamang said traffic police should wear body cameras and take necessary action.
Balawati Sharma drew the government's attention to why a 25-year-old man had to set himself on fire inside a bus at Tripureshwor Chowk.
Aaren Rai said the government should take seriously the fact that many young people appear to be struggling with despair following the Gen Z movement.
Fire incidents on the rise; three die in 38 incidents
Kulbhakta Shakya said the incident at Tripureshwor Chowk should be treated as a serious matter rather than a normal occurrence and demanded an immediate response from the Home Minister.
Ashish Gajurel said that while foreign countries invest significantly in addressing the psychological well-being of road users and drivers, Nepal has yet to give adequate attention to the issue, resulting in various problems.
Ramesh Kumar Malla urged the government to promptly provide the necessary health kits, saying seven people had died in Salyan district within a month from scrub typhus and that there was a shortage of the required kits.
Som Sharma drew the government's attention to the spread of dengue in Baglung.
Government urged to ensure hassle-free transport services during festivals
Prakash Chandra Pariyar, the parliamentary whip of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has urged the government to make proper arrangements for public transport services, since during Dashain, people have to travel from different parts of the country to their homes.
Pariyar pointed out that during Dashain festival period, it usually becomes difficult for citizens, especially when they travel out of Kathmandu to go to their homes, and he drew the government's attention so that this doesn't happen this time.
He requested the government to make travel safe, orderly, and regulated during Dashain, as tens of thousands of citizens travel by public transport at that time.
He pointed out that every year, more than 1.5 million people return to their hometowns from the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate Dashain, and emphasized that the government should start working now so that citizens do not have to go through the hardships they faced in previous years.
Pariyar said, "First, getting a bus ticket is like a huge struggle, then you’re forced to travel packed like sardines. On one hand, the potholes on the road make it a mess, and on the other, arbitrary fares are harassing citizens."
He urged the government to start immediately filling up the potholes on the main highways across the country to make travel easier and to also make the ticket booking well-managed.
Government urged to make rescue operations effective
Gyan Bahadur Shahi, the parliamentary leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), has urged the government to make the rescue operations for the people affected by the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa more effective.
Speaking during a special hour in the meeting of the House of Representatives, Shahi said that if the government had rescued the people trapped in the hydropower project's tunnel in time, they could have been saved. However, he complained that due to delays in the rescue, only the bodies could be retrieved.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Yagya Mani Neupane said that courts and the judiciary should now operate according to the law, emphasizing the need for judicial restructuring. Highlighting the importance of making the judiciary timely, he urged for an investigation into judges' assets.
Madan Krishna Shrestha of the Nepali Congress said that no agreement can be made on air security and drew the government's attention toward improving the management of the Nepal Airlines Corporation.
