In one such case, around 3000 sets of tents donated by an international non-governmental organization (INGO) have been returned to India after the customs office barred the consignment from entering Nepal."We couldn't distribute these relief materials in Nepal. So we have decided to distribute them in the earthquake affected areas in Bihar," said Awadhesh Prasad Shah, representative of the donor organization, Aaradhana Samaj. "Although we requested the customs office and the District Administration Office to allow the aid materials, they did not listen to us," he added.
A large amount of relief materials were returned from the border on Wednesday after the customs office refused customs clearance demanding taxes. Similarly, dozens of trucks carrying relief materials provided by various NGOs were stopped on Thursday as well.
On Wednesday and Thursday at least 3,000 tents were returned to India. The District Administration Office (DAO) of Parsa had recommended the donors to "proceed in accordance with the law". Similarly, the office had denied entry permit for 8000 kg of beaten rice and 200 kg of dalmoth along with the tents.
"The tents could provide shelter to thousands of quake families. Such negligence and thoughtless act of the DAO could prove to be very costly," said Dhubra Yadav, a local social worker.
Similarly, the customs office has obstructed entry to 1,500 tents provided by Birgunj consumer rights committee along with various other agencies. "The home ministry needs to request the Ministry of Finance in writing for entry permit and then the Ministry of Finance should write to the Department of Customs and the department should write to the customs office for customs clearance. Only then, the custom chief said, they would allow the materials to enter the country," said Jaya Prakash Khetan of the consumer committee. "Although our objective is to provide relieft to the quake victims promptly, we are facing unnecessary hassles," he added.
Chief Customs Officer Mitra Lal Regmi, said, "Our hands are tied because we cannot give customs clearance without written instructs from higher authorities."
Meanwhile, Chief District Officer (CDO) of Parsa district, Keshav Raj Ghimere, expressed concerns over diverting of relief materials back to India and said he was working to coordinate with the ministries. "We are coordinating with home ministry's joint secretary Sagar Mani Parajuli to obtain permit and manage relief distribution," said the CDO, adding that the donors have to follow set procedures.
Related story
Govt bars NGOs, individuals from distributing relief directly
