KATHMANDU: Political parties both inside and outside Parliament have pledged to work together to respond to the devastating natural disaster caused by flooding in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa.
An all-party meeting convened by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Thursday agreed to extend full support to the government in disaster management, search and rescue, and immediate relief operations. The parties also agreed on the need for a parliamentary mechanism to oversee long-term reconstruction.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa said the parties had reaffirmed their commitment to standing together during a national crisis, in line with the practice followed during previous disasters.
Thapa said the meeting was briefed on the government’s preliminary search, rescue and relief efforts, and that information gathered by the participating parties was shared with the government.
“The immediate priority is search, rescue and relief,” Thapa said. “Reconstruction will take years and require billions of rupees. Therefore, a parliamentary mechanism is necessary to continuously monitor the reconstruction process, provide recommendations to the government and coordinate the collective efforts of political parties.”
He said the proposed mechanism would also include political parties that do not have representation in Parliament. The meeting proposed establishing a special committee or mechanism through Parliament to ensure effective relief distribution and post-disaster reconstruction.
Thapa said lessons from previous disasters showed that government priorities sometimes shifted as time passed, leaving affected communities without adequate support. He stressed that such a situation should not be repeated in the current crisis.
Comment