Lack of govt coordination felt in quake-affected areas

By Raju Lamichhane,Rukum West, Nov. 29: Chairperson of the National Concerns and Coordination Committee of the National Assembly, Dil Kumari Rawat Thapa, has highlighted the need for prioritising cooperation and coordination among the three levels of government in the earthquake-affected regions.

Thapa, who reached Rukum West to evaluate the situation in earthquake-affected districts, highlighted an absence of coordination among three tiers of government in recent times.

During the interaction programme held at the district administration office on Tuesday, she pointed out that although the government had introduced Federation, Province and Local Level (Coordination and Inter-relation) Act, 2077, aimed at fostering collaboration among the three levels of government, it has not been effectively implemented.

"There was commendable cooperation observed during search, rescue, treatment, and the initial phase of relief distribution.”

However, complaints had been received that there lacked fairness while setting up the temporary shelter, she added. 

She emphasised that the construction of temporary housing for earthquake victims should be carried out through collaborative coordination rather than relying on arbitrary efforts. 

Stating that the lives of thousands of citizens in the earthquake-affected areas are at risk, Thapa said that it is necessary to work in a unified manner to prevent further damage.

She further assured that her monitoring team would bring the government's attention to the ground realities of the earthquake-affected areas by comprehensively understanding the situation.

Chairperson Thapa said that she would urge the government to be responsible by taking into account the demands of the victims and the voices of the stakeholders.

At the programme, former minister and member of the House of Representatives, Janardan Sharma, provided an overview of the situation and outlined the requirements of the districts affected by the earthquake.

“Given the challenges posed by the weather, it's imperative that we prioritize the construction of temporary housing as soon as possible,” he said. He additionally emphasized the necessity for the mobilised volunteers in the villages to collaborate and work with mutual coordination.

Speaking at the programme, Chief District Officer Hari Prasad Panta expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the relevant authorities showed apathy in managing resources and manpower.

“Since the search, rescue, treatment, and the initial phase of relief distribution has been completed, the construction of temporary housing will commence immediately,” he said. 

He also briefed the team of National Concern and Coordination Committee about damage caused by earthquake, the ongoing efforts, and the prevailing hardships in the earthquake-affected areas.