Addressing a parliamentary meeting, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam said, "The disaster was beyond our expectations and unprecedented in scale. So our efforts could not meet the expectations of quake victims on time."
The government was well aware of the high risk of earthquakes but lacked an adequate number of experts, technology and the skilled manpower for deployment in the field, he said, adding that at the same time it could not make prompt demands from other countries concerning the requirements.
He spoke of the need for trained dogs, equipment used in cutting through concrete blocks, cemented walls and metal rods and rescue-friendly helicopters, cranes, excavators, ambulances, fire trucks, boats and other equipment needed for rescue and relief work.
Though rescue and relief support were offered by neighboring and other countries, the government could not state the actual needs in time for lack of proper assessment of the losses, he said. "We could not mobilize the international rescuers because of our inability to match their expertise with our needs," he said.
Gradually, the rescue operations have gotten into stride but the relief distribution was weak, ineffective and open to controversy due to government mismanagement, he admitted.
Had the government stored up sufficient amounts of tents and foodstuff and kept rescue teams on stand by, it would have been able to minimize the losses, he said and expressed dissatisfaction at not being able to make people more aware of the hazards of old buildings and not focusing on the protection of world heritage sites.
There have been weaknesses in managing the relief operations but it was not as bad as claimed in some quarters, Gutam further said, adding that the government reached every place to the best of its knowledge.
According to him, the government is to table a special motion in the upcoming parliamentary session concerning an overall rescue, relief and reconstruction package in the quake-affected areas. "We need to move ahead with unity and a common resolve at this hour of national crisis," he stressed in his parliamentary address.
Speaking of the need for a clear policy and program for restoration, with short and long terms plans formulated with the participation of national and international agencies, he also called for acting in unison on a long-term plan of action rather than becoming divided into ruling or opposition parties at this hour of disaster. He assured parliament that a comprehensive action plan would be announced at the earliest, keeping in mind the disasters that may occur in future.
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