Nepal Parliament debates costs of Minister Lamsal's helicopter evacuation

A heated debate has erupted in Nepal's Parliament following the helicopter evacuation of Infrastructure Development Minister Sunil Lamsal. Lamsal fell ill while inspecting infrastructure projects in Sudurpaschim and was flown to Dhangadhi before being transported to Kathmandu via a Nepal Army Sky Truck.

Nepali Congress Chief Whip Basana Thapa criticized the government's spending priorities during the House of Representatives meeting. Thapa highlighted the disparity between the millions spent on the minister's airlift and the lack of basic medical resources in the Karnali region. She noted that while ministers receive rapid aerial transport, ordinary citizens struggle to access essential medicines like paracetamol, reliable transportation for childbirth, and even cooking gas cylinders.

Thapa argued that the government's focus on large-scale expressway projects contrasts sharply with the immediate needs of citizens in remote provinces who lack basic healthcare and relief services.