KATHMANDU: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chair Rabi Lamichhane has stepped up efforts to coordinate with local and provincial governments four days after floods hit several districts, amid growing concerns over a lack of coordination among the three tiers of government.
On Sunday, Lamichhane held telephone conversations with elected representatives from flood-hit Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading. During the conversations, local government representatives complained that the federal government had failed to coordinate effectively in rescue and relief operations.
They also raised concerns that chief district officers and security officials had not responded adequately to requests from local governments.
Following the discussions with local representatives, Lamichhane invited Bagmati Province Chief Minister Kiran Thapa to his party office in Banasthali on Sunday afternoon for talks on the flood and landslide response.
The meeting focused on coordination among the federal, provincial and local governments in rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.
Chief Minister Thapa said the three levels of government had not been able to maintain the expected level of coordination during the disaster. He said the provincial government had been carrying out rescue and relief operations on its own initiative because of the lack of coordination.
Thapa also expressed dissatisfaction that the provincial government was not informed in advance when the prime minister visited the disaster-affected areas.
He stressed the need to clearly define the responsibilities of the federal, provincial and local governments during disasters.
According to Thapa, relief materials sent from different places have been collected in the Battar area of Nuwakot, but delivering them to affected settlements further uphill has remained difficult.
He also called for immediate coordination among all three levels of government to relocate settlements at high risk along rivers and streams, citing the long-term impact of climate change.
Lamichhane said the provincial government should play a key role in connecting local and federal governments during disasters.
“The province should play the role of linking the local and federal governments during such disasters,” Lamichhane said.
He said all levels of government should work together during the current crisis, prioritising rescue and relief over political and administrative divisions.
Lamichhane also pledged to coordinate from the federal side to ensure that all necessary support is made available to the affected areas.
The meeting also discussed access to rescue and relief materials in flood- and landslide-affected areas, the division of responsibilities among the three tiers of government, and measures to reduce the risk of floods and landslides in the coming days.
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