The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has been monitoring the condition of political detainees detained at various detention centers in the Kathmandu Valley, has asked the government to provide basic facilities to the detainees.

A statement issued by the commission on Monday following visit of a NHRC monitoring team at the Armed Police Force (APF) barrack in Duwakot, Bhaktapur, where dozens of political leaders have been kept, said the water provided to the detainees is not drinkable and a number of detainees have fallen sick after drinking impure water.

Saying that most of the cells in the detention centre are damp, the NHRC asked the authorities to set up tents and keep the toilets in proper condition and provide medical checkups to detainees suffering from health problems.

The monitoring team comprising NHRC members Sushila Singh Silu, Sudeep Pathak and Dr Ram Dayal Rakesh found 11 political detainees including CPN-UML leaders Subash Nemwang, Gopal Shakya, Yubaraj Karki, Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Bimalendra Nidhi and student leader Ram Kumari Jhakri with health problems.

The rights watchdog asked the Office of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers to take immediate steps to ensure basic facilities, including reading materials, to the political detainees and allow their family members to meet them.