MPs demand halt on Mechi Highway demolition, raise governance & corruption concerns
KATHMANDU: Lawmakers in House of Representatives on Thursday raised multiple pressing national concerns, with strong focus on the government’s decision to remove physical structures built within the road boundary of the Mechi Highway.
MP Bhumika Limbu Subba urged the government to immediately withdraw its decision to demolish houses and settlements along the Mechi Highway corridor, warning that it could displace hundreds of thousands of citizens.
Speaking during the special hour in the House, she said densely populated settlements across Ilam, Panchthar, and Taplejung districts have existed along the historic highway for decades. She stressed that demolishing homes without compensation would render “millions homeless” and severely damage livelihoods.
Calling the Mechi Highway a historic “lifeline” connecting the eastern hills and Terai, she argued that most residents were never properly informed about road boundaries under the Public Roads Act, 2031 BS. As a result, many had built homes and businesses within the corridor unknowingly.
She added that with the monsoon approaching, residents are living in fear after the Department of Roads’ notice, affecting areas from Jor Kalash in Ilam through Panchthar up to Sukepokhari in Taplejung. She demanded the decision be reconsidered, emphasizing that both homes and roadside businesses such as hotels should not be destroyed without proper alternatives and compensation.
Meanwhile, MP Vipin Kumar Acharya criticized the functioning of parliamentary “zero hour,” arguing that lawmakers speak but the government fails to listen or act. He said the current system has become a “black hole time” where public concerns disappear without action.
He demanded that issues raised during zero hour be formally recorded, sent to relevant ministries, and followed up with implementation reports within a fixed timeframe, calling it essential to make parliamentary discussions meaningful.
Other lawmakers also raised key national issues during the session:
MP Nita Ghatan condemned discrimination against Dalits in Kathmandu.
MP Yashoda Kumari Baral called for urgent repair and maintenance of the Karnali Highway, citing road damage and transport disruption.
MP Gyan Bahadur Shahi, also the parliamentary leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), demanded a probe into alleged irregularities mentioned in the Auditor General’s report and called for action against customs tax evasion cases involving vehicles.
He further accused the Finance Minister of involvement in irregular practices and claimed the minister had misled a parliamentary committee.
Shahi urged the formation of a parliamentary investigation committee and questioned how vehicle clearance processes were conducted before import, insisting that revenue losses highlighted in the audit reports must be recovered.
