KATHMANDU, May 6: The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has drawn the attention of the government to make necessary arrangements to bring home Nepali nationals left in a miserable condition in various labor destinations in the aftermath of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
In a telephone conversation with Prime Minister K P Oli on Wednesday, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba also drew attention of the government to further expand the scope of PCR tests among people suspected of COVID-19 infection across the country.
According to a press statement issued by the NC, Deuba asked the government to make an appropriate plan to bring home some 3,000 Nepalis living in a miserable condition in Kuwait. They are currently kept in the shelters established by the Kuwait government.
Similarly, Deuba asked the government to make a contingency plan to repatriate thousands of Nepali nationals left in a miserable condition in various Gulf countries.
According to the statement, Deuba also asked the government to make necessary arrangements to facilitate return of Nepali nationals kept in quarantine facilities developed by the Indian authorities. Hundreds of Nepalis have not been able to return home even after staying in quarantine for over a month.
Among other things, Deuba asked Prime Minister Oli to launch a massive PCR-based test among suspected people in Nepalgunj Municipality in order to assure people living in the municipality that they are not infected by this virus.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations has asked the government to facilitate return of hundreds of Nepali nationals kept in quarantine facilities in Indian side of the border in Bhimdutta Municipality in Kanchanpur districts. A meeting of the parliament committee under the House of Representatives (HoR) directed the government to bring them to Nepal and conduct COVID-19 tests before sending their respective homes.
The meeting also asked the government to start formal negotiation with the Indian side to bring back hundreds of Nepali nationals living in quarantine facilities developed along the border The Nepali nationals have not been able to return home even as Indian authorities have advised them to return to Nepal due to restriction on cross-border movement imposed by the government.