At an all-party meeting organized this evening to discuss the ongoing relief and rescue operations and to make them further effective, the politicians made the common voice in this regard.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mahesh Acharya familiarized the politicians from all parties on the ongoing search and rescue of the earthquake victims and survivors and the support received from the international community in relief and medical treatment system.
On the occasion, leaders of the opposition parties including the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) said that the rescue and relief operation jobs have not been carried out by taking all parties into confidence.
Stating that it was the major responsibility of the government to operate rescue and relief efforts when the disaster hit the country, the meeting stressed the need of forming a political mechanism to monitor the government performance in the crisis.
On the occasion, Prime Minister Koirala pledged to intensify search, rescue and relief efforts. He called on all political parties to support and cooperate with the government to tackle the grave crisis after the devastating earthquake, forgetting the status of ruling and opposition parties.
Talking to media after the meeting, CPN (UML) Chair KP Oli said the Saturday's earthquake devastated the country forcing it to experience an adverse situation and thus collective efforts were a must for the relief and rescue of survivors as soon as possible.
Stating that the government is making arrangement of additional tents to meet its demand by quake survivors, he said all sides should be cautious that there should be no political trace in rescue and relief operation.
Nepali Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel said that today's meeting has imparted a message that political parties of Nepal could come and stand together at the time of crisis.
"The opposition parties have also gave assurances to cooperate with the government in its efforts for rescue and relief. Now is the time for the government to focus on relief distribution and reconstruction", he added.
UCPN (Maoist) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he suggested the government to take further actions reviewing the shortcomings in the ongoing search, rescue, relief and treatment of quake survivors.
He said that no one had doubts over the fact that we needed to unite at this time of crisis faced by the country while stressing the need for making the rescue and relief effort effective and transparent. Dahal also pointed out the failure to reach out to the most needed survivors with rescue and relief packages.
Senior leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai apprised the PM that relief effort had not reached the remote villages in hilly and mountainous regions. Bhattarai was of the opinion of making the rescue and relief effort influential by taking the opposition parties into confidence.
Moreover, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa drew the attention of the government towards the need to make rescue and relief efforts more efficient.
Rastriya Janamorcha Nepal Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC said it was not the appropriate time to hold lengthy discussions at a time when the earthquake survivors were in dire need of relief. RSS
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