UML against involvement of private sector for insurance programme

Kathmandu / Aug 10: In a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) today, the main opposition CPN (UML) expressed its concern over what it said was the government’s preparations for partnering with the private sector for implementing the health insurance programme.

With the commencement of the meeting, party lawmaker Khagaraj Adhikari said point no 151 of the budget speech for the current fiscal year suggests the government preparations for including the private sector in the implementation of the insurance scheme.

The former Minister for Health and Population said the preparations intended to make the programme failed.

Mahesh Basnet from the same party Mahesh Basnet demanded prompt relief for the survivors of floods and inundations caused by incessant rains in the Kathmandu Valley last night.

The former Minister also demanded the government take steps for ending the mess seen in Nepal Engineering College.

Similarly, those choosing zero hours to air their views in the session alerted the government to the phenomena of water-induced disasters in different parts of the country and their wider impact on their lives. They wanted the government to work promptly for the rescue and relief of the affected.

The government was urged to come up with effective programmes and plans to resist the consequences of the disaster while Nabina Lama apprised the House that last night’s rainfall had its implications on the river corridor settlement in Kathmandu Valley.

Seeking the guarantee of relief for them, Nar Bahadur Dhami, Narayan Prasad Khatiwada were among those raising the disaster issues in the parliament.

Meantime, Dil Kumari urged the President for the quick authentication of the Citizenship Bill to address the issues of those facing statelessness.

Dal Bahadur Rana, Deepak Parkash Bhatta, Durga Kumari BK, Durga Poudel, Prakash Rasaili Snehi, Dev Prasad Gurung and Prem Suwal echoed the contemporary issues ranging for the delay in the implementation of the Mahakali irrigation project to the alleged irregularities in the Tribhuvan University.

The other issues raised in the session include facilities for the survivors of people’s war, vegetable quality testing in the customs office, increasing trend of suicide, effective implementation of the law and Constitution and the development of Paschim Seti Hydropower Project on the national funding. (RSS)