Officials on foreign junkets, missing in action as Nepal suffers in crisis

KATHMANDU, Oct 1: While the country grapples with the crisis caused by natural disasters, top government officials concerned are abroad receiving recognition. When disaster struck, the head of the relief and rescue agencies was also overseas. Even Prime Minister KP Oli was in the US and returned home only on Monday. 

Since his return on Monday, Prime Minister Oli has been occupied with government and party meetings. He attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Widespread criticism has emerged on social media regarding the PM’s decision not to cut his visit short and return to the country when the natural disaster struck. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Basanta Kunwar will take two days to return to work. He is currently abroad participating in the ‘38th International Drug Enforcement Conference’, which runs from September 24 to 26. According to the police headquarters, he is expected to return to Nepal on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the executive head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, Anil Pokharel, is in the UK. While Pokharel often carries his own bag to rush off using army helicopters to assess landslides, he now finds himself in Britain for a business trip. The executive head of the authority, Pokharel, flew to the UK on the day the country was inundated and remains there.

During the calamity, while the Prime Minister was absent, the Acting Prime Minister Prakash Man Singh convened a Cabinet meeting. However, Chief Secretary Eak Narayan Aryal, who was expected to attend, was busy receiving accolades outside Kathmandu. Acting Prime Minister Singh was also occupied with a public event on Saturday. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Aryal, who has been leading the administrative machinery during the Prime Minister's foreign visit, reached his home district of Syangja on Friday after completing a program in Pokhara. He was busy inaugurating the local administration office in Waling on Sunday while Sindhuli, Kavre, and Dhading were being lashed by continuous rain since Friday.