KATHMANDU: Members of House of Representatives (HoR) raised critical issues of public concern and security during Thursday’s House of Representatives meeting, drawing the government’s urgent attention to the Humla-Bajura border dispute, accountability of the Prime Minister, and the country’s worsening monkey menace.

During the emergency hour, lawmakers strongly urged the government to immediately resolve the ongoing border dispute between Humla and Bajura districts.

MP Jayapati Rokaya highlighted that the dispute in the Ranisain area has led to the blockage of the crucial Karnali Highway. “The disruption of the national highway has severely affected patients, students appearing for exams, and citizens traveling for essential work,” Rokaya said, demanding that the government clear the highway immediately through dialogue.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, MP KP Khanal of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) drew attention to an incident where a group, including Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Gopi Hamal, faced mistreatment due to the border dispute.

He noted that the Saipal region in the Himali Rural Municipality is rich in herbs and wildlife, attracting smugglers who have evaded taxes for years.

Khanal suspected that local ward members were assaulted by smugglers because they initiated the establishment of a police post to curb these illegal activities.

Furthermore, MP Janak Raj Giri condemned a violent attack on May 17 in Himali Rural Municipality-3, targeting Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Mahesh Dhami and Chief Administrative Officer Kul Bahadur Thapa.

Giri demanded a permanent state-level solution to the border crisis to ensure the safety and right to live freely for local residents.

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, demanded that the Speaker issue a ruling directing Prime Minister Balen Shah to present himself in parliament.

Speaking during the emergency hour, Nepali Congress whip Nischal Rai emphasized that the Prime Minister must attend the session to ensure the government remains accountable to the house and to maintain parliamentary decorum.

Rai warned that until the Prime Minister and the government show accountability to parliament, ongoing protests will not stop. He urged both the Speaker and the government to address the matter timely.

The house also witnessed a heated discussion regarding the widespread monkey menace affecting rural livelihoods.

MP Rajendra Kumar Rai of the opposition party, CPN (UML), issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government, warning that opposition lawmakers would obstruct parliamentary proceedings if concrete steps are not taken within a week.

“If a person commits a crime, the police arrest and jail them. Today, monkeys have displaced hundreds of families and ruined their food security, yet the government remains indifferent,” Rai stated, questioning why the state cannot control wildlife that threatens public survival.

In response to the uproar, independent MP Mahabir Pun asserted that merely shouting in parliament would not solve the monkey menace.

Sharing his experience, Pun revealed that the National Innovation Center (NIC) spent Rs 5 to 6 million seven years ago trying to research a solution but failed.

He remarked that while humanity has the technology to build rockets, no scientist in the world has successfully created a technology to stop the monkey menace.