JOMSOM: Lomanthang and Loghekar Rural Municipality of Upper Mustang have denied to receive health and relief materials offered by the Tibet government saying that they are sent without the coordination and consent of local and district governments.
The relief materials sent to the two local governments of Upper Mustang who are in trouble due to lockdown enforced to curb coronavirus pandemic are stuck in the Northern Corola border for more than a week now.
According to sources, the Tibet government has sent relief materials including food stuffs, vegetables and health supplies required to conduct COVID-19 tests to Lomanthang and Lhoghekar Damodarkunda Rural Municipality of Upper Mustang.
However, the relief materials meant for the bordering rural municipalities of Upper Mustang are waiting for their entry to Nepal since May 8.
According to Subarna Kumar Bista, the Mayor of Lhomanthang Rural Municipality, the relief materials meant for those municipalities is addressed to Nawangkunga Lama, Tashi Phenchok Loha and Pasang Gurung of Lhomanthang-5.
The six heavy trucks are laden with masks, PPE, thermal guns, sanitizers, food stuffs and clothes.
Mayor Bista said that they are coordinating with the Chinese security forces to send the materials back to Tibet as the materials are not verified and authenticated.
He feared that the materials, if accepted, could transmit coronavirus that the Chinese government is still struggling against.
He added that citing the pandemic outbreak in China and Tibet, the local authority had restricted the businesspersons to go to Tibet even for trade.
Lopsang Chhomphel Bishta of Lhoghekar Damodar Rural Municipality also shared the plan to defy the relief materials offered by the Chinese government as they supplied those things without taking prior consent from the local authorities.
However, Ward Chairperson of Lhomanthang-5 Nawang Kung Lama informed that he would decide after consultation with the locals.
Ved Prasad Aryal, the Chief District Officer of Mustang expressed ignorance about the arrival of relief materials.
The Tibet government of China had prepared to send relief materials to Humla, Jumla, Rasuwa, Dolpa and Mustang districts.
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