Raut admitted the failure of his government to do enough but claimed that it was unfair to put all the blame on his government, which he said was working under severe financial constraints.

KATHMANDU, July 31: Province 2 Chief Minister Mohammad Lalbabu Raut has accused Kathmandu of giving cold shoulder to the plight of the people living in the flood-hit areas.

Thousands of families in the province are still struggling to recover three weeks after devastating floods swept large swathes of the tarai.

Speaking at an interaction organized in Kathmandu on Tuesday, Raut said that many of the affected families were yet to receive relief owing to inadequate aid from the center.

“We don't know the exact number of flood victims, but many people are yet to receive relief,'' said Raut, adding that his government was still distributing relief to the affected families.

Raut's remarks come at a time when his government is under fire for spending precious little to support the flood-affected families while spending tens of millions in buying cars for cabinet members.

Raut admitted the failure of his government to do enough but claimed that it was unfair to put all the blame on his government, which he said was working under severe financial constraints.

The center's assistance was necessary to tackle a disaster of this scale, he added.

Raut said that he has been meeting various high-level officials including President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Oli looking for necessary support.

He said that the prime minister has promised necessary support for the rehabilitation of the affected families. On Sunday, he had met Minister for Physical Planning and Transport Management Raghubir Mahaseth and Minister for Energy and Irrigation Barshaman Pun seeking more aid for the affected areas.

Like Province 2, other provincial governments are also struggling to recover from the disaster due to resource crunch and lack of clear strategy.

The floods that started with late monsoon this year have killed nearly 100 people and displaced tens of thousands of households across the country.

Despite recurring natural disasters over the past several years, the provincial governments appear ill-prepared to tackle them, let alone minimize the risks.

 
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