Responding to the concerns of lawmakers in a meeting of State Affairs Committee of the parliament on Tuesday, Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet said that full-phase relief distribution to last year's quake victims might take another year, while abiding by the legal procedures.Earlier in the meeting, lawmakers had criticized the minister for delaying the distribution of relief and grants to the quake, flood and landslide victims for years.
In response, Home Minister Basnet urged the lawmakers to help the ministry to amend the disaster management related laws without any delay. "If we abide by our legal procedures it may take yet another year to provide relief to the victims of last year's earthquake," said Basnet. "We must mull over fast-track options, removing bureaucratic hassles for timely delivery of relief to the victims."
Minister Basnet further informed that disaster management bill is under finalization process at the ministry of law.
The ministry had earlier registered the same bill at the parliament secretariat, but withdrew for revision immediately after the April earthquake in the country.
The State Affairs Committee has directed the ministry to table the bill to the parliament at the earliest.
Speaking at the committee meeting, lawmakers accused the government of not providing initial relief to all quake victims even after a year. Lawmakers Yagya Raj Sunuwar, Ganga Lal Tuladhar, Rameshwor Phuyal, Ananda Dhungana, Nabindra Raj Joshi among others blamed the government for not providing Rs 15,000 for a year in many of the affected districts.
Lawmaker Sanjay Gautam said that flood victims in Bardiya are yet get rehabilitated even after three years of the disaster. Lawmakers Prem Suwal, Balbir Prasad Chaudhari, Jayant Chand among others suggested to the minister to adopt precautions with a view to minimize risks.
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