Speaker Onasari Gharti has directed the government to furnish its response to Parliament in its next meeting to the deaths of four children on Saturday in a pit dug up during road expansion at Garuda of Rautahat district.

Four minors, including three of a family, drowned in the rain-filled pit. The deceased were identified as Sangita Sah (12), Sunita Sah (9), Sushmita Sah (9) and Sunaina Sah (9).

Speaker’s ruling came after several lawmakers raised the issue demanding answer from the government why innocent children had to sacrifice their lives just because of the state’s negligence.

Addressing the House meeting, CPN-UML Chief Whip Bhanubhakta Dhakal held the contractor responsible for the deaths. Claiming that as many as 11 children had lost their lives in such incidents in a matter of months, he demanded compensation for the bereaved families and action against those responsible for the fatalities.

Lawmakers including Ram Narayan Bidari, Ram Ayodhya Yadav and Baija Nath Chaudhary had urged the government for necessary action against those failing to abide by the prime minister’s directive to plug potholes.

NC lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada criticised officials for failing to repair roads on time. Following the death of a schoolgirl in a flooded ditch in Kathmandu three weeks ago, PM Sher Bahadur Deuba had directed the officials to fill the potholes within 15 days.

The National Human Rights Commission has started a probe into the accidental deaths of minors. The NHRC said in a statement on Sunday that it launched an investigation on the basis of a complaint.

A team from the NHRC Regional Office, Janakpur, is said to have reached the incident site.

“The government must be responsible for protecting the rights of citizens, especially children, women, elderly people and people with disability,” the NHRC stated.