KATHMANDU: Opposition parties represented in the House of Representatives (HoR) have urged the government to form a parliamentary special committee to make disaster management, search and rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts more effective.
A meeting of the opposition parties held at the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party office in Singha Durbar on Thursday decided to call on the government to establish the committee to monitor and inspect relief and rescue efforts, provide additional recommendations and facilitate the government’s response through parliamentary mechanisms, according to CPN-UML Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader Padma Aryal.
Aryal said the opposition parties had decided to raise a strong voice in Parliament for the formation of the special committee and to continue drawing the government’s attention to the fact that it has yet to establish such a mechanism.
The meeting expressed appreciation for the agencies involved in search and rescue operations and the work carried out so far. However, it concluded that there had been shortcomings during the preparatory and initial stages due to inadequate consultation and coordination.
Aryal said the government must immediately expedite temporary rehabilitation efforts, warning that affected people’s patience should not be tested further.
She said the opposition parties had reached a common understanding to work together with the government by setting aside partisan political interests and agendas in view of the ongoing national disaster.
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