KATHMANDU: Lawmakers hit the tables in the parliament about the budget allocated for them in the discussion of budget and programs every year but they never raise concern of environmental issues in the legislative for the interests of people.
For last few years, the members of parliament raised the concern of Constituency Development Program that allocates the funds for lawmakers to manage spend on their wills. It has overshadowed the discussion on other issues in the parliament. However, it is rarely found that the parliament members give priority for the public interests of forests, environment, drinking water, health and other vital issues. The ongoing session of the parliament has also blamed each other whether they are from ruling or opposition parties.
The lawmakers who have demanded a huge budget for their electoral constituencies have not raised any issue about environmental concerns including its agenda and necessary laws for it.
The various problems related to forests, water and environment in the issue can cause serious threats in the future if they are not timely addressed. It has been frequently reported that river products are illegally extracted and sold for the benefit of some persons close to political leaders or power centers. The illegal crusher industries or not renewed ones have dominated the extraction of sand, pebbles, concrete stones and other river products. There are many instances published on media or unpublished yet.
At a time when bulldozers are operated in different parts of the country destroying the forests and environment, the lawmakers have not spoken anything about them against their responsibility to work on the problems of the ordinary people.
However, the lawmakers are not tired of speaking about the fund they are entitled to spend on their personal wills. Apart from these, the works to develop the Nijgadh International Airport in Bara district need to be forwarded ahead after approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report. But no step has been taken to plant new saplings after cutting down 2.4 million trees in the land of proposed international airport.
There are other several issues that enough discussion in the parliament on them can pave the way to formulate policies and laws. Are the lawmakers unaware of environment and sustainable development concerns?
