Karnali ministers mobilised for relief distribution in Jajarkot, Rukum

By Nabin Subedi/Raju Lamichhane,Surkhet/Rukum West, Nov. 7: All members of Karnali Province's Council of Ministers have been mobilised to support recovery and relief efforts in Jajarkot and Rukum (West). The two districts were devastated by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck them at 11.47 pm on Friday.

Accordingly, Chief Minister Raj Kumar Sharma has been in Jajarkot since Monday morning and will be travelling to all affected areas as needed. Minister for Finance Bedraj Singh is also in Jajarkot. He has been working in the district since Saturday. 

Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Krishna Bahadur GC and Minister for Social Affairs Khadga Pokharel are in Surkhet to manage resources and supplies. GC has been working in the Surkhet Airport since Saturday to ensure that the assistance going to the two districts passes through the provincial government's single-door system.

Minister for Agriculture Bhim Prakash Sharma is in Salyan. Minister for Energy and Water Resources Urmila Bishwokarma is also in the affected areas to ensure the supply of drinking water and repair the damaged water projects. 

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Mangal Bahadur Shahi will work to collect data on the damaged infrastructure.

Furthermore, Law Minister GC, who is also the spokesperson for the provincial government, said that the money allocated for the affected areas would be sent to the local levels in a few days to enable them to procure relief items.

Meanwhile,  Aathbiskot Municipality of Rukum West has provided money to the families of those who lost their lives in Friday's earthquake to cover the expenses of the mourning rites. The quake is so far confirmed to have claimed the lives of 42 people in the municipality.

Mayor Rabi KC told The Rising Nepal that a team under his leadership had begun distributing the money from Sunday evening. He began distributing the relief from Ward No. 14, one of the most affected areas in the municipality.

KC informed that the local government had provided Rs. 25,000 for mourning to each of seven families and relief materials to 70 more. He also said that members of the Karnali Provincial Assembly Mahendra KC and Kalyan Khadka, chief of the District Coordination Committee Lumbini Gautam, former Mayor of Aathbiskot Gorkha Bahadur KC and district chair of the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) Rama Gautam, among others, had been working closely with the local level.

Meanwhile, the NRCS Rukum West branch has provided aid to support 300 families in Aathbiskot Municipality and 300 families in Sanibheri Rural Municipality. This aid, which includes tents, mattresses and blankets, was provided to the two local levels on Sunday.

"The relief items have begun reaching the earthquake victims," chair Gautam said. "Red Cross members are also working with the local governments in distributing the relief."